reliable escrima sticks

[spinning blades78]

hey guys,

just out of curiosity, I was wondering if anyone knew where I could go to find somewhat pretty reliable escrima sticks. Thanks for any replies.

Erik

[Rob Daniels]

hey guys,

just out of curiosity, I was wondering if anyone knew where I could go to find somewhat pretty reliable escrima sticks. Thanks for any replies.

Erik

You can order online at Tigerclaw.com or centuryfitness.com

[Erik]

Hi Erik

Try this: http://www.bloodsport.com/

I use the 5/8" sticks.

--Erik

[John J]

For individual purchases, try:

www.bloodsport.com

I believe they have the same quality as the wholesale distributor (below) and fire harden their own design.


For bulk purchasing on great quality raw rattan with skin intact contact:

Bamboo & Rattan Works, Inc.
470 Oberlin Avenue South
Lakewood, New Jersey 08701
Phone: 732.370.0220
Fax: 732.905.8386

They sell bushels of 9 foot poles that you can cut to preferred length.


John J

[Glide]

For individual purchases, try:

www.bloodsport.com

I believe they have the same quality as the wholesale distributor (below) and fire harden their own design.


For bulk purchasing on great quality raw rattan with skin intact contact:

Bamboo & Rattan Works, Inc.
470 Oberlin Avenue South
Lakewood, New Jersey 08701
Phone: 732.370.0220
Fax: 732.905.8386

They sell bushels of 9 foot poles that you can cut to preferred length.


John J

John,
Any special way to cut that 9' pole to the needed length?
Saw an article somewhere on the web about cutting , burning , baking ,...... I think it was from the (stickman)?

[DragonMind]

hey guys,

just out of curiosity, I was wondering if anyone knew where I could go to find somewhat pretty reliable escrima sticks. Thanks for any replies.

Erik

Rattan is going to shred, just the nature of the wood. Get a roll of clear packing tape (2-3" wide works best) and wrap it tightly around the shredding part. Makes sticks last 3-4x longer. Much cheaper than buying new sticks all the time.

[Brian R. VanCise]

I always buy my rattan sticks in 6,8 or 9 foot lengths and
cut them to the desired length. When I notice some wear,
ie. the splitting I then wrap them in black renfro hockey tape!
This literally has worked for me and I probably would never
have to buy new sticks except that I enjoy handling brand
new rattan and smelling the burn when the sticks are
smacking! I have probably almost a thousand sticks because
of this method!

Brian R. VanCise

[DragonMind]

OK, I won't argue with the burning smell

[loui_ludwig]

hey guys,

just out of curiosity, I was wondering if anyone knew where I could go to find somewhat pretty reliable escrima sticks. Thanks for any replies.

Erik

If your in Los Angeles, go to Tatak Filipino. They have escrima/arnis sticks.

[TogaAssassin]

Really helpfull thread everyone. I've recently been chewing through sticks like no tomorrow (most hibernate in the winter I train ). I think I might look into some of those fire hardened sticks from bloodsport. My roll of hockey tape is starting to run thin.

[DragonMind]

I've always found Kombat to be a little pricey. Karate Mart has the same sticks 30% cheaper.

[Bad Karma]

I'm surprised there hasn't been some kind of synthetic/polymer type stick designed by now. There may be, but I'm unaware of any.

Peace

[TogaAssassin]

I found some composite sticks on froogle but I would rather stick to tried and true rattan.

[DragonMind]

Tony, there have been several attempts at non-wood sticks, including plastic, lucite, PVC, and others. I have a great pair I got from TakKnife that are polymer. You can beat the holy crap out of them but they are so slick you can't do any stick on stick work. Wood just has a feel and response to it that man-made materials don't emulate. You'll even find difference among wood species. I have a kamagong stick (ironwood) that is so heavy and dense it is like using a steel bar. Great for smashing through things but lousy for quick moves. Many of the stick techniques developed because of the characteristics of rattan and don't work as well with other materials. Besides, rattan is cheap if you know where to shop or better yet, buy in bulk.

[Bad Karma]

I have a pair of burned rattan in the closet, but have never had the opportunity to formally train with them. I do know that I almost sprained my wrist the first time I messed them. Light and fast is an understatement - LOL!

What do mean by so slick you can't do any stick on stick work? Are the sticks supposed to be "sticky" or something? That's an honest question with a dab of humor to help disguise my ignorance.

Peace

[John Lucas]

I was under the impression that Escrima sticks were supposed to be solid, non-flexible materials, and that generally, kali sticks were made of rattan.

I made a set of fighting sticks from PVC once, I filled the center with cement mix. They are short and swing out really fast, but weigh about the same as my friends Ironwood sticks. (Which, by the way, I think are excellent, They feel like you could bust up cement blocks with them.)

I actually just use an old steel pullup bar most of the time, Its probably not reccomended however, they are heavy and if you ended up tossing one you could injure someone badly. Also, they have flat heads on the end of them with sharp corners. I just enjoy the workout, and I only know a few different moves anyways, so I just use them for a grip/speed/coordination kind of thing. Im not an escrima student, I just really enjoy practicing with double sticks.

[Neil Yamamoto]

One of the guys I know up here in the Pac NW, based in Eugene, OR uses Delrin stock and lightly roughs up the surface of the stick with sandpaper. Improves the grip quite a bit.

It does feel different. The downside I've found is in the vibration created in the material when you hit. Some of the sticks were fine, some of them vibrated so badly in any impact it really was unpleasant to train.

Worth trying out though, cheap and tough stuff.

[DragonMind]

What do mean by so slick you can't do any stick on stick work? Are the sticks supposed to be "sticky" or something? That's an honest question with a dab of humor to help disguise my ignorance.

Peace

Not a problem, Tony, that's a legitimate question. Let me describe a technique where that contact is important.

We have a strike labeled #1 angle; a downward diagonal strike going from an arms open to arms closed position (your arm crossing in front of your body). One defense is to meet this strike with a solid block with your stick (probably augmented by your off-hand). Very force on force. Let's suppose that instead of opposing that force you would like to redirect that force, ie parry it away. This time, instead of meeting the force directly, you blend with it and use your stick to apply tangential pressure on his to circle it down and in front of you. If your stick is too slick it will not allow you to guide his stick. Same idea as not being able to parry an arm that's too sweaty.

[DragonMind]

I was under the impression that Escrima sticks were supposed to be solid, non-flexible materials, and that generally, kali sticks were made of rattan.

Kali, Escrima/Eskrima, and Arnis are just regional names for the same thing. Rattan is traditional simply because that's what grows in PI and is readily available. If cut and dried, it's a relatively soft wood that is very light and reasonably flexible. The feel in your hand is fast and because of its flexibility the shock of strikes is not transferred to your hand. If you take that same stick and fire treat it, you end up with a harder stick that resists shredding. Rattan doesn't really break because the grain is very loose and runs parallel. to the length. The other advantage to a warrior is that you can also sharpen them to a point and they won't break; very useful for puncturing Spanish invaders. Kamagong (ironwood) is also used, but purely as a combat stick. You can pound the dickens out of armor with it and do some real damage. Unfortunately, the wood is so dense that it is quite a bit heavier than rattan and transmits all the shock of hitting something solid directly to your hand. Bottom line, bad for training because of injuries to both parties and fatigue, great for reducing your opponent to rubble - if done quickly. For you swordsmen, think of the difference between a sabre and a German hand-and-a-half or English broadsword.

I made a set of fighting sticks from PVC once, I filled the center with cement mix. They are short and swing out really fast, but weigh about the same as my friends Ironwood sticks. (Which, by the way, I think are excellent, They feel like you could bust up cement blocks with them.)

You probably can. Only problem is ironwood is also expensive. John's polymer sticks (TakKnife) can take the same level of abuse but are as light as rattan. Great training aid for getting used to feeling real impact and how that effects your strike.

I actually just use an old steel pullup bar most of the time, Its probably not reccomended however, they are heavy and if you ended up tossing one you could injure someone badly. Also, they have flat heads on the end of them with sharp corners. I just enjoy the workout, and I only know a few different moves anyways, so I just use them for a grip/speed/coordination kind of thing. Im not an escrima student, I just really enjoy practicing with double sticks.

We'll fix that John. Next time I get near Atlanta we'll do some basic Arnis drills and get you started if you don't make it to The Camp. [shameless plug]Maybe Santa can find $25 and get you Dan Anderson's Arnis Basics book. Lots of good drills and designed as a lesson plan for new Arnis students.[/shameless plug]

[DragonMind]

One of the guys I know up here in the Pac NW, based in Eugene, OR uses Delrin stock and lightly roughs up the surface of the stick with sandpaper. Improves the grip quite a bit.

I worked with John about changing the grip on his polymers. After months of experimenting, John just found that the friction coefficient on the polymer is so high that nothing can make them stickier! Poor guy tried sandpaper, knurling, and dozens of engraving patterns - nothing helped.

BTW that kind of customer service is rare in any industry. I can't recommend TakKnife strong enough. John is a great guy who loves challenges.