How to choose the stick from Kali / Eskrima

When you start the discipline of Kali/Eskrima the first thing you have to have is the first stick.

How to choose the stick for the stick fighting.

And here you usually start with a stick provided by the school or bought on the internet but over time the needs increase and you acquire more awareness of your own stick.

After a while, however, the desire and the need to choose your kali stick or if you want your bastion from stick fighting and even if in appearance it is a simple stick but in reality it is a choice that requires awareness.

The sticks are not all the same!

In Filipino martial arts, customizing your weapon is very important.

Your success is based on the coordination of your skills through the use of the stick indeed also of the stick because the FMA are a very complex and articulated art where the stick is one of the means to acquire skills and skills of armed and weaponless combat.

You will spend countless hours training with him to make the most of it and effectively.

If your weapon is incorrect, your ability to train effectively and fight successfully can be limited.

Your weapon must adapt to your body, type of training,strategy and fighting style, etc.

The sticks may vary by:

• Length;
• Diameter;
• Form;
• Material;
• Weight;
• Hardness;
• Aesthetic.

Depending on the type of use for which it is intended you have to choose the type of stick, such as training, sports combat, self-defense,

etc.

Type of stick for Kali / Arnis / Escrima

The stick is the most commonly used weapon to begin learning the Filipino Kali or if you want to call it Escrima with the C with the K, Eskrima, and is in rattan (called “olisi”, “yantok” or “baton” or “baston” depending on the style), roughly as long as the practitioner’s arm, with a length of about 70 cm but can have small variations.

The standard length of the sticks is 70 cm, however, because it simulates the machete that has that average length, so if you buy sticks it checks the length that is about 70 cm.

The choice of rattan is important because compared to other woods it does not create splinters that can “scratch / injure” your training partner during training sessions.

Other sticks used for training can be made with harder and stronger rattan woods but lately aluminum sticks or made of very durable plastics have also appeared.

The choice of the material of your stick must be made based on the weight and the use you need to make, let’s see some examples:

Rattan sticks

They are among the lighter sticks of many other sticks for the escribe and is preferred by many professionals. Wood is less dense and highly shock absorbent.

They are sticks that can hardly inflict serious damage with a blow compared to heavier and denser wooden sticks.

For this reason, rattan sticks are ideal for training or sparringpurposes.

They are the traditional ones and among the most used, if kali/eskrima studies can not be missing in your bag.

There are simple ones or with serigraphs with traditional symbols and logos.

These are light and durable sticks.

Being a light stick is very fast.

Iron wood sticks

They are very hard and heavy sticks for this derives the name steel wood, they are personal defense sticks or anyway to really hurt because every shot breaks.

They allow a power job even if it is a stick that moves more slowly but with great impact power.

Do not use it in training with other rattan sticks because you destroy your training partner’s stick.

Kamagong Sticks

They are often referred to as “ironwood”, they are made from extremely hard wood which is polished to be as smooth and heavy as marble.

These are not a type of stick to use for daily training, they are very nice sticks and much more expensive than the average kali stick.

If you are a serious practitioner consider buying yourself a pair of kamagong sticks to use for special occasions such as a test or a demonstration.

Also useful for training given the weight but not always to avoid inflammation on the wrists.

Ps. Do not use it in training with other rattan sticks because you destroy your training partner’s stick.

Wooden sticks

I do not recommend them for shrapnel, if you want to use them on the tires to train but if you do not have other sticks.

Hickory Stick, New

This type of stick is ideal for use in the escrima for two reasons.

They are made from a dense hardwood that makes them very effective for pulling harmful shots but the wood also has enough elasticity to absorb the blows in an exchange.

It is this ability to absorb pressure from blows that makes hickory stick a favorite choice even to make axe handles and a sledgehammer.

Bahi Stick, New

It is the favorite stick of many purists of the escrima because they are made from wood taken from the center of a type of indigenous palm tree in the Philippines.

Bahi sticks are also dense and durable, these features make them a versatile and effective stick for use in escribe practice.

Empty aluminum sticks

Very light to become familiar with figures but I do not discourage them.

Nylon sticks

Light and very durable but I do not recommend them.

Rubber sticks

For “no protection” sparring workouts.

A necessary tool to test your skills safely.

The length of the stick

The weapon must always have a physical relationship with your body and have dimensions that match your proportions.

Whether it’s a knife, a sword or a spear, the length of the weapon is usually measured against your body.

There are several systems and styles of FMA and they have different methods to measure the weapons used:

One method of measuring training sticks includes the use of four lengths of hands, measured by transposing your hands on a stick.

The distance between the stretched thumb and the fingertips is used as a single unit.

During this procedure, some recite holy words or a prayer to match each measurement as the sign of the cross:

“In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.”

Once the correct length is determined, the stick is tailored for you.

Other methods include measuring the distance from the wrist to the ground, from the solar plexus to the ground, from the third eye to the ground or even the highest point of the ground head, depending on the styles.

Systems that prefer the use of shorter weapons sometimes measure from the armpit to the wrist or from the elbow to the fingertips which is the most used method.

example:

In Pekiti Tirsia,to measure a training stick or blade, it is measured from the armpit to the fingertips while the hand is stretched horizontally to the side.

To measure a knife, you add a length of the hand, including the palm and fingers, to the height of the only palm that if you think about it also makes sense.

The length of the stick and the real weapons

The measurements for your rattan stick should generally be designed to match real weapons that you need to use.

In other words, the length of your stick would be the same as that of your living blade or your fighting stick.

This allows you to develop a sense of range and range that will allow you to use the real weapon with fewer adjustments.

The rattan stick is a substitute for the actual weapon.

It is largely only for training and its correspondence with the real weapon offers a better stimulus in training.

Matching the stick with the living weapon is common, but not always.

Each style varies

Sometimes the actual weapon is produced in a standard length, so your stick if you do things right it must match that length.

Sometimes the length of the sticks on the market is standardized and usually the standard length of the stick for many styles is 70 cm.

Sometimes training weapons that do not meet the same measurements as real weapons are used, but this can be a conscious or unconscious choice.

The ideal is to have the same length between the real and the training weapon!

When I talk to you about conscious choice in having training weapons of different lengths is the typical advantage of managing weapons with different staff lengths as well as different diameters and different materials and weights.

For example if the length of the stick is different from that of the real weapon can bring your distance management training which can be improved by having a stick longer or shorter than that of the actual weapon or otherwise different going to read the correct distance and improving the footwork.

A longer stick, for example, can force you to develop skills to control it more precisely, while a shorter stick can force you to approach it with your footwork.

The diameter of the stick

The diameter of the stick can vary depending on the use of the stick (training, competition, personal defense) and depending on the weight you want it to have.

The diameter of your stick should be the one that allows you to get the best grip.

If you are training to the tires you have to use a standard or heavy stick to also do a neuro muscle conditioning but if you do sparring it is better to use a light stick then very small diameter to have a light stick that does no damage to your training partner.

The smallest diameter is about 2 cm 2.50 diameters and are great for training and sparring, on the contrary the OLIS are about 3 cm in diameter and are more suitable for personal defense or to develop neuromuscular power and strength.

How to choose the diameter of the stick that is right for you

Roll the stick between your fingers first, starting by placing the stick on your fingertips, rotating it down, then locking it by placing your thumb on your fingers, you will get a very safe grip.

To be able to do this, the diameter of the stick does not have to be so large if it can not roll alone towards the palm of your hand because you have already closed it in your fingers.

If you roll the stick between your fingers and your fingertips touch your palm as you do it, then you have closed any opening from which the stick could slip away.

This method is ideal for finding a good grip, but for many it can mean that the stick is too thin and for this you need to make an adjustment.

You may need to find a compromise by choosing a diameter that allows you to get a good grip, but it also has enough weight and girth to give you a better training experience.

The average stick has a diameter of about 2.2 cm to 2.5 cm in diameter.

The use of a small diameter stick and that is really light will help you develop speed, but it may not develop resistance and a firm grip of the stick.

You also have to be careful in training because a thin stick can break easily or more quickly if during training you use it with a partner who uses a stick that has a larger diameter and even with harder materials.

The shape of the stick can be:

• Circular which is
  the Standard
  one and also the most used.
• Much rarer hexagonal (Edge Stick

  ).

The choice of stick is personal but the thing I recommend especially for those who practice competitions is to always use the same stick with weight and diameter to have the maximum “habit”.

This is for both sparring and tyre training,etc.

Different in terms of self-defense in this case varies a lot the sticks using even non-standard ones both like length, weight and diameter because you have to get used to using anything that looks like a stick because you will hardly go around with kali stick in your pocket.

So try to also use broken and whole broomsticks, commonly used objects that can be used as a stick, etc.

The weight of the stick

If you’ve just started, a stick with a medium weight is probably the best for you.

Rattan sticks tend to range from 85 to 115 grams, so light up to 300 or 350 grams the heaviest.

The average version of the stick is about 170-200 grams.

This is a medium weight.

• A heavy stick is great for developing power, for doing a physical conditioning, but it can be an obstacle to the development of precision.
• A lightweight stick can help you cultivate speed and react quickly, but you won’t develop a strong grip or generate much power.

If you are about to start with a single stick or a pair of sticks, the average weight is the most versatile.

Next, incorporate a heavier stick into your stick bag, then you’ll have a lighter stick, a heavier one in the practice of your workout.

I recommend that you have more sticks as is the case for gloves in combat sports for technical exercises, sparring and tyre exercises, etc.

How to carry the sticks:

• In a gym bag with a special compartment,
• The shoulder bag for pair of sticks with shoulder strap,
• In the shoulder bags to carry many sticks and different weapons such as knife training,etc.

I personally use the last one to have the opportunity to carry around or in the lesson room several sticks and various weapons for training but for a beginner it is also good to carry it in the bag or have the bag for a pair of sticks.

So which stick is right for you?

It depends mainly on your system or style.

When you try to decide which size is right for you, take your teacher’s advice and follow the specific recommendations for your system.

Then consider the points mentioned above.

During years of training, you will replace your sticks several times and use several as both materials and dimensions.

Experiment with different lengths, diameters and weights.

Conclusions

The ideal weapon is made to suit you and your combat system.

This also includes choosing your training weapon as well as the one you use in tournaments as a stick for your self-defense.

Having the weapon “tailored to you” ensures ease of use.

Its customization to adapt to your system ensures that you can best apply your approach to combat, your method and approach and what you are learning.

When you need a weapon that you need to use to survive, then any advantage even the smallest one you can get can make a difference.

Have a good workout!!

Street Fight Mentality & Fight Sport!

Andrea