The natives captivated by martial art devised and developed fighting or defensive techniques with sticks on their motherlands as a method of training intended to simulate the swords such as the cavalry sabre or cutlass. In the USA during the early years of the 1900s, fencer, self-defense specialist and military engineer Andrew Chase Cunningham developed a unique system of stick-fighting using a walking stick, which he recorded in his book The Cane as a Weapon.

Single-stick was a popular pastime in the UK from the 18th to the early 20th century and was an event at the Summer Olympics 1904. With the passage of time, despite the interest in the art declined but competitions in stick-fighting was re-introduced into the Royal Navy in the 1980s by commander Locker Madden. The art continued to gain a following amongst the martial art community in the UK, Australia, Canada and the US.

The origins of Martial Art are lost in antiquity but its purpose was primarily of self-defense. All martial arts on the globe shares a common root with other stick-fighting arts such as Stick-Fighting (USA), Arnis/Eskrima/Kali (Philippines), Gatka and Kalaripayattu (Indian), Singlestick (UK), Quarterstaff (European), Garrote Larense (Venezuelan), Stockfechten & Dussack (German), Kendo (Japanese) and Jogo do Pau or Juego del Palo (Portuguese), Donga/Sagenai (Ethopia), Intonga (South Africa), Bataireacht (Ireland), Aontroim Bataireacht (Canada, USA, Germany), etc. It is believed that Latin American & European stick-fighting arts were influenced by Indian dances or Indian martial arts.

The Baton Francais, also known as French stick-fighting, is a European historical fencing discipline which uses a staff about 1.2 m long (4 ft). The techniques have much in common with Long-sword and Quarterstaff. The Baton Francais was systematized in France during the 19th century and is still part of a set of skills associated with the modern French martial art of Boxe Franaise (Savate).

Canne de Combat is also a French martial art. As weapon, it uses a cane or canne (walking-stick) designed for fighting. Canne de Combat was developed in the early 19th century as a self-defense discipline and standardized in the 1970s for sporting competition. It is still being practiced by French military and police forces.

Latin America also has its share of martial arts devoted to stick-fighting like Jogo do Pau (Portuguese) martial art focusing on the use of a staff of fixed measures and characteristics. El Juego del Garrote or Garrote Larense is a Venezuelan martial art that involves machete, garrote, and knife fencing.

Eskrima/Arnis/Kali is the traditional martial art of the Philippines, which emphasize weapon-based fighting with sticks, knives and other bladed weapons, and various improvised weapons. Knowledge of the Filipino fighting skills is mandatory in the Philippine military and police.