Jogo do Pau (very roughly, ‘game of sticks’) comes to us from Portugal, home of Henry the Navigator and fine Port wine. This art, which typically employs a 5 foot (1.5m) to 6 foot (1.8m) long stick, appears to have originated largely in rural areas, particularly in the north (Minho and Trás-os-Montes), where the stick was used for travelling, self defence and the settling of disputes and affairs of honour in village challenges. In the 19th and early 20th century, Jogo do Pau was brought to Lisbon and developed along slightly different lines to the existing ‘Game of the North’ which retained its famous and distinctive focus on combat against multiple opponents.
Continue reading on The Art and Science od Longstick
