Looking for a Good Pair of Sticks...

[sln78]

I'm looking for a good pair of 29" x 3/4" sticks.
I have the Crafty Dog Model.  They're great... solid as a rock.  But they're a little heavier then I like.
I have a pair of 29" x 3/4" sticks that I bought at an Inosanto seminar about 10 years ago.  I got my monies worth, but they're breaking down.

I just bought these from Amazon, but they were crap!
http://www.amazon.com/Gungfu-Filipino-Burned-Escrima-Carvings/dp/B003E81EFA/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=automotive&qid=1276014980&sr=8-6
The description said, "Recommended for stick to stick contact training. Because these are Fire Hardened, and Lacquered, these are designed to last longer and take a beating!"
ummmmm, that wasn't the case.  Not exaggeration, they literally broke in half after one training session...

I found these.  Does anyone know if they're any good?
http://www.wle.com/products/W191.html

Any recommendations?
Thanks

[Howling Dog]

Woof, Good sticks to be had a bloodsport.com Our very own "Pappydog" owns the store. Garunteed good stuff. Don't chance with the others, buy from Dog brothers.
   http://www.bloodsport.com/
         C-HD

[jtheathus]

I've been very happy with the sticks I've purchased from Bamboo and Rattan works. I've gotten many sturdy well-balanced pieces from them.  Pretty inexpensive but they're out in New Jersey so they ding you on the shipping a little.


http://www.bambooandrattan.com/

[sln78]

Great.
Thanks guys!!

[Growling Dog]

i agree with C-Howling Dog
excellent products

[Guide Dog]

Woof, Good sticks to be had a bloodsport.com Our very own "Pappydog" owns the store. Garunteed good stuff. Don't chance with the others, buy from Dog brothers.
   http://www.bloodsport.com/
         C-HD

Pappy makes all of the sticks for the Inosanto Academy as well. I'm sure the other sites that have been mentioned on here are fine, but www.bloodsport.com is really the most authentic link to DBMA. My largo sticks that i have done most all of my DB fights with come from Pappy.

[Rarick]

Has anyone experimented with Ipe wood for sticks?  It is harder and denser than Kamagong, but I do not know about impact/ splinter resistance.

[sln78]

Nonetheless, to make them last even longer, I (and many others) put masking tape (at least two layers) on the top third.  This will change the weight and balance slightly, but it really does extend their useful life.  If I will be fighting with the stick at a Gathering, I remove any tape - just to ensure it being even slightly lighter.

I was going to ask about taping the sticks.  It does change the weight a bit, so I wasn't sure if everyone does this.  My old pair that I got from the Inosanto seminar are taped up.  Guess that's why they lasted so long.  Coincidentally, the pair I mentioned that I just bought from amazon were also taped... but they still broke in half after one use.... Lame.

One more question.  How do you guys deal w/ different sticks?  The Crafty Dog model are a lot heavier than my old pair.  It completely changes the dynamics when working w/ the sticks.  The movements are a lot slower.  Do you recommend working w/ different sticks regularly so you get used to different weights? 

I'll have to say that I do have one definite benefit for using the heavier Crafty Dog model. I'm an Auxiliary Police Officer and we we're issued wooden straight batons(nightsticks), not the "newer" ASP collapsible ones.  While the Police Baton is only 26", it has about the same weight as the Crafty sticks.  So, it helps me there...  Personally I'd rather carry around one of my 29"x3/4" kali sticks while on patrol rather than my Police Baton, but that's not an option...

[Guide Dog]

sin78,

Great questions! I have many different kinds of sticks in my bag.

- I have a single Top Dog model that I like to do carrenza with. I never use that stick for any contact/drilling. It's a thicker stick than I would ever prefer to fight with, but I want it to last forever, so I never hit anything with it.

- I have a pair of thin, 28 inchers that I use for drilling, and for days when I feel tired.

- I have a pair of thicker (but not as thick as the TD model), 31 inchers. One of them has tape on it, and that's the stick I have used for the majority of my DB fights. I am NOT a fan of taping up the entire length of a stick. I will put a ring of tape here and there when the sticks start to fray, but I don't take those rings off to fight.

- Last Tribal Gathering, the largo stick(s) above simply did not feel right. I had a thicker 28 inch stick that I used for both days of fighting. I was actually warming up by Pappy, and I said something like, "You're a good person to ask; what do you do when your favorite stick just doesn't feel right?" Pappy laughed, and said something like, "Hey, if it doesn't call to you today, it's not the right stick for right now. Use another one."

- Don't forget an axe handle (I got mine for $8 at a hardware store) for developing power as recommended by Top Dog on the original RCSF series, and something I got from Guro Crafty, do carrenza once in a while with a sledge hammer, with the hummer end as your punyo.

[sln78]

SO, I ordered a pair of 28"x3/4" from bloodsport.  Haven't tried them yet, but I'm looking forward to it...

I've been training w/ both sets of sticks.  My older ones and the newer Crafty Model.  Definitely like mixing it up w/ the different weights. 

I have another question.  I'm pretty new to this.  I did JKD about 10-12 years ago.  Then I got into kickboxing and completed in that for a while.  Now I just started training sticks w/ one of my friends.  He's new to it, so I'm teaching him.   We've been doing basic stick work and some light sparring.  But he's really into it, so it's definitely motivating.

I'm showing him as much as I can, but again my experience is also limited.  So, here's my question.  I see that through the membership you get access to video trainings.  What would make more sense for me?  Investing in the RCSF I series, or getting the membership.  I'll be honest, I'm trying to keep it cheap....  So, if I spent the $75, would it help me along?

Thanks

[Crafty_Dog]

Have you seen this thread?
http://dogbrothers.com/phpBB2/index.php?topic=395.0

[sln78]

Ooops.  Guess I broke the 1st rule...    Should have searched the forum 1st.

Thanks
Sandon

[Crafty_Dog]

No worries.

[Dr Dog]

Woof SIN78

My advice, having been in this for only 2-3 yrs now (and therefore closer to where you're coming from) is if you have to make one and only one investment it should be the RCSF dvd series. That will teach you more about the DBMA approach and is WELL done and can be practiced at home with interested partners to a surprising degree if you are willing to put in the time. Further it serves as a basis for SO MUCH of what will come that you will have a hard time following the rest without the basis in the RCSF series.

I strongly suspect, however, that once you do start to work your way through the RCSF stuff you are going to go "Holy Crap! There is so much more to this than I thought!", followed by "Dang this is cool - MORE, MORE, MORE , MORE, MORE" and if it speaks to you you will be hooked and the DBMAA membership will not be far behind. That's exactly what happened to me.  To put it in perspective, the entire RCSF series one and a one year DBMAA membership together is about the same as 3 months' dues at most dojos - and I GUARANTEE you will still be working on the material in the first series a year from now. Hell, I'm still working on it 2 years later! I have DVD's in the second series that I haven't fully worked through yet (and I work on this 2 days a week most weeks) - because there's SO MUCH THERE! 

Rick

[sln78]

Thanks for the info Rick.
That was a great explanation.  And a good analogy too when comparing the cost of the video's to the cost of a school.
Like I said, I was trying to save money. But I guess that was the little kick in the ass I needed to go by the video's..

One more thing.  I'm new to these forums, and I'm not saying it doesn't happen....  But after reading through some of the threads (this one included), I love how everyone is on the same page.
There are plenty of forums that you go to where that is not the case.  Obviously if everyone is going to a forum on one topic(fighting, mma, excercise, etc) they all have something in common.  But on a lot of those forums god forbid you say the wrong thing and everyone is quick to slam you. 
What I like about this one (from what I've seen so far) is there is an actual level of respect for the other people in the forum.
Maybe it's b/c Crafty is an active member of the forums so people are on there best behavior.  ...That may not be the only reason, but I'm sure it helps.  Anyway, it's a bit refreshing...

Thanks
Sandon

[Dr Dog]

"What I like about this one (from what I've seen so far) is there is an actual level of respect for the other people in the forum."

Absolutely correct. A bit like a family (even more so on the members only site), but it also helps that there's a good chance of actually meeting and even fighting some of the other people on the forum, so if I really piss off, oh, Guide Dog, for instance, he'll get a crack at me in September    Keeps us honest..... Plus I think many of the regular contributors on this forum are probably a little older and more experienced in multiple arts and life than the typical MMA or BJJ forum.  I like to think that age and experience confer SOME benefit....

When you get the RCSF series, study it like a book - watch the DVD all the way through first, then go over it in pieces as you try the things, and even jot notes in a notebook.  Then, a few months later, go back and revisit it.  You will discover that you get as much or more the 2nd and 3rd time around than you did the first time. Your "eye" will improve and you will see the same things differently. That's been my experience.
Good luck!