If you’ve watched World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) programming in recent years, you’ve likely been shocked by the painful-looking “welts” some wrestlers have endured after being attacked with kendo sticks. 

But like everything in pro wrestling, “welts” are not exactly what they seem. 

For decades, a well-kept secret in the wrestling business has been the surreptitious method by which wrestlers actually self-inflict these “welts” to “get color” in a match. 

The process is has many names in wrestling lingo: sticking, a stick-job, bambooing, and “wearing the crimson vest.”

Prior to a match, a wrestler tapes a length of bamboo to his wrist or thumb, or hides it in his tights — or even hidden in the mouth or anus. 

After being “hit” with a kendo stick (no actual contact is made), the “victim” of the attack crumples to the mat. While the referee and his opponent create a distraction, the wrestler lightly thwaps himself on the back with the bamboo, causing the skin to redden. 

To the unsuspecting audience, it appears as if the wrestler has suffered painful welts at the hands of his opponent. But now that you know the secrets of professional wrestling, you won’t be fooled again! 

Leave a Comment