Mfg Website: www.bloodsport.com
Price: $22.00 – 28″ Rattan Sticks
Mfg Description: “Kombat Instruments Ltd.’s sticks are hand cut from Mano rattan, which is the hardest of all the rattans. We offer any custom length or practical diameter. They are twice fire-hardened for strength and even more hardness in a process taught to the owner by his Filipino instructors. This process takes the moisture out of the skin of the rattan, drawing it tight, which gives the desired strength and rigidity. The sticks are then laquered to help preserve them for a longer life. In addition, the ends of the sticks are rounded off slightly after cutting to reduce the sharpness of the edges.
These hand made sticks are the finest and most durable available anywhere.
Initial Impressions:
I ordered these sticks for use in my Kali/Escrima class. Well…they’re sticks, there’s not much to them. The edges are rounded off to prevent cuts from the stick, and they are heat treated and shellacked. They are both straight and similarly weighted. I taped the striking surface prior to use at the suggestion of some of my classmates.
Product in use:
I’ve used these for drills in class, when we spar we use foam sticks so I can’t speak of their ability to break fingers etc…although I’m sure they can. They have served me well so far, no splintering/cracking etc. They swing well due to the weight. I’ve found that I somewhat favor shorter sticks (about the 24″ range) but I can’t fault the sticks for being longer since I ordered them that way (and I can just cut them). The reason is that when I’m trying to do something like…heaven six, for example, I end up touching my own sticks together when I’m going for a faster pace, but that’s likely due to poor technique and being rather new to kali. My instructor says they’re good sticks and noted that it’s the brand the dog brothers use as well.
I don’t have much to compare or contrast these to, so I will skip the pros and cons for the moment and just note that they’re straight, weighted well, and have served me well in class and I would recommend them to someone starting out as well.
