This article will include those different methods of stick fighting, which can have the potential to save lives. These stick fighting methods and techniques can aid the practitioner when he or she is faced with an attacker.

Also, these methods are crucial to an FMA (Filipino Martial Arts) practitioner’s ideal execution and learning since these can help the practitioner expand his or her knowledge about FMA via teaching the same principles to future practitioners.
Stick Stretches That Target Your Arm Muscles and Make You a Better Striker
These stick stretches will help flex your arm muscles and take your striking to the next level! Start Stretching Here
Stick fighting methods of fighting where practitioners make use of hand-held wooden sticks (frequently called Eskrima or Kali sticks) to spar each other. In fact, stick fighting is a general term that refers to the different weapon-based martial arts techniques that utilize stick fighting in their organizations.
Surprisingly, there are various martial arts that train in a variety of styles of stick combat. For instance, “Intonga” is an early, South African, stick-fighting martial art. Furthermore, there is the French stick combat martial art known as “Canne de combat,” and many others.
On the other hand, the most common stick combat martial arts are practised in the FMA (or Filipino Martial Arts) systems including:

You can find more tips from different stick fighting styles on in the post – Stick Fighting Methods – A Comprehensive Guide
Stick Fighting Self-Defense
Perhaps, sparring with sticks seems like an ancient and primitive form of fighting, but it has plenty of significance in modern, reality-based self-defence. In fact, stick fighting methods have many advantages for the trainee, and it is an essential element of the Contemporary Fighting Arts (CFA) self-defence system.
The Benefits of Stick Fighting Methods
As said before, stick fighting abilities are vital for modern-day, and self-defence uses for various reasons:
- Utilizing a Stick to Protect Yourself. When utilized correctly, a powerful strike of a stick can be an extremely effective self-defence weapon. Stick strikes can frequently cause serious blunt-force trauma damages. Moreover, sticks are ubiquitous, which can be used readily in a variety of self-defence situations. Stick fighting will provide you with the skills needed to utilize the weapon efficiently and effectively in various fighting situations.
- Defending Against Stick Attack. There's always the probability that a person can encounter a stick-wielding criminal. In fact, stick fighting shows you the weaknesses, strengths, and limitations of the weapon, which is vital information if you're going to defend efficiently against a weapon or execute a stick-disarming method.
- Fighting with Sticks. Kali sticks are utilized for stick combat practice. One good way to improve and sharpen your stick-fighting techniques and skills is through regular sparring drills, also known as stick sparring. To do this, you'll require a trustworthy and skilled training partner, loads of protective gear and equipment, as well as light rattan sticks. Furthermore, you'll require a room, allowing you and your sparring partner to move around freely without bumping into doors, windows or other stuff.
- The Arnis Stick. As mentioned previously, you will require a pair of sticks (kali sticks) to fight with your sparring partner. The weapon is about 26 inches lengthwise and is fairly slender. It's hard but lightweight, strong and very cheap. Above all, the stick isn't dangerous compared to wood since it doesn't splinter upon impact. It just shreds apart and frays, which is especially vital when executing full-contact stick fighting style with your sparring partner. Also, arnis sticks enable the practitioner to take part in full-contact training, on the other hand, protective gear (namely hand protection, fencing masks, elbow and arm pads, groin cup, chest and throat protectors, and all that) should be worn all the time.

Holding a Rattan Stick
There is an appropriate and incorrect way of holding a kali stick while stick fighting. Knowing and understanding the distinction between the two can save a life. When holding a rattan stick, allow adequate room (about a fist length) on your weapon's bottom portion at all times.
To begin with, when you grip a kali stick in this manner, it transforms a stick into a useful dual weapon. The bottom part can now be utilized for butting methods at a close-quarter fighting range. Additionally, it offers greater leverage, improving the impact power. It also significantly boosts the retention of your weapon when combatting.
An adequate amount of force ought to be applied when holding the rattan stick. Holding the stick too firmly when in combat can be tricky since it will certainly exhaust your hands causing needless cramping. Additionally, your stick attacks will be shifted, and your strikes' power and speed will be considerably reduced.

Fighting Ranges
There are three distinct ranges of stick fighting that should be utterly mastered. They include the following:
- Long-Range Stick Fighting – the furthest stick fighting distance where the practitioner can only hit the attacker's hand using the rattan stick.
- Mid-Range Stick Fighting – the intermediate range of stick fighting where the practitioner can hit the assailant's body, arms, and head using the stick.
- Close-Quarter Stick Fighting – the final stick fighting distance where the practitioner can hit the assailant using the weapon's butt portion and can employ various knee, elbow and head-butt strikes.
Stick Fighting Methods
The following are a list of methods about stick fighting from the book, “1001 Street Fighting Secrets.” Hopefully, you can apply these methods in real life to increase your chances of winning in a combat.
Keep the Stick Moving
When battling with sticks, keep the stick moving at all times. This is vital for the reasons listed below:
- It prevents inactivity from passing during a fight.
- It boosts the overall speed of the strikes.
- It reduces weapon telegraphing, particularly before striking using your stick.
- It improves the reaction time in defence.
- It minimizes the digit and hands exposure when in combat.
- It considerably boosts the offensive movement.
- It makes the assailant miscalculate the stick's range.

Stick Fighting Methods from Various Positions
There are eight general stick fighting positions that you as well as your opponent can participate. The following include:
- You as well as your opponent are in a prone position.
- You're kneeling; your opponent is a prone position.
- Your opponent is kneeling; you're in a prone position.
- You as well as your opponent are kneeling.
- You're standing; your opponent is in a prone position.
- Your opponent is standing; you are in prone position.
- You're standing; your opponent is kneeling.
- Your opponent is standing; you're kneeling.
- You as well as your opponent are standing.
Use Various Kinds of Fighting Sticks
If you'd like to enhance your over-all stick combat techniques, it is vital to have you and your sparring partner train with different sticks. If you want to save, train with: short sticks, long sticks, heavy sticks, light sticks, makeshift sticks, cumbersome sticks, balanced and unbalanced sticks, metal sticks, and wooden sticks.

Know the 4 Defensive Options
In a stick combat, you likely have four defensive options. Ensure you can implement all these four responses with efficiency and ease when fighting with sticks.
- Evasion – clear from the attack angle.
- Deflection – ricochet the stick attack.
- Block – Block the nearing stick attack.
- Striking – strike the weapon hand of the opponent using your stick.
Check out these Stick Fighting Drills from Louis Lim and Master Andrew P. Obon of APO-Balintawak Stick Fighting:
Practice Both Single and Double Stick Exercises
The one actual way to enhance your stick fighting skills is to participate frequently in a wide range of different exercises. These drills can be executed with either a rattan stick or two all at once. Yep! Two sticks all at once, also known as “double stick training.”
Now, let's be realistic. It is highly implausible that you'll encounter a situation wherein you'll fight an opponent with two rattan sticks in your hands. Maybe in a movie, but certainly not in the real-life self-defence situation. Therefore, why is it vital to train in fighting with both sticks all at once?
Well, the list below will show you how helpful it is for the self-defence technician and would-be martial artists.
- Improve overall self-confidence.
- Improve physical and mental speed.
- Increase the force and power of arm blows.
- Minimize the body mechanics' total telegraphic movements.
- Improve the eye-hand coordination.
- Improve the ability to become accustomed to weapon blow from random angles.
- Enhance and refine the ability to shift in combat.
- Sharpens and develops the sense of timing.
- Impart the range specificity.
- Strengthens the target recognition sense.
Why Learn Arnis and Filipino Martial Arts elaborate more on the benefits mentioned above.
Practice Stick Fighting Methods Everywhere
Training in stick fighting in a range of various terrains, environments, positions, and locations. A few challenging areas include: hallways; doorways; ascending and descending a hill; on and under a bridge; on the stairway; between a ditch; over a car; in the snow, mud, tall grass and sand; between shrubbery, branches and trees; in kneeling position; as well as in prone position. Just be very careful when training in unstable environments and terrains.
Ensure the stick fighting methods training is directed by an experienced stick fighting trainer.

Do Not Thrust the Arnis Stick
Try not to perform thrusting movements when stick sparring. Thrusting the Kali stick is dangerous for the reasons listed below:
- When the stick's tip touches a solid body target, it'll put great strain on the wrists causing a possible break or severe sprain.
- When in impact with a solid surface area, you could lose the kali stick.
- Stick thrusting movements merely lack neutralizing force.
- Thrusting movements with a stick must be utilized carefully and under particular combative circumstances only.
Thrusting movements generally should be utilized when fighting with a knife.
A stick is essentially an extension of your hand. Not everyone is a Jackie Chan when it comes to stick fighting. However, if we learn it, we may be able to protect ourselves from dangers out there. Give these techniques a go, and it will surely save you or others even.
Read more of our blog section to learn more about FMA stick fighting. Good luck and have fun in training!