A stick is not the weapon you’d choose to fight a war, but sometimes it’s all you’ve got.

Stick fighting has been part of martial training for centuries, valued for its versatility and effectiveness.

During World War II, the stick was used both as a practical weapon and as a training tool to develop close-combat skills. It could stand in for a rifle, a steel bar, or simply a sturdy branch picked up from the ground. In some cases, it might have been the only tool available to a soldier who had been captured or disarmed, making familiarity with its use a matter of survival.

At Battalion Martial Arts York, we teach stick fighting as part of our WWII combatives program. Many of the techniques will feel familiar to practitioners of Eskrima, Kali, or other stick-based martial arts, but here they are pared down to the essentials, designed to be taught quickly and effectively to large groups of soldiers.

We explore methods and influences drawn from both military manuals and traditional systems, giving students a well-rounded introduction to this adaptable weapon