MELEE WEAPON MASTERY
Weapons are in many ways the core and pinnacle of combat martial arts. Aside from their obvious lethality and effectiveness, training weapons strengthens and conditions the body for combat.
Even in the age of firearms, melee weapons are commonplace and their training in combat martial arts is a must, as most any man with intent to kill will pick up an object to use as a weapon.
|
|
Training with weapons at Imperial Combat Arts is nothing like the flashy acrobatic weapon forms and choreographed sets you see in mainstream Kung Fu or Wushu. This is a fully immersive traditional military training with direct lineage to the battlefields of China, and masters melee weapons for true combat.
Additionally our special forces weaponry (combat knife, club/baton, and hatchet) has been taught to our students since the mid 60's by a Grandmaster of our arts who was a Special Forces Officer.
Additionally our special forces weaponry (combat knife, club/baton, and hatchet) has been taught to our students since the mid 60's by a Grandmaster of our arts who was a Special Forces Officer.
WEAPON SETS
Traditional sets are a big part of mastering melee weapons, through these sets our Masters pass on ancient, battle proven techniques to the next generation of warriors. The extensive study of these sets enables students to develop the control, reflexes, coordination, and muscle memory needed for weapon matching and finally true combat. These sets teach the rules and intricacies of how all types of weapons interact with each other, and how to engage any type of weapon.
|
TARGET PRACTICE
Imperial Combat Arts indoor/outdoor headquarters school boasts numerous modern and tradition weapon targets and devices used to practice cuts and strikes with weapons, and to develop the reflexive speed, power, and accuracy required to master the use of melee weapons in combat. This equipment is equivalent to the bags, mitts, and toughening equipment use to master empty hand weapons, and is an important and traditional part of true weapon mastery.
|
WEAPON MATCHING
Matching with training weapons and armor against multiple trained opponents is a intense and punishing part of forging weapon masters. It is in these intense scenarios that students and masters alike meet, and have the priceless opportunity to test their skills against other trained warriors. This part of training will always require control and reservation as to not cause serious injury to the practitioners, and it's the closest one can get in practice for their ultimate test in battle.
|
WEAPON FORMS
Imperial Combat Arts weapon forms are not like the flashy acrobatic forms you may see in popular modern form competitions. These ancient forms hold vast amounts of knowledge about combat with weapons. Every set included in these forms has and will work in combat vs. multiple opponents. Our forms are much more guarded, more practical, and train students in brutally effective techniques, that transfer directly to matching and combat.
|
COMBAT KNIFE - 戰刀 / Chan Tao / Zhan Dao
Combat Knife training at Imperial Combat Arts was developed from our long military history, our Grandmasters served as Imperial Bodyguards, Veterans of the Second Sino-Japanese War (WWII), Vietnam era Special Forces (Green Beret Officer), as well as an instructor today with Iraq War era U.S. military training.
|
DAGGER - 尖刀 / Chien Tao / Jian Dao
DEER HORN KNIVES - 鹿角刀 / Luchiao Tao / Lùjiǎo Dao
The Deer Horn Knives, also known as Duck Blades or Crescent Moon Knives, are specialized Chinese weapons often associated with Pa Kua. Wielded in pairs these bladed weapons are designed for close quarters combat against armed opponents. As direct appendages of the hands these weapons are incredibly fast, precise, and their small size makes them concealable.
|
WIND & FIRE WHEELS - 風火輪 / Feng Huo Lun
Short Sword - 矮刀 / Ai Tao / ǍI DAO
雙矮刀 Shuāng ǎi Tao - Dual Short Swords
Dual Short Swords, also known as Butterfly Swords, are a pair of light swords usually carried in a single scabbard. Unlike most modern Butterfly Swords, true war era butterfly swords have a effective thrusting point. The blades of these swords are about the length of the forearm allowing for fast techniques and greater maneuverability when rotating and spinning in close combat. These weapons are the primary bladed weapons of Leopard.
|
刀 Tao - Chinese Broadsword
The Tao (dao) is a single-edged one handed broad sword designed primarily for chopping and slashing and still effective in some trusting attacks. This legendary sword design dates back to the bronze age. The Tao style of sword is known as " The General of All Weapons" to the Chinese and was often the primary standard issued sword in the Chinese military.
|
柳葉刀 Liuye Tao - Willow Leaf Saber
片刀 Pian Tao - Chinese Scimitar
This deeply curved sword, similar to a scimitar, is designed for slashing and draw-cutting. The curved blade of this style of sword has been used throughout the world primarily for fighting from horseback. Being lighter and easier to wield with one hand and allowing for slashing without becoming stuck in the opponent, as when thrusting with straight sword on horseback.
|
大刀 Da Tao - Great Sword
苗刀 Miao Tao - Sprout Saber
樸刀 Po Tao - Assault Sword
The Po Tao (Podao, Pudao) has the blade of a of Chinese Saber or War Sword with a four to six foot handle. This hybrid between sword and pole-arm is similar to the Kuan Tao and is sometimes referred to as a Horse Cutting Saber for its use to cut off the legs of a charging horse. This power effective weapon is master in Tiger, Panther, Leopard (with a four foot handle), and Eagle.
|
武劍 Wu Jian - Straight Sword
The Wu Jian, or Martial Sword, is a double-edged straight sword dating back to at least the 7th century BC and has been used in battle in China for over 2,500 years. The Jian is also known as a the Taijijian (Tai Chi Sword) and considered by the Chinese as "The Gentleman Of Weapons". There are other versions of the Jian, one is a small version know as the Wen Jian or "Scholars Sword" that was carried for self defense, and the Jianki a large two handed version of the sword.
|
鈎 Fu Tao - Twin Hooks
The Hooks Swords also known as Tiger Hooks Swords, Heaven and Earth, Sun and Moon Swords, or Twin Swords are a northern Chinese civilian weapon most often associated with Mantis fighting styles. These swords are double edged, have a sharpened end to the hilt, plus a sharp edged crescent guard.
Finding these swords today as actual weapons, sharpened and forged in combat steel like the old surviving blades is extremely difficult. |
鷹刀鐮 Ying Zhuǎ Lián - Raptor Claw Saber
The Raptor Claw Saber also known as the "Chicken Saber Sickle" or "Binding Flower Waist Carry" is a straight double edged sword much like the Jian though with the addition of a hook, "claw" and "spur" forged into the blade. This weapon is a favorite in the arts of Hsing-I (Xingyi), Crane, and Eagle.
|
長刀 Chang Tao - Long Sword
The Chang Tao (Changdao) also know as Zhanmadao or "Horse Beheading Sword", is a long two handed sword that measures seven feet in length with a four foot handle and three foot blade. This style of blade was found so effective against cavalry that Ming Dynasty General Qi armed forty percent of his 100,000 troop army along the Mongolian border with this powerful long sword.
|
鐮刀 Lian Tao - Sickle Blade
The Sickle is a weapon improvised from ancient Asian farming tools that date back to the Pre-Neolitic era of man. At times under the conscript of villages martial arts masters have trained men to fight off bandits and invaders with the tools they used daily, had adapted their bodies too, had experience with, and didn't require additional resources to make.
|
鷹鐮刀 YING ZHUǍ Lian - Raptor Claw Sickles
The Raptor Claw Sickles also known as "Chicken Claw Sickles" are effective weapons wielded in pairs. The are usually about one and a half feet in length featuring a double hook (Scythe, Sickle), a spear head on the top and a pike or spear tip on the butt of the weapon. This weapon is mastered in the arts of Crane and Eagle.
|
斧頭 fǔtóu- Hatchet
The Hatchet is a small axe that is highly effective as a tool or weapon and has been used in China for melee combat. The term "Hatchet Man" comes from the Chinese Assassins on Doyer Street in New York. Today the hatchet is still a common human tool and weapon still carried by civilians and military units. As the smallest, lightest, and fastest axe, hatchet is mastered by Leopard, Mantis, and Eagle, often dual wielded, or trained with a small shield.
|
鏚 Qi- Battle-Axe
The Battle Axe is a powerful one-handed cleaving weapon that directs concentrated force on a smaller target area than a sword causing massive damage and easily penetrating armor. These weapons can be effectively thrown in combat, dual wielded, and trained with a medium shield. Battleaxe is a weapon mastered by Panther and Eagle.
|
板斧 bǎnfǔ - War Axe
The War Axe is a larger more powerful hand-and-a-half sized Axe with a broad head that can have a single or double head. The first hefted Axe's date back to 6,000 BC, and today are still cheaper to buy and manufacture that the sword. Axes have been used in many medieval and ancient armies, their effectiveness in combat is indisputable.
|
大斧頭 Da Qi - Great Axe
鋼鞭 gāngbiān - Mace
The mace is a powerful weapon using a weighted head on the end of a handle that can deliver incredible blunt force damage. The head of the weapon can take many shapes from a blunt bal, to a spiked ball of many variations, and is often trained with a medium shield. Smaller and lighter than the Chui hammers this weapon is effectively trained in the arts of Panther and Eagle.
|
戰椎 Zhan Chui - War Hammer
The War Hammer is a melee weapon designed for close combat resembling both a hammer and an ice pick and varies in length from that of a single handed mace to a halberd. The War Hammer is another example of a tool modified and enhanced to perform as a battlefield weapon. These weapons can easily penetrate armor and deliver tremendous force. The unique combination of the "claw" spike end and hard hitting blunt end makes this a weapon trained by the Yin styles of Mantis, Crane, and Eagle as well as the Yang style of Panther.
|
錘 Chui - Hammers
These powerful, traditional, dual-wielded, Chinese mace's are solid metal spheres on a medium-long handle. Today these are usually practiced with hollow replicas of the authentic weapons however Imperial Combat Arts maintains the expectation of strength training and sheer power development to master these impressive Tiger and Eagle weapons at their full weight.
|
槤 Lián - Flail
The Flail as a weapon evolved from from agricultural farming tools used for threshing grain. The centrifugal force of these weapons is tremendous making the use of them illegal in many places of the United States. The head of the Combat Flail can be designed in a variety of ways, Imperial Combat Arts trains primarily a solid ball (Yin), a spiked ball (Yang), one of each on a single handle (Ho), and three heads each with their own chain(Wu).
|
流星錘 liúxīng chuí - Meteor Hammers
The Meteor Hammers also known as "The Flying Hammers", or "Dragon Fists", are an ancient Chinese weapon consisting of one or two weighted balls attached together by a chain or rope. Speed, power, and unpredictability are effective attributes of this weapon. Unlike most modern depictions of this weapon weapon that use small, light, hallow metal balls, Imperial Combat Arts trains the traditional heavy flail heads and masters this weapon in the power styles of Tiger and Eagle.
|
繩索 shéngsuǒ - Rope
Rope is a weapon in itself used for entrapment, entanglement, capturing, and as a lethal instrument for strangulation such as in the very common garrote. In Imperial Combat Arts rope fighting includes complex training in the use of a jacket or blanket, both common in knife defense. Rope is the primary weapon on the Snake sub-style of Spider as well as Eagle.
|
判官笔 pànguān bǐ - Judges Pens
鐵環 TIĚ huán - Iron Ring
The Iron Ring is a specialized weapon using a Iron Ring about the diameter of the forearm, for striking, swinging, and surprisingly effective pain controls, as well as for heavy gauntlet like armoring of the forearms and weight assisted strikes . This weapon is trained in all Imperial Combat Arts fighting styles and mastered in the arts of Leopard and Eagle(Falcon).
|
柺 guǎi - Baton
The side-handled baton, also known as a T-baton, nightstick, of tonfa is an effective club style weapon derived from the Chinese Guai weapon literally meaning "old mans staff" or "crutch". This weapon has been found effective enough to become a modern law enforcement weapon. Held often with the side handle and the length of the weapon down the forearms for protection, elbow strikes, back-fists, and punches as well as upward strikes with the butt end.
|
蟠龍棍 pánlónggùn -Coiled Dragon Staff
The Coiled Dragon Staff also know as a Three Section Tri-Staff, or Triple Staff is a Chinese flail weapon. This unique weapon can be effectively used as a long, intermediate, and short range weapon that can entangle, trap, strike, flail, block, choke, disarm and whip often using different parts of the staff for different purposes at the same time. This weapon in complex to train with a high risk of injury to beginners but very impressive and effective when mastered.
|
棒雙 shuāng Bang - Dual Short Staffs
Dual short staffs are primarily used to safely condition and train weapon fighters to wield dual short swords, however the sticks themselves can be effective and easily improvised weapons. Stick fighting has a long important history in battlefield martial arts in most of the world as a initial training tool. The dual short staves are extensively mastered in the arts of Leopard in preparation for dual sword wielding.
|
鐵雙tiě Bang - Iron Clubs
The Iron Clubs are dual wielded and about the length of the forearm. These clubs are heavy and effective blunt force weapons that condition the body extensively for weapon fighting. The Snake sub-style of Golden Rat uses these as their primary combat weapon and their also trained in the arts of Leopard, Boar, and Eagle.
|
長小棒 Chang Xiao Bang - Two Section Staff
The Two Section Staff or Long/Short pole is another adaptation of a flail that uses a pole-arm length staff to gain length advantage and a shorter club that can be swung around targets with force. A similar device was used to carry lanterns overhead. This unique weapon is trained as an aspect of Crane and Eagle.
|
棍 Gun - Staff
The Chinese Gun meaning staff, stick or rod is a wooden pole-arm weapon known to the Chinese as "The Grandfather Of All Weapons". Staff is primarily trained to teach the staffed aspect of pole-arm weapons like the Spear or Kuan Tao, and therefore it is the first weapon trained by Imperial Combat Arts students. Also it is far more forgiving initial weapon to develop weapon control and reflexes, as bladed and heavy blunt weapons can cause serious injury to the wielder.
|
鐵 TIĚ Gun - Iron Staff
The Iron Staff is a six foot Tiger weapon of solid Iron. The full body conditioning and strength development required to wield this weapon at combat speed is impressive in the least. This weapon can easily injure the wrists, back, or any part of the body without proper training. When mastered the Iron Staff is wielded as fast and fluid as a simple wooden staff. This weapon is the signature staff of Tiger, with a lighter version being trained in the power art of Eagle.
|
矛Máo - Spear
The Spear, known to the Chinese as "The King Of Weapons", is indeed ancient and unquestionably effective in hunting and combat. The Spear is as ancient as humanity, as recent as the fixed bayonet, and still easily crafted or improvised as a weapon. This weapon is core in Imperial Combat Arts and mastered in all styles.
|
蛇矛shé MÁO - Snake SPEAR
呂布戟 lǚbùjǐ - Snake Halbred
天龍矛Tien Long Mao-Heavens Dragon Spear
The Heavenly Dragon Spear is a unique and effective pole-arm also known throughout history as a Sword-staff. This weapon features the blade of a Jian giving the ability of the prominent sword at increased distance. This style of spear was the preferred weapon of study of Grandmaster Tien Lung and is trained in Snake and Eagle.
|
戟 Ji - Halberd
The Ji is as ancient Chinese Halberd with a varied combination of thrusting tips and cleaving or cutting blades, some rectangular, or serrated blades instead of the crescent-formed ones, or spear tips with two curved blades attached.
They have two or more sharp points of attack, the side blade or blades and the tip, plus often a rear counter weight that could be used to strike the opponent. |
偃月刀 Kuan Tao - Cresent Moon Blade
The Kuan Tao or Guandao, is also known as the yǎnyuèdāo or "reclining moon blade" which features a heavy blade with a spike at the back and sometimes also a notch at the spike's upper base that can catch an opponent's weapon and a weight on the shaft end to help counter the weight of the heavy blade, and for striking. This legendary weapon is trained in the arts of Tiger and Eagle.
|
三叉戟 sānchājǐ - Tiger Spear
The Tiger Spear, also referred to an a Trident or Triple Spear, is a traditional pole-arm weapon derived from fishing spears (barbed) or in some cultures agricultural tools like the pitchfork (non-barbed). This aggressive Yang weapon is easy to learn (as opposed to the years it usually requires to master sword). Imperial Tiger trains this as a heavy and solid metal pole-arm weapon. A lighter two pronged version similar to a Military Fork is trained in Eagle.
|
弓弩gōng nǔ - Crossbow
The Chinese Crossbow dates back to at least the 5th Century BC with bronze bolts and triggers. A Crossbow can release draw force far greater than that of a bow and easily penetrate armor and it can hold its tension for a long time where as even the strongest archer could only hold for traditional bow for a few moments. The "Zhuge" or repeating crossbow dates in China to the 4th Century BC. There are also multi-shot Crossbows.
|
矮弓ǎi GŌNG - RECURVE Bow
This truly ancient weapon dates back to least 17,500 BCE. The recurve bow is much lighter and faster than the Crossbow or Longbow. There are several styles of traditional bows, each built with different materials. There are also many types of arrows used for a variety reasons. The Manchurian recurve Horsebow is the primary style of archery taught at Imperial Combat Arts.
|
長弓cháng gōng - STRAIGHT Bow
The Straight Bow (Self Bow) is a powerful projectile weapon, usually as tall as a man, and with a long draw. The Long Bow can be made from a single piece of wood in as little as ten hours, making it still a quick weapon to construct. There are many types of legendary Long Bows used today each with its own advantages. These weapons were favored by the Qing soldiers when fighting in the southern wet climates of Asia where the traditional northern recurve could be damaged by the moisture.
|