Ancient monks travelled throughout the Chinese territory with a shovel. When they encountered dead travelers or abandoned bodies on the road, they were obliged to give them a proper burial. Therefore, in addition to serving the essential purpose of digging the graves, these spades could also be used as a cane or even as a useful weapon to defend themselves against bandits

A monk's spade (a.k.a. 'Crescent Moon Spade’ or Shaolin Spade) is a Chinese pole weapon consisting of a long pole with a flat spade-like blade on one end and a smaller crescent shaped blade on the other. The crescent was designed for defense against small to medium-sized predators such as wild dogs and leopards. Specifically, the monk would position the crescent at the animal's neck and pushing it away if needed. Over time, these spades were stylized into the monk's spade weapon.

The spade kata is demonstrated at two different speeds (slow and full speed) and from the front and side perspectives.

This course is an ideal teaching aid for review, rank testing, competition, and self-defense.

Grandmaster Michael A. Stelzer holds several advanced ranks (5th Dan and above) in the styles of Kung Fu, Tang Soo Do, Tae Kwon Do, Kali/Arnis, Kobudo, Karate, Hapkido, and other various styles of martial arts. He has attained several notable martial arts awards and is an international competitor. Currently, he has published over fifty books and instructional videos covering topics such as martial arts, the entertainment arts, math, and engineering.