I've recently taken an interest in stick fighting. One very good reason for this is because it's CHEAP (find stick, cut stick to size, swing it around). But also because there appears to be a vast number of martial traditions that employ the humble stick, from Filipino martial arts to Western singlestick and cane fighting. Most of them appear to have had origins in sword fighting of one form or another, which then evolved into a stick when carrying a sword was no longer practical or outright illegal.

Anyway, I came across an interesting book on the topic, The Art and Science of Sticking Fighting by Joe Varady. It appears to be a good book for self-training and exploring a weapon-based art during the COVID pandemic (I know there are varying opinions on this, but I for one will not be entering a gym anytime in the near future). The writer's "style" of stick fighting, if you must/ want to call it that, appears to very much be his own method, drawing on eastern and western traditions. As a former karate guy, I find it rather refreshing to study this kind of stuff without adherence to a specific tradition or style.

I just thought I would post this little story here and see if it sparks any discussion on the topic. I'm especially interested to hear if anyone has experience with the stick-fighting arts.

ghost0311-8541 wrote on Aug 6^th, 2020 at 9:24pm:


Yes, I've seen his stuff. He has a lot of content there.

One of my obsessions is finding an oak sapling that’s just the right size for a proper traditional oak shillelagh (NOT blackthorn!) with the root ball as the knob.

I still haven’t found a baby oak I’m willing to kill for a cool stick.

That looks like a form of small sword fighting, just with sticks. 

I think if you took some form of saber or HEMA fighting, most of the moves would transfer to stick fighting, although I would want a slightly heavier stick for more damage from the impact. 

If I hit someone with a stick, the charges will be assault with a deadly weapon, whether it's a skinny stick or a thick stick.  So, I might as well use a thicker stick and be the person who has to hire a lawyer to avoid jail. 

Instead of hitting them with a skinny stick and ending up looking like a lollipop with a stick jammed up my butt.

One of my favourite YouTubers recently did a video on making a stick. You should all check out his videos by the way, he really makes great stuff.

https://youtu.be/Sodeng1U9Mg

Kick wrote on Aug 9^th, 2020 at 1:18pm:


I just watched some bits and pieces of his videos. Quite calming and great to watch.

Indigenous Australians make a very good case for throwing sticks, boomerangs and alike, they’re able to take out animals like kangaroos with neck breaking throws. Not just a small game weapon in trained hands

There is also cane fighting Some of the damage you can do to the guy with the crook is devastating, and painful.