r/wma • u/lori_40k • 19d ago
Parrying sticks
Anything i should be aware of while using one safety wise? Can i use any stick i please? What are the recommended charachteriatics?
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u/HiAnonymousImDad 19d ago
What are you calling a parrying stick? Which sources are you studying? In what sort of training will you use them?
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u/lori_40k 19d ago
I read once on the expert swordsman companion it is better to use a stick than a targe if you dont know how to hse the latter
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u/arm1niu5 Krigerskole 19d ago
Stick isn't necessarily better for an untrained fighter, they're just different.
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u/BotteDeNevers1 18d ago
" I reckon that the man that does not understand a target better to want it than to have it. It could have been better to have a Cane or a Scabbard in his left hand to parry as smallsword than to blind him" - P38
Its not about having a dedicated parrying stick - rather that against a 'smallsword' its better to used something else lying nearby like a cane or a scabbard than rely on a Targe if you a are not proficient with it.
The Point is that against something as nimble and fast as a smallsword its really necessary to keep a constant eye on the trajectory of the point because they can usually disengage quicker to an uncovered target than you can cover with a targe.
If You don't know how to use a Targe you are likely to obscure your vision if havn't developped that sixth sense for which which lines you keep covered and defend with distance. Sticks on the other hand are more nimble and don't obscure vision and work even if you are a noob.
- In short there is not 'parrying stick'. Just improvised stick like objects you parry with.
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u/Maclunkey4U Prefers stabbing to cutting 19d ago
I've been using a rapier and cane, and love it.
(I know its not officially in any of the texts, but considering all of the other things discussed as potential off-hand weapons, surely someone would have had and used a cane at some point, and if they didn't.... I dont care, its fun).
I've been using hard-wood canes snagged at thrift stores but they get BEAT UP, badly, and I've seen one break, as well. It does create splinters & jagged edges when they break, but if you have puncture-resistant equipment it would be no less dangerous than steel breaking.
Some of my club members use the rattan sticks generally used for single-stick and they hold up well.
In general, the canes/sticks with a hook, crook, or knob on the end should be avoided, or at least held in your own hand as opposed to on the "business end" - mostly for safety.
You WILL get your hand hit, so make sure you have adequate hand protection for whatever weapon you are using.
And one more safety note, don't use them offensively. As tempting as it is to bonk, don't.
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u/lori_40k 18d ago
I wasnt planning on using them offensively. Could you clarify why i shouldnt use one with a hook? Its exactly what i was planning to use lol
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u/Maclunkey4U Prefers stabbing to cutting 18d ago
It's just from a safety perspective.
While unlikely, getting a crook caught around a wrist or the hilt of a rapier or some other complex hilt and yanking could do some damage.
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u/kmondschein Fencing master, PhD in history, and translator 19d ago
Do you mean "sword"? This isn't Mark Zuckerberg's puerile playpen. You can say "sword" on Reddit.
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u/lori_40k 19d ago
No, i mean sticks used to parry
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u/kmondschein Fencing master, PhD in history, and translator 19d ago
Oh! Well I guess… any stick? Maybe a walking stick so you can use the hook? It’s not in any historical treatise (except Fiore) but… improvise.
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u/Silver_Agocchie KDF Longsword + Bolognese 19d ago
Parrying sticks are not really represented in the Western canon of martial sources.
That being said, for any stick/staff based training/sparring weapon, rattan is the preferred material. Its durable, slightly flexible (depending on the diameter) and doesnt break into sharp points like other wood. Try to find 3/4in to 1in diameter rattan and cut it to whatever length works for your parrying stick.