Humankind has a habit of solving conflict through warfare. Well before recorded history, men were beating each other with sticks, poles, rocks, and whatever else was at hand — sometimes for good reason and sometimes not.

The evolution of weapons proved a critical element for the rise and longevity of empires; if your sticks were longer and heavier than the other guys, you had a marked advantage.

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So it’s no wonder that actor Danny Trejo, of “Machete” and “Spy Kids” fame, has launched a new TV series launching on the El Rey Network called “Man At Arms: Art of War,” in which he explores the evolution of weapons and specific exotic weaponry from many cultures and eras. As the show explains in its opening, “Often the difference between victory and defeat hinged on the design of a single weapon.”

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This is a reality show, however — so Trejo has assembled three teams, one to figure out how to build the weapon in question, one to talk about the history of the weapon and its cultural context, and a third to demonstrate its use. Blacksmiths, university historians, and Hollywood stunt people all work in the same industrial warehouse.

LifeZette got a look at the show’s upcoming premiere episode, which focuses on the history and construction of two Chinese weapons, the venerable Ji and the exotic — and not particularly practical — Wind and Fire blade. The former is a double-ended pole arm that’s sort of a hybrid between a spear, a dagger, and a battle ax, while the latter is what you’d get if you took a steel frisbee and added some super menacing blades to the outer edge.

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It’s the construction that’s the most interesting, with a team of engineers, blacksmiths and forgers reverse-engineering the weapons and using a combination of classical and ultra-modern metalsmith techniques to recreate them. Plasma cutter? Right next to the traditional charcoal forge. Lots of slow-motion sparks fly as a red-hot piece of metal is hammered, or as water vaporizes instantly when poured onto a piece straight out of the fire.

The historical discussion from the academics is the least interesting bit of show and should probably be dropped or beefed up with some ivory-tower types who have more of a presence on camera. But the kung fu masters and stunt people? They look like they’re having the most fun trying to figure out the practicalities of the weapons and how best to use them for an assault.

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Unfortunately, we see too little of host Trejo. He’s a great personality with a ton of charisma, just as tough and unique as he is in all his film roles; but here he also shows a wry sense of humor that helps the show have a story to tell through the chosen weapons.

Coming up in future episodes, the “Man at Arms” team will also be looking at the design, construction, history and use of more obscure weapons, including the Macuahuitl, the Zulfiqar, and the Kopesh. Never heard of them? That’s OK; it’ll still be compelling, educating and entertaining viewing.

“Man at Arms: Art of War” premieres on El Rey Network on June 8.

Dave Taylor, based in Boulder, Colorado, has been writing about consumer electronics, technology and pop culture for many years and runs the popular site AskDaveTaylor.com.