I have carried and used a walking stick, aka 'whacking stick', since 1990. My first stick, now retired, saved my life! It has a gouge in it from where I parried a knife attack. I carry a stick still, now for the duel purpose of support first defense second, as my knees are problematic. A good stick can be helpful in climbing stairs, opening doors, pressing elevator buttons, & can be carried pretty much anywhere, even airports and the like. I highly recommend getting and training with a good stout stick. not to light but not sluggish. Most sword techniques can be easily adapted to a stick, or there are many systems specific to walking stick (Irish and French come to mind. With French look pre 1980's as the sport has gotten very acrobatic and showy but lost much of it's combative structure in my opinion)
I carry a walking stick regularly. It has several advantages:1. ALWAYS at hand! You never need to draw it.2. Visual deterrent. People see you walking with a big ugly stick, and know that you are armed. A knife or concealed pistol doesn't offer this advantage. 3. Greater range than a knife. 4. Harnesses the power of both of your arms (when you wield it two-handed).5. Wider force-continuum than a knife. The best way to use a knife is to make the person suffer a potentially deadly blood loss. The stick can crack bones, leave bruises, be used to grapple, or kill if need be.6. Culpability. You will fare better in court after whacking someone with your walking stick than you will opening his face with your knife. 7. Security friendly. You can manage to get a walking stick into places that disallow knives. 8. Style. A walking stick can be a dapper accessory.9. Good against aggressive dogs, if that is a problem in your area. I have a Beagle, and have had to use my stick to fend off other animals who wanted to rip his little Beagle throat out.Get the type which has a ferrule on one end, and a weighted ball on the other. These have distinctive handling characteristics, and can be used either very fast, or with a massive pendulum effect. Excellent, practical weapon.
I carry one regularly on rugged terrain cross country hikes. I don't wish people to view it as a weapon so I spray painted mine 'cute' colors. Places where I go, walking sticks are very common, but many I see are flimsy and aren't as utilitarian as my own. Although maybe legal to carry, IME a pistol or a large knife is way too heavy a thing to lug along on an 8 mile hilly hike on a 85+ degree day. But on that rocky (sometimes muddy) terrain a walking stick makes sense. If someone thinks it is not a potential weapon, that's fine. I
Disadvantage: you lose your stick in the subway or leave it by the bench where you sat down to eat your sandich. XD I lost count of how many umbrellas i lost...
Couldn't agree more with any of that...accept the idea that carrying a walking stick would make you look dapper! :) I live next to a forest and am often there walking our dogs, hiking, doing photography etc and had to deal with some aggressive dogs now and again. I've decided to get a walking stick or carry a jo..."to make it easier when hiking". I practice kali too so I'm quite used to swinging a stick around.
"In this way, blows from a simple malacca cane can be delivered with enough force to sever a man's jugular vein through the collar of his overcoat." Thats from an online "print" of s cane fighting manual from Victorian Britain, that I have unfortunately since lost.
I inherited my Grandpa's Shaleighleigh he god from ireland back in the day. He always just called it a walking stick and I'm just like "but grandpa, it looks like a spiked mace". Nice to have my suspicions verified
well shillelagh the club sized ones were banned or something back in the day, so people just started making them bigger and thus blackthorn walking stick. if its as long as a cane it is technically a cane ;P but yes it is also a shillelagh.
Hi Matt I like the new picture. You could set it a little bit brighter for my taste. The sound is good but you are picking up some sort of low humm that i could do without. thaks for the excellent videos please keep them comming
The walking stick... Crafted over weeks by only the most skilled of carpenters... formed by folding blackthorn in on itself millions of times to create a rock hard surface... capable of breaking through a tank's armour with a single hit... Truly, the most devastating weapon* known to humankind. *Except the thrown pommel, of course.
+ARR0WMANC3R Pish and Posh! It's a well known fact that the deadliest weapon known to man is the thrown cat. Test it yourself. Get a friend to throw a cat at you, really hard. You'll see.
Well, we had a few beers, and came to a scientific frame of mind...,..... Ahem.....While previously, the cat was aloof of we lesser lodgers of his home, now the cat appears convinced that we scientists are beneath contempt. Our sastickal, sasticle.......our math analysis indicates that our sample size was too small to make conclusions. We can't catch the cat for a second sample try.
Lovely fluid movement there. The thought that struck me about the second stick was that, when you put a heavy weight at the end of a flexible shaft, you’ve basically made a blackjack. The shaft will act as a spring and accelerate the heavy weight even faster. Very subtle. Bone breaking, though.
While camping in Australia I use a fishing hand spear to walk with and put plastic drink bottle top on end or chair leg knob on end! Or when walking on rivers i dont cover it -The chair leg cover can be easily pushed off if u see a snake or something bigger ! Use two in snow for walking with and if in bear country u might have a fighting chance! My dad made me a hand spear from steel pieces at end for home invasions and it had two aholes bleeding out if my home on two different times! My dad was red beret in Ww2 from UK and I bless him for sharing this but his wood stick broke recently as I have been walking many times along rivers with it and am so glad I found the fish spear!
That second mallaca walking stick is really tasteful, you found a great piece for your collection! It's subtle, but deliberately effective for both purposes.
from now on known as a "Heavy whippy stick" as opposed to the plastic variety of "whippy sticks" that are actually 18" measuring sticks from the older warhammer starting boxes XD
Well, i can say just one thing: This was the video i was expecting, walking sticks. Ahhh, i love them, not sure why but i really love them so im very happy to see this video and very happy to know that tehre will be more coming. As always, great video and keep it to the max Matt, you are awesome!
Cool stuff!!! Ive carried a walking staff for several years now and wouldnt be without one (I have several self made ones). The obvious walking aid over rough or uneven ground has save me from knee/ankle twists on more occasions than I can count! The self defence benefits are also there of course. Theyre a bit like a small version of a fighting staff. I love walking and am out a lot in the forests around where I live. The wildlife includes wild boar so having a staff with me gives me at least a small percentage chance of getting away uninjured should I stumble across one of these notoriously bad tempered beasts 😊
I got an Ash walking stick-Like a john bull from smiths umbrellas in London after being attacked with knives. Ash is very light and springy and suited my skinny frame. It has a ball end of knotted wood and is legal and has backed off Bandits on two occasions. Also in Smiths at the back of the shop on top of a cupboard is a huge African War Club from Malawi well worth a look, made from some type of Ironwood/ebony and would need a big warrior to bear it (It is a shame that it is almost hidden and forgotten) phenomenal piece of kit.
please do make more videos regarding this topic of walking canes and self defence. Your right there are many ways to use the W-cane single and double handed grip. for some reason it's died out in UK to carry a walking cane in public, unless your old and in need of it as a medical device. I'm a practitioner of Diwang Panlaban System UK, And EDC of such walking cane items is standard for us to use with using lots of different styles, crooked, Balled, Flexible. it's very rare to see anyone EDC these days. Yes I'm a expert in how to use in many ways in defence & offensively. The problem is most people refuse to carry this in public because of the social stigma attached. if used correctly a walking cane can be ultra deadly and awesomely practical. welcome to the world of walking sticks as one of the best Self defence tools ever.....its a equaliser! Any questions just ask.
As somebody who sometimes does need a walking stick, I can attest to the fact that using them in public is widely frowned upon. Especially if you're relatively young.
Just purchased a large diameter heavy duty Crooked Cane from local store Tractor supply( farm supplies). . purchased a rubber tip for it at pharmacy...I can use it to jab ..strike ..& use hook to grab a perps leg & pull it out from under them ! Really inexpensive! I am impressed !
really like the new look! the shadows are indeed a bit hard, but you are already aware of this, and it's not such a big deal for me. Keep up the amazing work, Matt!
The sound is excellent. My Brother used to show hogs when he was in the Future Farmers of America. He used a heavy ash cane to maneuver the hog around the show ring. It was about 3 1/2 feet long and 3/4 of an inch thick. I always thought it would make a good self defense weapon especially if you used the crook end to strike with.
I have always liked a hallow bat, baseball or softball, that can be filled,but a pool cue is great. It can be a club or a cane with slight modifications
Hi Matt I'm from germany (sorry for the bad english)and i like your chanel very much. But this time you make a mistake. The first stick is obviously not made out of blackthorn (prunus spinosa). Because the branches of the blackthorn don't grow in regular circles around the stem. Working sticks made out of blackthorn are one of the haviest you can use, compared tho other sticks in the same size. You say that the stick is not heavy, that is an other indication for that this is not blackthorn. It looks more that someone use an old Christmas tree (fir tree or norway spruce) to make this stick. The spikes on this stick are leftovers from the small brances comming out of the main stem. They used this natural whorls in history as some kind of whisks in the kitchen or for cooking the laundry. The name blackthron actually comes from the long black thornes wich grown all over the branches of this bush and there is no chance to preserve them in the working process if you are making a walking stick. It is very common here in germany and i like to use it for woodworking because it is hard and very dense wood. Because of the thornes and the impenetrable growth of the bush the where very common used in history as border fortifications in our region.
Hey Matt, i found ur channel probably 6 months ago and have watched alot of ur vids, and think ur doing great job. So keep up the good work. I wish more people my age would be into this stuff
I'd like to see more videos about walking sticks. Seems like it would be one of the very rare kinds of self defense items you are legally allowed to carry. I think you could use similar techniques with a sturdy umbrella or a crutch as well. The new camera seems fine, I don't really notice any difference while watching on my phone though., the sound is a bit tinny, but slightly louder than before, which is great for the small speaker on my phone but might be less good when you watch on a computer with a good sound system.
@@arx3516 Not really, disabilities tend to be a taboo subject so most people who see someone, even someone young, walking with a cane will assume they've got some reason to carry it and will find it impolite to ask.
a good stout stick is a hugely useful defensive tool that can be carried almost anywhere with out causing a stir. I carry one almost daily. Thanks for the Vid.
A pole weapon is your best walking stick. 1. Buy a steel floor scraper with a 5' oak handle at any hardware store. 2. Grind down the square scraper blade into a triangle shape. 3. File the edges of it razor sharp, with the point straight out. 4. Put a rubber tip on the other end. 5. Tape a thick paper shroud over the blade tip to hide it. 6. People will think you have a long walking stick, when in fact you have a very lethal pole weapon spear. This is great for going on walks in urban or suburban environments where you might have to fend off a mugger, or a viscous dog. Because the stick is 5 feet long, you can keep any attacker at bay at a safe distance. Better than a knife or a gun, both of which may end up getting you arrested in many municipalities.
THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! I am a huge fan of the walking stick as an accessory and self defense choice. In today's society, they are offer a non threatening option one can carry in many more places than you can with a legally concealed weapon. Again thanks for covering these and am looking forward to more.
my dad colected walking sticks . he had sticks with flasks inside for the gentlemen that liked a tiple whilst walking . hed had knife / dagger sticks . [he had about a dozen of thease ] a walking stick with a conseald blade within the cane section . the one walking stick i always admired was a single shot gun with a conseald trigger whtch the trigger deployed upon pressing a button on the top of a cobra snakes head . whch released the trigger . i used to play with it just like a cap gun when i was a kid :) sadly i don't know what happened to it . i moved away when i was 16 years old and only came back home when my mam was dieng . by then my dads collection of old walking sticks had gone . [ i think he sold them all off to buy booze ] but i still remember the awsome history behind walking sticks he taught me as a child . PS ! i coluld spot a stick gun from a street away even now ,
I'm currently in the process of building a walking stick; utilizing 1/8 strips of Mesquite, and Oak for the core, then laminating 1/8 Hard Maple, and finally 2 layers of 1/8 Mesquite for the finish. I intend to make it based on the African walking stick. I want it to survive a "home run" strike if ever needed.
Blackthorn is another name for sloe which are everywhere in the wild and there was an extremely interesting article somewhere about Irish stick fighting. They would hold it two thirds of the way down with the club pointing forward and the last third reaching down your forearm protecting it. Then you punch and strike while quickly moving around as with most martial arts. There is obviously little Irish combat treatises but I think there are a few illustrations and descriptions.
Thank you Matt, now I know what to hunt down when I get much older, I have a Spine Condition so I have come to terms with the fact that I may end up needing a Stick as a support sometime down the line. As a swordsman and as someone who believes in justifiable defence; I want a Stick I can also use as a Weapon, may even commission one to be custom made.
Don't forget the "penang-lawyer", famous in literature. I found one at an antique show, many years ago: a rattan shaft (from which it gets its name: _pinang liar_, a species of rattan vine), slightly whippy, with a knob made from a piece of lead shot covered in knotwork...
The sound quality is significantly superior to before. I'm not noticing that much of a difference in video other than a wider field of view, but I don't have a fast enough internet to play at any higher than 480p. That spiky walking stick was pretty cool. There are probably tons of interesting designs of sticks you can come acoss that can have very versatile purposes.
As always superb content Matt, informative and fascinating. A small note on sound - the closer the microphone is to your mouth the better, as it will reduce the reflections from the rest of the room (though there are obvious restraints with regards to the kinds of demonstration you perform), and as others have noted there is a small hum from your computer as I assume your microphone is on you desk. In an ideal situation you might use a dedicated microphone stand so as to position the microphone *just* out of frame so it is as close to you as possible, thus solving both issues I have outlined. Again, really enjoy your content and look forward to consuming more.
Just started watching your videos. Love 'em. I've done a little fencing at a local club but it was cutting into my ballroom dancing lessons. Some day. In the meantime, I'm really digging your talks and demos. Much thanks! Since you ask for feedback, I can hear you clearly but the sound is tinny.
I've read a XIXth century self-defense manual by Montsery, and it actually compares sticks to the use of the sable - though it says some things should not be tried because of the lack of a handguard. But he recommends those sticks with a curved hand end, because you can use it to hook and grapple.
Malacca is a variety of palm botanically speaking, and is a climbing vine. Have a swag of sticks I have collected and made. I walk a lot with a dog and always have a stick. A familiar object/tool is an advantage when in a real scarey or confrontational situation. Many advantages, legally acceptable in most places, visible, lots of range, clears a space. I always use a bandanna/shemagh or similar as a wrist loop, easily moved along shaft for reverse or mid grip, and of course useful for many other purposes.
I have started making sticks for walking etc and I have the Blackthorn straightened etc and I was going to remove the thorny bits but looking at yours I think I shall leaving them on.
Hi Matt Sorry in advance for the stupid question, but I'm writing a novel and I'm looking for a type of armor that doesn't look like much in medieval(13th century Europe) standards but it could possibly be made of some special material like kevlar or something. What do you think could I use? Any pointers would be appreciated.
Awesome. I find wooden sticks practical EDC defense. I'd love to learn more about walking sticks. Really glad you made this video Matt! Nice new camera btw, with the wider view, you probably won't have much trouble showing us larger weapons like Greatswords. polearms, etc. Good day. - Raphael
Good topic. Cold Steel makes some plastic walking sticks. I have several different ones from them. I most like their one patterned on the African knockberry design. I found it a little heavy though for actually doing summer time 10 mile cross country hikes with, so I ran it though a lathe and thinned it a quarter inch and added a wrist thong at the bulb end. A vast improvement with no noticeable sacrifice.
+Kieran Fitzgerald You might wish to look at the offerings from cold steel though there's nothing wrong with going full traditional and getting a nice piece of wood.
Kieran Fitzgerald original blacthorn walking sticks had a knob left on as a combination handle and weight, for striking. Grip the small end to fight with it.
I sort of collect walking sticks I guess, have maybe a 100 or so. Good rule of thumb is the longer the tip on the end the older it is, also older sticks usually have a lanyard hole up toward the top. The one with the heavy end probably is weighted with lead and not an iron rod, the lead was poured in when liquid.
i would love to hear more about this topic. Baritsu has been a huge interest to me and the cane seems to be a very functional weapon. Not to mention you can carry it just about anywhere.
wanting to learn how to use a walking stick as a weapon was the whole reason i got into HEMA to begin, after taking a few of the classes i learned to appreciate swords but i've never been a huge fan of using one and besides you'd get arrested walking down the street carrying one.
Hi Matt, in my club we made some years ago a few training sessions after the manual "The Walking Stick Method of Self-Defense" reprinted by Paladin Press. There the author ("an officer of the Indian Police") suggests using "An ordinary Malacca Cane or an Ash Root Walking Stick". In his system a lot of circling motions are used and he explicitely states that you should "Sacrify weight to speed always, for remember that man is an easily vulnerable animal and has many soft spots..." After training this system for a short period of time the most convincing factor of fast spinning motions for me is the deterrence of a very fast swinging object directly in front of your face. You really think twice about whether or not you actually want to attack your opponent without any kind of protection ;D
Great topic! They probably saw more use in self defense than most any other item, especially in later times. At least that would be my guess. Sound great, view great, a little more light to see the details on these items.
Hapkido canes are the base to a deticaded art form of this message. thanks for discussing this. I am disabled and most people dont understand the ability to create a weapon with a simple designed weapon.. I have learned how to defend and kill with this 36 inch aid. The blackthorn canes was used for a weapon as the English outlawed Swords for the outlying kingdom. Look into Hapkido Cane its a unreal form
About 20 yrs ago i cut back an applepear tree back whilst loading the trailer i notic'd two good lumpy branch's i dont know why but throw them in the shed left they for awhile then turned them into walking stick's one is quit heavy and i use it when ever i go bush very handy
