January staff curriculum

This month we are working on staff technique. I will be teaching off this rough outline.

Basics

  • Weapon familiarity: different grips, passing from one side to the other, left lead, right lead
  • While pacing
  • Making a zoned hit to a target, immediately after a pass and within the rhythm of the footwork
  • Passing step with hit
  • Body drop on the hit
  • Follow up with stab after the hit
  • Partner line drill: Feeder grips with inside hand within about 5” of end of staff. Offers other hand as target. Worker pushes body-connected stabs to hand target, while feeder stabilizes the end. Worker should body-align to the feeder (not a sideways stance)
  • Combine the above with free movement. Feeder maintains arm structure and moves with worker. Worker can power in a rolled hit plus stab. Feeder stabilizes.

Hitting from various starting positions

  • With end forward
  • With end to the side and low
  • Carried single-handed, with end over shoulder

Target-hitting

  • Hit + stab, maintaining pressure during the stab
    • Do from left leg forward, pass through with right foot on hit
  • Feeder holds buckler. Hitter stabs to buckler. Three-person drill. Work accuracy of staff stabs.
    • Also work variation with strike followed by stab. Figure out how to feed this safely.

Play 1

  • Worker hits with passing step
  • Feeder parries with counter-hit
  • Worker presses in and stabs. Slide lead hand up the staff and shorten the end to increase leverage
  • If the worker over-powers and crowds the feeder, then feeder can pass with left foot and butt strike… if staff is threatening, lift it up or duck under it
  • Worker can counter the counter with another butt strike. Or, pass the foot back and repeat the hit, or slip the staff out and stab.

Play 2

This has the longer-distance response whereby the feeder loads the tip with crossing pressure. The worker can just raise the tip and double the hit.

  • Worker hits with passing step
  • Feeder high-parries near the tip with too much side pressure
  • Worker releases with push-pull motion, passes left and double-hits

Drills

  • Drill any of the above pressure responses in a repeating pattern, with feeder retreating each time
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