Rattan

From MartialTalk Online Martial Arts Encyclopedia Project

Rattan (from the Malay rotan), is the name for the roughly six hundred species of palms in the tribe Calameae, native to tropical regions of Africa, Asia and Australasia. Most rattans are distinct from other palms in having slender stems 2-5 cm diameter with long internodes between the leaves; their consequent growth habit also differs, not being trees but vine-like, scrambling through and over other vegetation. They are also superficially similar to bamboo, but distinct in that the stems are solid, rather than hollow, and also in their need for some sort of support; while bamboo can grow on its own, rattan cannot. Some genera (e.g. Metroxylon, Pigafetta, Raphia) are however more like typical palms, with stouter, erect trunks. Many rattans are also spiny, the spines acting as hooks to aid climbing over other plants, and also to deter herbivores.

Uses

Rattans are extensively used for making furniture and baskets. This makes it a potential tool in forest maintenance, since it provides a profitable crop that depends on rather than replaces trees. Whether it can be as profitable or useful as the alternatives, however, remains to be seen.

Cut into sections, rattan can be used as wood to make furniture. Rattan accepts paints and stains like wood, so it is available in many colours; and it can be worked into many styles. Due to its durability, sections of rattan can be used as staves or canes for martial arts or caning people, a form of punishment still popular in many countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei. Moreover, the inner core can be separated and worked into wicker.

The fruit of some rattans exudes a red resin called dragon's blood. This resin was thought to have medicinal properties in antiquity and was also used as a dye for violins, among other things [1]. The resin normally results in a wood with a light peach hue.

Rattan canes are also commonly used in the Filipino Martial Arts as a training tool. The canes so made are lighter and softer than the hardwood canes that would be used in actual combat, resist splintering, and better absorb the vibrations produced by the clashing of the canes (rather than transmitting those to the practitioner's arm), yet they are still durable.

External Links

Rattan entry at Wikipedia