Questions on rattan? misconceptions?

Discussion in 'Filipino Martial Arts' started by mewtwo55555, Dec 1, 2016.

  1. mewtwo55555

    mewtwo55555 Valued Member

    So I have been told that rattan is more meant for training and sparring and such. I am wondering if this is true where the misconception about it being a great weapon comes from? From what I have seen hardwoods and sticks that are flatter work best for weapons. Will post a link to one. I am interested in hearing your guy-es opinions on it.

    My second question is on how people in FMA say the stick is the sword and such. A stick hits differently than a sword and a machete and so forth. There are different ways to grip them and they can be longer and so forth. Can someone explain what they meen by this.

    http://traditionalfilipinoweapons.com/shop/iron-wood-gijo-sticks-from-the-philippines/

    I will probably be getting that in the future was wondering what you guys think of that and how good these peoples products are and how long they last?

    As you have probably guessed I dont study FMA much I just love sticks and FMA has stick work.

    Thanks
     
  2. Pretty In Pink

    Pretty In Pink Moved on MAP 2017 Gold Award

    Sometimes a stick is a training tool or replacement for a knife, other times it is the weapon. As for it being a great weapon, well it is. Get hit with one on the hand and come back and tell me it doesn't work. It's also better for cominations. Heavier things like bokken need to follow through or you'll break your wrists. Not so with a rattan stick. It's so light and powerful.
     
  3. SWC Sifu Ben

    SWC Sifu Ben I am the law

    If you want better realism, emulate what the HEMA guys do. The point of rattan is that it's a cost effective way to train safely.
     
  4. Hannibal

    Hannibal Cry HAVOC and let slip the Dogs of War!!! Supporter

    Rattan are designed for prolonged training - they are light and whilst they hurt they do not tend to break bones (although i have a couple of ones that are as dense as wood). Because it is fibrous it does not break too much either, so no jagged stabby bits, and it is also really, really cheap

    Rattan is never seen as a great weapon to anyone inside the FMA world - however those outside will see the practitioners using a rattan stick and ascribe greatness to the weapon....which is akin to saying Bad Boy shorts make you a good grappler :)

    Serious fights were always with heavy sticks, typically kamagong, bahi or similar hefty wood.

    The idiosyncracy of ANY weapon change the movements subtly, but the main part remains the same - Knives tend to have a shorter more "staccatto" motion, versus a longer sweep on a stick. The practitioner adjusts accordingly

    The stuff produced by the TFW guys is top notch and buy if you can :)
     
  5. Ben Gash CLF

    Ben Gash CLF Valued Member

    In a lot of systems the stick serves as a training proxy for the machete while at the same time functioning as a weapon in it's own right. This can be observed in many martial cultures, with the singlestick serving as a training tool for backsword/sabre/cutlass in Britain and the Great Stick serving as a training tool for greatsword and longsword in Italy.
    Yes, rattan is cheap and safer for training than hardwood.
     
  6. mewtwo55555

    mewtwo55555 Valued Member

    Thank you for the info.
     
  7. Hannibal

    Hannibal Cry HAVOC and let slip the Dogs of War!!! Supporter

  8. DarkComplex

    DarkComplex Valued Member

    I dont see why Rattan wouldn't be considered a good to great weapon to use in self-defense. Whether you train FMA or not, Rattan isn't some soft wood.

    I'm sure most not would volunteer to just take a strike from one. Especially when striking joints or even to meaty areas like the thighs or the body. Dog brother type training yes, just standing there nope.

    In a situation where a person just happened to have one with them and had to use it. An attacker would surely feel it and if struck in the head area, would probably be knocked unconscious, busted open or dazed.
     
  9. Hannibal

    Hannibal Cry HAVOC and let slip the Dogs of War!!! Supporter

    It isn't a great choice - it's a training tool. In the same way a boxing glove is...it still hurts, but it isn't the same as the weapon it emulates.

    Better than nothing ? Sure - but If you have the choice between rattan and hardwood or metal and you choose rattan you are an idiot
     
  10. DarkComplex

    DarkComplex Valued Member

    Of course it isn't the same, I'm sure an attacker isn't going to say "that's Rattan it's not that good", a good strike or multiple will back all but the determined up.

    You grab the closest weapon to you and if there is hardwood or metal in the room, fight to it if you choose to do so. You may not even need to depending on where and how your strikes land.

    You're looking at it from a FMA perspective, I'm looking at it from a self-defense perspective.

    When you see people jogging or walking with canes/sticks how many are hardwood, metal, hickory or Rattan? Yet they are carrying a stick and we know why.

    Realistically due to weight, you would probably see a rattan stick being carried if most people knew about them. Younger person maybe a hardwood if they know what it is.

    The average person doesn't care about whether its hardwood or not, they'll take a rattan stick cause it can work in a self-defense situation.

    They also don't care about breaking bones, just to survive the attack and get away.

    So for the everyday person it will work.
     
  11. Hannibal

    Hannibal Cry HAVOC and let slip the Dogs of War!!! Supporter

    For the everyday person they won't have any rattan at all so no, it isn't a great choice

    Hickory, a tire iron or a knife? Now you're talking
     
  12. DarkComplex

    DarkComplex Valued Member

    most likely none of what we have mentioned except a knife.

    I guess having a knife depends on the person and even region at times.

    All will work if the person does their part. :)

    Btw I have a hickory and a Hardwood coming in lol.
     
  13. Hannibal

    Hannibal Cry HAVOC and let slip the Dogs of War!!! Supporter

    Hickory makes a great stick - I use them a lot!

    Hickory is is axe handles, broom handles etc..So is actually very available to most

    Tire iron, in the car :)

    Rattan you have to go and actually buy, and if you are doing that you may as well buy something better...There is a reason the FMA masters don't use rattan when they fight ;)
     
  14. DarkComplex

    DarkComplex Valued Member

    I have a Gijo stick that I got from TFW, Never taken it outside of the house except to show my brother, when we did some training.

    Speaking of TFW their rattan sticks seem to dent easier than some sticks that I purchased at a shop. The rattan from the shop seems a bit tougher.
     
  15. Simon

    Simon Administrator Admin Supporter MAP 2017 Koyo Award

    I don't have any hickory sticks, but my senior student has made his own from axe handles.
     
  16. matveimediaarts

    matveimediaarts Underappreciated genius

    Before I knew better I had a rattan bo. My sempai called it "zebra bo". LOL :D It *works* for sparring against dense weapons, but definitely not optimal IMO. So bouncy it's hard to control, and I prefer the feel of heavier wood. :/
     
  17. DarkComplex

    DarkComplex Valued Member

    So I ordered one 28" Hickory stick, one 28" Bahi and two 20" Hickory sticks.

    I wanted to test the Bahi so yesterday I delivered two strikes against a tree and it broke in half with a "stabbing" point on the second strike.

    I hit the same tree this morning with the Hickory and the Hickory looks good as new lol.

    Looks like the Bahi is best used against flesh, wish the hickory was a bit thicker like the Bahi stick. I'm sawing what's left of the Bahi into a shorter stick. I dont know what I'm going to do with the other half.

    Maybe saw the jagged part off and make a palm stick or something.

    I can clearly see how Bahi or Hickory is effective on two and four legged critters.
     

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