Broad Weapon Groups

A Broad Weapon Group consists of a set of weapons that are somewhat similar in the way they are wielded.
It costs three Weapon Proficiency Slots to become proficient in an entire broad group. After paying those three slots, the character will know how to use every weapon in that group without the usual penalty for unfamiliarity.
Following are several examples of Broad Groups. Any weapon marked with an asterisk ( * ) is a weapon described in The Complete Fighter's Handbook, in the Equipment chapter.
Blades:
Bastard sword
Cutlass*
Dagger/Dirk
Katana*
Khopesh
Knife/Stiletto*
Long sword
Main-gauche*
Rapier*
Sabre
Scimitar
Short sword/Drusus*
Two-handed sword
Wakizashi*

Cleaving/ Crushing Weapons:
Battle axe
Belaying Pin
Club
Footman's mace
Footman's pick
Hand/throwing axe
Horseman's mace
Horseman's pick
Morning star
Warhammer

Pole Weapons:
Awl pike
Bardiche
Bec de corbin
Bill-guisarme
Fauchard
Fauchard-fork
Glaive
Glaive-guisarme
Guisarme
Guisarme-voulge
Halberd
Harpoon
Hook fauchard
Javelin
Lucern hammer
Long Spear*
Man-catcher
Military fork
Naginata*
Partisan
Ranseur
Sickle
Scythe
Spear
Spetum
Trident
Voulge

Small Throwing Weapons:
Dagger/Dirk
Dart
Hand/throwing axe
Knife/stiletto*
Shuriken*

You'll see some overlap between the Small Throwing Weapons group and other groups. These groups may not be used to calculate weapon similarity for determining whether a character receives the full or partial attack penalty for using an unfamiliar weapon.