In a variety of different societies, treating the sword as a weapon has been a privilege of the royals and warriors. Common people did not have access to such weaponry, so they had to find some alternative ways, such as hand-to-hand combat or using common tools. One of such disciplines is a well-known martial art karate (“with bare hands” from Japanese) developed in Okinawa; or in a similar time frame Kobudo, fighting style using only a sickle. There are a lot more styles that use similar objects or tools, such as sticks, clappers, etc. These were the weapons used by common farmers or fishermen when confronted with the samurais equipped with katanas or other arms. In Portugal, local people developed a fighting style using a staff, which they could buy everywhere. The style became known as Jogo do Pau, which mean game, but in this context, the meaning is closer to “technical skills” or “wielding”.
In the XX century, Jogo do Pau has still been popular throughout whole Portugal, especially in the north during various festivals and events. The duels could take the form of one against one clashes or one against many. The participants from the north were called “puxadores” while the participants who travelled from one event to another winning every match in order to prove their worth were called “varredores de feiras”. Master Monteiro, originating in Fafe region, said that when his father had been young, there were two villages, which took part in the Sunday Mass in the same chapel. It was a part of the tradition for everyone to hold their staffs above their heads for everyone to see while kneeling during the Mass. After the ceremony, staffs were used for fighting, which has often happened after trivial disputes between the young members of two villages. Such skirmishes were solved with the use of the staff but were not deprived of rules. They had to honour the ethic code, which prohibited fighting with a laying man or a man without his staff.
In Lisbon, since XIX century, Jogo do Pau has been practised in an unconventional way, developed on the streets of the capital city or clubs such as Ateneu Comercial de Lisboa or Real Gymnasium, where Jogo do Pau is still being practised. Two great schools were established, their techniques, history and social principles varied: Escola do Norte and Escola de Lisboa (also practised in Ribatejo and Extremadura). The latter one developed a series of innovative techniques and was less focused on the confrontation with an opponent.
There were a number of Jogo do Pau masters in different regions of Portugal, including António Nunes Caçador, Frederico Hopffer, Júlio Hopffer, Joaquim Baú, Calado Campos, Chula, Custódio Neves, Pedro Ferreira, Elias Gameiro, Nuno Russo or Manuel Monteiro. Master Pedro Ferreira (March 26th, 1915 – September 24th, 1996) became very important person for the technical development and history of Jogo do Pau, by fusing Escola do Norte and Escola de Lisboa. A lot of contemporary teachers had been his students in the past. He gave Jogo do Pau the image of the art that is being practised one’s whole life and has been considered to be one of the greatest masters of Jogo do Pau.