Rattan, a type of vine in the Philippines, is the most common material for sticks and staves. Hard and durable, yet light weight, it can be fire hardened. It shreds under only the worst abuse and will not splinter like other woods do - thus making it a safe training tool. This aspect also makes it useful in defending against blades. Kamagong (Ironwood) is also sometimes used, but generally not for sparring, as it is dense enough to cause serious injury, although traditionally sparring does not include weapon to body contact; The participants are skilled enough to parry/counterstrike, showing respect in not intentionally hitting the training partner. Other sticks used for training and for some duels are made of hardwood, such as bahi (heart of the palm), molave or kamagong (ebony) that is burned and hardened. They can also be made out of aluminum or other metals, or modern high-impact plastics. The newest in design material is graphite which allows for fast moving techniques because of its light weight and they also come in different colors. For training and sparring, there are foam rubber sticks to protect against accidental injury. Eskrima sticks are made in many sizes depending on the system and the respective ranges being trained. Common lengths range from 6" to 96", with the most common ranging from 26" to 28".
Many believe these Philippine fighting systems have strong historical roots from Indonesian martial arts that are Chinese influenced like Kun Tao. Kun Tao (literally the way of the fist) of course finds its roots from Ch'uan Fa (which is a generic word for what westerners would call kung fu, it also literally means way of the fist). Other systems that have similar movements to many Filipino systems also find their roots from Ch'uan Fa. There are even counts of lost Ch'uan and Tai Chi double stick forms that many of the fleeing renegade monks would have trained for in that period.
A baton (from batôn, the French for stick) or truncheon (nightstick or billy-club in American English) is essentially a stick of less than arms-length, usually made of wood, plastic, or metal, and carried by law enforcement, correctional, riot control, and security personnel for non-lethal self-defense or combat situations. A baton is used to strike, jab, block, and aid in the application of armlocks.
An expandable baton or telescopic baton or telescope baton is an intermediate-force weapon often carried by law enforcement and security professionals, used to gain control over violent subjects. The expandable baton typically comprises a cylindrical shaft that contains telescoping metal pieces that lock into each other when expanded, and a solid metal tip at the end of the extended shaft. When swung, the extended baton can cause substantial damage because of the high kinetic energy imparted by its solid metal tip upon striking a surface. Most strikes are done on large muscle areas of the subject to avoid permanent injury. Expandable batons come in various sizes, including 16, 22, and 26 inches when extended. The purpose of a collapsible baton is threefold:
- The collapsible shaft makes it easier for the officer to carry it and to sit in a car seat wearing it, since when collapsed it is between six and ten inches long.
- The baton can be psychologically intimidating to an aggressive suspect upon seeing and hearing the baton being extended.
- Many police administrators think that it presents a more peaceful image to the general public than the regular non-collapsible baton.