How does kungfu stick work compare with other styles? and beggar style?

[qianfeng]

So my teacher is gonna teach me some stick work and i was wondering how sticks in chinese martial arts compare with other arts like kali. And i mean a short stick not a gun (staff) or anything.

And are there specific styles that just teach staff? i hear there is a beggars style that focuses on it or is that just modern wushu inspired by the beggars sect from wuxia novels?

 

[Marnetmar]

I don't practice Kali but from my training I do know that CMA tends to "work" sticks, so to speak, while other arts tend to move them without changing grip. It's quite hard to explain really.

 

[clfsean]

The only stick work I've done of any note is not short stick. Long stick only for me. I would expect it to be similar to bian (hard whip) or the like. Maybe reminiscent of some sword like techniques.

 

[Xue Sheng]

The shortest stick I ever trained much was xingyi short staff, and that is 6 feet long.

However my first sifu taught a form he called yang style short staff which is exactly what you have in the old beggers staff video. I trined that a bit but since there is no short staff from the yang family, and my first sifu was known to make stuff up for purposes of $$$$ I did not take it seriously and never finished the form

 

[geezer]

The first clip especially reminded me of TCMA jian, and neither clip looked very practical when compared with the more combat-oriented branches of Filipino stick-fighting.

@ Marnetmar: The system of Filipino martial art that I teach basically uses 6 grips: standard, punyo, reinforced, double-handed, double-end, and reverse. However, you are quite correct in that we do not unnecessarily switch grips, add decorative twirls or flourishes. We keep it simple and efficient, just like WC. And just as WC despises "flowery hands", we avoid "flowery-sticks"!

 

[arnisador]

In the FMA there's a strong emphasis on stick-on-stick (often representing sword-on-sword), not stick vs. empty hands or stick vs. other weapons. Is that so in the CMA?

 

[Blindside]

This interview might be of interest, it is of a CMA practitioner who participates regularly with the Dog Brothers.
dogbrothers.gr - Interview with Thomas "Gong-Fu Dog" Holtmann

 

[jks9199]

Some styles feature a "live grip" where the stick is moved within the grip, or the grip changes. For example, you might start with the hands a bit wider than your shoulders in a middle grip (each hand about 1/3 from the end, in other words), and as you make a horizontal swinging strike, slide the hand on the front end in to add speed and power, or you might thrust and slide the stick through the lead hand, sort of like shooting pool. Other styles feature a more rigid hand position, that doesn't move or change much. Sometimes, it depends on the form or particular stick syllabus, as well. And, of course, with shorter sticks or single hand grips, moving it around is much less common.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

Never heard about Chinese short stick. Chinese have many short weapon such as sword, knife, hook, ... but not stick.

 

[qianfeng]

Really sorry guys made a mistake my teacher said short staff not short stick. He said 短棍 so i assumed a short staff was a stick like in Kali and other arts. Soz.

 

[qianfeng]

That interview was pretty good but i would really would of loved a video of him fighting with the 3 section staff (never seen anyone use it lol).

 

[Blindside]

couple of bits of 3 section at 1:24, he shows up in other DBMA highlight reels as well.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

Really sorry guys made a mistake my teacher said short staff not short stick. He said 短棍 so i assumed a short staff was a stick like in Kali and other arts. Soz.

I assume the 短棍 (short staff) idea may come from the 锏 (jian) - a weapon that's used to break sword or knife.

 

[qianfeng]

Hey do you know whats the point of a 鞭 which is really similar to 锏?

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

鞭 can be bent. 锏 is a solid piece of metal that cannot be bent.

 

[blindsage]

There is also the Taiji Bang, but it's a very short stick and most people only do the qigong practice.

 

[qianfeng]

I dont mean mean bian as a whip but the weapon used by general yuchigong

 

[Xue Sheng]

There is also the Taiji Bang, but it's a very short stick and most people only do the qigong practice.

Also there is the taiji ruler, not the sme as the bang, but short and used for qigong. The bang is also used for strengthening as well

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

This can be with 鞭 or 锏, depending on whether it can be bent or not.

This is 锏. It's a solid piece metal and cannot be bent.

 

[qianfeng]

So i searched up the stuff and 硬鞭 cannot bend. it is heavier and larger than the 锏 and has a small weight at the end. Also it is used more for cavalry while 锏 is for foot fighting.