Historically, Hakka kung fu was much less a form of pugilism than deadly combat arts involving the use of various weapons. The dangerous and deeply conflictual environment in southern China, particularly in the mountainous hinterland of Fujian and Guangdong, where local militarization had been gathering pace since the Ming dynasty, provides the general backdrop against which Hakka martial arts developed. The ability to wield arms was a fundamental condition for existence, and one that came to symbolize the Hakka’s fierce independence.

歷史上，客家功夫強悍，以拼殺為主，有發達的兵器文化。由於明代以來，華南十分動盪，尤其在福建及廣東山區腹地，戰亂 斷，因而成為客家武術發展的良好環境。習武及擁有強大武力，成為客家人基本的生存條件，亦標誌著客家人的崛起。

As archetypal farmers, the Hakka used daily agrarian activities as opportunities for training and developed specific fighting and training techniques derived from their daily chores and lived-in environment. At the same time, state prohibition on private arms meant civilian martial artists had to creatively invent or else adapt everyday tools for martial purpose, such as the common daam tiu (used for carrying loads), plough, as well as other farming and hunting tools such as par and cha, which became the Hakka weapons par excellence.

客家人以務農為主，他們善於在日常耕作中找尋機會鍛鍊武藝，亦可以說生活環境使他們發展出獨特的習武形式及鍛鍊方法。由於官方禁止民間私藏兵器，於是他們就地取材，利用日常能夠接觸到的農具當兵器使用，如擔挑、大鈀、鋤頭，成為了客家典型的兵器。

Comparative study between Hakka armed fighting tradition and Ming dynasty civilian martial arts in coastal Southern China suggests a deep connection between the two, particularly in respect of the use of the staff, which lies at the foundation of both. In contemporary practice, an archetypal form of Hakka staff-fencing makes use of a wooden staff which is around or slightly longer than the height of a man. When in use, the fencer holds the staff on one end and fights with the opposite tip, or else holds it in the middle and uses both ends. The two grips are interchangeable depending on the situation and the distance to the opponent. We may compare this to descriptions in Effective Method of Military Training, which says, “[common] staff is no longer than six or seven chi and is wielded with both ends”.

客家功夫中較普遍的兵器有雙頭棍、單頭棍、雙刀、藤牌刀、鐵尺、鈀、鋤頭、擔挑，據《紀效新書》記載均為明代軍旅武藝中被有效使用的技術。當比較客家兵器 明代中國南方沿海的民間武術，兩者有著千絲萬縷的關係，最顯著的從雙頭棍基礎技術中可見。時至今日，客家棍法套路使用的木棍，長度比個人高度相約或長一點。習武者在打棍時，手握棍的一端用另一端進行擊打，亦可手握棍中間位置用兩邊棍稍擊打。兩種技術可根據對敵情況互相靈活轉變。據《紀效新書》十八卷本曰：“一棍不過六七尺，又欲兩頭雙使而兩手握開”。

The archaic nature of the Hakka armed fighting tradition, which reflects to a significant degree Ming dynasty’s civilian combat system in southern China, indicates not only that the Hakka are inheritors of Ming dynasty martial arts, but also that they share a common culture with their Minnan (i.e., southern Hokkien) neighbours, at least in terms of their armed combat traditions. This shared heritage indicates a certain level of cultural continuity between the Hakka and southern Hokkien groups, and suggests the Hakka played a significant role as a cultural bridge between Fujian and Guangdong during the late imperial era.

客家尚武傳統古老而質樸，正正反映了明代中國南方民間武術系統的集成，不僅可以說客家武術承傳著明代武術特質，同時與閩南（鶴佬）武藝傳統共同保留著這份文化瑰寶。客家與鶴佬武術之間的文化交融，肯定了文化遺產一定程度的延續性，或可認為客家扮演了福建與廣東之間在封建社會後期的溝通橋樑。