Top reasons why sticks are GREAT weapons!

[@IsaacKuo]

A stick made out of paper is the best weapon to use against a fly because it's unlikely to damage walls and furniture. In this case, the flexibility of a rolled up newspaper or magazine is actually an advantage because it flexes flat against a surface to squash the fly.

[@stefanfranke5651]

Thank you for this lifehack, will try it!! I always used a mace for that but found that the holes in the drywall looked quite ugly. :D

[@andyh7152]

In the UK there's a thing called The Chelsea Hammer. It's a rolled up newspaper hard enough to knock someone out or kill them. People make very effective weapons out of what's avaliable

[@SizarieldoR]

Context 1 : Haters 0

[@scottmacgregor3444]

@@stefanfranke5651 Really you should be using a saber or other sword. Sure it'll take you a 1/2 hour to kill one fly and a lot of holes in the wall, but by the time you do you've gotten a good workout and better with swords! Just make sure you don't cut the cat in half on accident while doing it. Trust me on this, the girlfriend won't like that.

[@TrueMentorGuidingMoonlight]

@@scottmacgregor3444 And don’t cut the girlfriend in half, whoops

[@AbenZin1]

Another thing that you've not mentioned is that sticks can stand in for literally any weapon! I remember as a kid they were lightsabers, machine guns, swords, cannons...

[@pontuslindheohlsson2184]

He does say something like this at kzbin.info/www/bejne/pYfTYYmAgt6Jgac. A stick is the practice weapon for any kind of hand weapon. Not exactly the same but a similar point

[@grahamlangford7494]

Mm 👍👍

[@grahamlangford7494]

M 🧐🧐🧐

[@grahamlangford7494]

♥️

[@itsapittie]

There's something primal and instinctive about using a club. Invariably in extremis when other weapons aren't available, humans will pick up something which can be swung. Even people with absolutely no martial training will instinctively grab a club and often use it very effectively. The fact that absolutely anyone can use it is reason enough to say it isn't per se a "bad" weapon.

[@derstoffausdemderjoghurtis]

We know how to use our limbs and a stick/club is just one more link on that limb^^

[@sawyere2496]

Bonk!

[@joschafinger126]

Also, most other weapons really *are* just improved versions of the humble stick. Put a knob on it, you've got a mace. An edge? There's your basic sword. A point for a long stick? You've got yourself a spear. And so on.

[@dacedebeer2697]

And it's pretty hard to hurt yourself, well, harder than with blades.

[@itsapittie]

@@dacedebeer2697 Apparently you don't know some of the dunderheads I've encountered. 😆

[@Nerobyrne]

government: "Weapons are now illegal!" peasants: "You wouldn't part an old man from his walking stick..."

[@nirfz]

You now only have to convince them that you are old and bad at walking without it...

[@TROOPERfarcry]

This has got to be one of the most accurate video titles of all time.

[@ManicEngine]

Also useful for battling the Fish People, as wood floats so you are less likely to loose your weapon to the watery depths

[@Dale_The_Space_Wizard]

I heard that a dog once travelled over five miles just to find a stick and bring it back home. I thought that it was a bit far-fetched.

[@bernhardjordan9200]

Dad joke 🏆

[@Simon_Nonymous]

@@bernhardjordan9200 Great dad joke - nicked it!

[@christianwitness]

how would you/one know how far the dog had traveled?

[@Simon_Nonymous]

@@christianwitness it was a wuff estimate.

[@tonyoliver2750]

@@christianwitness It's easy to calculate the distance using logs.

[@Simon_Nonymous]

I've just retired as an English police officer, and for all of my service I have basically been armed with variations of sticks. Low tech, cheap, no batteries required. NB Matt, we normally referred to them as 'staffs' rather than 'truncheons' but that might just have been where I worked. Really interesting video - thank you.

[@Simon_Nonymous]

@chinto kata indeed - it was a comment on our quaint English terminology.

[@johnladuke6475]

Interesting how the same thing is named a little differently due to slang, attitudes, and cultural optics. North American police types tend to refer to them as batons. All words that sound a little tougher and more high-tech than "stick" but still try to shy away from sounding like a weapon.

[@Simon_Nonymous]

@@johnladuke6475 indeed, terminology in UK Forces is now 'baton' which arrived with the first side handled batons (from the USA!) - over 25 years ago now I think.

[@Ireallymissmymind]

I retired from the police over 20 years ago and still have two of the sticks I was issued - a beautifully weighted lignum vitae staff, made around 1920 and found by me in the bottom of a box in the stores in 1975 and a greenheart signalling stick with a massive steel ferrule, known to the ne'er-do-wells of the parish back in the day as a 'kneecapper'. I was under the impression that we got the term 'staff' from the tipstaff carried by the original constables as a symbol of authority - hence also the crossed tipstaves badge of rank for chief officers.

[@Simon_Nonymous]

@@Ireallymissmymind that was informative re the term 'staff' - thank you! Keep enjoying the retirement 🙂

[@r669charger7]

"There's nothing like a good piece of Hickory" - Clint Eastwood, Pale Rider, 1985.

[@jamesdeek7039]

I backpack around Europe when I can. A thick stick with an iron or copper cap is usually able to be carried everywhere. It's for walking but it's thick enough to bash you good and proper.

[@gerryjamesedwards1227]

I have to use a walking stick, and while it's been about ten years since I was regularly out and about, there were a couple of times in North London when looking like I know how to hit with a stick has encouraged ne'er-do-wells to seek another crip to pick on.

[@Simon_Nonymous]

aye, the traditional one that was one piece of wood with a bent over handle is a thwackingly good piece of kit. It's a shin smasher alright.

[@kmarchery]

I don't need one but carry one anyways . I've let a few know I don't need it and flashed the metal end at a few drivers forgetting pedestrians have right of way .

[@PerryMarshallScott]

@@kmarchery : Agree. I carry one, horizontally, which suggests I have other reasons rather than needing one as a walking aid. A well placed downward strike on a clavicle can be useful. They break easily.

[@CaneFu]

My main home defense weapons are 22 inch long wood billy clubs and I have at least 1 or more in every room of my house. They are instantly available wherever I am and are just as effective as a gun in close quarters combat. They can be lethal or non-lethal, just depends on how hard I swing and whether I hit the head or another body-part. The problem with relying on a gun for home defense is that you may not be anywhere near it when someone breaks into your home, but my sticks are stashed literally everywhere in my house so I am never more than arm's reach from a formidable weapon. I also have several small buckler shields hanging on the walls to pair with my billy clubs. Any home invader breaking into my house is going to be facing Spartacus.

[@victorwaddell6530]

I was in the US Navy for ten years . The first weapon given to a new seaman is a nightstick / baton . After becoming a Petty Officer I was trained and carried firearms on my first ship . I then attended the US Air Force Academy and served two years on shore duty as an MP in Japan . I was trained and qualified with the Monadnock PR 24 side handle baton . The PR was our sidearm . We carried 12 gauge shotguns as our main weapon . During my time in Japan was trained in riot control with longer sticks , a helmet , and plexiglass shield .

[@fiendishrabbit8259]

A stick is really great in any situation where your opponent isn't wearing an effective helmet. Aztecs, polynesians and melanesians often added "sharp bits" to some of their weapons, but they frequently didn't. Because a wooden stick can be easily replaced and, if you have access to incredibly tough wood like most polynesian warriors did, it's less likely to break.

[@Steve_Coates]

Helmet or not even without "sharp bits" a staff thrust to a major muscle can temporarily disable a limb, abdomen or lower back is disabling and throat or solar plexus can kill. I've had some unpleasant moments and nasty bruises sparring in full protective gear.

[@kamaeq]

No matter how great your head protection, it doesn't prevent your brain from sloshing around inside your skull which causes disorientation, concussion and permanent damage.

[@louisvictor3473]

@@kamaeq It sure will be permanent damage when the other guy uses the disorientation or concussion to shiv you at the gaps of your armor, and make you not alive anymore.

[@kamaeq]

@@louisvictor3473 Yeah, that is another way to work it.

[@myriad2878]

If Shad from Shadiversity is standing behind the camera threatening you with a stick, blink twice!

[@indrannjeganathan3268]

😂

[@jeffdoeskungfu]

Wonderful video. What comes to mind is the old Chinese weapon manual Jian Jing or Sword Treasise. The author authored a work titled for swords, but its contents pertained to staff movements and strategies - the point being that it’s beneficial to learn the staff first and then apply the learnings to sword fighting. Falls right in line with your words on sticks as training tools.

[@TemenosL]

One tiny, itty bitty caveat I would add, (which I know you know! Just for clarity) is just of course that clubs and batons and the sort are essentially 'less lethal'. A term that I think has found a lot of popularity in the US recently, just as it acknowledges that even instruments like that can kill if misused or, frankly, if the receiver is unlucky. It reminds me of how in classic Warband you could use blunt weapons to knock enemies unconscious so that you can potentially sell them as prisoners, when obviously in reality a fair amount of those people would have various debilitating injuries, sometimes permanent, due to the head trauma and certainly some might be killed too.

[@markfergerson2145]

Excellent point. If you're a footsoldier on a Medieval battlefield and have the opportunity to take a knight down, you're going to want to keep him alive for ransom.

[@josephnebeker7976]

Missused? Or used properly.

[@stephena1196]

@Socucius Ergalla yes, the Lamb Method focuses on striking knees and collar bones.

[@OriginalWarwood]

I mean, the stick is the basis for just about all non-chemical reaction based weapon. Spear - long stick with pointy bit Mace - stick with heavy end, maybe all metal Hammer - stick with even specificly shaped heavy end Sword - stick inspired sharp thin metal thing Polearm - longer stick w/ more stuff on one end Pike - really long stick with pointy end Javelin - light stick with pointy end Arrow - small stick with pointy end

[@mrkiky]

A few that aren't stick based: ninja stars, chakram, cestus, bagh nakh, sling/slingshot, meteor hammer, whip, prison sock, bolas. And tasers and stun guns if you don't consider the chemicals in the battery.

[@OriginalWarwood]

@@mrkiky I did say most. Metal fist things, fancy rocks, and ropes/whips (soft stick) aside. However, I do believe the bagh nakh was often poisoned (chemical) if users wanted it to be any be more than a defensive tool Though: Prison Sock - soft nitted plant matter/petrol based material that wishes it were stick Shuriken - tiny sharp flat metal stick that made people more mad than at risk of death (unless poisoned). Yes, yes, yes, this is fairly joke-ish. Still, the stick is the basis for many weapons. I mean, someone could just as easily say that anything stick based that is shaped and thrown is just a higher tech rock.

[@dacedebeer2697]

Whips are just flexible sticks

[@mrkiky]

@@dacedebeer2697 Yes everything can be a stick. But in all seriousness though, a stick is something with more length than thickness that you swing, poke with or throw at something. So by that logic, whips, bows, guns, more compact throwing objects are not sticks or variation of sticks.

[@theeddorian]

The choice of wood can be very meaningful as well. While a stick is generally considered more fragile, and Hollywood bar room brawl scenes show chairs being broken over combatants, that is or can be a serious mistake. The bar room brawl scenes required specially weakened "furnitiure" because the real stuff could seriously injure or kill before breaking. For just simple sticks, the wood, especially a dense tough wood doesn't have to be a massive piece of wood. In fact, when you look through FBI statistics in the US, more people are killed using improvised clubs than die through the use of long guns (rifles and shotguns of all types). In fact that is true individually for both physical attacks (hands and feet), and automobiles employed as separate classes weapon. The "fire arm" of choice is the pistol, and all other kinds of non-fire arm rank ahead of long guns, even sticks.

[@dikkie1000]

Wood is surprisingly durable, i've seen pictures of the damage after a hurricane where a wooden telephone pole hit a concrete wall and punched a hole trough it. Give the club a bit of a point and use if for stabbing, then you're working with a lot of mass in the direction of the movement as well, so it will cause a lot of damage.

[@AnotherDuck]

Almost any object that hits a character (or the other way around) in a Hollywood production is going to be far more breakable than the real thing. See also bottles, windows, doors (except the one Jack Nicholson broke down in The Shining), ceramic toilets and sinks, concrete walls, baseball bats, cars, gas stations, and the list goes on.

[@jackrice2770]

@@AnotherDuck Glad you mentioned this. You see bottles broken over heads ALL THE TIME! In fact, pretty much any bottle will NOT break, but instead deliver a lethal head injury. I wonder how many people have been killed this way by some bozo who didn't think they were going to kill the guy...say hello to a manslaughter charge, Boy!

[@TimRHillard]

I can say from experience, chairs don’t necessarily break when someone helps you to fall on one…

[@b.h.abbott-motley2427]

Garcilaso de la Vega's account of the Hernando de Soto's expedition includes an example of some Native warriors opting to carry staves (6-9ft fragments of pikes) instead of the bows they more commonly wielded. They delivered many very effective blows to Spanish soldiers in this encounter, including a case when two faced a single Spaniard with sword & shield. A staff blow from the first broke the shield while a strike from the second to the shoulders knocked the targetier to the ground. After the Spanish side triumphed, they laughed because such mighty strokes had been dealt with sticks. The conflict left many Spaniards injured but no more than four dead. In this case, de la Vega presented the use of simple staves to strike as inferior to bows yet surprisingly potent. Presumably many of the Spanish soldiers had various forms of defense equipment, from wooden shields to full steel harness, as appear elsewhere in the text, making simple staves unlikely to kill.

[@Intranetusa]

I'm assuming the Spanish had an orderly retreat in this situation. Since most deaths in a pre-battle usually comes during the rout, if the Spanish had routed and been chased down, there would likely have been significantly more deaths - staves or not.

[@MrBottlecapBill]

@f0oli1o0s It wasn't just Indians. People..........on both sides were massacred. Remember the plains tribes actually defeated the Spanish. They didn't do it through peaceful protests. They did it through killing. A lot of killing!

[@Intranetusa]

​@f0oli1o0s That is the misleading elementary school version of what happened. Cortes's 500 starting troops had reinforcements from 2,000 Spanish troops later, plus help from another ~200,000 MesoAmerican allies who hated the Aztecs, plus the help of small pox that killed off huge swaths of the Aztec population. So it was more like 2,500 Spanish troops + 200,000 allied MesoAmerican troops VS 300,000 Aztec and Aztec allied troops, and small pox ravaging everybody except the Spanish. Edit: Same thing with Pizzaro, who had help from tens of thousands of allied MesoAmerican troops who hated the Incas. And they had help from Eurasian diseases such as small pox and typhus that killed 3/4 of the population of the Inca Empire.

[@Intranetusa]

​ @f0oli1o0s That is the misleading elementary school version of what happened. Cortes's 500 starting troops had reinforcements from 2,000 Spanish troops later, plus help from another ~200,000 MesoAmerican allies who hated the Aztecs, plus the help of small pox that killed off huge swaths of the Aztec population. So it was more like 2,500 Spanish troops + 200,000 allied MesoAmerican troops VS 300,000 Aztec and Aztec allied troops, and small pox ravaging everybody except the Spanish. Edit: Same thing with Pizzaro, who had help from tens of thousands of allied MesoAmerican troops who hated the Incas. And they had help from Eurasian diseases such as small pox and typhus that killed 3/4 of the population of the Inca Empire.

[@b.h.abbott-motley2427]

@@Intranetusa The Spanish won the encounter, as described by de la Vega. I didn't notice any numbers given, but it probably wasn't that many people involved all together & seems to have been partially or mostly in loose formation. Spanish cavalry proved key, as it often did.

[@rikertvonfulton16]

My children participated in a martial art called hapkido. One of the weapons they practiced was the cane. Waist tall with a hook like a shepherds hook. That is a vicious weapon in trained hands. Especially the hook portion. These sticks should not be considered non lethal however. A brain bleed is a lethal injury.

[@Lurklen]

A thing that works is good. A thing that works more effectively is better. A thing that doesn't work as well is worse, but not bad. A thing that doesn't work is bad. This to me seems the major difference in terms between Shad's video, and Matt's. Something that does it's job as a weapon cannot be called bad, depending on the context, it can be called worse though.

[@mikelazure7462]

I used to collect walking sticks here in Australia. A few of them were made from hardwood ROOT STOCK and if the root is old enough they are heavy, dense, remarkably tough and have just enough flex to reduce hand jarring when you hit something unyielding. Root balls also make a fantastic, bulbous 'grip/handle' which doubles as a terrific 'mace' head if needed. Nobody noticed me walking around with a stick but I felt significantly safer in some situations.

[@johnflais3776]

Do you still have them (or pictures/videos)? Any idea what they were made from and when the were made? I've been trying to find out more about traditional Australian walking sticks, but haven't been very successful. All I managed to come up with were a fiew pieces sold at auctions, if the wood was listed, it was usually "Blackwood" (could be any type of Australian Acacia though as far as I can tell). In either case, the Australian Acacias contain some of the hardest woods in the world.

[@mikelazure7462]

@@johnflais3776 Sorry John, like I said "used to". Gave most of them away to someone who had the space to display them. The only one which had a wood name burned into it had "blackwood", so that adds nothing to your research. A lot of them were purchased on the NSW south coast, at small markets, often in areas where the locals would describe "the hippies come down from the hills and sell shit at the markets" kinda vibe. :) While the wood in some of them seemed well aged the actual sticks seemed relatively recently made, which was 25 to thirty years back. To even things out I had a fox headed walking stick from the UK which had a whisky (Gin?) flask hidden under the fox head. :) That also worked pretty well.

[@mistahanansi2264]

Great points, Matt! I’m glad you never let any possible biases get in the way of logic.

[@Tennouseijin]

It's worth noting that pointed sticks with no metal heads were extensively used... in field fortifications. Even if your entire army has steel armor and steel weapons, you might still want to just have a bunch of pointed sticks stuck in the ground at an angle, to hold cavalry at bay, and it can also slow down advancing infantry. That's one case where being cheap and easy to make en masse, when needed, was the determining factor. Trou de loup, and punji are other classic examples of sticks being effectively used as cheap yet effective traps, even into modern age.

[@rodchallis8031]

In Canada, we've had weapons manufacturers like CCM, Sherwood, Bauer, Koho and a few others.

[@johnladuke6475]

You get yourself a like but that joke is a five minute misconduct.

[@Immopimmo]

I've always thought that a hockey club would make a cool weapon. Just remove the bend in the blade and make it out of metal. :D

[@rodchallis8031]

@@Immopimmo , When I was a kid, I took what we called a "stub", a stick where the blade had broken off, and whittled a point on it with a small pen knife, complete with imitation scallops as if it was knapped flint. It was surprisingly sharp.

[@teemusid]

@@Immopimmo The blade of a hockey stick can be used to upend your opponent. I did that to stop an inevitable breakaway. My team killed the penalty, so I felt vindicated.

[@nonna_sof5889]

If you move away from hand-to-hand, sharpened sticks are useful for a number of quick defenses and traps. Put some large ones in a line at 45 deg and cavalry will think twice about charging through them. A few pointing up in a pit covered by sticks and leaves and some unfortunate soldier is going to lose their foot.

[@El-Burrito]

@Garren Brooks Ever since I learnt about punji sticks I've been worried about them

[@eliane2743]

The unexpected encounter with dogs during a walk also is a situation where a good stick is useful… useful for explaining the dogs that two legs and two hands have precedence over four legs and a mouth when it come to determining who rules.

[@seanwalker6460]

Get Tough by W E Fairburn has a great page on how to hold a stick and strike an opponent. (not the way you would expect) He used his short stick when in the Shanghai police very effectively before WW2

[@bremnersghost948]

As an example of what can be achieved by Wooden Weapons in an Extreme but Non Lethal Situation is the HMP Peterhead Riot in 1987, Resolved by the SAS using Pick Handles in just over 6 minutes. SAS probably resolved it in 2 mins but stopped for a Tea Break before calling the All Clear ;-)

[@glenmo1]

I recently picked up a large diameter heavy wood cane cooked top cane from a store called tractor supply. I went to the pharmacy and picked up a rubber tip for it... It makes a fine self-defense weapon and can also help me walk over uneven ground... Greatest thing is it's 100% legal.. and it can be used for jabbing striking and the crooked top hook can be used to grab an opponent's leg and pull it out from under him

[@axebearer]

They're also a fine alternative to a shield, when not facing projectile weapons. And let's not forget that famously, Miyamoto Musashi was an avid stick enjoyer, and won many duels using a stick rather than a sword.

[@fabiovarra3698]

He used a stick (one time an oar) to insult his opponent and make him loose temeper in the duel.

[@andrewlau6466]

@@fabiovarra3698 the story I read was he shaped an oar into a weapon to outrange his opponent.

[@fabiovarra3698]

@@andrewlau6466 yes beacause his oppentes used a very long sword, but is also true that Musashi easly won that duel because how angered his opponents was (he also arrived late at the duel on purpouse to furter enrage him)

[@Likexner]

@@fabiovarra3698 "he also arrived late at the duel on purpouse to furter enrage him" i would have expected him to lose by default because of arriving late.

[@axebearer]

@@Likexner Not a lot of honour to be won in rules lawyering a duel.

[@FuriouslySleepingIde]

Miyamoto Musashi won one of his most famous duels with a stick. His opponent was known for using a long katana, and they were dueling on a sandbar. Instead of using a sword, he brought a long stick (possibly an oar with the blade broken off). He was able to bash his opponent's head in using the longer reach and greater mass. Not so different that the points in the video, but an interesting story.

[@carlodonzella]

actually I think Musashi used the katana and it was its opponent Gennosuke that defeated him with a stick, after 20 years spent in developing what is today know as Jodo: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jōdō

[@nogmeerjan]

An advantage of a stick is that the wielder of the weapon can hardly harm himself -and others- by accident. If you add untrained people to your "army" I would see that as a huge advantage.

[@Cleanpea]

That is an excellent point: I have hit myself in certain ways, in club-training (simulating saber), that would have taken pieces of my body clean off, but with the club I am simply embarrassed.

[@louisvictor3473]

I would say considerably less likely to cause serious injury by not too criminally high negligent use, or a casual glancing blow. You can get into some nasty accidents with those things if you're not careful.

[@KlausBeckEwerhardy]

That hasn't been really new to me - except the wooden rapier - but it is very nicely and entertainingly presented. Thanks.

[@scottmacgregor3444]

My ribs hurt just thinking about being thrust with a wooden rapier

[@oxvendivil442]

During the Ming Dynasty in southern China, militias were armed with pointy bamboo stick/staff with their flexible prickly stems/twigs intact at whose ends tiny sharp metal blades/points were glued/tied/attached as a very effective and cheap anti Japanese pirate lightly armored/unarmored swordsman weapon, katanas and tachis had trouble cutting the flexible twigs and can't get close because of the sharp stems/blades to the point that the swordsman gets pinned down/eliminated by 2 or more unskilled militiamen.

[@1johnnygunn]

We have a tree called Hop Hornbeam, if used as a club it is very unlikely to break.

[@tandemcharge5114]

If I remember correctly, there's a fighting style in the Philippines that specifically revolves around stick fighting and improvised weapons called Arnis. Might be a good read on if people are interested

[@gregorynield4762]

It is the Philippines national sport.

[@thevolgadon]

Going along with reasons #1 and #2, you've got the wooden swords used by Cretans in the 19th and 20th centuries uprisings (among other things). These have Byzantine and other medieval analogs. Basically, a hardwood weapon shaped like a sword with a sharpened edge.

[@sawyere2496]

Bonk(???)

[@jamesv.7041]

Hey Matt! Not sure if this has been mentioned in the comments but what kept coming to mind when you were speaking was the Roman lictor. Yes, this may fall under crowd control, which the lictor, most definitely were, but they also doubled as a sort of personal guard, retinue, and/or bodyguard for some similar but perhaps slightly different terms. This is meant to show the capacity of the stick, or perhaps elaborate on your point, not to be pretentious. Thank you for your hard and perspicacious work; please keep it up, good sir!

[@kevinsullivan3448]

The ending pun was awesome. It made up for the lack of shaft or penetration double entendre.

[@ShepherdsSheepdog]

A couple of months ago, I was shopping for replacement bo and jo. Hickory was very difficult to source at a reasonable price. Many retailers were offering ash - which is marginally ok, but not what I needed.

[@wompa70]

Your "How to hit someone with a stick" videos are some of my favorites.

[@hatuletoh]

Sticks are great weapons. Keeps you at a distance from an attacker, allows you to modulate and precisely direct the application of force, and are easy to use even when the adrenaline kicks in. And in modern times, a jury is much less likely to convict the wielder of a stick as compared to the users of bladed weapons.

[@brianvannorman1465]

Cold Steel's "Walk About". I am very fond of mine. Doesn't swell in humid weather. Has kept me upright on very slippery trails here in San Diego.

[@amirhosseinmaghsoodi388]

I hadn't thought about the training application. Very interesting point.

[@alasdairmackintosh]

The Irish Shillelagh also called a kebbie in parts of Scotland, is a formidable wooden weapon. They would make them as walking implements or as shorter cudgels. The thing that made them more valuable than a stick picked off the ground is that a shillelagh was usually seasoned in a bog, taken out after some time its covered in lard or whiskey butter and smoked over a fire or in the chimney of a house to harden it. The resulting finish left it glossy black. Celtic peoples used these kinds of weapons when the British occupations of the time forbade the carrying of traditional weapons. In Ireland they commonly carved a hole in the bulbous end and filled it with molten lead, then they covered the hole back up. That'd be a nasty surprise for a mugger in the street in those times. The cudgel shaped ones often looked like a type of fighting mallet. Usually made by cutting the tree where the smaller branch meets its larger limb. They can be a flat striking surface or sharpened into a conical shape

[@saanon9334]

I might be wrong but I remember some source that described Bishops and other assorted Catholic types using wooden clubs to skirt the shedding of blood rules. I also vaguely remember an invincible man being beaten to death with a club because he couldn't be cut with a sword or pierced with arrows.

[@Simon_Nonymous]

your first point is correct - eg in the Bayeux tapestry Bishop Odo is seen to carry a mace. This thing lived on into Dungeons and Dragons if you were a Cleric.

[@TheRealCHIMShady]

@@Simon_Nonymous honestly biggest aesthetic mistake of never role playing games and D&D editions is getting rid of the blunt weapon requirement for clerics

[@ProfessorShnacktime]

@@TheRealCHIMShady Not a requirement anymore, true. But I think clerics still only start with the ability to use “simple weapons” and their starting equipment is between a mace and a staff maybe? It’s been a while since I’ve looked.

[@ViktorBengtsson]

@@ProfessorShnacktime I just checked. Mace or Warhammer (if proficient) and then a light crossbow with bolts or any simple weapon.

[@jy3n2]

I remember reading somewhere that it wasn't to avoid bloodshed, but rather that "priest who was on the battlefield for purely morale reasons and defended himself with his rod of office" is much better optics than "priest who showed up to a fight with a dedicated weapon".

[@KartarNighthawk]

What type of hardwood you have access to will really matter for the efficacy of sticks or wooded clubs. In Africa, African blackwood and Gabon ebony are the top choices in the making of clubs, and in places where they're readily available are a major reason you don't see more complex maces. Both woods are sufficiently dense and hard that you can blunt an industrial saw on them, and used as a club they''ll deal out some very heavy blows, even against someone in armour. Despite not having a stone or metal head, Ghanaian ebony clubs are sometimes referred to as ebony maces in Arabic sources because they get used in the same role, and used effectively.

[@shinjofox]

You could do a video on the various cultural variation of the stick. Gunstock clubs. Okinawan Eku, Maori clubs etc, etc ....

[@boringusername792]

A good quarterstaff has good range and damage. Also very good for parying and self defense.

[@b.h.abbott-motley2427]

Staves actually saw military use in Ming China, according to the Great Ming Military blog. They did sometimes have a sharp point added, but not always.

[@57WillysCJ]

I bought the book The Walking Stick Method of Self Defense by an officer of the Indian Police written in the early 1920s. Very informative.

[@johnladuke6475]

One variation on the stick and its uses that was not covered here is that a rolling pin is essentially a stick, and is a common way to test the efficacy of armour.

[@themittonmethod1243]

particularly the old-style ones that were not a roller on a shaft, but simply a rounded length of wood!

[@Roaminfool1]

Some examples of sticks that are easily converted to ranged weapons and back again are an atlatl throwing stick (thicker ones) which can double as an "escrima" stick, a walking stick of any size can be easily converted to a staff sling by attaching a shepherds sling to the end. A caber can also be tossed into a phalanx or tight formation to break up the formation (not just for crossing motes or scaling wooden ramparts). Sharpened stakes can be buried in holes in the ground for traps to disrupt the advance of units in formation and to disrupt cavalry charges as well as to form barricades. Sharpened sticks can also be attached to branches and trees with stored kinetic energy for booby traps in forested regions. Modern rifle "clubbing" techniques have drawn inspiration from tiaha and similar staff techniques both with and without bayonet attached.

[@LightningfistCal]

That "Thanks for sticking with me" joke at the end made me laugh way harder than it should have. XD

[@jonwashburn7999]

Somewhere in Australia, Shad is smiling.

[@therealzilch]

Very informative, subscribed. You did mention the use of a stick as a walking stick, but this cannot be overemphasized. As others have said already, having a walking stick or two has many uses, besides improving effeciency (=range) when hiking. They can be lifesavers, even without poking or clubbing something. cheers from sunny Vienna, Scott

[@fallonfireblade4404]

It's awesome how this is turning into a saga between 3 youtubers (Shad, Skallagrim, and Matt) arguing over the degree of how cool sticks are

[@kevinstachovak8842]

Had a length of ash pole around 18" in length that was left over from a spear I had constructed...perfect close range weapon!. Carved a grip into it, and at close quarters, I'd rather have it in my fist than a handgun easily. It's length/density/weight is perfect for breaking bone like peanut brittle, and it's probably dense enough to parry sword strokes. Gonna make a matching one for my off-hand. I always preferred short swords, so it's perfect

[@05carsm]

Great video, thanks for sharing

[@TheGelatinousSnake]

For the memes alone.. I need every weapon enthusiast channel to be in compilation video… all must praise the stick

[@dialectiks]

Missed the chance to name the video "Why we stick to sticks"

[@jonc.8074]

Going back to less lethality, that is also something you may want on the battlefield. If your goal is to capture the enemy for ransom using a club instead of a mace increases your chances of incapacitating your foe but not killing him. I think that is why so many medieval knights are depicted with a club even though they can afford a more lethal option.

[@MLarios97]

Nah knights were just smart. A bludgeoning weapon can kill both armored and unarmored opponents, while a cutting/piercing weapon is mostly useless against armored ones. Yes you can go for gaps in the armor, but is that really what you wanna focus on while fighting for your life? Id rather have something that can do serious damage regardless of where I hit, and knights did too.

[@jonc.8074]

@@MLarios97 I'm not implying that bludgeoning can't be lethal. I meant that a wooden stave is a better choice than a mace, polaexe, hammer, etc. if the goal is to knock the opponent senseless but not kill them.

[@lunar2328]

Longsword is my passion, but I've been stick fighting for close to 20 years, now. I always tell my students that while you won't ever have your longsword to defend yourself, broom handles, pool cues, and the like will do wonders in a pinch lol

[@RexApplegate]

I own an 1877 colt DA revolver. In that era, when 5 shots right now was available, and these new fangled cartridges were so quick and easy, the big heavy steel grip frame was clearly designed to be able to use to strike someone when run dry. Semi autos are also 400 to 6,000 dollar brass knuckles when pressed into use, but they aren't engineered this way like guns used to be. I hypothesize but do not pretend to be certain that WW1 probably represents the tail end of that era of thinking.

[@vigunfighter]

Whenever I travel by air, a Cold Steel City Stick. TSA doesn't give it a second look. It has the added benefit of allowing me to board first, as a person 'requiring extra time to board'. (it doesn't hurt that I'm 63 and have arthritis) Between my training as an Instructor Trainer in the Monadnock style of straight baton, and dabbling in Escrima/Kali, the City Stick is a pretty serious weapon

[@chrisball3778]

When you're 5 years old, obsessed with knights and your parents won't buy you a real sword, a stick is an absolutely phenomenal weapon for vanquishing everything from enemy soldiers to marauding dragons. You can even fight off your brother with it, at least until someone gets hit on the knuckles and starts crying.

[@johnladuke6475]

Just hope you vanquish the knuckles, which heal, before the fancy heirloom vase, which does not. Also I wasn't here because I was in the other room being good but I saw him and I said don't do that mom will get mad but he didn't stop and I saw him break it I swear.

[@johnharvey5412]

I don't like how much you know about my childhood, Chris. 🤔

[@LetholdusKaspyr]

A good stick is a perfectly viable weapon in any context where the enemy isn't fully armored. Step 1: Apply wood vigorously to unarmored flesh. Step 2: Repeat.

[@mightyone3737]

I more or less stumbled awkwardly into the potential of sticks when I was thinking of a few specific things, namely; extremely strong users, situational appropriateness and the Rule of the Baseball Bat. User strength matters because it's pretty hard to break a good stick if you're hitting a person or their weapon, a truly strong user might find a sword will fail, hence the tail of Beowulf (and Musashi?) I suppose. Situationally, sticks are super-available, and people have used them in various iteration for thousands of years, a mace is just a very good metal stick for example, and a morningstar is a stick with pointy bits. Rule of the Baseball Bat is that weapons should be able to compete well with a baseball bat. Depressingly, most weapons don't actually fair that well vs a bat, and even many shields would have probably fairly poorly vs a heavy strike, such that you couldn't really form a good shieldwall vs strong men wielding two-handed sticks. Bows will obviously help, so it's not perfect, but vs actual weapons, a two-handed stick is a shockingly relevant weapon. An edge is nice, but vs any kind of protection the edge will be negligible in value, and the weight/heft of the weapon will be such that the stick isn't much, if any, worse. Hammers/maces have some advantages for sure vs a stick, but tend to be either slower in combat or more fragile. It's worth noting that a spear is usually able to beat the Baseball Bat Test, you can reliably stab the club user before they can strike you, and in groups this is worse for the club users. Swords don't always pass it, they tend to be flimsy parrying a hefty stick, and maces tend to either be slower or relatively fragile, it's much harder to make a 'hand and a half mace' vs a club. Clubs suffer a lot when used in 1 hand, arguably they cease to be lethal weapons. Two-handed strikes can easily be lethal, single handed strikes will almost never find a way to be lethal, even with multiple strikes, very strong users aside I suppose. A two-handed club vs a shield is very hard on the shield user and not very hard on the club user in comparison, but you can't really use a shield with a two-handed club, and it's only so-so at parrying, being somewhat awkward, even if less awkward than a mace of similar reach. A peculiar advantage of sticks of course is that your stick can have a shape according to the piece of wood, which can be more or less beneficial. Most pieces of wood aren't especially conducive to being a stick, but some pieces are especially good, and that is worth noting. You can also put spikes in a stick, and it's still more or less a stick arguably, it's just a spiked version of it.

[@glenmo1]

The Irish used to have sheleighly switch was a short club.. it was banned so the Irish made a longer version of the blackthorn cane walking stick and walking sticks were necessary especially if someone injured her ankle or needed support while walking so it couldn't be banned....

[@PlymouthT20]

Born and raised on a livestock farm on Dartmoor (300 cattle and 600 sheep) we all had a Hazel stick at least as that could fit under our jaw. That was for personal protection against cattle.

[@mugensamurai]

I came here to look at sticks but left with a thoughtful history lesson on how sticks were useful.

[@ol-Sarge]

I have made a temporary spear out of a wooden hiking staff in which I whittled the end down the stick so that a bayonet for an M-16/AR-15 will mount over the end of the staff and then lashed the grip to to the stick.

[@rondorigosamashita6970]

I was taught that Gonnosuke (inventor of the Jo) in his second duel with Miyamoto Musashi, Muso Gonnosuke, now armed with the jo, defeated Musashi through the use of the superior length of the jo

[@YouTubalcaine]

If you've ever seen the aftermath of a tornado you know how deadly a humble stick can be. The spear-thrower and sling were designed on this natural principle that a projectile can trump armor if it's moving fast enough. At first we only needed to overcome the thick hides and bones of beasts and men, but even a depleted uranium round which can pierce 57cm+ of tank steel is nothing more than an evolution of that ancient exploit. One might even argue that the human mind is the greatest force-multiplying weapon of them all. Well, for some folks, perhaps. The rest are probably better off with sticks.

[@SpacePatrollerLaser]

If you lived in a wooded area in southern New England. You could make one of the nastiest weapons in the world right on the spot Take a 1" diameter stick about 3 ft long, which were quite plentiful. Find and cut some green briar, maybe about 6 ft of it (Your knife was usualy 3 to 4 in long so it was awfuly close quqrters. Wrap the brier, quite flexible and with very showy thorns, around the leading 30" of that stick Just looking at the business end of it gives you the willies. Neither I nor mine every had to actually swing it. A variant of that was one that was about 40" with the tip sharpened and fire-hardened and all but 8' at the back end for a two-hand grip and 3" at the pointy end wrapped in briar, Green briar was more flexible but brown briar had longer "prickers" Our stuff made what the city kids, with their switfchies, garrison belts and potato-and-razor blades kit look like baby toys

[@vectorz2677]

One aspect not explicitly mentioned is the case of where a stick is carried anyway, primarily as a tool, e.g. hiking stick (it saves energy), shepherds staff, boating stick (or oar) and could be used for fighting if needed. Another point to consider, which is related to lethality, is social appropriateness of carrying a lethal weapon (even if allowed, e.g. on a friendly visit) and deescalation in some situation - stick sends a different message than a sword, so it makes a big difference e.g. for law enforcement or security.

[@brittakriep2938]

I am Brittas boyfriend, german , am 56 now. In 70s/80s it was in my region common that rural people had a number of relative thin sticks called ,Stecken' , mostly hazelnut or blackthorn, next to backyard door. This sticks could be used for different things, for example charging back an escaped hen, as improvised cane, but also as auxillary/ emergency weapon. Because this sticks had been light they worked with a whip efect, not by breaking a bone.

[@libertyprime6932]

You're the man, Matt. King of Hema!

[@johncrouch8988]

I wouldn’t go anywhere without my walking stick! It’s needed for movement and balance but it’s also saved me in a few dodgy situations too!👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@Omegaroth666]

You, Skall, and Shad should do a podcast together. You call it "Weapon Masters".

[@scottmacgregor3444]

I know Skallagram would complain about being called "master." And I certainly would complain about Shadiversity being called master. Matt at least has the pedigree of running a school for years.

[@Omegaroth666]

@@scottmacgregor3444 Well, weapon enthusiasts doesn't have as much kick.

[@hilliard665]

It's in line with training, but playing. Me and my younger brother used to always play swords and our swords were the best sticks we found around the yard, we would keep the good sticks for a long time until they would break or get thrown out by dad cleaning the yard lol

[@RobertFisher1969]

“Pointed stick? Fresh fruit not good enough for you, eh?”

[@reaperwithnoname]

That ending was glorious.

[@MRKapcer13]

You really stick it to the man!

[@ronmaximilian6953]

In the autumn of 2000, I injured my Achilles tendon and had to use a cane for a few months. I felt that using it made me stand out as a potential victim. At the same time, I gave a lot of thought into how to use it as a self-defense tool and looked at videos of them being used as such. Likewise, there are plenty of umbrellas that can be used to effectively as clubs or sticks. Aside from ones wits, these are the best self-defense tools that a person can have in many urban environments.

[@vksasdgaming9472]

There is caveat of visibility.

[@TemenosL]

Clubs and sticks! Perhaps some of the oldest weapons ever 'invented'. Always amazed me how you still see rudimentary clubs in medieval art!

[@Mr_S8an]

never underestimate the need to Bonk.

[@markfergerson2145]

Hell, chimpanzees "invented" sticks as weapons.

[@sawyere2496]

They were really popular for judicial duels and whatnot

[@stephena1196]

@@markfergerson2145 the shoulder shape tracks changes in early human behaviour such as bipedalism, reduced climbing and increased tool use. It seems as human shoulders evolved so did stick technology. I think stick use must have influenced how our shoulder joint evolved. Humans are much better at throwing things than other primates, because of shoulder shape, that must have been an evolutionary advantage.

[@markfergerson2145]

@@stephena1196 You are correct that our shoulder shape is well adapted to throwing but throwing things has little to do with using a stick as a club. As I said, chimps have that down pat. Also, both chimps and monkeys are seen to throw things accurately though not as far or as humans. Hence clearly the adaptation started some time before we split off from chimpanzees.

[@leonpeters-malone3054]

Great points. I wish more people got the idea that training isn't to get injured. Bruises and injuries are bad for training. Especially ones that means you can't train. The point of training is to learn, practise and get better. I'd also point out that there's another things about sticks which seem to be forgotten here. Well, maybe two. Sticks are everywhere and make for great pick up, impromptu practise sessions. Need to burn some time, it's there, right there. Especially if we're talking a forest or woods. You find something that works, right shape, it's right there. My other point is.... well, bling. Some of the walking sticks I've seen have been really ornate. They've been beautiful works of art. Swords, knives and the like, have been made very ornate too. However, they're a bit harder to walk around with. On the other hand a nice walking stick, good for the looks and if required, good for the hitting.

[@MonkeyJedi99]

On the topic of sticks and bows, you can look at the field-tip arrow as a modern, more durable sharpened stick for archery training.

[@storyscholar]

Now I feel like this video exists partially for the puns XD As usual a very concise, context driven video. One of my main characters uses a stick so these are always helpful to me:)

[@joanignasi91]

The stick hits hard, but not as hard as the innuendo in this video.

[@MrRodrigomarcola]

I NOT EVEN SEEN THE VIDEO AND A ALREADY LIKE IT....

[@martinbreidenbach398]

Sticks ? Now where do I get a stick ? I mean...they don't grow on trees....oh wait...

[@ajmaloleary3553]

Worth watching just for the end!

[@billbrockman779]

I invariably use a stout walking stick in the woods or walking the dog. By far the most likely use I would have for it will be for defense against an aggressive dog, or perhaps coyote. He can bite the stick all he wants compared to my hand or leg.

[@trextraining7116]

Three things come to mind here: One, punji sticks are a type of passive stick weapon. Two, I believe some Germanic tribes used wooden weapons shaped like large cleavers and fire-hardened for night raiding, because they didn't clatter like metal weapons. Third, some Polynesian tribes used paddles for their Outriggers that doubled as weapons. These had sharper edges and heavy points.

[@beowulfshaeffer8444]

Also, in WWII some of the lower brass (especially NCOs) extolled the virtues of bayonets. They held that the only reason so few in the field hospitals had stab wounds was that few who were stabbed by a bayonet survived long enough to receive medical attention.

[@neemancallender9092]

In Aikedo we practiced Bo against Boken, stick against sword but wood against wood

[@shashkapursuit4440]

Aye. I was thinking about to make a video on my own about effectivenes of weapons and my thoughts on the perception of fighting in general. Very happy you mentioned the point of non leathal use. I think alot of people talking about the " effectiveness" of weapons some how have the overall perception of a" one shot one kill" thing. Where as, a weapon in my opinion, is a Tool that provides you with two main enhancements of the human fight abilitys. First, the distance, and second the time in which an Action happens. This can be enhanced with more developed weapons. But in general, in regards to a Stick; shilailleighs or other sticks in a selfdefence scenario dealy actions. It hurts and is annoying. It will not kill. Even with sharp weapons, a cut is not an instant kill. Or most punshes of boxers are no instant ko s. But of course a stick can kill. Even more, the more hits you receive. The more you damage your oponent, alone or a group of stick wielding people, the more it becomes a leathal tool. All alone, it is not a good killing tool, unless the weight or weight distribution is more changed for the purpose of delivering damage. Like a Club or a longer brach. To there are Tons of shapes. So in my opinion, there is not way to objectivly determine if a weapon is a good or a Bad weapon. Same for the Stick. Historical speaking, many sticks were used tondefend from wild life. Or defend from humans. Like many Tools, there are some that do the Job better than others, but in their context. To Hammer a nail into a wall, with a saw is not a good choice. That doesnt mean that a saw is a Bad Tool. So for this task, a Hammer might be the better Option. Sticks have and had their place and like you said, had great advantages. But at the same time, they need the right Situation to be used in the right way. I guess we are to much influences by movies and stuff like that where fights are more for the purpose of entertainment. Staffs hold in the middle Knick out people in an instant, let people flying all over the place etc. Etc. XD. I think this May be responsible for a lot of misconceptions. Sticks, depending on size and shape can be very deadly. But lighter ones will press down attacks in a non leathal way. Util the overall volume is raised of what rains down on you XD

[@Gilbrae]

Not to mention that a staff can be a great piece of gear for a whole lot of things in a wilderness survival context. Here a good video on this subject. kzbin.info/www/bejne/g4urqaWEgbxqnLs

[@armorvestrus4119]

I am glad you stepped up to the bat for the stick. When roaming in the woods a large walking stick is my first choice for self protection. For one they are easy to use with little practice and are very effective against most things. However, the non-lethal term is a great error on your part. I have seen guys bust steel helmets with a quarterstaff that would have killed any man who was wearing it.

[@mrkiky]

Just about any non lethal weapon can be lethal if you really try hard enough. He did touch on that point. And you can use a lethal weapon non-lethally as well, but there will be so many accidents though. So if your goal is non lethal, a stick is a great choice.

[@laksivrak2203]

There is not enough good Stick videos like this, to shake a Stick at