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A club, '''cudgel''', '''baton''', '''truncheon''', '''night stick''', or '''bludgeon''' is among the simplest of all weapons. A club is essentially a Staff , Crock or Stick , usually made of wood, and wielded as a weapon. Although the club is among the simplest of all weapons, there are many advanced techniques that can be learned using a club. A notable study of these techniques is Thomas Duane's book "Night Stick of Tyranny". This book is mostly dedicated to using a night stick to defend yourself against a common street thug carrying a scimitar, although there are many other topics. Typically, a club is small enough to be wielded in one hand. Clubs that need both hands to wield are called Quarterstaff s in English. Various kinds of clubs are used in Martial Arts and other specialized fields, including the law enforcement Baton . The Wound s inflicted by a club are generally known as ''bludgeoning'' or ''blunt-force trauma'' injuries. DESIGN The club is perhaps the simplest of all true weapons; a club is typically carved from a single piece of wood in a way that makes it comfortable to wield, or can be improvised from other sources. Baseball Bat s and Axe handles or Pickaxe Handles are common instances of clubs. Police commonly refer to clubs as impact weapons, or '''impact tools'''. Pickaxe handle Pickaxe s were common tools in the United States in the early 20th century, and replacement handles were widely available. Strong and heavy, they make a formidable club and have often been used as club weapons. Pickaxe handles were handed out by segregationist Lester Maddox to the white patrons of his Pickrick Restaurant to keep that establishment from being "integrated". Baseball and T-ball bats The Baseball Bat is often used as an Improvised Weapon , much like the Pickaxe Handle . In countries where baseball is not commonly played, baseball bats are often first thought of as weapons, and in Poland, baseball bats have been made illegal to posses without a license. Tee Ball bats are also used in this manner. Their smaller size and lighter weight make the bat easier to handle in one hand than a baseball bat. Snapstick This is a variation of the Blackjack . It consists of a longer strap which lets it be used Flail -type, and can be used as a club or for trapping techniques as seen in the use of Nunchaku and other flexible weapons. Other concealable batons include the Kubotan and Yawara . Palm sap This is a variation of the sap or blackjack. It is a lead weight sewn into a leather or nylon cover, carried in the palm and held in place with a cord or elastic band. A glove is usually worn over the palm-sap. The palm-sap is used by slapping a suspect. A police officer related a story of using a palm-sap on a combative suspect and indicated the suspect "dropped like a sack of potatoes" when slapped on the side of the head. Saps are often classified as prohibited weapons in many jurisdictions, and are specifically banned by name in California (Penal Code Section 12020). Although there are no known legal exemptions to this prohibition for law enforcement personnel, some municipal California peace officers can nonetheless be seen carrying and using a sap, and they are even openly offered for sale to peace officers at some police equipment shops in California. Sap gloves These are a variation of the sap. They are gloves with lead shot or powder contained between layers of leather located across the knuckles. Police officers tend to refer to such items in euphemistic terms. Sap gloves have been referred to as "balanced driving gloves", and are illegal in some jurisdictions. Shillelagh See Also: Shillelagh (weapon) A Shillelagh (pronounced "shi-LAY-lee") is a wooden club or cudgel, typically made from a stout knotty stick with a large knob on the end or on the side, that is associated with Ireland in folklore. They are traditionally made from Blackthorn ( Sloe ) wood ('' Prunus Spinosa '') or Oak . It was named after the Shillelagh forest in County Wicklow , a forest of oak which produced some fine examples. The wood would be smeared with butter and placed up a chimney to cure, giving the Shillelagh its typical black shiny appearance. Shillelaghs may be hollowed at the heavy "hitting" end and filled with molten Lead to increase the weight; this sort of Shillelagh is known as a 'loaded stick'. They are commonly the length of a Walking Stick , measured as the distance from the floor to one's wrist with the elbow slightly bent. Most also have a heavy knob for a handle which can be used for striking as well as parrying and disarming an opponent. In the Folk Song " Finnegan's Wake ", ''shillelagh law'' refers to a brawl. There was a popular song, "The Same Old Shillelagh", recorded by several Irish-American singers in the 1940s, including Bing Crosby and Billy Murray , about such a weapon being passed along from father to son. The X-Men villain Black Tom Cassidy was portrayed as wielding a Shillelagh both as a club and, with his Mutant power, he could generate destructive concussive force through the wooden stick. Professional wrestler and Northern Ireland native Finlay uses a shillelagh as his signature illegal weapon. Sally rod A Sally Rod is a long, thin wooden stick, generally made from Willow (Latin ''Salix''), and used chiefly in the past in Ireland as a disciplinary implement, but also sometimes used like a club (without the fencing-like technique of Stick Fighting ) in fights and brawls. Knobkierie A Knobkierie, occasionally spelled ''knopkierie'' or ''knobkerry'', is a strong, short wooden club with a heavy rounded knob or head on one end, traditionally used by Southern Africa n Tribe s including the Zulu , as a weapon in warfare and the chase. The word Knobkerrie derives from the Dutch ''knop'' (knob or button), and the Bushman And Hottentot ''kerrie'' or ''kirri'' (stick). The weapon is employed at close quarters, or as a missile, and in time of peace may serve as a walking-stick. The head, or knob, is often ornately carved with faces or shapes that have symbolic meaning. The knobkierie itself serves this function in the crest of the 2000 new federal Coat Of Arms Of South Africa . The name has been extended to similar weapons used by the natives of Australia, the Pacific islands and other places. Rungu A Rungu ( Swahili , plural ''marungu'') is a wooden throwing club or baton bearing special symbolism and significance in certain East African tribal cultures. It is especially associated with Maasai Morans (male warriors) who have traditionally used it in warfare and for hunting. Aklys The Aklys is a club with an integrated leather thong, used to return it to the hand after snapping it at an opponent. Its origin is unclear. Jitte One of the more unique weapons of the Samurai police (''Keisatsu-Kan'') was the Jitte (or Jutte). Basically an iron truncheon, the Jitte was popular because it could parry the slash of a razor-sharp sword and disarm an assailant without serious injury. Essentially a defensive or restraining weapon, the length of the Jitte requires the user to get extremely close to those being apprehended. A single hook or fork, called a ''Kagi'', on the side near the handle allowed the Jitte to be used for trapping or even breaking the blades of edged weapons, as well as for jabbing and striking. The Kagi could also be used to entangle the clothes or fingers of an opponent. Thus, feudal Japanese police used the Jitte to disarm and arrest subjects without serious bloodshed. Eventually, the Jitte also came to be considered a symbol of official status. {Link without Title} IN SPORTS Clubs or club-like implements figure in a number of sports. The tools used in Golf to hit the ball with are called Golf Clubs , although golf clubs are perhaps less traditionally club-like than Baseball or Cricket bats, both of which are still made of wood. A baseball bat is a round club traditionally made from Ash Tree wood. A cricket bat resembles a paddle and is traditionally made from Willow wood. Few golf clubs are made of wood in current play. A Hurley (or camán) is used in the Irish sport of Hurling . A hurley is made from ash and is between 26"-40" long with a flattened end that is used to hit a small ball (sliotar). Traditionally hurling was used to train Irish warriors dating back to at least 400 AD. A much smaller wooden truncheon-like bat is used to strike the ball in Pelota , a game similar to Jai-alai . A shillelagh appears in the logo of the Boston Celtics . The Shillelagh Trophy is an annual Football game between members of the University Of Notre Dame and Purdue University and takes place in Indiana , United States . The ''', Indiana , United States . REFERENCES |
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