Although the development of man’s resources varied enormously throughout the world, there seems to be little variation in the kinds of weaponry which were made and used. There are several possible explanations for this.
Firstly it may be that the materials available and the physical environments were similar. Secondly, it is possible that the process of trial and error, which is an integral part of any discovery, produces similar results in dissimilar contexts. Thirdly, cultural contact, through invasion or commerce, may have offered the opportunity for some peoples to incorporate some features of the weapons of others, or copy them entirely. It is likely however that it is a combination of all three factors which has resulted in these similarities.
Weapons can be divided into two main categories. The first, indirect weapons, contains those which either fire a projectile to destroy their prey, or are the instrument of destruction themselves. These include stones, catapults, spears, bows and arrows, throwing sticks, light and heavy artillery, and finally rockets and bombs. The effectiveness of these weapons depends largely upon how accurately and how far the missile can travel without losing its impact.
The second category contains those weapons which are normally wielded by an individual in close combat. They could also be thrown but this would greatly reduce their effectiveness. This group is known as direct and includes clubs, knives, swords, sticks, flails and bayonets. In the course of the history of weaponry, the weapons in these categories have been both individually employed and used in conjunction, with equal effect. The relative advantages in using direct or indirect types, depend entirely on the demands of the situation.
Throughout history, in every culture, warriors have appreciated the importance of practice in the successful handling of weaponry, as well as to the development and perfection of new combat techniques. Through trial and error, they incorporated the most successful moves and strikes into their combat repertoire eventually adopting them permanently. Attacks, blocks and counters were studied and experimented with before being tried in real combat, since in a life and death situation a wrong move or strike, or even a poorly practiced combination, could result in serious injury or death.
Effective weapons and techniques were the result of the adaptation of the farming implements and household tools used by the peasants, both to till their soil and to defend their homes and p’roperty. Their effectiveness was constantly proven in combat situations, and alternative defensive practices became incorporated into the use of weaponry as a result.
Many of these skills and weapons, created out of necessity, have become obsolete in modern times. It is only now that there is a general revival of interest in mastering combat techniques. Some of the weapons, such as the rifle, bow and arrow and pistol, have been adopted for use in modern sporting competitions and have thus continued to develop and improve, but many others have fallen into disuse and the skills forgotten.