Impact weapons for bridging and transition

[mercop]

If you view every situation as a room, you have three options, get in or out or stand in the doorway. People without mindset, training and tools are bound to stand in the doorway. Standing in the doorway is bad, your sides are controlled by the doorway itself, your front by your opponent and your rear by the unknown. In the doorway you are not in control.

Tools like flashlights, kubatons, pens, styluses, saps and jacks are nothing but skeleton keys that help you get in or out of the room. They have two major uses, bridging and transition. Using them as a bridging tool means using them to get somewhere like the opponents outside, past them, or away from them. Using them as transition tools means using them to gain time and distance so you can escalate to a deadly force option.

If your impact tool is your only weapon then you need too hang onto it in order to allow you to keep bridging until you are where you need to be. If you have other tools at your disposal you can afford to drop/holster/store your tool before upgrading to another dedicated weapon.

These impact weapons need to be part of a layered defense; this is accomplished by doing things like having a kubaton on your keys, a pen/stylus on your neckline and flashlight in your pocket. All these items can be used the same way. They can also be carried at different levels on the body like the neckline and waistband where your hands are at rest or when in motion.

Situations that cannot be avoided by awareness or open hand skills can often be dealt with small impact weapons. When you can’t it will tell you one of two things, either continue with increasing violence or use a different tool. Either way it is easier to unlock doors with a key then with the open hand.

 

[hso]

George,

Interesting analogy and very illustrative.

 

[sm]

If your impact tool is your only weapon then you need too hang onto it in order to allow you to keep bridging until you are where you need to be. If you have other tools at your disposal you can afford to drop/holster/store your tool before upgrading to another dedicated weapon.

This is what many that post in regard to No Weapons on College Campuses should read again and again.

Applies to other NPEs (non permissive [to weapons] environments) as well.

Even Kindergarten to High School students, whom for the most part are restricted from carrying knives to school.

Borrowing from Clint Smith - it is not so much what you have, instead being able to use what you do have.

Instead of focusing on the problem (negative) channel energies to solutions (positive).

i.e. No Weapons on College Campus. Sure continue to fight for this right, still until legislation is changed, one must carry out ADLs (activities of daily living) of getting to , being on, and leaving a college campus.
Therefore focus on both improvised and expedient tools.


What are the definitions of "weapons" as per Student Handbook, and how are physical items "interpreted" as per Student Handbook?

i.e Kubaton on key ring "might" be defined or interpreted as being a weapon.
A Mag-Light single AAA Solitaire flashlight might not be.
Forget the light and various flashlight wars, we are speaking of being legal as far as definitions and interpretation.
If a situation should arise, and Solitaire used it is just a key ring light picked up at Wal-Mart, just like plain J.Q.Public's do.

JShirley speaks of 20oz bottle of water, and I speak of 20oz bottle of Dr.Pepper.
Just something to drink from the College Vending Machine.

A bottle of water, Solitaire flashlight, ball point pen, bandage scissors for a nursing student, needle nose pliers , screwdrivers for a computer student from their small tool kit, hemostats, disposable scalpel for the student taking Anatomy & Physiology and dissecting the cat...etc.

 

[Carl Levitian]

Living in Maryland, ( an NPE as SM puts it) and traveling in and out of Washington D.C. very often, (an even more NPE) where half the buildings I go in are Federal buildings,(extreme NPE) this is a subject dear to my heart.

Passing through security checkpoints, screening devices, and getting quick at puttng my stuff in the plastic tray, I've given long thought and practice to selecting different things to see what does not come up on radar. Since pens, small flashlights, keyrings, and canes don't go blip, I've settled on them as a layered defense.

Layer one is my walking stick. It's surprising how few take any notice of even a knarly looking blackthorn. Only once or twice has anyone made any comment. Then it was a TSA guard at the airport who looked at it carefully before passing it through the x-ray machine, and he said it was a good looking stick. Once through and sure there was no explosives concealed in it, off I went to catch my flight. Another time a guard at the National Museum Of Art, on the mall, made a comment on its looks.

No one has ever made a comment on the AA minimag I carry in a nylon sheath by my right hip. Not once. The only attention it has recieved, was at an airport where I had to turn it on to show it really was a working flashlight. But then they made me turn on my cell phone for the same reason. I find a minimag is a nice second layer if needed, for closer range than the stick or if something happens inside the range of the stick. It's so available at every Walmart, K'mart, Lowes, Home Depot, Ace Hardware, that it ubiquitious to the point of un-remarkable. Totally off radar.

A nice thrid layer if need be is my Cross pen. Dad gave it to me when I left home to join the army, telling me to write home every week. Now, more decades than I care to think about, its still with me. Most of the chrome is worn off, it's picked up a few dents here and there, and its been used once when I was a police Officer when someone I was writing a ticket for got a little unmanagable. I never did understand how somebody wants to turn a speeding ticket into an assault on a police officer. Another time, in San Antonio Texas when I was stationed at Ft. Sam Houston, a local yahoo figured the soldier boy had a few extra dollars he didn't need. They say the pen is mightier than the sword, and I believe the yahoo got the point. Okay, bad pun.

It's nice to have a choice of layered tools for different tactics and situations. Even if I could carry a gun, its way easier and less expense in lawyers fees to leave someone with a jab in the throat from a pen in a simple strong arm robbery, than shoot them. Or if they have a knife, use a stick on them. Guns can be in some cases, too much trouble. Anything you do is going to be looked at too hard by those in authority. It's best to have options using less than deadly force, and using common non-threatening objects. Everything has a reasonable use.

If these objects are keys, then I want to use them to get out of Dodge. If I don't attract any attention while doing so, thats good too.

 

[JShirley]

Good comparison. I mention sometimes that if trouble develops/envelopes the defender suddenly, it's safer to stay "inside" and defeat the threat than attempt to get outside while you're already at contact distance with danger...

 

[RyanM]

I really wish blackjacks weren't legislated into the ground. I'd absolutely prefer a small blackjack over a knife in a defensive situation any day of the week. With a knife, you either have to cut with surgical precision and try to sever a tendon (good luck without being a Tibetan monk), or go for an artery or the heart, and wait for them to bleed out. But a blackjack, it's at least slightly easier to just smash a few bones in the hand or cave in the skull, potentially ending the fight immediately.

 

[mercop]

I have always been of the opinion that you will likely have to deal with three types of folks when it comes to protecting yourself, criminals, crazy people and *******s. I also believe that many of the criminals and *******s can have their dedication tested with open hand skill or an impact weapons possibly ending the situation without blood shed. The best tools for doing this are the ones discussed.

 

[Todd A]

Well if you guys read Strategies and Tactics like I do, you would know that you are to draw your sidearm and shoot till the threat is gone.

I mean really,using something to defend yourself besides a firearm.

How "old school".

 

[mercop]

Please elaborate, I don't understand

 

[Todd A]

Just read the disparity of force thread, among others.


http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=413864

OOPs it was in legal. Guess it is hard to keep track of the testosterone filled posts.

It might just be me, but there seems to be rash of internet tough guys posting on THR lately.Think I just need to take a break from here.

 

[mercop]

I understand. I chimed in there. When you don't have to justify your actions you can pretty much say anything you want.

 

[JShirley]

Fortunately, we don't get as many internet tough guys in this forum. If you find something useful, take and use it. If you have something to contribute, do so. If you do not and have not, go in peace.

J

 

[mgregg85]

screwdrivers for a computer student from their small tool kit

A T-handle hex/torx wrench(small one kept close by in the pocket or backpack would make a mean push knife. Just close your fist around it and punch away.

Yet it looks rather innocuous to an unsuspecting person. One of these with the additional tip on the side of the handle could probably do a pretty good hammer first strike as well. If you throw a few other cheap computer repair tools in then you've got complete deniability.

 

[ChronoCube]

i.e Kubaton on key ring "might" be defined or interpreted as being a weapon.

I have a 4-inch all-metal bottle opener on my keyring that can function exactly like a kubotan. It's very rigid and will hold up under stress. I've taken it through airport security a dozen times and it has never raised an eyebrow. Only times it's raised eyebrows is from people who can't imagine me drinking lol.

 

[sm]

All any of us can really share are our experiences and observations.

Keep in mind we are a Global Society as well; so not only do we in the USA differ from one another , we differ simply by being from other countries as well.

There are various models of criminals, and this is why I appreciate the work Skip Gochenour has done and continues to do.

We each have our experiences and observations with various criminal models.

I know from real life experiences and observations about a Serial Rapist for instance. I also know about Professionals that kidnap, bypass alarm systems, locks, and even use a burn bar to gain entry to a safe.

Most folks never know Professionals exist of what I speak, except in books or movies.

True.
The mark was older fella and his "daughter" ( actually a female bodyguard).
His vehicle was big , flashy Lincoln Continental, brand new one, as he got a new one every year.

The Pros were nigh, we knew it, we also had this confirmed , and he had legit business to take care of.

My lady partner and I had a role in keeping him and his mdse safe.

A very nice mall, affluent, with hi-dollar stores and these Pros were dressed in the best clothes, best hair styles, and "Blended in" with the other rich and affluent shoppers in this mall.

The concern was, him being kidnapped and being robbed, plus his wife being forced to open her business and safes.
She did the office and he did the travel and calling on customers.
Their HS age daughter was being monitored by body guards for all her activities.

My call, lady partner agreed. We not only were the transition and bridge, we also were the decoys for the Pros.

He does his business, and exits with empty briefcase (let me just use "briefcase" here).

Pros had the route from store, to his parked vehicle covered, and the parking lot.
We had deal going down, no doubt about it.

Lady Partner slapped me and we made a scene. I mean everyone knew we were having a knock down drag out fight.
This got shoppers to gather in the mall, shoppers exited stores to see what the commotion was, employees came out, we got the mall code for Security to come and we even had some City Cops come a running.

The fella and "daughter" just eased into another store, on the opposite of the mall, exited out the back door and got in a waiting taxi and left going to a safe place.

Since he parked in a fire lane, the cops had his car towed to impound.

The real merchandise, my partner and I left with.
Cops had us enter this store and asked mgmt to use the back room to settle us down.
Lady partner got a real kick out of me being handcuffed as I was really "hot under the collar and needed to cool off".

So all the crowd disperses, Pros have their plans ruined, they do not know where the mark is and the stupid car is on a Police Impound lot.

She and I had lunch in the back of the store, with City Cops, changed clothes, and after about an hour or so , just went out the back door got into vehicle with the mdse.

__

One uses the "weapon" they have to accomplish what needs accomplishing.
Not everything defaults to gun, knife or special tool.

__

Undercover buddy of mind was afraid he had been made by some folks working an illegal gambling deal.
I am not a cop, and the fear was him being made for sure if cops showed up at this rural bar, and getting other cops made, or compromised.

I am not a cop.
So I slosh some booze on, enter, accuse this dude of messing with my gal and I cold cocked him off a bar stool.
He is being watched, they are not sure if he is a cop, but...

Shotgun comes out from under the bar and bar keep hollers at us to stop and the Cops are called.
WE both get handcuffed, pepper sprayed acting up as were were and tossed in separate squad cars.

I was never so happy to see a gas station with a garden hose in all my born days to get rid of pepper spray.

Personally, I have reacted differently each time sprayed. Still that day I was able to keep going and causing a scene after being sprayed.

__

Bad guys came and announced themselves and intent firing two shots.
Lady Partner and I knocked over our table, threw long neck beer bottles and heavy glass beer pitchers as we slung chairs, turned over more tables and went out the back door, hopped in the car and took off going the wrong way on a street and did a funky turn in a median to get onto the freeway .

WE each had two guns concealed and the vehicle had a loaded shotgun and lever action 30-30 handy, plus the .44 magnum vehicle gun.

Our people took care of the mess we made.
Late lunch,very few folks in the place at this time, and nobody got shot, or hurt.
Especially us.

 

[Gordon]

SM my man! Merry friggin Christmas!

 

[seeker_two]

I'm always glad to read threads like these that remind us all that SD doesn't always have to involve a gun or knife. I work in a field (mental health/mental retardation) where carrying a gun or knife is not only prohibited, it's a pretty bad idea...(don't really need a severly MR/psychotic/impulse-control-disordered person getting hold of either). However, we've had situations where a person has needed to defend oneself (from non-patient threats). Situations like these make me more aware of my surroundings and use of improvised SD tactics.

Once again, thanks.....and Merry Christmas all....

 

[mercop]

Thanks. When we were working on our Spontaneous Attack Survival for Edged Weapons we did it with the mindset that it had to work for the correction officer or unarmed security officer. It had to bridge them to an area of safety or at least where the weapon was neutralized. They usually have nothing to transition to in the way of a dedicated deadly force tool like a knife or a gun. Those that do have these tools on hand to transition to too often lack the skill sets needs to get them there. Deployment a tool is a two part process, when do you deploy it and how do you deploy it.

 

[EHCRain10]

the t handled wrenches can be explained by riding a bike, my shop has tons of those things lying around

 

[sm]

Gordon,
Hello yourself!
I hope you had a good one.

_

True.

Lady Pard and I were doing some lessons (today folks call this training).
She traveled light, rarely a purse, and if so just a small one. Still she is a lady, and would have a tube of lipstick, and her ID loose in her pocket.
The other item "make-up" related was a small compact with a small brush, sometimes.

The set up (stage) was her going to the ladies room to powder her nose and being in a ladies room when other ladies came to do her harm.

She and I are watching and our minds are wondering how in the heck this little petite Jewish girl instructor is going to take on 3 bigger girls.

That compact with the powder is really fine, like talc. She blew the powder into the face of one lady, the closest.
There was broom in the ladies room , in the corner behind where door opens.
I mean the darn broom is "long" in her hands, being petite.

She got out that ladies room door.
No guns for this stage.

Another repeat, had the instructor without a gun, and the lady criminals with guns.
She blew that powder into the face of one, and took her gun away and used it to safely exit without firing a shot.

Instructor shared how to use lipstick and that compact to.

After that, my lady partner would have her lipstick out, or the compact and ...I viewed these two items differently than I had before. She did too, as she would get this grin she did and "we are having Mexican (or whatever) food for lunch, right?

Darn right we ate the Mexican, I am not going to argue with a gal with a compact and lipstick .
Girls are flat out dangerous!

I had to do these lessons as well, simply because it was not uncommon for me to carry her lipstick, or compact, both in my jacket pocket.

A tool is a tool and it does not matter if one is most often associated with a male or female.

Go look at these hard plastic compacts with a mirror inside and the little brush.
While at it, look at lipstick tubes.

Another tip we learned were the small pill boxes and mint boxes.
The nice ones of 14k yellow gold, Sterling Silver, Silver plate, and Brass.

Some are square, some are rectangular and have corners.
Round ones are easier on pockets, as the corners can really tear up pockets as these are sharp.

Did I mention these were sharp?

This is why I miss those old small tins of Aspirin.
Very small, and once the Aspirin was gone, folks used these for pill boxes and for small mints.

Just be careful, the inside of the lid and bottom were sharp...

I mean one does get a headache or need to freshen breath in a Airport, or Courthouse....

 

[seeker_two]

sm: I remember the aspirin tins. Interesting thought. A tin of Altoids should do as well.....

....however, as much as I like to have options for alternative weapons, I'm just not ready to start cross-dressing....

 

[sm]

seeker_two

The concerns were that of being kidnapped and having hands tied with rope, or secured with handcuffs, either in front, or behind the back.

Yes, if you snagged my lady partner, myself or others we could be forced against our will to assist criminals. Not to mention other mean and nasty things.

So...I was raised, and continued to be Mentored by those that had gone on before me to think out of the box, not look like prey, and think like a criminal.

While one could sharpen the Bayer Aspirin tin, a single edge razor blade and handcuff key modified would too. These would fit under that little slip of paper in the tin and toss in a few Aspirin, or small mint, and hopefully these would not be noticed.

Where are your hands when tied up/ cuffed in front or back?
That is where some "tools" need to be able to be accessed.

Back in the day, shirt collars had "collar stays". The shirt collar had a slit for a semi rigid piece of plastic to keep collar looking nice and neat.

We made these out of metal and sharpened them akin to a hacksaw blade partially. To cut rope, duct tape, electrical tape, etc, that might be used to bind hands and feet.

For some reason, most likely a movie, or TV show, the crotch holster was compromised in certain areas of the country.
These models of criminals I refer to as Professionals, were not the only models of criminals that were aware of this.

So...we had already added to our tool box of tools, having the lanyard on a NAA mini revolver in the 1 1/8" .22lr.
I and mine had these on the old Freedom Arms ones too.

Now I am serious when I share, not all models of criminals are dumb and stupid.
Some have all day or 24/7/52 to learn and practice their trade.
Yes, they have more "training hours" and "quality practice" hours than law abiding folks, including many Cops.

Now let me cinch this...and share the "bridge" and "transition"

-Aspirin tin inside edges itself can be sharpened or be used as one method to conceal a razor blade, or handcuff key.

-Collar stay can be concealed as well.

You get nabbed, and:
a. hands bound and tossed into trunk of your vehicle, or bad guys.

You should have taken prudent steps in knowing how to break out of your own trunk, and have tools hidden, still accessible to cut yourself/ free, /unlock handcuffs, and have a weapon.

IF a rental car, or bad guys trunk, again it would be nice to know how to break out of various trunks.

Still there you are, no tools to break out, but you can get free,as BGs missed / dismissed the small aspirin tin, collar stay etc, and that NAA .22 mini revolver concealed, and maybe concealed "in plain site".

BG pops the trunk and now if a lady and he starts groping and handling and verbally letting intentions known, pop him in the eye.
You want to shoot in the Triangle of Eye :: Nose with a .22, or go for Adam's apple.
Take his gun.

Now you have your hands free, then again if hands are in front and still tied, you can access and shoot this Mini revolver. Smaller is best, for more concealment.

Yes, there are some ladies that are on the road, and I have assisted them in so old ways.
Another tool is a Youth single shot 20 ga.
Bone friggin' stock.

This allows them in travels in not nice to gun areas, and jurisdictions to be more acceptable.
Just a "kids" shotgun, still you toss that gal into her trunk, she is going to free herself and if you are the bad guy with intent of rape, or some other crime, you are liable to eating lead, at bad breath distance.


This stuff I am sharing is not new, and for darn sure not "new-fangled".

I am in my early 50s and Mentors were doing this before I was born.

Ladies , well not all ladies want a lady to assist them.
One thing a lady cannot do as well as a guy is know how a guy is going to stalk a lady on the road with Evil Intent.

So Guys and Gals mentored each other.

Just like Gals mentored me on how a lady targets a guy.

One time I used a ash can, metal, with sand to hit a good looking babe wearing a very nice dress with the top cut down to "here" and the slit up the side up to "there".

I hate vertical coffins (elevators), and she had the gun and ...
Yes, it is perfectly fine to hit a lady , repeatedly with a metal can for cigarette butts.

I am a nice guy, I had two guns concealed, and since I did not shoot her , her nice dress did not get soiled...as it could have.

 

[TimboKhan]

Mercop, good post.

 

[Carl Levitian]

Great post, sm. Brings back memories of mentors.

In 1977, I was one of the recruits at the Pueblo branch of C.L.E.T.A. (Colorado Law enforcement Training Acadamy) prior to starting my job with the Trinidad PD. Our chief training officer was Sgt. Ralph Smith, a grizzeled old street cop who had forgotten more dirty tricks than we ever knew.

He had us re-read The Onion Field a couple times and discuss in class sessions sollutions to the onion field senerio. Practiced them in the cars out back, and on the range.

Ordered us to have a small hidden pocket sewn in our uniform pants in the back to hold a spare cuff key, and a small sharp knife that can be opened one handed.

We didn't have the little NAA .22 revolvers then, but the little Bauer .25 auto was out, and it was a back up to the back up. About the same size as the Baby Browning, it concealed deeply.

Thank God for mentors!

 

[sm]

Carl Levitian,

It is I that thanks you sir.

We seem to share some Mentors very very similar.
*smile*

I bet you know about "advertising knives" , "single edge ejector razor blades", "Gillette Blue", Beretta Jetfire, Bobcat and Minx, Case Peanut, Hen & Rooster and Colt Woodsman's.

Oh yeah, you and I need to do a A.T. Cross vs Parker Jotter thread.
Just our luck we would have them Scripto, and Sheaffer fan boys show up and stir up trouble.
*snicker*

Dang!
I miss chrome flashlights with intermittent buttons and glass lens.
Now those were and still are some, great "bridge and transition" tools.

"Flash lights to pass" is not just for motor vehicle traffic...