In Escrima/Arnis/Kali the majority of the techniques we use are for the blade. There are some techniques that favor the stick but overall we train our strategy and movement for the blade. Why use the stick then? Good question. First lets learn a bit about rattan.
Rattan is a plant (palm) that grows throughout Asia looks like bamboo partiluclary after it is harvested and dried. Although the species can vary the type we like to use for Arnis is unlike typical bamboo as the center is filled with thousands of fibers that make a solid core. The rattan sticks are uniquely created by nature with certian proporties that make them ideal training replacements for the blade. Rattan is smooth and does not splinter easily. If it does splinter the skin and meat of the stick peals into very fine strands that are so flexible they very rarely cause any danger to skin. Rattan has all the properties of a solid stick but when it hits an object like another stick, tire or your training partner it bends like rubber then springs back to shape (too fast for the naked eye).
There are other great woods from the Philippines that work well for training. Komagong is a hard wood from a friut tree exclusive to the PI and is a member of the ebony family. A nice dark komogong piece will have a deep black color throughout and the grain should be almost invisible to the naked eye unless a very close inspection is done. These are best suited for training strikes that do not make contact with other hard objects and should be trained with caution with your partner as there is very little flex to this wood.
Another wood is "Bahi" and is harvested from the bottom of the palm tree. It has a unique look and has some flex to it like rattan. Like komagong it too is better suited for light or non-impact type training.
Other woods can be used but in Philippine Combat Arts these are the popular choices. We use these sticks to keep us safe and allow movement, strategy and inquiries to be executed without the risk of severed arms and other nasty outcomes.
Rattan is a plant (palm) that grows throughout Asia looks like bamboo partiluclary after it is harvested and dried. Although the species can vary the type we like to use for Arnis is unlike typical bamboo as the center is filled with thousands of fibers that make a solid core. The rattan sticks are uniquely created by nature with certian proporties that make them ideal training replacements for the blade. Rattan is smooth and does not splinter easily. If it does splinter the skin and meat of the stick peals into very fine strands that are so flexible they very rarely cause any danger to skin. Rattan has all the properties of a solid stick but when it hits an object like another stick, tire or your training partner it bends like rubber then springs back to shape (too fast for the naked eye).
There are other great woods from the Philippines that work well for training. Komagong is a hard wood from a friut tree exclusive to the PI and is a member of the ebony family. A nice dark komogong piece will have a deep black color throughout and the grain should be almost invisible to the naked eye unless a very close inspection is done. These are best suited for training strikes that do not make contact with other hard objects and should be trained with caution with your partner as there is very little flex to this wood.
Another wood is "Bahi" and is harvested from the bottom of the palm tree. It has a unique look and has some flex to it like rattan. Like komagong it too is better suited for light or non-impact type training.
Other woods can be used but in Philippine Combat Arts these are the popular choices. We use these sticks to keep us safe and allow movement, strategy and inquiries to be executed without the risk of severed arms and other nasty outcomes.
