Wpxmer 2 Pack Foam Rubber Training Sticks—Totally Playroom, Not Dojo

First glance at the Wpxmer foam sticks and you might think, “Hey, perfect! No one’s leaving practice with a black eye!” That’s about right—but you’re also not leaving with much more than the same skills you started with if you’re anywhere past your first class.

Look, these things are harmless and kind of fun in a way that only totally soft gear can be. Their foam wrap means your living room sparring session won’t end in disaster (unless your lamp is in the splash zone, in which case…good luck). If you’re wrangling a group of overexcited kids or keeping brand-new students from knocking each other’s teeth out, you’ll appreciate how these sticks basically come with panic insurance. The short size fits little hands, and they pack away easy—stash them in a gym bag, under a car seat, whatever.

But if your plan is anything remotely grown-up—meaning you want a stick that won’t shred after a few uses or flop around like a rejected pool toy—you’ll want to walk on by. Under the foam, there’s a cheap plastic core. Except, don’t expect it to stay hidden: it has this charming habit of poking out like a broken bone. A few smacks in, and it starts getting sharp. Not a big deal for gentle tapping, but the minute you turn up the intensity, you’re taping them back together and wishing you just spent a little more on something with a proper finish.

Now let’s talk swing—because, frankly, these don’t. There’s no ball-bearing movement, just stringy, awkward resistance, and that makes anything resembling real weapon work feel like flailing with an overcooked burrito. They’re light as a feather, which is fabulous…unless you care about timing, feedback, or actually landing techniques with intent. The construction just doesn’t let you drill at speed or build any reliable skill past “basic safety with foam objects.”

Durability? For little kids, okay. For teens or adults, not so much. Lay into these things, and the foam loses shape, cracks at the ends, and exposes more plastic core than you ever wanted. Tape can only do so much, and most folks will just call it quits and find something that’s meant for martial arts—not slapstick.

If safety and non-destructive play are your top priorities, sure, you’re covered. They’re fantastic for five-minutes-of-fun sessions or giving the youngest in your crew a taste of martial arts basics without actual risk. But as a real training tool? Not happening. Plenty of better options exist that actually hold together and let you advance your skills.

Bottom line: If you want something to occupy kids and avoid hospital visits, toss them in your cart. For any kind of skill-building, technical drilling, or long-term use? Nope, not for you. There’s a reason you never see these at a real gym: they’re built for play, not progress. Spend a little more and get something that lasts longer than a Wednesday afternoon.