A kali practitioner’s sticks are their trusty sidekicks and constant companions during training. The relationship between a martial artist and their weapons is a close one, where the shape, width, weight and small imperfections of the weapon become intimately familiar to the person wielding it. The theory behind weapons training is, of course, that the weapons become an extension of your limbs. And the more that you use your weapons, the more you get to know them like the back of your hand. So when I recently had to buy new sticks, it felt like I was committing to a huge purchase – I was choosing these long pieces of rattan that I would use regularly over months and become my new best friends while drilling. I would probably hit myself with these sticks due to bouncebacks, accidentally (or on purpose) hit other people with them, get tired during endurance rounds of sinawali and curse their weight, get tangled up with them while learning complicated patterns, or use them to lean on when I get lazy. In short, I wanted the perfect new sticks.
Everyone has different preferences for their sticks – some prefer long and light ones, while others like shorter and denser sticks. Theoretically, the length of the sticks should equal the length of your entire arm from fingertips to armpit. However, this isn’t a hard and fast rule especially if you have very short limbs like I do. Most people have more than one pair, and some designate specific ones for different uses. For example, lighter ones are nice for doing forms and free form/karenza. You’d probably want to use heavier ones if you were sparring in a Dog Brothers context. I personally prefer slightly thicker sticks that are denser because I feel like swinging heavier sticks makes my arms stronger. After looking through the entire stock and weight each stick in my hand, I finally chose two that I could be happy with. I know that the sticks will eventually splinter (and give off that awesome burning smell) and be taped up, but for now, the brand new pair of sticks is like a shiny new toy that makes training just a bit more exciting.
If you want to learn more about your sticks, check out our article on exactly what rattan is ( http://l.facebook.com/l/8AQENef7UAQFx8KB_AepHESmyiBA5QgyznuhcFivgC9DJSg/maelstromcore.com/?p=5145).
By Tiffany