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