Escrima

[Ian Haines]

Hi...

I've just bought two Escrima sticks from somewhere that I'm probably not supposed to advertise (unless somebody tells me that I can, of course) and I'm over the Moon about them.
Many years ago, I used to use the wooden ones, with a slight variation: I got a local craftsman to put steel rods down the center of them. He had a Heck of a job doing them, too, but he managed it.
I've just gone delightfully crackers, with both, on my upstairs punch bag and I'd hate for somebody to come at me with these brain-boppers!!!

1. Does anybody have these?
2. Has anybody used these, in training?
3. How did you find them to be?
4. Do you consider them to be effective self-defence implements (SDIs)?

Ian.

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Hi...

Here are the goodies (attached picture)!

Ian.

[bigpaul]

never heard of them before! I'd have thought a broom handle would have the same result!

[NorthernRaider]

Escrima, isn't that a type of knitting ?

[Ian Haines]

Hi...

A broom handle is probably good if you're trying to swat a nuclear-fallout-mutated, one-inch fly that's screaming, "Kill, kill, kill!" and spiritedly attacking you with a rolled-up newspaper because you refused to give it the crossword answer to 5-across! (Just, everyday stuff on reality TV, of course!)

However, if you're trying to deaden, or break, the arms or hands of a knife-carrier who is attacking you, or somebody you love, you want something with which you can batter a car without breaking - the pictured Escrima! I know that some folk prefer the wooden ones, though. I like traditionalists!



Ian.

[bigpaul]

personally I think a baseball bat will do that job quite nicely, I also have 2 wooden staff's ...see I'm a traditionalist too !!

[Ian Haines]

Northern Raider...

(27 February 2014, 15:47)NorthernRaider Wrote: Escrima, isn't that a type of knitting ?

Another dropped stitch in life's rich tapestry?

Ian.

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BigPaul...

Yep...for my next trick, I will purchase:

"The Brooklyn Smasher" (polypropylene - I'm not one for fragments or splinters - baseball bat).

Roll on, next week! "K'Cha-K'Ching!"

Ian.

[Scythe13]

I like Escrima. Did a crash course down at SDL (Self Defence London). It was really cool, but I don't think I'll be carrying around a couple of large sticks around town.

They did some pretty funky stuff that looked like it would break your own fingers though, e.g. using your open hands to push away a flailing stick attack. That was all practiced super slow, but I seemed to be the only one questioning whether a full speed swung item would just rip through your open hand. Not much fun. That's what made me question the effectiveness of Escrima. Having said that, they did teach some really cool short stick fighting.

[Devonian]

(27 February 2014, 16:20)Ian Haines Wrote: Hi...

if you're trying to deaden, or break, the arms or hands of a knife-carrier who is attacking you, or somebody you love, you want something with which you can batter a car without breaking - the pictured Escrima! I know that some folk prefer the wooden ones, though. I like traditionalists!



Ian.

So do you plan on carrying these around with you everywhere you go, ready to batter an attacker or their vehicle??

If, so you are putting yourself in a difficult situation as they would surely be classed as an offensive weapon and you could have no real justification for carrying such items.

[Ian Haines]

Devonian...

Well, let's see.

1. No - I have no plans to carry them in the street. I bought them with view to keeping them in my home, to protect that home and me in it, and because they're fun to train with, as I recall, from the 70s/80s. They also cause an increase in upper body fitness, arms/torso strength and general co-ordination. Training with them also, of course, used to help me to burn lots of calories. I need all the exercise that I can get, too, come to think of it. I look forward to getting back into it.

2. No, I don't plan to carry them in the street because that would be possession of an offensive weapon ('...made, or adapted for use...". I must confess that I've ever met anybody who would carry two Escrimas with them in the street. I'd imagine, however, that they'd be more prepared to when the poopedy-doop hits the fan and Law & Order are in need of being ignored for the purposes of personal survival, or the survival of loved ones, friends, neighbours and/or supplies, etc.. Then? Yeah...then, I would carry them with me, happily.

Ian.

[Scythe13]

Off the top of my head, I remember 'hearing' about a guy down London whose walking stick is styled like thick bamboo, and if you look closely, has a joint in it that can open up and abrakadabra [insert magic sound effect] you have 2 short metal fighting sticks, not too dissimilar to Escrima sticks.

I have also seen some walking sticks that have a twisty handle that is really a sword handle and the blade runs most the length of the walking cane. For the gentleman whose up for a morning duel haha.

I'm sure it would be possible for a person to pretty easily build their own walking-stick-sword-cane-fighting-stick-thingy. Or just get a metal pole stuck through a cane (or just a really hard wood, or even a painted metal cane) and just walk with a limp. BP with his beard could very easily pull off this kind of look.