Attacking the Hands

[James McRae]

Here's an interesting video on attacking the hands from J.P. Sullivan, who teaches a style of Irish Stick Fighting.  The walking cane is my favorite length of stick because of its range, stopping power, and legality, so I'm always interested in seeing new videos on how to fight with one.  It's also nice to see that these guys spend a lot of time sparring.

[nikolai]

Having used and carried a cane quite a lot in the past, I am a firm believer that everyone should practice with a cane, and even try it out in sparring.

I like the extra reach advantage for leg attacks, but also for shots to the head and hands.

I am ambivalent about using the hook to grab someone around the neck (usually the hook is too narrow) or the knee, as these seem to be risky maneuvers in an actual fight, although you may find you like these. Canes with wide hooks are available, but I do like the look of them.

I also advise wood over metal as the hollow metal canes available in drugstores like Long's are actually weaker than the wooden ones. I have broken them in practice.

If you want a good cane, look for a good solid wood, like oak, or even rattan. You will find that they are sturdier than the wooden ones available in Long's.

Besides the hook type, there is also the hammer shape (I hope you understand the description), which can give some good strikes, and the "ball-shaped" heads, which can also be very effective.

And, of course, as most umbrellas also fall into these shapes, the skills are transferable.

A cane is one of the few legal weapons that can be carried anywhere, such as on airplanes or to Court in my case.

And, I always get a good seat on TheBus.

[James McRae]

I own a couple of Canemasters canes and I've trained with Mark Shuey, who favors the crook-top cane.  Personally, I don't see the crook being that much of an advantage since a lot of the techniques that most people use with the crook don't work well in sparring.  I prefer the ball-top cane, like you see on a traditional Irish blackthorn walking stick.  I generally carry either a blackthorn stick or a Cold Steel City Stick.  The ball top is a lot faster to maneuver and it's easier to strike with the ball end compared to a crook-top cane.

[nikolai]

James,

I agree. The ball top is better than the others. The hook can get in the way, i.e., catching against the wrist while in use. And the ball itself is perfect for power thrusts.

Nikolai

[Burton]

I find it very interesting that in the video, the players are using a long, thin stick, very similar to the FMA. They are swinging at the hands in a FMA manner. The reason I point this out is because the Shillelagh is usually "knobbed", which means you swing it in a very different manner. The Zulu swinging of the stick is very different due to all that weight at the end. I suspect that there is an influence of FMA here. I'd like to see the sparring with the knobbed stick.
  That said, great that they are sparring!

http://misticshillelagh.tripod.com/

[James McRae]

Thanks, Burton.  Now I know what to do with my Christmas money! 

[Burton]

No doubt!