Self-defense, involves defending oneself, one's property or the well-being of another from physical harm.
Everyday objects, such as baseball bats or aerosol spray cans, almost anything can also be used as improvised weapons for self-defense, but these weapons are not as likely to be as effective as weapons made for this purpose.
Some non-lethal weapons as the Kubotan have also been built to resemble everyday objects, such as keychains so they can be carried on you at all time. Let's face it, it is a little hard to walk around with a sword or a pair of nunchakus and not draw attention from the law.
This article is about the grandfather of all long weapons, the staff. A staff is a large, long, thick stick or stick-shaped object that can be used as a weapon. Learn this weapon and you can improve your martial arts empty hand techniques and when uses for defense can increase your odds of surviving an attack on the street. So grab a pole, broom handle or any type of long object, it does not need to be round, and improve your odds when it comes to defending yourself.
The Chinese martial artists of old had a saying "When fighting with only the fists, be concerned about running into someone young and strong. When fighting staff against staff, worry about an opponent who is old and wise." When it comes to strength against strength, the younger and stronger of the two will often defeat an older, less powerful adversary.
A staff changes everything. The older, more experienced staff fighter has the upper hand and he wins not because of his physical condition, but by his knowledge of staff techniques.
In the old days, in northern China, empty hand training was the most important form of training, followed by staff training. The Chinese in the southern part of the country placed more emphasis upon staff expertise.
Kung Fu schools were run by martial art instructors, in the old days, who were hired by the village by judging both the martial art instructors empty hand fighting abilities and his staff fighting knowledge. The basic fighting knowledge of a possible instructor for the school was apparent by his empty hand fighting techniques. If he was an expert with a staff, that showed the the people of the village that the instructor has overall experience and proficiency at focusing power through a weapon that lacked a cutting edge and this was much desired.
The staff requires powerful swings and jabs to be effective as a weapon. To use a staff for self defense effectively, a martial artist must know how to use his body to produce sufficient power and be able to transfer that power through the staff. Mastering the staff makes the learning of all other long handled weapons easier to manage
Training with the staff build's forearms muscles and teach full energy extension. Being good at staff fighting means you should be able to knock any weapon out of an opponents hand. The staff is an extension of the martial artist's hands. So staff training will benefit your empty hand techniques.
True staff power is expressed in whip-like strikes, with the tip of the staff vibrating as the power travels through it's length. When staff techniques are performed correctly the staff will make a humming sound. When using the staff to jab at your opponent the power should travel through the staff like a solid straight punch.
Training with a staff isn't limited to only forms. After learning a form, using a staff, you can use a partner to practice full power contact training. The two person form method demonstrates the application of techniques using one technique at a time. This practice involving striking the staff against another staff to train both martial artist, to both give and take the force generated by a properly wielded weapon.
Staff contact training, which is different than two person form training, is the actual practice of using the staff at full power using 3 or more techniques at a time. The martial artists practices until they can use the staff techniques at full strength against each others staff and be able to perform the combination. One person attacks, the other defends and returns an attack, going back and forth through the techniques.
Another staff training method is called internal staff training and involves two person contact training. With this type of training the staff is used using smaller circular striking patterns and striking to the body with more of a push than a strike. This type of practice is designed to make the martial artist more sensitive to the weapon and give him a higher level of expetise at using it.
No matter what martial art you study a background in staff techniques will improve your empty hand techniques. From your fist training you learn to use your hands, from the staff you learn to use your body and natural power.
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