I thought that one of the advantages of improved trip was that you don't receive an AoO when tripping unarmed. To me the text of the feat is quite clear on that.
Clerics are proficient with shields as defensive equipment. Bashing with a shield counts as a martial weapon. Clerics are not proficient with martial weapons by default.
Questions:
Is a cleric proficient with a shield used for bashing?
Is a cleric proficient with a spiked shield used for...