ezraa123 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

My instructor would change out our sticks sometimes or make us to the drills with something else to make us understand the principles of what we were doing, not just mindless techniques. I like being able to hook with the punyo. If I need more reach, I'll slide down, but that's often made up for with good footwork and movement. Some of the commenters need to get out a bit more and realize there is more then one way that will work. This guy's just not so good at voicing things on video.

ezraa123 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

mykchicano was very right. I've been doing escrima that was a mixture of some Doce Pares and various other escrima for about 10 years now. I've seen different styles from having no punyo to one fist. I first learned the one fist and it was used to hook things. You can't hook well with an inch. It is taken a bit easier, but it's a trade off. Even many "masters" disagree on some of these things because of personal experience and preference. (cont)

Readioheed (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Actually, rattan isn't a kind of palm tree. It is a twisting vine and is extensively used in the furniture industry of the Philippines. It is straightened out with heat and doesn't splinter like wood. Most of what is being sold as arnis or eskrima training sticks are in fact immature rattan and are liable to shred after a few sessions. Mature rattan is much more durable but also much thicker in diameter. There is no fixed length for an olisi but it should preferably be an arm's length.

manalomarko (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

the way he hold is very wrong it should be one inch...and it is very easy to grab his stick if he hold like that

plus24seven (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

???? is he holdin it right?????

HalbTeufel333 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

what an idiot

naughtiusmaximus222 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Clearly someone who has NO experience in Eskrima, Kali or any other Filipino/Indonesian martial arts. This was a joke

HeartlessBastid (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Oh, wow! A level-headed and rational post! I didn't think they existed any more! Points to mykchicano for shedding some light here. A "true eskrima fighting stick" is nonexistent. You use what works for you, be it a bolo, broom handle, or rattan stick. It's the technique that defines the art, not the tools. Are your skills rendered useless because you have to use a pool cue in the real world, not a "true eskrima fighting stick?"

HeartlessBastid (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Stop doing kung fu and go larn u sum englich. In addition (which means "there's more stuff coming") the version of kali that I'm learning has twelve basic strikes and we learn combinations of those. Each art has its own foundations to build on and what you're learning by watching lots of Human Weapon is totally different from someone else's classes.

mykchicano (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

In the first place the sticks used in Arnis (Sp. Escrima) are not made of wood, but it's made out of fire hardened rattan which is a palm (it has the interesting ability to resist shattering even when hit a blade). There are no fixed length for the sticks in Arnis, but the conventional length is dictated by the length of the fore arm (decreasing the chance of hitting each other when using double sticks).