Short sticks

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That's why I've made Kelly McCann's ideas the core of my study for now, Owen, until I can find a personal trainer. (None in my region and I'm financially unable to travel to do it.) He makes the same point emphatically clear. I'll try to dig up a quote later.
 
The beauty of FMA "ARNIS" ESCRIMA" etc. is that it's not about only a stick battle. Its also about footwork, angles and targeting. The sticks took the place of the sword and dagger, With out the Sword dagger or sticks then it translates into open hand fighting.

One of the benefits of FMA is that they start you out quickly with weapons where as traditional Karate takes time to advance into training.
 
I encourage anyone interested in short stick to look up John Styers book Cold Steel. It covers rifle/bayonet, knife fighting, knife throwing, unarmed combat, and the stick. It shows its roots in WWII and emphasizes simplicity and repeated, hard hits with the stick at very close quarters.

Your local library can borrow it from another library, using a service called "Interlibrary Loan." There are enough copies in libraries in the US that it shouldn't be too difficult for anyone in this country to get their hands on Styers' book.

All my best,
Dirty Bob
 
I have been working on some short sticks. The wood is harvested from my place, mostly locust. In the cane thread a poster, mentioned that he prefers not to carry a wooden stick that had the bark removed. My short sticks are whittled down to the solid wood. I am able to identify weakness in the wood and discard the stick or repair the weakness. Fact is, as a beginner, by no means an expert, I will not carry a stick that I do not know its strengths and weaknesses. Only way I can know that is to strip it completely. I sand it and fill knots with wood glue and sand again. I carve grip grooves on the handle end and drill a hole for a cord if I am inclined to use one.
Anyone have comments on my method? Bark or no bark????
I just received a two nice pieces of wood: osage orange and KY coffebean. Neither have bark on them. Guess I need a lathe to get the most out of them. The osage is 5' and the KY is 4'. Any thoughts on these?

Dirty Bob, Bought the book on Amazon. Thanks for the recommendation

Jim
 
PB, good questions. My handle grooves are done with a rasp and finished with sand paper. Just guessing but I don't think I cut enough wood to weaken the handle. The grooves help the grip significantly. I evaluate the handle before I cut the grooves. If it doesn't look strong I cut off the weak part.
The lanyard hole is just large enough for paracord. I drill the hole 1.5" from the base. Seems effective but my guess is that it may compromise the wood strength. Nice thing about locust is that it is very hard, so I can make mistakes without getting penalized as a beginner.
If you want a piece of locust shoot a PM with your address. Freebie for a college student.

Jim
 
Does your drilling the lanyard hole or carving a handle have any affect on strength?
Click to expand...

I would avoid both as they turn a common piece stick of wood into a weapon in the eyes of the law. It would look a lot better in court if you had to hit someone with a "stick" rather than a purpos made billy club.
 
Owen,
Then why have a concealed carry license? It is about responding with deadly force when permitted by law. This is a back up just like a knife.

Jim
 
"Owen,
Then why have a concealed carry license? It is about responding with deadly force when permitted by law. This is a back up just like a knife.

Jim"


Because a stick is part of a layered defense, not just a back up like a knife. Just because the law lets you carry a gun, does not mean it's necessary to use deadly force if there's alternatives. Shoot someone, justified or not, is not a good thing if you can use other means to go home at the end of the day without giant legal fees or having to face a grand jury. We live in weird times, and deadly force is absolutely last option. Break some punks hand or wrist and there's very little fall out.

Carl.
 
I have posted this several times before but I often carry a two piece pool cue while in the city. I am always within walking distance of some bar or pool hall and no one can prove that I am not on the way to shoot some 8 ball. If I do have to use it as a weapon it will appear spontanious and without premeditation or malace of forethought like a using a purpose built weapon would.
 
Carl and Owen,
Thank you both for the insight. The layered defense system is a concept I can understand.
Owen, I have read with interest your posts regarding your pool stick and agree completely.
Where my comment was based was from the profound effect of Daisy Cutter's post (#43) on my thinking from the Faster than any switchblade thread.
Of course he is in a much more intense and dangerous situation on a recurring basis than me. Nonetheless, the concept of showing overwhelming force to
de-escalate a situation seems quite logical to me.
My point of departure was that I was in a statutory deadly force scenario. I still understand the desire to go home afterwards with no need for a lawyer. I just want to be sure I go home.

Jim
 
In the couple of years I served on the Trinidad Colorado police department, I never had to use my issued service revolver. But on several occasions, I did have to use the issued night stick. Nobody got killed, but it got the job done very well. The police department was my first brush with the layered weapon system. It does work.
 
Gordon,
I told my wife that it is your fault. Bid on the Mad Dog sticks..... Meeting with a trainer on Friday. If I don't win the bid, I need to find an alternative. Thanks a bunch:banghead:
Jim
 
^ Way less expensive. $150 v $375?

What's the $225 diff between them and the ebay sticks? :confused:

I remember bookmarking that site a couple of years ago.

I'm curious about the weight of a carbon fiber stick v hardwood, in terms of impact.
Seems like an 18" (for me) carbon fiber stick might lack "ooomph".
 
I think you could buy a stock piece of micarta and cut it to length for a lot less.
I have looked into this before but it all comes in 4' lengths which means that I can't get but one 28" fighting stick or one 36" walking cane out.
 
I could get two 18"'ers of of 48".

Any known sources, preferably on the east coast where one could purchase just a rod or two (rather than $250 min purchase)?

(Yes, I'm being lazy not to google it; well, actually I did search "micarta rod",
but I just don't feel like wading through page after page of technical specs with trade names I don't know.)
 
I have looked into this before and it seems that a 4' length was around $120. I just hate to waste a good bit of it when all I need is 28" to 36".
 
Nem,
Look at the price of the Mad dog knives. One seems to follow the other.
After some research, I can't find another set of MD sticks anywhere. So, part of the price differential is supply-demand based and the other is the price MD is getting for their main product line. Just thinking out loud.
Also back in my racing days, having purchased myriad carbon fiber parts for lightening purposes, I learned that it is not an inexpensive material.
Personally, I find the concept of carbon fiber sticks intriguing. Is micarta better? Is any other material better? I have no idea. I do suspect that, if for some reason these don't fit my purpose, there is a good probability that I can get most of the price back in a subsequent sale. Just guessing.......

Jim
 
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Jim, I'm a science guy, but a biologist, not a materials scientist.

Still, seems like I read somewhere that carbon fiber has good strength along vertical lines, but not cross-sectional, like sheering, like would happen for a stick in a regular blow. I read that when researching whether my carbon fiber trekking pole could be used like a regular walking stick for striking a la Irish fighting sticks. The suggestion was, no.

Still, if MD is selling these as kali sticks, that seems a counterargument.

Maybe others here will have better info than me. (In this case, that wouldn't take much. :D )
 
Find a good used hickory 3/4 - 1 inch dowel and you will be set for under 20 bucks.

I finally broke my 1/2 broom handle sticks by abusing the telephone pole behind my house.
 
I see an experiment here: Hickory v Micarta.

Natural v synthetic. A test to the death (breakage). Who will win?

Of course, we'll have to throw in some osage orange, mullberry and other natural, too.
 
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