Stick Fighting Entry: martialpedia

[Bob Hubbard]

Stick fighting is a generic term for martial arts which utilize simple long slender, blunt, hand-held, generally wooden 'sticks' for fighting such as a staff, cane, walking stick, baton or similar. Some of its techniques can also be used with a sturdy umbrella or a sword in its scabbard, but thicker and/or heavier weapons such as clubs or the mace are outside the scope of 'stick fighting' (since they cannot be wielded with such precision, so sheer force of impact is more important) as are more formed weapons such as the taiaha.
Many systems are defensive combat techniques, intended for use if attacked whilst lightly armed, but others such as kendo (a Japanese discipline using a bamboo 'sword', the shinai) were developed as safe training methods or re-creation for dangerous weapons - but whatever their history, many lend themselves to being treated as sports.
In addition to martial arts specifically devoted to stick fighting, certain other disciplines include it, either in its own right, as in kung fu (various variations are part of the traditional Chinese weapons, or merely as part of a polyvalent training including other weapons and/or bare hand fighting, e.g. using the Kettukari (staff), Cheruvadi or Muchan (a shorter, also straight stick) and otta (curved stick) in Kerala's Kalarippayattu tradition, where these wooden weapons serve as preliminary training before practice of the more dangerous metal weapons.




http://www.martialtalk.net/wiki/index.php/Stick_fighting

 

[Bodhisattva]

Stick fighting is a generic term for martial arts which utilize simple long slender, blunt, hand-held, generally wooden 'sticks' for fighting such as a staff, cane, walking stick, baton or similar. Some of its techniques can also be used with a sturdy umbrella or a sword in its scabbard, but thicker and/or heavier weapons such as clubs or the mace are outside the scope of 'stick fighting' (since they cannot be wielded with such precision, so sheer force of impact is more important) as are more formed weapons such as the taiaha.
Many systems are defensive combat techniques, intended for use if attacked whilst lightly armed, but others such as kendo (a Japanese discipline using a bamboo 'sword', the shinai) were developed as safe training methods or re-creation for dangerous weapons - but whatever their history, many lend themselves to being treated as sports.
In addition to martial arts specifically devoted to stick fighting, certain other disciplines include it, either in its own right, as in kung fu (various variations are part of the traditional Chinese weapons, or merely as part of a polyvalent training including other weapons and/or bare hand fighting, e.g. using the Kettukari (staff), Cheruvadi or Muchan (a shorter, also straight stick) and otta (curved stick) in Kerala's Kalarippayattu tradition, where these wooden weapons serve as preliminary training before practice of the more dangerous metal weapons.




http://www.martialtalk.net/wiki/index.php/Stick_fighting

If a person really wants to learn to stickfight, they gotta pick up a stick and actually fight with it. That's the best way. Some Dog Brothers videos wouldn't hurt, either.