I think the trainers are intentionally more whippy, less likely to land a crippling blow in training. I held a polypro bokken at the CS parking lot sale about 10 years ago, and was surprised at how it felt like stiffened pool noodle. It wouldn't have been nice to get hit with it, but it felt in no way equal to a wooden bokken. A few years later I hefted the CS African walking stick based on the knobkerrie, and it was much stiffer, more solid, and about as subtle as a baseball bat--no sale. I eventually did get a dragon cane, and I do use it as a walking stick for fun or as an actual cane when barometric pressure changes make my knee cranky. The shaft doesn't flex or bend in use. It is actually my preferred stick for knocking around in the rain since it's waterproof and is so thick that it takes a huge tip, resulting in good stability. But for some reason they left all sorts of sharp edges on the teeth of the dragon's head, which is the part you actually hold when using it as a walking support. Although it's an easy fix, it certainly gives you a "what the hell were they thinking" moment the first time you actually put some weight on it.
