Well, I have been thinking about getting a pair of these. Mainly because some of the other students and teachers at my school practice with them, so I would love to learn.

Could you guys and gals explain to me the different types of wood? Which type do you prefer, why?

Sizing (if it matters, I don't know) Do they all come round in shape or are there octagon shaped kinds?

Anything else you can inform me about these would be really cool.

thanks

We use rattan. Its cheap and light and works well.

Stay away from kamagong and other hardwoods until you are an expert with a stick. Kamagong will break your bones whereas rattan will only bruise you.

Octagonal is not an option. Most sticks I've seen are round.

octagonal escrima?...i've never see one...rattan is nice...or u can get the chinese bamboo..and for tournaments..if u have spare change, u can get urself an acyrlic pair...i love that weapon, i have 3 pairs
as for length and size?...the length is usually around the length of ur OWN arm...stop about 2-3inches short of ur finger tips, as for width?? about 1 inch??..or ¾inch...either one will do..but some of them come really small..they vary...be sure 2 choose one that's comfortable!!!

You all have me thinking about octagonal sticks now, the only octagonal weapon i know of are nunchuck's - has anyone ever seen any suppliers for octagonal staffs? if i can find one i may cut it down for kali sticks.

As for sticks my favorites are my spotted gumtree sticks - but as reiki advised leave them until you have practised a while.

The tonfa - never played with them, hadn't considered they might be made octagonaly - how long and thick is the tonfa?

The purpleheart armoury has octagonal staves (staffs?) of hickory and ash. http://www.woodenswords.com/WMA/index.htm.

I train with a octagonal "escrima" stick that I made myself. Though I think in your case, a simple rattan stick will do. (They don't come octagonal). Though, if you're planning on doing only solo work, I would go with a heavier stick. You don't have to be an expert to go heavy. Working with heavier sticks promotes better form, better twirling and better workouts. For sparring/partner drills, stick with rattan.

For anyone that hasn't used octagonal, I recommend at least trying it out. It provides a better grip, which makes sense as the hand and fingers is segmented. But don't try it with sparring!)

Besides that, I would also recommend a proportion of around your armlength. The proportion I like is slightly shorter so that when you twirl it horizontally with your arm extended, it will not hit you in the head.

Do the octagonal sticks shock your hands bad? I have started using a uhmw plastic rod for my sticks they work great. they might bend a little bit but you can bend them back into shape.

with a straight stick, yeah - octagonal can hurt. there's definitely more shock on your hands. the shape works with nunchaku because the shock is stopped at the chain.
once more, rattan is the way to go. i started kali 2 months ago, using only rattan and i'm glad that we don't spar with anything stronger. you should see my bruises!

First of all, octagonal sticks are used in Okinawan Nunchaku & Bo. The reason is to cut your opponent w/ the edges. Sai also come in octagonal but they're not considered a "stick". Never saw an octagonal Tonfa - round, half-round & square only.

Baston (escrima/arnis/kali) should feel comfortable in your fist - not too large or small diameter & as long as the length of your relaxed arm from a cupped hand to your arm-pit.

Rattan is best because it's fiberous make-up absorbs the vibration of impact w/ other sticks & it's flexability promotes long life. This helps if you train for long periods. If your purpose is to hit people/animals, a hard wood will work fine. Don't worry about ratan not being hard enough; I've been hit too many times & can testify to its effecess.

As far as I know, bamboo is not advised because it splinters. Bamboo is hollow while ratan is solid. Ratan is a tree "vine" while bamboo is a member of the "grass" family. Select one w/ 3 "nodes" (the connection points between sections) because they're stronger than 2. Sometimes sticks will have phony nodes - burn rings where there are no nodes. 4 nodes are even better & more expensive.

Baston will have either a natural or laquered finish. Natural will be less slippery when hands get sweaty; laquered will protect the stick & last longer. Your preference, your call. Don't be swayed by fancy engraving (dragons), taped ends or swirley burn patterns.

Finally, although I've never used acrylic, I suspect that after much heavy usage, they could shatter! Maybe if you want to look cool in a demo or open tournament weapons forms...