I'll check them out. I'm looking for an excuse to get a custom fencing mask, I'm thinking Deathstroke inspired.
I use Ice Hockey gloves, but have cut the material from the palm to get a decent grip. I also cut the material away from the pads near the tips of the fingers.
When I was competing, I think we were wearing street hockey gloves on at least one hand. Some people preferred the more specialized eskrima gloves for the other hand. I wore hockey gloves on both. That was for rattan sticks though. I'd probably go with something lighter and more maneuverable if I were doing padded stick.
I use lacrosse gloves if I am using rattan, but for any padded stick sparring or aluminum knife I use a lighter mechanix "m-pact" glove. I'm trying to move to lighter both for dexterity but also as a reminder for not relying on the glove to protect me. http://www.mechanix.com/m-pact
MMA gloves for knife sparring for me - for the same reasons pretty much I don't tend to use padded sticks, mainly due to cost
Our heavy padded sticks are 3/4 inch nylon surrounded by pipe foam and duct tape. The padding is largely there as a psychological release that it is ok to really wallop someone with what is essentially a 3/4" piece of kamagong. (They weigh about 13 oz, my 31"x1" rattan sticks usually weigh about 10 oz.) But once you buy the nylon (which last forever) all you pay for is duct tape and pipe foam, and that is cheap.
I have three of those actually...I means the commercial sticks for cost You have just given me an idea for my students homework.......
I don't trust the commercial hollow tube type sticks for sparring. I bought a pair (looked quite different to yours: probably different manufacturer) years ago, and within the first 30 seconds of the first bout I ever used it in, I broke one in half on my mate's helmet. I followed up with several more strikes over the course of a couple of seconds, completely unaware that I was now swinging a pointy plastic dagger at my mate. Just something to bear in mind. These days I've got a couple home-made ones made of rattan, neoprene, and duct tape.
Thanks for sharing here your experience. It is through open communication that we learn from one another. :happy:
I did the same thing years ago, tried a wall block and wound up holding a stub as the stick sheared off just above the hand. That was one of the Century neoprene padded sticks. I introduce beginners and kids using a lighter padded stick than the one I describe above that is cored with 3/8" (1/2" outer diameter) CPVC, and those have done quite well. I have probably only lost one over the last several years. You can also use 1/2" nylon rod for the core on those as well, it weighs fractionally more than the CPVC.
With regards to our padded sticks, I saw the insides of one that had gotten worn out at the tip and opened up. The piping inside is solid, not hollow. I was told it was pvc pipe, but I don't know what that is, so I can't confirm that is what I saw. Besides being solid, it was colored white. The material looked like one of those white cutting boards, but in a tube shape. I now wonder if it is actually a nylon rod like others decribe here? Mine has held up very well. I have never seen one break in the way you describe. The ones the school loaned to students who didn't own one yet are getting worn, but they are just bending. and the padding is wearing out. None have broken.
I tried stick fighting once, it wasn't challenging enough. Darn stick just laid there and wouldn't fight no matter what I did!
happy to hear that you enjoyed the stickfighting lessons. as to what glove you should use, i suggest to get something with 'just enough' padding to keep you from breaking your hand but not so much that you don't feel the sting of the shot. roller/street hockey gloves are what i use.