Big Stick Combat Quotes

“From GM Vasquez I learned the advanced concept of block by striking. Let us say you strike with an overight and your stick is moving toward my head. If I strike straight downward, my stick will make contact with yours and slide down your stick until it impacts your hands. Like in Modified Tapado, I make vertical strikes that dominate the centerline and intercept every attack of yours while simultaneously striking you. This is like GM Estalilla's principle that I call “cutting through”--I am not thinking about blocking, but of cutting into you every time you strike.”
― Darrin Cook, Big Stick Combat: Baseball Bat, Cane, & Long Stick for Fitness and Self-Defense

“If your intent is to throw a barrage of dozens of strikes, thinking that an accumulation of tens of strikes will drop the opponent, you have the wrong mindset. GM Maranga is one of the few short stick fighters with the right mindset. He counters with a single strike, but most importantly, his intent is to drop you with that strike. And trust me, he hits very hard. I have a saying: “My goal is not to hit the opponent, but to drop him. Hitting him is a means of achieving that goal.” It's not enough to hit him. It's not enough to hurt him. Getting him to yell “Ouch!” is not going to stop a meth addict with a blade. My aim is to shut him down. So if I'm hitting him but not incapacitating him, my strikes are ineffective. In my mind I am crushing his kneecap. I am fracturing his skull. If he raises an arm or stick to block, I am committed to blasting through it like a runaway dump truck. In my mind I am breaking any upraised arm.”
― Darrin Cook, Big Stick Combat: Baseball Bat, Cane, & Long Stick for Fitness and Self-Defense

“The examples go on and on—victims typically don't see the knife that they are stabbed or cut with. Therefore, you must assume that he has a knife. Study his hands. Is one hand behind his back, held behind his leg, in a backpack, etc.? Be prepared for him to pull a concealed knife from his waistband or pocket. Just yesterday I struck up a conversation with a martial artist who told me combat was all about getting in close. NO! NO! NO! Part of assuming the knife means that you maintain distance whenever possible. The moment you close, the odds shift in favor of the guy with a knife. Even if you dish out serious punishment up close, if he clutches onto you it may be fatal when he draws a knife or ties you up, leaving you helpless as his buddies close in.”
― Darrin Cook, Big Stick Combat: Baseball Bat, Cane, & Long Stick for Fitness and Self-Defense

“Carry Grip Big Stick Combat is principally composed of three grips: 1) stick grip, in which the right hand grasps the end of the stick; 2) rifle grip, in which the right hand is at the base of the stick, palm down, while the left hand is near the middle of the stick, palm up; and 3) bat grip, in which both hands grip the weapon like a baseball bat, with the left hand over the right. Yet there is another grip, carry grip, that must be considered. Unless you need a cane in order to walk, you will typically carry the baseball bat, cane, or long stick in the middle, grasped by your right hand if you're right-handed. It is important to train to strike automatically and non-telegraphically from carry grip, especially if you are attacked by surprise. Cover and Hit You are holding the stick in carry grip, with the right hand at the balance point near the middle of the stick. An attacker swings with his right hand at your head. Bear in mind that his “punch” might be a beer bottle, a set of brass knuckles, or a knife, so it is best to crouch down to try to evade it completely. Raise up your left elbow, placing your left palm over your left ear. This is a multipurpose shield of your head. Swing the end of the weapon into the opponent's groin. Strike repeatedly into his groin and midsection as necessary. To follow up, grab the base of the stick with the left hand. You are now in rifle grip, only in reverse, with the right hand forward and the left at the pommel. If you slide the right hand down into bat grip you will be in the traditional right-over-left grip. Although these grips are the opposite of what I have taught in the book so far, I believe it is best not to shuffle the hands. I believe your first priority is not to lose your weapon! I refer to the right hand grip at the base of the weapon as “anchor grip,” because it is firm and permanently fixed. No matter how the left hand moves, the right always maintains a solid grip. I have rejected the grip shifting of other styles because I want to avoid at all costs losing the weapon, particularly under the stress of combat. Crotch Lift This technique is a natural follow-up to the preceding Cover and Hit. This can also be used as a follow-up to the low thrust, the very first technique in the book. The crotch lift can also be used in close-quarters grappling. Pass the stick between the opponent's legs, high up near his crotch. You may naturally find yourself in this position after a thrust to the groin. Reach around the opponent's back with your left hand and seize the end of the stick, palm up. Bend your knees and lift the opponent by straightening your legs and lifting with both arms. Arch your head and body to the right in order to dump him. If he falls with a leg still entangled, you can squeeze in on the weapon in a crushing technique.”
― Darrin Cook, Big Stick Combat: Baseball Bat, Cane, & Long Stick for Fitness and Self-Defense

“The Advantage of Long Range Technique and Why Close Range Is Deadly Let's be clear: you always want to maintain distance. For the long stick, long range is the optimum strategy. At long range, the opponent must reach out with his hand to hit you. At the farthest range, he can only hit you with that hand: the other hand is too far back to touch you, and his feet are planted as he stretches. If he extends to kick you, his hands can't touch you, while his other foot is planted. In either case, at this longest range only one hand or foot threatens you. With the big stick, you want to maintain a range where you can blast him, but he can't touch you. This is the safest range. As the opponent gets closer he enters a range where he can hit you with both hands and kick you with both feet, so you now have four potential weapons to contend with. At even closer range he can hit with the hands, elbows, knees, head, so the number of threats grows larger still. At this range if he has a knife, he can use one hand to hold you while he stabs with the other, which is easily a fatal attack. At close range an opponent can bring a concealed gun or knife into play, and you may not see the weapon until it is too late. While long range is the desired range, you must realize that you can't always maintain that range, so you must be prepared to fight in close. You not only want to be able to hit at very close range, but be able to drive the opponent back out into the kill zone. Countering the Closing Opponent 1) Recognize the Danger Avoid overconfidence, the delusional thinking, “If anybody tries to tackle me I'll knock him out.” It's not that easy. As long as you're standing, running is always an option, but once an opponent has clinched or tackled you, you lose that option. If you get taken to the ground spectators can very easily kick you in the head, a very powerful, inconspicuous kick that is like kicking a football off a tee. Martial artist Geoff Thompson knew two men who were killed in just such a fashion. A gang tactic is to assign one member to tie you up, sacrificing himself if necessary, so that the rest of the gang can pick you off. Against multiple opponents your primary strategy is mobility, fleeing if possible, but once you're clutched or tackled you've lost that option. A clinching assailant with a knife is your worst nightmare, posing a highly lethal threat.”
― Darrin Cook, Big Stick Combat: Baseball Bat, Cane, & Long Stick for Fitness and Self-Defense

“Underleft-Overleft Strike with an underleft to the opponent's lead knee. On impact, suddenly redirect the strike into an overleft. Like swinging a sledgehammer, slide your left hand up to help relaunch the weapon. The big stick is heavy enough that you don't want to try to redirect it upward with just your wrists. Overleft-Left Knee Begin with the weapon in left high guard. Throw an overleft strike. Upon contact, draw the stick back to re-chamber it in left high guard. Be aware though, that when you recover from a strike and attempt to re-chamber or reload, you are vulnerable to a counterattack. Keep in mind that a common short stick strategy is to get you to commit to a strike, then charge into close range after you've swung. Perhaps an attacker intends to tackle you—his strategy may be to draw your high strike, such as an overleft, then burst in low to take you down. As the stick comes back to the left shoulder, use this momentum as a counterbalance to throw the left knee. Do not throw an upward knee, which is weak. Instead, throw the Thai knee, in which the knee travels forward, moving parallel to the ground. An important tip is to throw the hip forward, tilting your torso back as you throw the left knee. This has the added benefit of developing your abs and core when you train. The knee is among the most devastating of weapons against the tackler because he tends to run into the knee face-first.”
― Darrin Cook, Big Stick Combat: Baseball Bat, Cane, & Long Stick for Fitness and Self-Defense

“This is similar to the Twister technique, in that you are using a two-handed grip on the big stick in order to duplicate the sudden redirection of short stick abaniko, or fan, technique. Start in right high guard with the stick resting over your right shoulder. Throw an overight, then suddenly change direction so that the stick travels 180 degrees in the opposite direction, striking the opponent in the knee or groin with an underleft. It helps to step out to the right with your right foot to clear a path for the second strike. Suddenly pull the left hand back and downward, like pulling a lever, while simultaneously pushing forward and upward with the right. One possible application is to draw the opponent's left hand up to block your overight strike, then drop down to strike at the opening created at his knee or groin. Practice this technique on the heavy bag, striving to make both strikes as powerful and as close together as possible.”
― Darrin Cook, Big Stick Combat: Baseball Bat, Cane, & Long Stick for Fitness and Self-Defense

“Following up the butt strike, your weapon is now at your left shoulder, held in rifle grip with the right hand palm-down at the handle of the weapon and the left hand palm-up maybe one third to one half the distance up the stick. To execute the rap, bring the right hand in toward the right hip while the left hand pushes the barrel end outward into the opponent's face. The weapon retraces the path it originally took from middle guard to the left shoulder, only in reverse. In practice you will find that the left elbow acts like a shock absorber, causing the end of the stick to snap back. Redirect this rebound up to your right shoulder, while letting your left hand slide down to bat grip. Follow through with an overight strike. Practice these three moves in sequence: underight butt, overleft rap, overight strike from bat grip. Your weapon will trace a 'V,' moving from one shoulder to another. Slam I have also seen this technique referred to as a “bar strike” because you are striking with the portion of the stick between the hands, which is like a bar. The slam is typically performed with the hands palm down in staff grip, equidistant from the ends, and thrown so that the stick is horizontal. Realize, though, that the slam can be thrown with multiple grips in multiple orientations. From the middle guard, throw the stick forward and diagonally, parallel to your adversary, striking him in the chest. Don't just shove the opponent, but aim for an explosive strike that knocks him back on impact. If the attacker crouches and lunges in to tackle, jam the portion of the stick between your hands into the juncture of the opponent's right shoulder and neck.”
― Darrin Cook, Big Stick Combat: Baseball Bat, Cane, & Long Stick for Fitness and Self-Defense

“I had inherited from GM Estalilla's kabaroan a one-handed stick technique coupled with the staff grip bamboliya technique, and I was at an impasse, unable to progress or innovate any further. When I showed GM Maranga bamboliya technique he told me directly, “I don't like it. Let me show you what I would do.” He then held the stick in what I call “rifle grip,” with the right hand palm down and the left hand palm up. At first, rifle grip seemed all wrong, but the more I studied it I realized it was superior to staff grip in every application. Then I had a sudden insight—I could transition from bat grip to rifle grip and vice versa simply by sliding the left hand forward and back. That was the crucial concept in the development of Big Stick Combat. The Pop Up The pop up is a technique of GM Estalilla that enables the practitioner to transition from low guard to middle guard. Begin in low guard, with the right foot forward, both feet pointed straight ahead, the knees bent, and your shoulders squared to the opponent. Your aim is to lever the stick up so that it comes from its resting point on the ground just outside of your right foot up to your chest where your left hand can catch it. Rather than lift up with your right wrist or arm, the secret is to jerk your right elbow backward, which causes the end of the stick to arc upward off the ground. Place your left hand at your chest, palm out, to catch the stick as it swings upward. Once you have stopped the stick, rotate your left palm around to grip the stick so that your left thumb faces your chest. An important tip is to keep the end of the stick aligned with, and pointed at, the opponent's centerline. Rapier Thrust Execute the pop up, but the moment the stick hits your left palm, throw the end of the stick forward as your thrust with the right. Your left hand will slide along the stick until it comes to rest against the right hand—you are now in bat grip. One possible follow-up is to step forward, kicking low to the knee or groin with the rear left foot. As you kick with the left foot, throw the stick over your right shoulder in preparation for an overight strike, When your left foot plants, strike with an overight diagonal blow. The kick can serve as a counter to a disarm or to prevent an opponent from closing as you wind up for the overight. This technique can also be used as a means of closing the distance: rapier thrust, low level kick, then overight finishing blow. You can also execute the rapier thrust from middle guard. Don't get hung up on the middle guard as a stance, even though many styles use the middle guard as a fighting stance, GM Estalilla among them. Think of the middle guard as a transition point where you are defending yourself at close range.”
― Darrin Cook, Big Stick Combat: Baseball Bat, Cane, & Long Stick for Fitness and Self-Defense