Rattan is a Palm native to southeast asia, at maelstrøm we use rattan every single day for training. In the Filipino Martial Arts, it is the single most common training implement. It is also widely used by many other martial arts for its utility – it frays but does not shatter or break dangerously; it absorbs impacts that do not transmit to the hand or arm like hard wood does.
The ability rattan has to fray and absorb, bend but not break easily makes it a very valuable material in basketmaking, as quick rope available in the forests of south east asia and makes it the ideal material for a fire thong, a primitive fire making method- check out the video below:
Burning Rattan
