Stickfighting - Garrote Canario

[wikidbounce]

These guys look like their having so much fun. There's a real energy to this style which is really engaging to watch.

From what I've read the Canary Island has around twelve major stick fighting systems/styles. Does anyone know how these styles differ from each other?

[Chili Pepper]

That was an excellent clip.

The Canary Island staff work I've seen previously was all single-ended (more pool cue style), and didn't have the intricacies of the stuff in that video.

That would be marvelous stuff to learn.

[Permalost]

Very cool! Looks like it doubles as a little vaulting pole for weird terrain.

[DdlR]

From what I've read the Canary Island has around twelve major stick fighting systems/styles. Does anyone know how these styles differ from each other?

This article explains the differences - http://ejmas.com/jwma/articles/2000/...wolf_0500.html .

[DdlR]

Very cool! Looks like it doubles as a little vaulting pole for weird terrain.

That's salto del pastor (the shepherd's leap) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salto_del_pastor .

[wikidbounce]

This article explains the differences - http://ejmas.com/jwma/articles/2000/...wolf_0500.html .

Great article with lots of informaton, here's some excerpts about the Estilo (styles) and Juego (games).

The Styles

ESTILO DENIZ

The Deniz style is a game of rich and varied techniques. Deniz jugadores generally play from a high guard, and follow the defensive principle of Atajado Pleno, complete interception of the attacking technique. The style features fast combinations of circular strikes (palos) and linear thrusts (puntas), and is characterized by precision targeting of attacks to areas including the eyes, groin and ears. The Deniz style features continuous changes between the Juego Corto (close-range game) and the Juego Largo (long-range game), and employs a variety of defensive body shifting strategies including Esquiva (evasion), Vacio (emptying) and Desvio (deflection).

ESTILO MORALES

The Morales style is principally played at close range, although unlike most other Juego Corto styles it emphasizes the Juego de Recogidos (circular game) rather than the Juego de Trezo y Punta (game of strikes and thrusts).

ESTILO VERGA

The Verga style is habitually played as Juego Cerrado (a closed game), fighting at great speed from a high guard, with relatively few changes of guard position. Typical techniques include Ataje Contrario (blocking by opposition), Atajado Medio (close range strikes) and Cambiadas (techniques involving crossing the hands at the wrists).

ESTILO ACOSTA

The Acosta style is described by its practitioners as Palo Corto (short stick, i.e., close range), to differentiate it from the other styles of Tenerife, which they call Palo Largo (long stick, i.e., long range). Among its unique characteristics are that Acosta jugadores tend to grip their sticks in the centre, and frequently employ jumps in order to displace their bodies in defense and outmaneuver their opponents guard in attack. Acosta attacks are typically initiated from a low guard position.

Defensive techniques with the stick are generally Atajo Pleno (oppositional blocks), passing the stick between a variety of low frontal guard positions.

ESTILO QUINTERO

The style is practiced within a small but dedicated group of jugadores. Characteristically gripping the stick at the point of greatest diameter, they play from a high guard position, generally at long range. The game is fast and closed, typical of the Atajado Pleno type, with few evasive techniques. Close range thrusts and circular strikes at long range predominate, passing the stick through various high guard positions without crossing the hands.

ESTILO VIDAL

The style is played predominantly, though not exclusively, at close range. Defense is based upon Esquiva (evasion). Vidal jugadores rarely cross their hands at close range, although the cruzando las manos (crossed hands technique) is employed at long range. Traditionally the stick is held at the thicker end in recreational sparring, and at the thinner end in combat.


ESTILO CONFIERO

The Juego Corto y Agachado (close and bent game) predominates, with both attacks and defenses being initiated from a low guard. Defense is usually achieved through parries of opposition, although deflections are not unknown.

The Confiero style is unique in its strategy of Ataque-Atajado-Contra, which can be loosely translated as "counterattacking the counterattack".

JUEGO DEL GARROTE

Traditionally there were some subtle distinctions between games played in different provinces, but the modern game has tended to synthesize these variations into a single common style. Juego del Garrote is a game of frontal confrontation, with few lateral shifts or deflection techniques. It combines long and close range combat techniques as required. Imbalancing techniques, in which the staff is used to entangle an opponent's limbs or to press against their torso so as to cause them to fall, are also characteristic of Juego del Garrote. These techniques are common to all traditional Palo Canario systems, but are most developed within Juego del Garrote because the length of the staff is thought to facilitate their execution.

Modern practitioners of this style change hands frequently, playing an Abierto (open) game in which attacks and defenses are applied from both sides, although traditional players did not do so, playing a closed game of greater speed and simplicity.


JUEGO DE LA LATA

Juego de la Lata is played as a frontal confrontation, with few evasive techniques. It is a closed game, with players align="justify" seldom changing hands or orientation, incorporating circular and linear techniques as required.

This style is characterized by spectacular circular strikes and cuts, and by the disarming and imbalancing techniques which are common to most palo grande styles.

[wikidbounce]

Budo International has some instructional DVDs featuring Canary islands staff styles.

http://www.budointernational.net/130-palo