Great lesson! Throughout your books of staff and stick fighting I finally understood the logic behind the fight with these weapons and I need to train more the asterisk pattern. I concluded Kung Fu and your books opened my mind and added a great knowledge to my training. Thank you!
I have been training staff for years. These techniques are foundations. Good for new people. My guess is that Joe has a lot of years, too. I believe that there are more videos to come. Learning something new or getting back to basics is never a bad thing. If you think you can not gain from something old or new well, you must be a great source of knowledge ,or one would hope. I hope I never stop learning.
I've always wondered when people fight with a staff when they make contact with the other person staff why they don't just slide right down that staff and hit his hand or his fingers or something it just seems to me that that would be pretty much a deal ender and I never have understood.
So do you assume that they didn't know their own weak points? They do, and they'll do everything to defend themselves from such strikes. These are moves to disarm your opponent
@@loooopeytunes there's a big difference between my ego and the ego of a master I'm not going to tell you something that looks like it could get your fingers broken just that quick unless I mention it. I guess they know something they aren't telling me and that's all right I don't really need to worship.
@@markmcgoveran6811 That's why grabbing the quarterstaff in the middle to start the engagement is bogus. Grab the staff close to the butt end and beneath the first third, then your opponent has to get past your staff first in order to slap your hands while you can threaten him with yours. If you grab your staff like that and he grabs his by the middle, slap his hands, nothing he can do about it because he can't reach you. And a good thwack will definitely break unprotected hands.
@@Nala15-Artist I don't have much of a picture of me running into a guy walking along with the staff maybe me with a cane. You don't generally run into a stick much. I would never train to hit someone in the head. Too many fatalities and I don't want to be defending something like that in court if I end up getting arrested. Having all that reach is great if you don't mind striking first. I think a guy with a cane is in good shape if a dog would get after him. Most of all, it's like a fire extinguisher you can carry it with you anywhere. If you were carrying a pair of nunchucks and hit somebody with him there's a question as to why you had those with you if you didn't look for it. I greatly appreciate the honest sincere comeback trying to share something with me I'll bring I'll remember it for a long time
Mmm... You have a long range weapon but u are gripping so it can be used only in short distance combat... Where a sward would be more effective.... 🤔 sorry a bit confusing.
Exactly the point! The middle grip allows one to attack at a closer range and with both ends of the weapon. If your opponent is in extended grip, he can only engage with one end and only at long range. Therefore, he's momentarily handicapped when you pass his tip and close the gap. I explain it all in the book, but here is a video that further illustrates the point: ruclips.net/video/VY0yMD06wDk/видео.html
I get why somebody might consider middle grip better for close quarters, but in all honesty a traditional quarter staff grip offers the butt end close up, while allowing seamless transition in and out of range with nothing but a step. You see this in the Joachim Meyer and Talhoffer (German fencing masters) treatises. The main advantage of a quarter grip is not even range, it’s dexterity and power generation. The strength of a pole arm over swords and like weapons is the ability to move quickly between widely spaced targets with small movements by the wielder. That means the opponent has to work hard just to keep up and stay on the defense. As far as power generation, a staff is a blunt weapon, nothing but a sturdy lever. A longer lever means more force, so much so that the traditional 8 foot ash wood staff is literally too dangerous to spar with, regardless of protective equipment. That level of force generation could pulverize knuckles, crack a skull, etc, and ultimately end a fight in a single hit. A strike from middle grip is very comparable to a solid punch; effective, but not typically a bone-breaker. Lastly, and more of a side note, middle grip lends itself to parries, but quarter staff creates what swordfighters call a “cone of defense” starting at the forward tip, spreading outward towards the wielder. The length of the staff actually protects the wielder’s hands, body and face with relative ease, even without taking the point offline and sacrificing the ability to thrust. When the point does come offline, this can be treated as complete disengagement, creating space for the wielder, keeping vulnerable targets like the hands safe out of reach, and providing the threat of a cocked weapon ready to be swung at any opening that presents itself. Lastly, the extended length of a quarterstaff grip allows for deflecting and winding rather than the static parries of middle grip. Winding can turn a defensive swing or parry into an attack in the same instant. Anyway, middle guard translates well from unarmed techniques, but quarterstaff incorporates all the advantages of spears and other pole weapons, clubs and other blunt weapon mechanics, and other tactics employed by fencers both modern and historical.
Out of interest, what system is this based on? I'm specifically interested in the methodology behind the "Middle" grip. I'm currently working through some European Staff fighting techniques and a major difference that I'm spotting between a lot of other staff systems is that the grip is far back on the staff (so the techniques are transferable to weapons such as the Halberd). This also puts a lot of space between yourself and your opponent so I'd be interested to hear why some styles limit the reach on what can be a very long range weapon. Like the stuff by the way :)
Good questions! First, I took a fresh look and built the program from the ground up with no regard to system. You'll see techniques all over; from the English quarterstaff to the Japanese Bo. Second, the middle grip allows one to attack at a closer range, and if your opponent is in extended grip, he's momentarily handicapped. I explain it all in the book, but here is a video that further illustrates the point: ruclips.net/video/VY0yMD06wDk/видео.html
@@JoeVarady the closer you can come to an ADA rated hickory walking cane the likelier it is you can go anywhere in the world with it and if you have it with you when you need it, it's the best tool for the job I guarantee. All that stuff you left at the gym or at home that you train with doesn't do you much good in a situation where you had your cane because you're old and you're crippled and you're crying about it.
I've been looking at your books on staff and stick fighting to expand up my knowledge of stick arts (Aikido Jo techniques have been my primary exposure to stick arts) thank you so much for making these videos. Now I am off to buy the books!
For beginners do the movements more slowly. I will keep playing until I get it all but I don't pick up fast enough to find the video all that useful. Spending my time pausing and restarting too much. So a great video for those that don't need it.
Great lesson! Throughout your books of staff and stick fighting I finally understood the logic behind the fight with these weapons and I need to train more the asterisk pattern. I concluded Kung Fu and your books opened my mind and added a great knowledge to my training. Thank you!
You are very welcome.
I am happy that you found it helpful!
I have been training staff for years. These techniques are foundations. Good for new people. My guess is that Joe has a lot of years, too. I believe that there are more videos to come. Learning something new or getting back to basics is never a bad thing. If you think you can not gain from something old or new well, you must be a great source of knowledge ,or one would hope. I hope I never stop learning.
@@kensomers8936 Yes, this is a basic lesson. My complete series has 9 Levels.
I've always wondered when people fight with a staff when they make contact with the other person staff why they don't just slide right down that staff and hit his hand or his fingers or something it just seems to me that that would be pretty much a deal ender and I never have understood.
So do you assume that they didn't know their own weak points? They do, and they'll do everything to defend themselves from such strikes. These are moves to disarm your opponent
@@loooopeytunes there's a big difference between my ego and the ego of a master I'm not going to tell you something that looks like it could get your fingers broken just that quick unless I mention it. I guess they know something they aren't telling me and that's all right I don't really need to worship.
@@markmcgoveran6811 That's why grabbing the quarterstaff in the middle to start the engagement is bogus. Grab the staff close to the butt end and beneath the first third, then your opponent has to get past your staff first in order to slap your hands while you can threaten him with yours. If you grab your staff like that and he grabs his by the middle, slap his hands, nothing he can do about it because he can't reach you. And a good thwack will definitely break unprotected hands.
@@Nala15-Artist I don't have much of a picture of me running into a guy walking along with the staff maybe me with a cane. You don't generally run into a stick much. I would never train to hit someone in the head. Too many fatalities and I don't want to be defending something like that in court if I end up getting arrested. Having all that reach is great if you don't mind striking first. I think a guy with a cane is in good shape if a dog would get after him. Most of all, it's like a fire extinguisher you can carry it with you anywhere. If you were carrying a pair of nunchucks and hit somebody with him there's a question as to why you had those with you if you didn't look for it. I greatly appreciate the honest sincere comeback trying to share something with me I'll bring I'll remember it for a long time
Thanks
You are very welcome.
I am happy that you found it helpful!
@@JoeVarady ok thanks,maybe you can give me number your mobile, because I want to know more about your community's martial arts.
Great Moves.
Thank you, sir!
Mmm... You have a long range weapon but u are gripping so it can be used only in short distance combat... Where a sward would be more effective.... 🤔 sorry a bit confusing.
Exactly the point! The middle grip allows one to attack at a closer range and with both ends of the weapon. If your opponent is in extended grip, he can only engage with one end and only at long range. Therefore, he's momentarily handicapped when you pass his tip and close the gap. I explain it all in the book, but here is a video that further illustrates the point: ruclips.net/video/VY0yMD06wDk/видео.html
I get why somebody might consider middle grip better for close quarters, but in all honesty a traditional quarter staff grip offers the butt end close up, while allowing seamless transition in and out of range with nothing but a step. You see this in the Joachim Meyer and Talhoffer (German fencing masters) treatises.
The main advantage of a quarter grip is not even range, it’s dexterity and power generation. The strength of a pole arm over swords and like weapons is the ability to move quickly between widely spaced targets with small movements by the wielder. That means the opponent has to work hard just to keep up and stay on the defense.
As far as power generation, a staff is a blunt weapon, nothing but a sturdy lever. A longer lever means more force, so much so that the traditional 8 foot ash wood staff is literally too dangerous to spar with, regardless of protective equipment. That level of force generation could pulverize knuckles, crack a skull, etc, and ultimately end a fight in a single hit. A strike from middle grip is very comparable to a solid punch; effective, but not typically a bone-breaker.
Lastly, and more of a side note, middle grip lends itself to parries, but quarter staff creates what swordfighters call a “cone of defense” starting at the forward tip, spreading outward towards the wielder. The length of the staff actually protects the wielder’s hands, body and face with relative ease, even without taking the point offline and sacrificing the ability to thrust. When the point does come offline, this can be treated as complete disengagement, creating space for the wielder, keeping vulnerable targets like the hands safe out of reach, and providing the threat of a cocked weapon ready to be swung at any opening that presents itself.
Lastly, the extended length of a quarterstaff grip allows for deflecting and winding rather than the static parries of middle grip. Winding can turn a defensive swing or parry into an attack in the same instant.
Anyway, middle guard translates well from unarmed techniques, but quarterstaff incorporates all the advantages of spears and other pole weapons, clubs and other blunt weapon mechanics, and other tactics employed by fencers both modern and historical.
Good analysis! Almost sounds like you read my book. You should check it out. I cover almost everything you mention in the chapters on extended grip.
Out of interest, what system is this based on? I'm specifically interested in the methodology behind the "Middle" grip. I'm currently working through some European Staff fighting techniques and a major difference that I'm spotting between a lot of other staff systems is that the grip is far back on the staff (so the techniques are transferable to weapons such as the Halberd). This also puts a lot of space between yourself and your opponent so I'd be interested to hear why some styles limit the reach on what can be a very long range weapon.
Like the stuff by the way :)
Varady uses both technique; in his book, he talks about how and why to transition from one to the other.
Good questions! First, I took a fresh look and built the program from the ground up with no regard to system. You'll see techniques all over; from the English quarterstaff to the Japanese Bo. Second, the middle grip allows one to attack at a closer range, and if your opponent is in extended grip, he's momentarily handicapped. I explain it all in the book, but here is a video that further illustrates the point: ruclips.net/video/VY0yMD06wDk/видео.html
I think only Scottish use half staff
@@tonymontana3949 All staff systems worth their salt should include half-staffing to fight at closer quarters.
@@JoeVarady the closer you can come to an ADA rated hickory walking cane the likelier it is you can go anywhere in the world with it and if you have it with you when you need it, it's the best tool for the job I guarantee. All that stuff you left at the gym or at home that you train with doesn't do you much good in a situation where you had your cane because you're old and you're crippled and you're crying about it.
I've been looking at your books on staff and stick fighting to expand up my knowledge of stick arts (Aikido Jo techniques have been my primary exposure to stick arts) thank you so much for making these videos. Now I am off to buy the books!
@sevynn3970
How has your training been going?
I didn't know about the cds! I ordered all three. Thank you so much for making them.
You are quite welcome, thank YOU for ordering!
Ok, that was cool
Awesome!
Just ordered the DVDs!
I really hope you like them!
❤❤❤
Master Varady, could you post a video about figure 8? It would help a lot.
P.S. Your book is awesome.
Here's one: ruclips.net/video/ZlSOICQdz5o/видео.html
Here's another: ruclips.net/video/0uLJ6gjn4-s/видео.html
For beginners do the movements more slowly. I will keep playing until I get it all but I don't pick up fast enough to find the video all that useful. Spending my time pausing and restarting too much. So a great video for those that don't need it.
Thanks for the feedback. You can use the settings to slow the video speed and buy the book for a more complete explanation.
What do you call this style of fighting? I just started and I'm really enjoying it but when I tell people about it, I just confuse them.
I find that styles often separate us as practitioners, so tried to avoid creating a style. This is just staff fighting, pure and simple.
fantastic ,where can i learn more
You can check out the first 80 pages of my book The Art and Science of Staff Fighting for FREE at Google Books!
It is also available on Amazon.
I have found this video very helpful as a supplement to your book.
Thank you, Tom! I am hoping to do a companion DVD sometime soon.
I would definitely buy it. Your book alone has been a great help in organizing my staff work.
@@hamprp1 I now have complete video series available for all my books!
Estou aprendendo isso Eu tenho um pouco de dificuldade
Just got your book on staff fighting and the one on stick fighting is due to arrive tomorrow. These videos are a very helpful compliment to the books.
Thank you! The complete staff fighting video series covers the entire book, plus a little extra!
Me: using number 6 on my future kid.
Love your book! I use it to complement my staff fighting class. Thanks for the videos!
You are very welcome!
2:43
Is that staff 6 feet long ?
Yes, sir, it is. The same techniques still work well with a jo (4' staff) or longer pole.
Joe Varady thanks