Escrima Stick Challenge - Which one will hold up?

Thanks for checking out our video. In this video, Guro JD is putting several impact weapons to the test. When we train kali, escrima, or arnis the questions always come up as to which sticks should I buy. Often a very tough question and truth be told pretty much any rattan stick will break, crack, splinter eventually. Although I know a few people that have begun to use PVC, Cold Steel's escrima sticks and Guro Ron Balicki has even created his own non-wood kali stick.
So which stick to get, in this video JD hits several different brands and materials as hard as he can to see just which ones will break under the impact.
Revgear Padded Stick
PVC pipe
Asian World of Martial Arts Burned Rattan Stick
Century Martial Arts Plain Rattan Stick
Inosanto Academy (2015) Rattan Stick
Cane and Basket 2019 Stick (3/4")
Cane and Basket 2014 Stick (1")
Balicki Stick
We hope you enjoy the video.
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[@tyrusmfrechs7025]

"Well here's my instructor's creation and shouldn't break..." Well shit

[@citizen762]

The real winner here is the 8” x 30’ treated pine. 😃

[@martialartsunlimited01]

Alol, true

[@StEvUgnIn]

I never expect this one to break

[@shadown5757]

Interesting experiment that reminds us of the importance of simplicity and flexibility instead of modernity and complexity 🙏

[@martialartsunlimited01]

Yeah that was something similar to what someone else said and basically what I was thinking after the experiment. Although I had a student with a frayed stick a few weeks ago and I was like man with a Balicki Stick I would have all this mess to clean up.

[@erikhagler3500]

I used pvc pice for YEARS and they can take a beating. Only problem was when it DID break it shattered. Goggles are a must with them. Nice vid, bro!

[@martialartsunlimited01]

Thanks, never thought about it shattering. My concern is the vibrations

[@HariOmRadhaKrishna]

Cool test. We have used century rattan sticks (with the engraved handles) for about 10 years, & have been very satisfied with the quality.

[@martialartsunlimited01]

Yeah they do fine. Do you prefer the larger 1" ones Or the smaller ones?

[@HariOmRadhaKrishna]

@@martialartsunlimited01 I had to measure them. They range between 3/4 & an inch. My wife uses the thinner ones. In our terminology, Kali sticks are heavier & thicker rattan. Eskrima sticks are peeled rattan, which is slightly thinner & lighter. We spar with padded sticks (actionflex & actionflex HIT blue), so the rattan ones tend to last a long time. * My oldest sticks are a thick pair from a Dan Inosanto workshop in Minneapolis in 1996.

[@PepeSmuggins]

Gross

[@southernstickssurvival2924]

dang! i was surprised at this. ive beaten the crap out of mine here at home. same ones i got there. still holding strong. cant wait to get back in class with them!

[@martialartsunlimited01]

Yeah, I think they would be fine as training sticks forever

[@TheUniveralRoadie]

Wow I guess Guro Ron will have to improve his design.

[@martialartsunlimited01]

I am sending in for a replacement. Not sure haw many people will swing a stick against a object like that. I know regular rattan sticks will break over time. Although I feel in typical use a Balicki stick will never break.

[@LarryMarsh]

Cool. I was hesitant on the 3 pairs of Century Sticks I picked up at Goodwill yesterday. All 3 pair cost me a total of $3.90.

[@martialartsunlimited01]

Wow, that's a great deal.

[@LarryMarsh]

@@martialartsunlimited01 @martialartsunlimited01 They were barely used. I now have them fire hardened. And looking alot better. I study Taekwondo but our Dojang believe in incorporating other arts into our own personal style so I really appreciate the Escrima, Kali, Arnis content as I've just started with 26" sticks and palm sticks.

[@Ayrianas]

I am thinking it has to do with the amount of surface area being struck. Having broken sticks against white ash sticks, I think hitting a solid object with a similar diameter of a stick might have different results.

[@martialartsunlimited01]

I agree completely. I am still surprised that some of the "weaker" aka cheap sticks didn't break even under the 10 hits.

[@ponkhan]

Great stuff! If you can though, you might want to test the wood ones in batches, maybe two or three at a time. Since these are wood, they can be notoriously hard to quality control, and you never know if you happened to get an off one.

[@martialartsunlimited01]

Great point. We are doing another one right now stick to stick

[@niklasrydbo3958]

One solid hit with a balicki stick against one solid block with a balicki stick and the stick broke. Also in this one there were air bubbles. Got it replaced from Cold Steel. So now Guro Ron knows 3 that have broken

[@martialartsunlimited01]

Yeah, but stick on stick they last like forever

[@danzigrulze5211]

Better to have it break during a test then training. I've always used rattan for contact training and if you treat it right and let it age properly they will last you for years. Love the video.

[@martialartsunlimited01]

Very true, I mean of course I have "broken" several sticks over the years. But rattan doesn't snap clean so luckily never no issues

[@danzigrulze5211]

@@martialartsunlimited01 I just like that fact that if it does break you can just tape it up and still use it. I have a couple I just use for solo drills that are nothing but tape.

[@manukahoney9725]

thank you very much especially the last one it is useless for self defence.

[@martialartsunlimited01]

Well if you mean the balicki stick, as I said I use them in class and one has never broken in the past 7 years. So for normal use it should be just fine.

[@thomasstillman4805]

Kombat Instruments Ltd. ☠️ They are the ones with the skull and crossbones brand.☠️ K.I.L. Procucts. Dog Brothers approved!

[@martialartsunlimited01]

I'm pretty sure I had one of those. My only issue is they are so big and heavy.

[@thomasstillman4805]

If you leave those plastic sticks setting out in the sunlight it could probably cause them to get brittle and eventually break.

[@martialartsunlimited01]

Quite possibly, although mine were not. But I'm also not sure if sitting out in the sun would make a regular Kali stick brittle over time either.

[@dexterdiolata]

the last one was funny lol

[@aaronraynor7703]

Good video. Thumbs up.

[@martialartsunlimited01]

Thanks for the visit

[@juandelata]

almost like as if the Filipino martial artists knew what they were doing when they started using rattan sticks for training centuries ago

[@martialartsunlimited01]

Yeah, I would have to agree.

[@teanistillmon3341]

Can you just do one stick at a time. Like the Rattan. Swing, hit, strike etc. I would like to see how durable they are. I just bought some.

[@martialartsunlimited01]

What do you mean, just one at a time?

[@mactabilis6039]

There is definitely a deep science of weapons and martial arts so deep it resides in the individual soul. The weapons mean nothing to the master, master can roll up a news paper very tightly and perfectly and hurt many people with it. With respect to the OP and topic, there is a bell shaped curve. On one side you have the woodworking mastery of someone like, Antonio Stradivari, whose violins still play today as they did at the turn of the 18th century. Taiwan supposedly crack the code on good ole "Strad." Seriously doubt them though. And on the other side of the curve, we'll have someone like you. Equally important as we all serve a purpose. With that said, if i said I had some outrageous technique that was better than anything out there, and stacked that knowledge with lets just say of Nanotribology. Would people kill for my sticks as they do for Strad Violins? I guess this generation will never know huh? Godspeed grasshopper, may you blossom into a Locust one day.

[@RikthDcruze]

Cane and basket one was untreated.

[@martialartsunlimited01]

Yes I believe so. I had that one for quite a while and didn't remember what type I ordered.

[@centraltexasshotokankarate9489]

Did you leave the Balicki stick in the sun? I was going to buy the Balicki stick but this definitely changed my mind. Might be a great stick in doors but the polypropylene might have degraded in the sun making it weaker this resulting in that quick breakage.

[@martialartsunlimited01]

No, it wasn't left out. I have some that I use in training for last last couple years. Stick to stick no issues. I think they just are not designed to be smashed against a telephone pole. I like real sticks too, although the balicki stick is nice as they never fray or make a mess.

[@pagpapaitim]

PVC pipe all the way!

[@martialartsunlimited01]

The vibration killed my arms. So I don't recommend it

[@J3unG]

You're not supposed to break sticks when you train, bro. If you want something that lasts, start by swinging a lead pipe.

[@martialartsunlimited01]

I'm not actively trying to break sticks, yet as we train with any wood based stick it eventually breaks down and breaks. Not sure what your using for sticks, but if it is a rattan stick and never breaks, please let me know where you get those. I would love to check them out.

[@johnmartinez5228]

My nunchaku can break bricks can you rattan Stick do the same thing?

[@martialartsunlimited01]

Bricks don't hit back. 🙃

[@VTSifuSteve]

@@martialartsunlimited01 That's what YOU say. I've had all kinds of things hit me back. Most often trees. Train against trees often enough and I guarantee one of those sneaky bastards will wack you back.

[@thomasstillman4805]

Skull and cross swords. (correction)

[@martialartsunlimited01]

What does that mean?

[@kirkcavenaugh758]

Coo

[@lapinbeau]

The thing to keep in mind is pure physics. When you're smashing what is basically two cylinders together, the point of impact will always be very tiny, concentrating all of the force into it. This is actually the reason why battle axes had rounded edges, instead of pointed/squared ones. Because it could cut effectively from almost any angle. That said, I seriously didn't expect that Balicki stick to break in just one hit.

[@martialartsunlimited01]

That's cool info. Yeah this pressure test was surprising to me with a few of them

[@lapinbeau]

@@martialartsunlimited01 Do you think you might try it again, just to see if you got a faulty model?

[@iamfuckingyourwaifuandther2743]

Is this man hitting an electrical pole?

[@martialartsunlimited01]

Yes, yes I was