How the US military trains martial arts with Pugil Sticks

Back in the 1940s, the Pugil Stick was introduced to the US military. Since then, it has remained a popular training tool amongst marines and other military personnel. For those wondering, the Pugil Stick is large padded pole that is held by both hands. Typically when training with pugil sticks, practitioners will wear padded headgear and sometimes body armor.

Whilst Pugil Sticks aren’t seen as a singular martial art on their own, they are seen as a form of simulating combat. As a result, you could consider those that train with them as martial artists. Overall though, this definition depends entirely on the individual and their own views on fighting and self defense. In this article, we shall discuss the uses of Pugil Sticks and why they’re used by the US army.

What is a Pugil Stick used for?

The idea of the Pugil Stick is that it’s designed to replicate a bayonet or large weapon. These days in warfare, fighting very rarely takes place without bullets or arms. Still, you never know when you’ll be forced into hand-to-hand combat. This is one reason why Pugil Stick fighting isn’t a massive part of the marine corp curriculum as the chances of using your gun as a striking weapon in warfare remains pretty slim.

During World War II and certain other, older conflicts though, the Pugil Stick would have been used more during training as statistically, you’d be more likely to end up using a bayonet during battle.

Why do Marines train with Pugil Sticks?

As we’ve already established, Pugil Sticks are trained to replicate hand-to-hand combat in a safe environment. If you practiced fighting with literal guns then people would get injured pretty quickly. In this sense, the Pugil Stick is very safe and won’t knock you out or cut you.

The second reason for training with Pugil Sticks is that they will help improve your cardio and conditioning. Although jogging is great for cardio and press ups will make you strong, there’s nothing like mimicking literal combat that will get you suited for the real thing. If you’ve ever sparred using Pugil Sticks, then you’ll quickly realize how tiring it can be.

Thirdly, another reason for training with Pugil Sticks is the ability for soldiers to bond and build comradery together. Overall, it’s quite a fun activity and isn’t taken too seriously. These days, Pugil Stick fighting is often viewed more as a teambuilding exercise, rather than as a compulsory component of marine training.

How much do Pugil Sticks cost?

Outside of the military, it can be difficult to find Pugil Sticks. In general, they’re quite a niche product with a low demand so you may have to find a specialist manufacturer to fulfill your needs. Having said this, you can still find Pugil Sticks on mainstream websites such as Amazon. Generally, these products aren’t like the ones used in the military but they still do the job as a good entry point into training with Pugil Sticks.

One of the main benefits of buying a Pugil Stick on Amazon is that they’re also much cheaper than buying from a military manufacturer, so for beginners, this option may be preferable.

Check The Price Of Pugil Sticks On Amazon

Do Pugil Sticks help training with other martial arts?

Whilst it would be wasted time if you trained with Pugil Sticks to improve your Judo or Kickboxing, there are some martial arts that they could help improve. Perhaps the closest martial art would be Kendo or Bojutsu. The reason for this is that Kendo sticks are held in both hands, just like a Pugil Stick. Whilst the Kendo stance and grip is quite different, there are still many similarities in terms of footwork, dodging, and feints.

In fact, if you want to take it further then other sword-based-martial arts such as fencing could also be trained alongside Pugil Stick fighting. Of course, this is quite different and overall, Kendo is probably the closest in terms of styles.

Conclusion

Overall, the Pugil Stick is a great way to exercise and is used in the military for good reason. This will improve your balance, leverage, coordination, and timing which is important for all areas of combat, and not just for disciplines that involve sticks or batons. As mentioned earlier, one of the main benefits of using Pugil Sticks is the safety aspect. Unlike certain martial arts, you’re not going to get hurt or injured either.

Lastly, you can also train with Pugil Sticks for fun. It’s no secret that using them is an enjoyable activity that people from all backgrounds can partake in. In the hit 90s TV show Gladiators, there was also a section where people would fight using Pugil Sticks which was very popular with viewers. So, if you’re thinking of training with them then take the plunge!