Anyone know of any Cane-Do, Cane Masters, Cane Fu, Canne de Combat, or similar classes in my area? Note I am not interested in learning Hapkido (or some other martial art) for years, before being taught cane fighting...I'm over sixty and do not have that much time or patience.
Not sure about the area, but I would recommend checking the local Hapkido schools and seeing if they would offer lessons on 'just' the cane. Granted, most Hapkido schools will probably say that you need to study the core Hapkido footwork and techniques in order to apply them to the cane. In my personal opinion, most of what I would for 'cane' for self defense would be striking. The more advanced locks and throws do require a basic knowledge of Hapkido but realistically won't be your 'first choice' to go to when using the cane. So, there's no reason a local Hapkido school can't teach you (and drill you with) the basic strikes, which would be what you would most likely use anyway. There are some good supplemental video resources as well... my favorite would be Alain Burrese's Hapkido Cane DVD. Canemaster's and the Combat Hapkido videos are good too, but spend more time on locks and throws than basic strikes. By the way, before buying an expensive cane, check your local 'Tractor Supply' or other farm store for a 'cattle cane... then cut it to length and trim off part of the crook. Should retail about $15 for a good hardwood cane.
There will be an abundance of Kali/escrima/silat in the area. Learn that and then apply it with a cane. Le Canne will probably be harder to come by, if you can't find it on Google we probably wouldn't find much better. It's rare but it looks super cool!
I asked some people in the SF area and they suggested: Log in to Facebook | Facebook This group trains bartitsu, which includes victorian era cane fighting. Not precisely what you asked for, but may be close. (Disclaimer: I had never heard of bartitsu and am just parroting what I was told, and what I could find on Wikipedia & the facebook group's page.)