WAR HAMMER & MACE
​武器锤​

War Hammer & Mace training is an advanced weapon study taught at Imperial Combat Arts in Denver CO. These devastating melee weapons have been used on the battlefields of much of the medieval world, and they offer unique advantages over bladed weapons.
The crushing weight of these traditional weapons is enough to kill with a single strike, and cause serious blunt force damage right through a helmet or armor that may stop a blade. Some of these weapons also feature points that can drive through plates of steel.
War Hammer and Mace training at a historically accurate combat level is a very different study than the theatrical and acrobatic training seen in many modern Chinese martial arts schools. These schools often use very light and hollow mock versions of these weapons, and in ways that are mostly for show. These theatrical weapons do not even begin to compare with the true Chinese battlefield weapons listed below. Our weapon training has direct lineage to the battlefield, and can hold its own with, or surpass any other weapon system in the world, and blends seamlessly with our hand to hand, ground systems, and chin na, as a complete study.

GOURD HAMMER
​金瓜錘

CHIN KUA CH’U | JINGUACHUI
This famous weapon is one the primary Hammers taught at Imperial Combat Arts and is used in power styles such as Tiger Kung Fu. These weapons get their name from the head of the weapon that's is shaped like a small pumpkin. The pumpkin shape has 8 ribs that represent the Taoist Pa Kua (Daoist Bagua). At combat weight these powerful Hammers require a great degree of strength to wield dynamically. 

8 SIDED HAMMER
​​八稜锤

PA LENG CH’U | BALENGCHUI
This primary War Hammer has 8 flat sides that again represent the 8 Trigrams of the Pa Kua. Aside from symbolism these shapes guarantee a point or ridge will hit the opponent no matter which way the weapon is held, or from what angle the strike is done.
​For those familiar with our systems, this ability to strike with a point in all directions is the done empty handed with the highly toughened Eight Trigrams Fist.

ASSASSINS MACE
​杀手锏

SHA SHOU CH'IEN|SHASHOUJIAN
​The Assassins Mace is a longer and thinner mace with a small head. This Mace is measured on its wielder in such a way that when they hold the head in their hand the end of the handle sits under their armpit. This allows the Mace to be concealed up the sleeve and then quickly dropped down to the hand for the Assassination strike. This weapon is much faster and lighter than a war mace and designed for subterfuge.

FLOWER BUD MACE
花蕾錘

HUA LEI CH'U | HUALEICHUI
​This mace is lighter that a full War Hammer and gets name from the head of the weapon being styled as a unopened flower bud with the folded petals offering ribs for striking impact. This weapon is often a five ribbed plum blossom in design with ornate stem and leaf patterns throughout the handle. The other Noble Flowers are also used with maces fashioned after Orchid, Lotus, and Chrysanthemum Buds.

IRON WHIP
​​鐵鞭

T'IEH PIEN | TIEBIAN
This traditional weapon is named after a small stick for herding animals. Opposed to standard clubs the Iron Whip features hand guards and these weapons  are often crafted from the highest grade materials. Also unlike standard batons these weapons are able to engage full battle-field weapons and easily break bones. These clubs should not be confused with light mock versions of the weapon. 

IRON RULER
​​​鐵尺

T'IEH CH'IH | TIECHI
The Iron Ruler is an ancient police weapon that is essentially a fully dulled and flat tipped sword. This approach to club, with a hand guard, can much more effectively engage other battlefield weapons. Named after an Ancient Chinese measuring device the Iron Ruler often has one side more blunted one more ridged for options in levels or force. A similar weapon is trained with long guards and known as a Sai.

WOLF TOOTH MACE
 狼牙棍​

LANG YA KUN | LANGYAGUN
This Mace is spiked like all of Chinese Wolf Tooth style weapons. These small teeth add focused points to the impact of the hammer. Some modern versions of these type weapons have long thin spikes that in actuality would quickly be stuck in armor, skulls, or wooden shields. True battlefield maces of any kind will have fairly short and blunt spikes or ridges to keep the weapon free and focused on blunt impacts.

WOLF TOOTH CLUB
狼牙棒​

LANG YA PANG | LANGYABANG
​This Wolf Tooth weapon has a longer often pestle shaped head with numerous small points each the lengths of a Wolf tooth. There are two lengths of the Wolf Tooth Club, one for single handed use and a traditional two handed pole weapon of the same name. In addition the Wolf Family weapons also have the Wolf Tooth Spear that dates to the Qin era and has the same teeth on the shaft under the spearhead.

RINGED MACE
​​​环锤

HUAN CH'U | HUAN CHUI
The ringed Mace is a straight Iron Club that features usually 3 or 5 rings forged in the steel that make for a weighted Mace head. These rings are flat like metal washers, and add almost blade like ridges to the head of the weapon. The spacing of these rings is designed to allow the weapon to bounce back freely without being stuck, and these rings only protrude about half an inch to an inch from the shaft.

BALL MACE
​球锤

CH'IU CH'U |QIU CHUI
The Ball Mace is a round metal ball on a handle. This weapon has the weight to cause damage and is simple in design. Lacking ridges, ribs, or points it is less effective at focusing blunt force to a small surface area when compared to most Mace designs. The main reason for casting these weapons in for use with softer metals where points would quickly flatten, a design that predates tempered metals.

IRON CLAW
​挝

T'IEH CHAO | TIEZHAO
The Iron Claw is a traditional specialty mace that has a head shaped like a claw. These claws are most often made to look like the hands of Dragons, Eagles, or a Human hand held in various postures or sometimes holding a Calligraphy Pen as a point. These unique Maces are designed to have options in striking points such as the finger-tips, back of the hand, or the blade of the claw.

IRON FIST
​鐵​拳

T'IEH CH'UAN | TIEQUAN
Similar to, and often paired with the Iron Claw, these Maces have a closed claw or fist design for the head of the weapon. This again is often a Dragon, Eagle, or Human Fist. One of these unique Maces is a Dragon's Claw holding a ball. The ball symbolizes a pearl, and is associated with spirit, wisdom, prosperity, power, immortality, thunder, the sun, or the moon. Chinese art often depicts dragons chasing this pearl.

CROW HAMMER
​​乌​錘

WU CH'U | WU CHUI
​The Crow Hammer is a Mace Weapon that is shaped like a Crow, or other bird head, with a strong pointed beak that is designed to penetrate armor. This beak is long enough to reach the human heart and can strike into the skull, easily destroying the brain. The back of the weapon can be used for blunt force and often features ridges and points made from the metal tips and edges of the birds feathers.

TWO HANDED HAMMER
​雙手錘

SHUANG SHOU CH'U
​Most all of these War Hammers and Maces are also trained with longer versions designed for two hands, and can also be trained as longer pole-weapons. Two handed hammers are also known as Great Hammers, (Ta Chu), or Long Hammers (Ch'ang Chu). The added length of these weapons has certain advantages but also takes away the ability to dual wield or to fight with a shield in combat.

HAMMER SPEAR
​​​​锤槍​

CHUI CH'IANG | CHUI QIANG
This unique spear features a heavy metal ball just under the spearhead that acts as a guard, prevents over penetration, and adds weight to the thrusting power of the spear. The metal ball is often 8 sided, to represent the 8 trigrams of Taoist philosophy, and may be shaped like a gourd or small pumpkin (like a Chinese war hammer or mace). There is sometimes a counter weight on the spear butt.

BATTLE AXES
​​乌​錘

KAN CH'U | GAN CHUI
​In a way similar to Maces and War Hammers are Axes designed for combat. There are many traditional Axes taught at Imperial Combat Arts. These effective weapons are still standard issue in most militaries today including the U.S. armed forces. Small Axes are known to this day as weapons of Chinese gangs, assassins, and the signature weapon of our Combat Instructors. Enter Page> Axe Training

CLUBS
梃​

KUN PANG|GUNBANG
Shorter than staves Imperial Combat Arts teaches the combat use of the Stick and Club.  A standard Club is one the first weapons taught to students, a study that includes 100's of Chin Na (joint lock) techniques, grappling, and various chokes. Other Traditional Clubs are also trained such as the; T-Batons, and Whip Stick. Some of these weapons also feature hand guards like the Iron Whips. Enter Page> Clubs

FLAILS
钝武器​

TUN WU CH'I | DUN WU QI
Flail Weapons can deliver tremendous impact force and strike around enemy defense on unpredictable angles. These weapons evolved from ancient farming tools to become common place on many battlefields. Classic Chinese flails taught at Imperial Combat Arts include weapons such as The Meteor Hammers, Spiked and Ball Flails with one to three heads, as well as Two and Three Section Staves. Enter Page> Flails

HAMMER & MACE TRAINING

While there are several types of War Hammers and Maces trained at Imperial Combat Arts, it is still essentially one weapon study. All these weapons share the same basic characteristics, and skills developed with each unique one transfer directly to the next. 

DUAL WIELDING

Most Chinese Maces and War Hammers a sold and trained in pairs. Being shorter in length than swords and pole-weapons it takes two short weapons or a shield to be able to effectively engage against longer weapons. Dual wielding was a common practice on Chinese Battlefields and is done with several types of weapons trained at Imperial Combat Arts. With aggressive matching students quickly learn that wielding two weapons has a great advantage over a single weapon.

HAMMER & SHIELD

By around 500 BCE the sword and shield combination came to be regarded as superior to the spear and dagger-axe in battle. Throughout the world shields of all types, shapes, and sizes have been utilized in battle. Battlefield shield training is a part of all melee weapons study at Imperial Combat Arts including the Mace & War Hammer. Learning to use a shield with any weapon can quickly transfer to other weapon and shield combinations. Enter Page> Shield Training

STRENGTH TRAINING

Dynamically training with War Hammers requires conditioned joints, a strong grip, and strong body. This kind of strength is much different from training to strike with the empty hand and must be done properly to avoid self injury to the joints. The strength developed with a heavy weapon transfers back to the empty hand for striking as well as for Chin Na (Joint Locks). It can take several years of strength conditioning to begin to use some weapons taught at Imperial Combat Arts.

FIST TOUGHENING

The Hand Toughening mastered at Imperial Combat Arts toughens several points of the fist for unarmed combat. This fist toughening and hand weapons like the Hammer-Fist and Eight Trigrams Fist allow Mace and War Hammer practitioners to apply their weapon techniques to the empty hand. Additionally the strength developed from the weapon training makes these unarmed hand weapons more powerful than training the empty hand alone. Enter Page> Hand Toughening

HAMMER & MACE DRILLS

Drills are an important part of training War Hammers and Maces. These drills teach primary grips, stances, maneuvers, strikes, blocks, and parries, and build these movements into the body as a second nature reflex. Weapon drills are done in the air, vs partners, dummies, and all types of specialized equipment. The intricate artwork painted on the floor of the school at Imperial Combat Arts is designed for students to drill attacks and defenses against opponents in all 8 directions. 

HAMMER & MACE FORMS

Forms are one of the primary ways Masters pass on the ancient knowledge of weapons fighting to the next generation of Warriors. These challenging forms teach dynamic flow, maneuvers, weapon handling, and numerous proven and effective techniques. Every movement and technique in the weapon forms at Imperial Combat Arts relate directly to combat, and are trained dynamically in sets, and matching. Several of these Hammers share the same exact forms.

HAMMER & MACE SETS

Dynamic sets allow students to learn effective techniques and weapon applications that could never be used in sparring. Even with full pads a training Hammers ans Maces can cause serious injury or death, therefore mastering them requires a skilled and dedicated partner with focus and control. At Imperial Combat Arts weapon sets are done vs multiple opponents, with realistic training weapons, as well as with padded weapons.

HAMMER & MACE TARGETS

Swinging War Hammers and Maces in the air and engaging in sets is not enough to condition for armed conflict. Imperial Combat Arts indoor/outdoor school has toughening dummies specifically designed for striking with blunt weapons. This impact training strengthens the bones and helps prepare for true weapon mastery. Throughout history target practice has been a crucial part of all weapon development. In all parts of the world weapon targets have been used to practice attacks. 

HAMMER & MACE VS OTHER WEAPONS

There are numerous traditional sets to teach War Hammers interaction with other weapons. Many schools only spar with like weapons when in actuality most fights are mismatched, and some of these pairings are legendary such as Hammer vs Sword. Additionally learning how to use short weapons versus longer weapons transfers back to the empty in teaching how to fight against superior reach when unarmed. All weapons at Imperial Combat Arts are trained against all other weapons. 

HAMMER & MACE MATCHING

Aggressive matching with training weapons is an important part of preparing for the chaos and fray of battle. Most all matching done at our school, whether armed or unarmed, is done versus multiple opponents. These intense matching sessions are designed to be painful, yet safe, and push practitioners ever forward in skill. Aggressive War Hammer and Mace matching can only be done safely with padded weapons and protective armor.

IMPROVISED WEAPONS

While War Hammers and Maces may be uncommon outside of a weapon school, many common objects when used as weapons fight the same as a War Hammer, Mace, or Club. Everyday items such as Claw Hammers, Chair Legs, Crowbars or Tire Irons can quickly make a devastating urban Mace. With these, and clubs made from nature, an Weapon Master can often quickly obtain or fashion these weapons if needed to use their training in melee combat.