The tomahawk is a
type of hatchet with a
characteristically straight shaft that is native to many of the
original inhabitants of the North American continent.
Used by both
Native Americans and the early European colonizers as tools for every
day use, it has also been widely used as a weapon, with the most common
tomahawk fighting techniques
involving both handheld and thrown
techniques.
The earliest Native American tomahawks were
fashioned out of stone–polished soapstone in
particular–and featured intricately designed handles and
blades. Some other materials used in the construction of tomahawks are
flint rock, the jawbones of large animals, and even deer horns.
Many other cultures have some form of
hatchet type tool or weapon, and their usage as a combat tool tended to
be quite similar to many Native American tomahawk fighting techniques.
The Vikings were long known for their
proficiency in the use of an axe
as a weapon, the French had the fransica, and the British had the
familiar belt axe.
Aside from its use as a tool and as a
weapon, tomahawks were also used to smoke tobacco, through the pipe
bowl that was typically built into the opposite side of the blade.
This
dual purpose was in fact highly appropriate, given the state of
relations between the Native American tribes and the European settlers
at that time.
The tomahawk could serve either as a peace
pipe offering,
or if relations between the parties turned sour–as they often
did–it could instantly be turned around and serve as a weapon
of war.
A tomahawk can either be used on its own or
in conjunction with another weapon, which was more often than not a
long bladed knife. This combination has proven to be particularly
effective in a wide range of combat situations, either with single or
multiple opponents.
The tomahawk works equally well as a
defensive and an offensive weapon, and a number of tomahawk fighting
techniques have been identified as key components to these roles.
Tomahawks can be used to chop, slice, cut, rake, catch and pull, punch
and even deflect oncoming blows from opponents.