Shaolin Kung Fu Weapons
The Origins and Basics

Shaolin Kung Fu and Chinese Martial Arts has 4 basic weapons: The staff, the broadsword, the spear, and the straight sword. These are the 4 basic weapons of Kung Fu and Chinese Martial arts and one that all serious martial artists should master.

The Staff - The Father of All Weapons
The Broad Sword - The Marshall of All Weapons
The Spear - The King of All Weapons
The Straight Sword - The Gentleman of all Weapons

The origin of all weapons are as follows: The knife, the stick, the spear, the rope, and the hammer. From here all the weapons of the martial arts have grew and flourished. From these basic tools, we can find every martial art weapon of the tree.

Knife
Stick
Spear
Rope
Hammer

By mastering a particular major weapon and then 5 to 10 sub weapon of that group. You can become a weapons master.

Weapons of the Shaolin Kung Fu Monk

Shaolin Kung Fu Monks were trained to make anything a weapon. Any equipment, any tool, any man made device around them could be made into a weapon. Here are some common weapons that were just household or common items.

The most popular Shaolin Kung Fu 'tool' wass the staff. A long stick that had a variety of uses and purposes. It is a multi-purpose implement that can be used for many things other than self defense. A staff is used as a walking stick, to carry loads on your back, carry and transport two water buckets, as a lever, tent pole, writing implement (in the sand) and many more. This is also the weapon that almost all Chinese martial arts consider to be "The Father of all Weapons". It is also highly effective and recommended for all martial artists to learn.

There were of course many staff types as there are different woods, people and ways of using. But in general most staffed weapons can be but into 5 specific sizes(general lengths - all Shaolin weapon dimensions were measured in 'natural' measurements relating to the user);

Dragon Staff (app 1½ person lengths or 8 to 9 foot)
Shaolin Staff (app 1 person length or 5½ to 6½ foot[also Rat Tail Staff, very flexible, Bai La Wood])
Carry Staff (app ¾ person length)
Cudgel or Walking Stick (app half person length and very stout)
Flute, Ruler (app fore arm to fore arm and hand length)

Virtually any item that comes to hand can be used as an item of defense.

Shaolin Weapons List:
Sash
Bench
Chopsticks
Iron Comb
Flute
Iron Ring
Iron Ruler
Iron Smoking Pipe
Iron Toad
Mandarin Duck Spade
Monk Cudgel
Monk Spade
Whip Chain
Rake
Ring Wheel
Scholar's Brush
Pen
Sickle
Tiger Fork
Four Section Sickle
Steel Fan
Hoe
Dragon Whisker Fork
Ox Horn Fork
Two Point Fork
Two Teeth Fork
Flail
Rope