Staffs

Kung fu has several different weapons styles. It my art we begin with the staff in my art. The basic spins are started at yellow belt and the first form is taught at the very next level, which in our art is blue belt. The staff is a brutal weapon and one of the favorites of the Shao Lin monks. The monks liked them because they could be a non lethal way to beat people who were causing troubles. I got my first staff when I was 14 years old. The staff was made of rattan. Rattan is very flexible and it will absorb a lot of the force that would be transferred into your hands. I took my new staff outside when I got it. I found a tree and I hit the tree with my new staff. What happened when I hit the tree was awesome. The staff bent as I hit the tree. As I followed through the staff continued to bend and then it whipped forward ripping the bark off of the tree! The staff is a great weapon for beginners it allows for them to be able to use a weapon with out getting hurt. Weapons like sword can injure even an experienced user when done without care. With a staff it is unlikely that you'll ever get much more than a splinter. That is until you move to the 3 sectional staff. We joke in my school that the best way to use that weapon is to give it to your opponent and stand back. There are a few different types of staffs. I mention above the rattan staff. There are also white wax wood staffs. These staffs are generally used more like a spear. They are tapered and will slide easily through your hand without giving you the splinters I referred to above. The smaller end is thrust into the opponent. They smaller end is also usually cut at an angle which allows the staff to be that much more devastating when thrust into the opponents chest or face. I briefly mentioned 3 sectional staffs above. These staffs can be made of rattan or white wax wood. They have 3 sections of wood connected by chains. Some of them use ball bearings and some don't. 3 sectional staffs can be used like a staff, nunchucku,and a short stick. They are a very diverse weapons but should only be used by people who know what they are doing. There are many people who I've known over the years who have been training with the three sectional staff who have beat themselves with it, thrown it down and never picked it up again. If you are interested in using a 3 sectional staff seek out a qualified instructor who can teach you how to use it and minimized bruising :)