On August 26, 1346, at the Battle of Crecy, English archers proved the superiority of the English longbow over the combination of armored knights and crossbowmen fielded by the French. There have been many weapons throughout history that did not need either gunpowder or explosives to be effective. Here 10 such weapons are listed in no particular order.
Digging Deeper
10. Hands, Feet, Teeth, 1st Use Unknown.
The absolute simplest weapons: hands, feet and teeth can be used to strike, kick or bite an opponent quite effectively, even killing him or it (if an animal). For example, just this year, a Texas lady saved her child from a pitbull by biting the dog’s ear off. Hands make pretty good choking devices as well, as do arms and legs. The downside is that when using body parts, you are also close enough for the other human or animal adversary to use theirs as well. Still, probably millions of people have been killed by other people who used only their own body parts. The author of this text can personally attest to the effectiveness of poking opponents in the eye during a fight, something they just do not expect and are shocked by, giving the “poker” a great advantage over the “pokee.” When facing a truly impressive predator, such as a shark, an alligator or person much bigger and stronger than yourself, an eye poke my be your only hope. Joint manipulation (arm bar, wrist lock, ankle lock, etc.) is also quite effective, as often demonstrated in mixed martial arts (MMA) fights.
