“It’s the Stick, buddy!” refers to grabbing your opponent’s cane instead of his hand or wrist, as illustrated in the video below.

If you are not able to view this video, click here.

As pointed out in this video, a common mistake among beginners is not grabbing the stick. Instead, some grab the hand or wrist area, leading to a lost opportunity and a lack of control over the opponent’s cane.

By grabbing the cane, the player can gain a positional advantage over the opponent.

On the other hand, if you grab your opponent’s hand or wrist, you do not have complete control. Try this on a training partner. You will find that they can still rotate their wrist and utilize their cane, even if it’s limited. In other words, they can still hurt you.

By grabbing the cane, you have stolen the lead!

By grabbing your opponent’s stick, you have stolen the lead. Once you have the lead, you can hit your opponent with the cane or lock him up. Further, you are in a position for a sweep, a takedown, or even a finishing blow.

Remember: “It’s the Stick, buddy!”