Making Your Sjambok Your Own

[Phil Elmore]

If you haven't picked up an inexepensive sjambok synthetic semi-flexible whip, you might want to do so. Cold Steel sells this remarkably cheap and very effective weapon. The handle that comes with the sjambok is not very good, however, so I've written an article (inspired by Don Rearic's lengthy article on the weapon) in which I show you step-by-step how to rewrap the handle with the expedient wrap I favor.

http://www.philelmore.com/martial/sjambok.htm

 

[Sifu DangeRuss]

I agree wholeheartedly, although I loathe the fact you're so willing to share this well kept secret with so many. The Shambok is a truly insidious and evil weapon. It is blindlingly fast (all but invisible at speed), could literally flay the flesh off of your opponent and has great range. This is one of the nastiest stick/blade killers I've played with. You understated the truly abysmal design of the handle, which has a decided tendancy to scour the skin from your own hands with very minimal usage. That is the first thing I undertook when I first layed hands upon this bizarre weapon; modify the handle. It also has some quirks with the "memory" of the matieral. It tends to retain a bit of a bend to it which you need to learn to deal with, as it offsets it's ballance and wants to sometimes reach out and lick it's owner less than affectionately from time to time. I found that keeping it moving in something of an "idle" whipping it back and forth continuously, not entirely unlike a nunchaku, then allowing it to lash out to be a very effective methodology to work from. Then you can utilize a combination of stick and flexible weapon skills to make this a very unpredictable weapon to deal with. I might also add, that despite my own passion for this, I would caution that this is NOT neccessarily a weapon for just anyone and would further caution that with many beginners it can be truly dangerous tot he wielder. Kudos for exploring this farely unique and underappreciated weapon.