A club (also known as cudgel, baton, truncheon, night stick, sap and bludgeon) is among the simplest of all weapons. A club is essentially a short staff, or stick, usually made of wood, and wielded as a weapon.

Typically, a club is small enough to be wielded in one hand. Clubs that need both hands to wield are called quarterstaffs in English. Various kinds of clubs are used in martial arts and other specialized fields, including the law enforcement baton.

The wounds inflicted by a club are generally known as bludgeoning or blunt-force trauma injuries.

Law enforcement

Police forces have traditionally favored the use of less-lethal weapons.

Until recent times this has generally been some form of wooden club: truncheons, batons, night sticks and lathi. Also Shaolin Monks used cudgels as their first weapons.