Everything you need to know about the Stick Fighting martial arts

These days, when talking about martial arts most people tend to think about hand-to-hand combat. However, dating back hundreds of years, stick fighting has also been a form of fighting that is a little forgotten in modern-day. Nonetheless, various countries from around the globe have had martial arts based on the use of sticks to defend and attack the opponent. From the likes of Kendo in Japan to Eskrima in the Philippines to stick fighting in Ireland – it’s fair to say this style is universal.

Usually, stick fighting prioritizes wooden sticks, but sometimes slightly different tools can be used instead. And, whilst many people think it’s easy just to point or wave a stick, they couldn’t be further wrong. As it happens, stick fighting is very skillful and relies heavily on technique. Like most martial arts, this involves timing, footwork, head positioning, and quick hands. With these skills combined and only after years of training can you become competent in the art of stick fighting.

Although a lot of these arts are considered old and traditional, they also have modern applications too. Often, people begin stick fighting to learn about defending against knives. Often, people can’t spar using knives for obvious safety reasons – so wooden sticks are the next best thing.

Different types of Stick Fighting

As addressed, stick fighting comes in many different shapes and forms. In this sense, it’s kind of similar to wrestling as it’s global but still has different cultures and rules depending on where you are in the world. Here’s a list of the main forms of stick fighting and what they involve.

Filipino Stick Fighting

In the Philippines, stick fighting is a big deal. Culturally, Filipino stick fighting has been around for hundreds of years and to this day, it is probably the biggest martial art in the country. Generally speaking, there are two forms of stick fighting there. The first is Kali which is taught using Filipino terminology. In brief, the techniques are named in Tagalog or by using Indonesian words. The second form of Filipino stick fighting is called Arnis or Eskrima (sometimes known as Escrima). Basically, this is incredibly similar to Kali but differs slightly.

The first difference is in the terminology. The very term ‘Arnis’ is Spanish and translates to ‘armor’. As you may have guessed, this means that a lot of Arnis and Eskrima is taught in Spanish and Filipino which derives from the Catholic influence of the country. These days though, you may get a linguistic mix of both languages being used.

In terms of its approach, Arnis is incredibly similar to Kali and for the bulk is the same thing. Having said this, sometimes Arnis has a bigger curriculum based on fighting without sticks and teaches more weapon disarming tactics. As a result, it is slightly different and has a different self-defense philosophy. In both styles, people typically hold one stick per hand, meaning they will train with two sticks or one with an empty hand.

Nguni Stick Fighting

Nguni stick fighting originates from South Africa and was also used as a form of combat by the Zulu tribe. Here, practitioners would use a larger stick or spear which is often accompanied by a shield. Sometimes though, this will be done without a shield and instead uses two long sticks. Stick fighting actually has a rich history involved with Africa and also has variations that are found in Ethiopia too.

Back when the British army fought the Zulu warriors, this is what the Zulus went to war with. Here, they fought against guns with spears and shields. This practice is still used to this day and is great for fitness and self-defense, so long as it is not done against firearms.

An interesting element of Nguni stick fighting is that it typically doesn’t use body armor which can lead to injuries. Often when sparring with Kali or Eskrima, one will wear body and head armor. This makes sense as a blow to the head with a wooden stick could cause real damage. However, in Nguni this is not the case. Whilst people may try to strike softly when sparring, the reality is that in the heat of the moment, people will and do get hurt.

Irish Stick Fighting

Irish stick fighting often involves a shillelagh which is a Gaelic term for a club. Traditionally, this was used for practical reasons such as herding cattle or as a walking stick however it is also used as a self-defense tool. Usually carved from a blackthorn tree, the shillelagh has a stump on the end which could easily knock someone out.

These days, Irish stick fighting is quite obscure and isn’t too common. Looking at Ireland as a country, it has turned towards boxing and grappling as its main martial arts and this has become something of a forgotten skill. Nonetheless, if you dig deep enough you may be lucky enough to find someone that teaches Irish stick fighting. Sadly though, the chances of this are quite slim – especially outside of Ireland.

Pugil Stick Fighting

Pugil stick fighting is a form of stick fighting used in the marine corps and army. These are large sticks with padded stumps on the end. Unlike most of the aforementioned styles, these must be held in both hands as they’re too heavy to carry with a single hand. As you may have gathered, Pugil stick fighting is almost exclusive to a military setting so if you’re a civilian then you will be hard-pressed to find a place that uses these to train with.

The idea behind Pugil stick fighting is that it replicates holding a rifle in combat. Imagine being in a war zone and using your rifle as a weapon against an enemy who is doing the same. Here, you would need to be trained about using leverage and movements to overcome your opponent. Whoever strikes the head first would probably win due to the weight of the blow, which would probably knock out their opponent.

As a result, Pugil stick fighting is typically accompanied by padded armor to avoid any injuries. Interestingly, these sticks were also used in the TV series ‘Gladiators’. Here, people would fight against a gladiator on the top of a podium. The first one to be knocked down would use. This shows the importance of dodging blows with your own Pugil stick as well as balance.

Bo Stick Fighting

The Bo staff is commonly used in arts such as Aikido and Karate. In short, it’s one of the main weapons that originated from Japanese martial arts and Kung Fu. The Bo is a long wooden staff that can be used to prod the opponent as well as strike. The Bo is often used in drilling as it is quite thick and could possibly kill with a hard enough blow. Like Pugil sticks, it is also far too large to hold with just one harm. Having said that it is relatively light; and its grip is based more on awkwardness rather than weight.

These days, the Bo is still commonly used in various traditional martial arts, including Hapkido. This means that if you want to learn how to handle the Bo then you can easily find places that are willing to train you. Unlike the aforementioned arts though, you will be hard-pressed to find a place that exclusively trains the Bo as it is often taught alongside a variety of weapons such as the Bokken and other tools.

Kendo Stick Fighting

Kendo is probably the most commonly known form of stick fighting and is hugely popular to this day. Originating in Japan, Kendo uses a Shinai which is the name for the large wooden stick. The idea behind this is that it mimics a samurai sword, as that is where it originated from in Japanese culture.

It’s not just the Kendo stick that is iconic either, the outfit is also instantly recognizable. This is also based on protective padding as getting hit with a Shindai is painful as it’s quite heavy. The Kendo mask is also known and has a mesh covering the face. The reason behind this is to avoid injury from a wayward strike to the face.

Kendo is still taught on a global scale and is genuinely quite beautiful when watching two experts spar. Some have compared this as like dancing due to the movements they make. A unique feature of Kendo is the outfit (bogu) also covers the feet. As stick fighting heavily relies on reading the opponent’s movements through looking at their footwork, this takes away any visual aids. As a result, if you train Kendo long enough you will have to learn to look at upper-body cues to see what your opponent is up to.

Krabi-krabong

Krabi-krabong is a Thai stick fighting martial art. This style is somewhat similar to Eskrima and usually involves two sticks per person. In some cases, usually for show – practitioners will also use swords instead of sticks. The swords are called Daab Song Mue and are similar to machetes. They will often wear head bands and shorts without a shirt, in a similar notion to Muay Thai. Usually, when training in a gym setting though, this involves head gear and can sometimes be done wearing a kimono too.

The translation of Krabi means ‘short’ whilst krabong means long, which means that sometimes longer weapons can be involved too. What is interesting about Krabi-krabong is that it also has training that sometimes doesn’t involve sticks. This sometimes features grappling as well as takewdowns and trips. Historically, the reason for this is that you wouldn’t always have your weapons at hand which is where hand-to-hand fighting techniques play their own part.

Can you learn Stick Fighting on your own?

If you aren’t able to train at regular stick fighting classes then that’s a shame. Generally, that’s the best way to improve your technique. However, if possible then you can learn stick fighting alone. In short, there are a number of stick fighting techniques that you can develop alone which is certainly better than nothing. One example of this is trying to use your stick like kata in karate.

For example, if you’re at home then you can watch videos online to help enhance your technique (make sure these are legitimate instructors though). By doing this, you can practice the correct hand movements and footwork. For instance, you can practice blocking by bringing your stick to a certain position. Alternatively, you can practice offensive moves too such as jabs and strikes. As mentioned, this isn’t the ideal scenario but is also better than not training. Thankfully, some training sticks are relatively cheap and there’s enough material online to see you through periods of isolation. This learning technique is also great for visual learners.

What are the best Stick Fighting gloves?

A big part of stick fighting is protecting your hands. This may sound obvious to stick fighting practitioners but isn’t instantly thought of by those who don’t train. Whilst many of the above arts don’t use gloves – they are commonplace in Kali and Eskrima. These aren’t super expensive either and can cost anywhere between $10-$50. Typically, they are black and have enhanced padding around the fingers. This is to defend you as naturally during sparring, you will also get hit from time to time. Without these gloves, the reality is that otherwise, you would break your fingers.

Some gloves go even further and use steel pads on the fingers. This allows you to spar with peace of mind as no matter how hard a wooden stick is hit, the steel will eat up the blow. In some cases, you can even get cut-proof gloves too. As a lot of modern stick fighting is based on defending knife attacks, this is also a practical tool, especially for those who work in security or as a bouncer. These will go as far to protect you against your palms getting cut which is a nice bonus.

The best Stick Fighting games

When training, you should try to keep it as playful as possible to avoid boredom. This is why some martial artists view sparring as a game. When it comes to sticks, it’s best to get as creative as possible and there are numerous games and exercises out there which can help improve your technique. Here are some of the best sparring exercises and games to improve your technique.

1. Sparring blindfolded: This technique is probably best for more experienced practitioners. Ideally, you should do this with people you trust rather than someone who could harm you. The point of this is to learn to use your other senses such as hearing and general awareness. If you manage to hit sticks, then you can use your feeling rather than eyes to win the duel. This shouldn’t be done too often, but is a fun game to enhance your technique every now and then.
2. Sparring with one stick vs two: This exercise is redundant for arts such as Kendo which only use one stick. The point of this is that it will really test your movement and improve your foot work. Here, your partner will have a big advantage but it will make you focus on what you do have control of and in turn make you appreciate sparring properly again when you’re no longer handicapped.
3. Focus on certain body parts only: One example of this is trying to hit the knees. Whoever hits their opponent’s knees first wins. This will keep you agile and moving around. You can also do this with arms and other body parts to improve your precision.
4. Dodging the stick: This stick fighting technique involves being completely stick-free against an opponent who is actively trying to strike you. This is a fun game that can be done by kids too and works your cardio. Do this for one minute then switch positions to keep things interesting.

What is the best Stick Fighting martial art?

As looked at, there are ample stick fighting martial arts to choose from. In short, it really depends on your own personal preferences and is what suits you. Having said that, there are a few caveats to notice. Firstly, some of these martial arts are obscure these days. For instance, African stick fighting is not really seen or taught outside of Africa. Unless you’re incredibly lucky – there’s not much out there. To an extent, the same can be said for Irish stick fighting…although this can be taught in America, again it’s not all too common.

This leads us to the other arts. Of course, Kendo is known to all and is very widespread. The issue with this is that it’s quite unique and isn’t comparable to some of the other arts. For example, it won’t teach you loads about defending against a small blade. Obviously, if you like the look of Kendo then that’s great. There are also many other arts that offer stick fighting alongside other methods of training. The likes of Hapkido, Aikido, Karate, and Ninjutsu also use sticks in their curriculum as well as more traditional techniques.

If you are looking for exclusive stick training though, this is where Kali and Eskrima come in to play. These are both more rounded and probably suited to the modern-day. Because of this, you could argue that the Filipino stick fighting arts are the best for practical use. That’s not to say the others are useless. However, the issue is that they’re either very niche or rare to find in most countries. Luckily, these days Eskrima is available for all and has spread around the globe. To conclude, as a generalization Kali and Eskrima are best suited for your average practitioner and suit most.