escrima, hapkido, la canne, bartitsu,
I look at it this way: You will not be employing KM when you're over 60 and your bones are becoming brittle. Get good with a cane now, and you'll master something that will serve you til the day you die the death of an old man, middle aged man, or young man.
Well, if you can't "pull it off" socially, then you can't. From a legal standpoint, you can't really even be questioned/challenged on the matter, so you don't have to worry about what the "fuzz" is going to think.I can't even imagine the comments I would get (not to mention extra looks - and I don't want them) if I started walking with any kind of cane
So what do you do if a cop hassles you or tries to confiscate your stick or arrest you for "suspicion of possessing a deadly weapon" or some such nonsense? Do you violently resist him (as per John Bad Elk v. United States) or what? I'm taking a somewhat sarcastic tone and I apologize for that, but it's a serious question. In some places, I fully expect LEOs to abuse my civil rights if they take any notice of me, because they know they'll get away with it....and combined with provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974, means any person asking for "proof" of a disability can cram it, even if they're law enforcement, state or federal.
but people frequently tell me that I look like I'm ready to fistfight a grizzly bear.
That's a good point. IMHO, unless you're willing to spend the money (which I supposed you could win back in a settlement) to fight it in court, the best thing you could do is give up the cane and buy a new one.So what do you do if a cop hassles you or tries to confiscate your stick or arrest you for "suspicion of possessing a deadly weapon" or some such nonsense? Do you violently resist him (as per John Bad Elk v. United States) or what? I'm taking a somewhat sarcastic tone and I apologize for that, but it's a serious question. In some places, I fully expect LEOs to abuse my civil rights if they take any notice of me, because they know they'll get away with it.
Like any other gross violation of your rights, smile, be polite, and then have your lawyer make his (and his department's) life miserable and expensive. And unlike gun rights violations, lawyers LOVE disability-related violations.So what do you do if a cop hassles you or tries to confiscate your stick or arrest you ...
Well, that can be tricky. Generally, no, but all sorts of items with perfectly mundane purposes become considered weapons when USED as weapons. Baseball bats are a great example.is it actually a violation of any law to carry a cane/walking stick solely with self-defense in mind?
Yes, absolutely. Have you never woken up with a sore joint? Well...you're probably young, yet... you WILL. A cane is for making walking easier. A prescription is not required. Since the ADA, the possibility of lawsuits has made the whole topic a bit of a "3rd rail." Questioning your "need" for a cane is not too far off from racist or sexist comments in terms of civil rights violation danger. A public employee knows better than risk anything like that these days.I mean... considering the Americans with Disabilities Act. Can I just say, "I enjoy that it makes walking easier," and leave it at that? Is that legally enough that people can't require me to leave it behind in places where weapons are prohibited?
it's a serious question
Are you walking with it, or swinging it at everybody you meet? (it looks fine to me, but I'm not an expert)What do the experts think of something like this as a walking aid/weapon?
Is this?Are you walking with it, or swinging it at everybody you meet?
What do the experts think of something like this as a walking aid/weapon?
I just grabbed the first picture I saw off Google Images. Obviously I meant a real wood one.Well, its neither wood nor Made in USA if those aspects are important to you.
For what it's worth, trying to stab someone with a knife when they have (and are reasonably adept with) their own contact weapon is somewhere between very risky and suicidal.I started by inviting several perticipants to try and "stab" me with a big rubber training knife.
The only bat/cane training I have had is through KM and defending against it. IMHO it is MUCH easier to defend against that compared to a gun or knife
Ironically (to me, anyway) is that lack of weight was a major consideration in choosing to buy a C-S "Slim Stick" as a hiking aid alternative. I've owned a stout carved wood hiking staff for years which just hangs on the wall to display its unique tree wizard carvings. Its really too heavy, IMO, to carry for miles on end. My objective was to replicate functionality of an adjustable hiking stick (ski pole type) while being strong enough for "secondary purposes", so to speak as shown in this video. The C-S Slim in combo with heavier weight stainless ball head and a Black Diamond 3/8" ID rubber tip is hoped to serve those purposes well (see cane poll thread for my pics). Also to mention that I'm in my mid-60s with issues of aging, however no tactical training as mentioned by others.It looks like Cold Steel doesn't make a single walking stick (that I could find) that weighs more than 30 ounces. <snip>