How to Make a Fighting Staff

The fighting staff has served as one of the simplest and most effective close combat weapons since ancient times. With its range, it can reach past a knife or sword. Staves have no restriction on where they must be gripped, unlike bladed weapons. In addition, staves are relatively innocuous. If you can find a mostly straight-grained branch, you can make a staff of your own to use as a self-defense tool or for martial arts practice.

Things You'll Need

  • Wood, 6-foot length, 1-inch diameter
  • 320-grit sandpaper
  • Knife
  • Tape measure
  • Wood plane
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Instructions

    • 1

      Buy or find a 6-foot straight length of wood by going to a lumber yard. Ensure the grain is as straight as possible and runs parallel to the long axis; this ensures that stress is distributed evenly along the wood upon contact. Ash, cedar, hickory and maple make strong staves. Avoid using soft wood such as pine.

      If you have lumber, test the wood for straightness by setting it on a long flat surface on each of its flat sides and looking for gaps. If you have a branch, roll it to see if it moves smoothly. If not, find another piece of wood.

    • 2

      Saw the wood to your desired length. Shorter weapons give you more speed and longer ones give you more range. The Japanese rokushakubo, for example, averages 6 feet.

    • 3

      Peel any bark away with the knife if you're using a tree branch. Break or saw off the twigs. Use the wood plane to shear away any knots.

    • 4

      Draw a three-quarters-inch-wide circle on the ends of the staff.

    • 5

      Trim the length of wood to a cylinder three-quarters of an inch in diameter at the ends and 1 inch at the center of the staff. Use slow, even strokes with the knife to shape the wood.

    • 6

      Roll the staff again along the ground to see if it moves smoothly. If not, sand away problem areas and repeat the test.

    • 7

      Apply a coat of wood varnish over the staff and allow it to dry.