BR20217 Zulu Warrior Attacking with Knobkerrie, 1879

The knobkerrie, or iwisa club, was a significant weapon to the Zulu warrior and as simple as it seems, it required extra practice and strength to wield effectively. The club is, after all, an uncomplicated weapon, a stick with a weighted head. But to drop a crushing strike requires more moving parts than an outside observer would think. To deliver a deathblow the attacker would draw back the weapon with a deliberate speed, unhurried and smooth, fully extending his arm and opening up the body. On the downstroke he would step into the swing, using the lower body to generate power. He maintains a constant balance and seamlessly lands the knobkerrie’s head on the intended target. No small feat in the hurly-burly of battle.

Scale 1/30.