The 2nd annual Stick Fighting competition was held in Karang Asem Water Palace from Sept. 24-27. BIMC Hospital Group supported the event as the official medical sponsor providing a medic team and ambulance standby.
Stick Fighting is quickly catching on in Bali. The sport originated from traditional martial arts where combatants fight with hardened rattan canes. It is suggested that historically the art came from India eventually introduced to the Philippines and SE Asia.
In modern sporting competitions two athletes wear body protection and compete in full contact fighting events using either single or double sticks made from rattan. The competitors wear heavily padded helmets with neck protection and metal face grills, heavily padded jackets, elbow and forearm protection, gloves as well as thigh and knee protection.
