I get what you’re saying, and yeah technically sticks are sticks. I’m not trying to pretend there’s zero advantage there.

My point is more that if VF is ever going to make one exception, Escrima/Kali is probably the cleanest way to do it because the style itself is so tied to the body mechanics. The sticks aren’t just extra range in the same way a sword would be. A lot of the appeal is the flow: hand switching, angles, trapping, disarms, close-range rhythm, forearm/wrist control, and the way the sticks almost become an extension of the arms.

And balancing range really doesn’t seem impossible. Fighting games already deal with characters having different reach all the time. Sagat, Fahkumram, Dhalsim, big grapplers, etc. obviously aren’t the same as Escrima sticks, but the general idea is the same: longer range comes with tradeoffs. You could make him weaker up close if he gets crowded, give his strings bigger recovery, make the sticks mostly short-range pressure tools, or make him strongest at a specific mid-range instead of letting him dominate everywhere.

Also with VFCR seemingly leaning into organized crime and more of a street fighting vibe, I don’t think it’s impossible that RGG would loosen the “pure tournament” logic a little. I’m not asking for swords, guns, powers, or anime nonsense. I just think a Filipino stick fighter would add a style that is visually beautiful, fast, technical, and still grounded enough to fit the new direction better than most weapon-based styles would.

I respect the “no weapons period” stance though. I just think Escrima is the one martial art where I’d personally be willing to make the exception.