Simply put, Jogo do pau is a form of combat with a walking staff as a weapon.
(Jogo do pau in the 40s)
It was practiced in Portugal, out of necessity, until early 20th century due to the lack of policing in rural areas, and thereafter, traditional groups carried on practicing out of enjoyment. Nowadays, pushed back with all modern sports and activities it still survives with the same characteristics and forms of practice that were common in the 19th century and aback.
The weapon used
The weapon is a simple walking staff, about the size of a man, while sizes can vary a little bit it is never much shorter than shoulder hight, and never much taller than total hight of a standing man.
Forms of fencing
There are two major forms of practice in jogo do pau:
One against one, where two opponents face each other, this is the most common practice in all other forms of fencing;
Outnumbered combat, where one person tries to fence off multiple opponents. This form of practice was the most useful in rural areas, because it was common for people to be assaulted, and while it is very hard to defeat multiple opponents, it is a way to keep them away, to be able to run away or get help later.
(Practice of outnumbered combat)
Groups in the city
While this is inherently a rural practice, it is also practiced in some cities as a form of sportive activity, while preserving the vitality of it's origins. It has a long tradition in the capital, initially brought to the city by rural workers that moved to work there and later continued as part of gymnasium classes and in schools.
(Jogo do pau in the early 20th century in the city of Lisbon.)
(Jogo do pau in the 30s and in schools nowadays)
