Is it just me, or does anyone else find the idea of using a cane specifically for "Self Defense" laughable? Some of the hosts of shows on The Outdoor Channel, Sprotsman's Channel, etc. seem to be a bit off in right field (and I'm already wayyy out there in my line of thinking).
I get it if you already need the cane, but going out to get a cane/walking stick so you can have an additional weapon with you seems to be just a bit nutty.
Maybe if you are very gun shy that would be an option or are one of those tree hugging earth biscuits that would never consider carrying a real weapon, for them a stick could work I guess....it's sort of tree like....
It would be the first thing I dropped if the defecation hit the oscillation. It would just get in the way. Might work well for a dog that you didn't want to shoot but I can't think that it'd deter a two legged snake in any way.
I know there is lots more to it, but is it really something that an average person is going to consider? I am 41 years old and reasonably fit - I think it would look completely out of place for me to have a cane/walking stick while I stroll around the mall.
Not knocking the validity of the whole deal, just the recommendation for those that don't actually need one. If I had to use one, I would definitely learn how to use it as a weapon.
Does a bo staff fall into this category?
Strikes me as something that could help as much as it could hurt.
I'd rather have a dog or training or both.....
#RESIST
I've been around a few cane trainers and they generally advocate the cane for two major reasons.
The first is situations where it's impossible to be armed otherwise. A friend of mine was just complaining this morning about having gone into NYC yesterday and being disarmed after going into the Empire State Bldg with his kids for a tour. That's just one of many possible places when other , more obvious weapons just aren't permitted. One of the cane trainers I've talked to travels abroad quite a bit, he always has his cane.
The other point is that it allows you to have an impact weapon with you when you likely wouldn't. It's nice to say "why would I carry a cane when I have a gun" but the reality is we are much more likely to get in a fight than a shooting. Over the course of my career I never had to shoot anyone but impact weapons got used a bit. All the trainers I've spoken to carry a gun and are quite proficient with them, in fact two of the three are gunfight survivors and fully aware of how important their guns and the skill to deploy them are.
Don't get me wrong, it's not for me, I don't own or carry one, but after seeing someone who knows what they're doing, fight with a properly designed fighting cane, I don't dismiss it either.
Last edited by Rverdi; 04-27-2011 at 04:55 PM.
It's because of this that I have in the past considered carrying an asp or something like it. The reason I never bothered though is(and correct me if I'm wrong) a bludgeoning instrument is normally also considered a deadly weapon. So at least legally a cane or baton is not an intermediary step in escalation before gunfire. If you use the cane you may as well have pulled a gun. And in fact pulling a gun in a potentially deadly situation may cause an immediate deescalation where as threatening with a cane is not likely to.Originally Posted by Rverdi
To me it just seems better to carry pepper-spray for a less than deadly encounter and then escalate to gun or knife or if things are that serious.
Certainly a firearm is a more appropriate equalizer when faced with armed assailants, multiple assailants... The reality is that there are non-permissive environments where a firearm is not an option for some of us.
I spent a year training with the hanbo, or half bo (staff) in a very street-oriented dojo. It is impressive what a short staff or cane can offer in the hands of a skilled user.
OK, so you might look or feel out of place carrying a cane. What about a golf umbrella? Despite having studied the hanbo, I typically carry neither. But I have a much better idea of how to use an improvised weapon of the sort if the occasion arises. Just another layer in the onion of martial arts.
Aubrey<><
I carry a cane some of the time. When I have to stand in one place for a while it is helpful.
When I have to go places where guns are proscribed I almost always carry one.
Is a tactical cane black? Does it come with a rail? If it doesn't have a rail, it's not tactical.
Wheeler
Men freely believe that which they desire.
Julius Caesar
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