mercop
Member.
In several threads there are conversations going on about the legitimacy and effectiveness of edged weapons. A reality is that you were born with impact weapons so that puts them before edged and if you are going to lay your hands on something in the environment it is going to be an impact weapon. Edged weapons seek flesh and impact weapons seek bone. There are two basic ways of causing trauma to the human body, cutting/piercing and crushing.
Choosing a tool that cuts or pierces skin as your first mechanical option may not be a good thing. First of all it is very likely to draw blood. Blood that is likely infected with HIV or Hepatitis. Getting someone else' s blood on you sucks. It is hard enough to train to make sound, legitimate, defensible shoot/don't shoot decision. Teaching cut / don't cut decision making is much harder. It is common knowledge in our society that killing someone with knife will invite more scrutiny that shooting them. What they have in common is that doing either puts you on the path of no return and and shot or cut will be considered deadly force. Add the fact the whether it is by law, environment or company policy, those of us that would be suitably armed with gun or knife at all times may be without one in the most vulnerable circumstances.
So with this in mind what do we do? Enter the lonely stick. What is a stick? We all have a picture in our heads. It can be a pen, flashlight, stylus, Kubaton in the short variety or depending on where you live an ASP, Escrima stick, cheap ratan stick, broom stick, cane. Maybe even a golf club. Sticks should be strewn like fairy dust around the environments you find yourself in. They should be like sharks teeth, if you loose one another falls right into its place.
For practicality sake forget about joint locks with the short sticks since they generally attack the wrist or fingers. Under the best circumstances attacking the wrist or fingers is like being able to choose three exits on a highway to get to where you want to go and intentionaly trying to cut across four lanes to get to the last one. If you miss it you are screwed and have to start over. The end of any stick should be used to amplify the concentration of force on a small surface area like the back of the hands or bone structures of the head and face. Another great target if you are on the ground in the top of the feet. Using the stick and your thumb to form a claw, effective, reflexive response chokes can be achieved.
If you are lucky enough to have a longer stick around you have even more possibilities. There is no greater common hand held weapon to protect an individual from a group than a stick (except a firearm, if they are displaying weapons). A stick allows you to keep people at a distance or to use it's length to strike. Unlike a knife or gun you will be less likely to hesitate to use a stick because of its normal lack of lethality. Not to mention that regardless of what people would like to think of themselves, after a failed criminal attack, you may be inclined to get a few extra shots in. With a stick that is likely to cause bumps and bruises, maybe even some broken bones, but not the severe likelihood of permanent physical injury or death.
I have used and own many but for all intents and purposes my favorite stick remains the inexpensive rattan Escrima stick. It is like and reflexive. Except for obvious ease of carry I would take it over an expandable baton. It allows me to strike the back of hands, collar bone and chin with surgical precision.
As a trainer I would like to encourage everyone interested in their personal protection to take a long hard look and putting sticks into their overall personal protection plan.
Choosing a tool that cuts or pierces skin as your first mechanical option may not be a good thing. First of all it is very likely to draw blood. Blood that is likely infected with HIV or Hepatitis. Getting someone else' s blood on you sucks. It is hard enough to train to make sound, legitimate, defensible shoot/don't shoot decision. Teaching cut / don't cut decision making is much harder. It is common knowledge in our society that killing someone with knife will invite more scrutiny that shooting them. What they have in common is that doing either puts you on the path of no return and and shot or cut will be considered deadly force. Add the fact the whether it is by law, environment or company policy, those of us that would be suitably armed with gun or knife at all times may be without one in the most vulnerable circumstances.
So with this in mind what do we do? Enter the lonely stick. What is a stick? We all have a picture in our heads. It can be a pen, flashlight, stylus, Kubaton in the short variety or depending on where you live an ASP, Escrima stick, cheap ratan stick, broom stick, cane. Maybe even a golf club. Sticks should be strewn like fairy dust around the environments you find yourself in. They should be like sharks teeth, if you loose one another falls right into its place.
For practicality sake forget about joint locks with the short sticks since they generally attack the wrist or fingers. Under the best circumstances attacking the wrist or fingers is like being able to choose three exits on a highway to get to where you want to go and intentionaly trying to cut across four lanes to get to the last one. If you miss it you are screwed and have to start over. The end of any stick should be used to amplify the concentration of force on a small surface area like the back of the hands or bone structures of the head and face. Another great target if you are on the ground in the top of the feet. Using the stick and your thumb to form a claw, effective, reflexive response chokes can be achieved.
If you are lucky enough to have a longer stick around you have even more possibilities. There is no greater common hand held weapon to protect an individual from a group than a stick (except a firearm, if they are displaying weapons). A stick allows you to keep people at a distance or to use it's length to strike. Unlike a knife or gun you will be less likely to hesitate to use a stick because of its normal lack of lethality. Not to mention that regardless of what people would like to think of themselves, after a failed criminal attack, you may be inclined to get a few extra shots in. With a stick that is likely to cause bumps and bruises, maybe even some broken bones, but not the severe likelihood of permanent physical injury or death.
I have used and own many but for all intents and purposes my favorite stick remains the inexpensive rattan Escrima stick. It is like and reflexive. Except for obvious ease of carry I would take it over an expandable baton. It allows me to strike the back of hands, collar bone and chin with surgical precision.
As a trainer I would like to encourage everyone interested in their personal protection to take a long hard look and putting sticks into their overall personal protection plan.
