Juego del palo or banot (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈxweɣo ðel ˈpalo], game of the stick; Guanche: banod) is a traditional martial art/folk sport of stick-fighting practiced in the Canary Islands.Though similar stick fighting techniques are present in the Iberian peninsula (e.g. Portuguese and Galician jogo do pau), the origins of juego del palo may be traced back to the Guanches, the indigenous people of the Canary Islands in pre-colonial times during the early 15th century.[citation needed] A Spanish engineer named Leonardo Torriani wrote a history of the Canary Islands in 1590 and included a record of early juego del palo, accompanied by an illustration of two Guanche warriors performing a type of ritual combat with short staves in a small arena.Juego del palo is now a popular sports activity in the Canaries and has been the subject of considerable academic interest[citation needed] as well, with a number of professional conferences having been held at local universities to investigate the history, culture, and technique of the art.No protective equipment is worn in traditional juego del palo; safety is maintained through the skilled control of attacks, which are restrained rather than being made with full force upon the opponent's body.