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Historically, weapons can be found dating back to the beginning of time. People have always been known to possess weapons for one reason or another. In martial arts, melee weapons are a type of cold weapon used in martial arts and vary from very light in weight with blades or spikes, to the very heavy blunt poles. The word melee is actually French in origin. There are two basic types of melee weapons; bladed and blunt. There are literally thousands of types of melee weapons. Some of the bladed weapons included swords, knives, daggers, axes, sickles, Kama, and two types of polearms; halberd and spear, all of which are available in a multitude of sizes, shapes, and styles. The blunt weapons consist of clubs or maces, and sticks or staffs. The bladed weapons were designed to penetrate the opponent’s skin, thus causing wounds. The blunt weapons were made to break bones in an effort to disarm the opponent. The style and make-up of the weapons used in martial arts have changed drastically over time. With much modernization, lighter materials are now being used to make lighter and sharper blades. This is of much benefit to the user. Additionally, many ceramics and plastics are now used to manufacture many of these types of weapons, also causing the weight of the weapons to be much lighter than ever before. The sword and the spear are two weapons that have maintained popularity throughout the generations. The sword is often seen in modern day popular culture. The spear is a fairly easy weapon to produce, even prior to manufacturing. Perhaps this is why spears were so common in many of the past wars. Of course, shields were also seen in early battles, and can be very useful in defense of a spear. A good shieldsman can be the key to winning a battle against a good spearman. As for their place in martial arts, many of these weapons are used in a variety of forms of martial arts. Each style of martial arts will have their own melee weapons that they use. Each discipline has different ways in which they use melee weapons as well. The main purpose of using melee weapons in a martial arts class is to teach self-defense to the student. If used properly, and with proper instruction, many melee weapons can be incorporated into a good self-defense maneuver.
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melee weapons, karate, martial arts, war,
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