Carrying a baton or nightstick

[Jim243]

I have read on here about carrying a medical walking cane, but you cant really use that.

No, I'm 70 and gray haired no one will question my caring one. Lead filled tip doesn't even show. Don't mess with seniors most carry guns.

Jim

[peacefulgary]

Forget the cane or baton.
Just stick with pepper-spray and a handgun.

[johnelmore]

The point of this thread is more along the lines of traveling to gun unfriendly places and having an alternative for self defense especially when carrying expensive equipment.

Even in gun friendly places a club or baton type tool would be useful as its something which is a visual deterrant. Lets say you are the manager of a store doing night deposits for example. Way back when I worked at a pizza place this was a nightly routine of going to the bank night deposit box.

[sigxder]

Many years ago I was taught the "trick" of using a rolled up magazine as part of an "Improvised Weapons" class. Was riding public transportation one time and a large fellow was by his actions telling me he was about to jump me. Their was only myself, one other gentleman, and the driver of the bus.
Had one of the older, heavier magazines spoken of earlier. Rolled it up very tightly as I had been taught. He lunged at me and I landed a hard strike in his testicles as he came forward to attack. As he started to fall from the blow I moved and he fell on the seat I had been on in severe pain. The bus stopped I got off right there.
It sounds almost paranoid but is actually very sound tactical thinking. Just as when you go into an area you do a scan for exits and such. Look at anything that could be used as weapon to give you an advantage. Our Martial Arts instructors were ex-military. They taught the last thing you do is go hand to hand if you can avoid it. Anything that can give you an advantage use.
We learned Knife, Bo, Jo, an a few other weapons. The techniques were very straight forward. Not a lot of fancy spinning, twisting, or whatever. I respect and have studied some of the other stick and knife arts. But in most of those you work knife against knife, stick vs. stick and so on. Now this is not a knock on such arts. They can be excellent defensive systems. But most "knife fights" for instance are not knife against knife at all. At least not for most folks that are attacked.
Criminals if they want to assault you want to get in. Get it done quick and efficiently. Get what they want. And get out. In knife assualts with intent to harm you not just rob you the attacker will hide the blade. Attempt to get to you at an angle you won't see coming. Get close, grab you. And shank you repeatedly until you are down and out. For robbery they still try to get close and usually when you see the blade it is already very close to you if not pressed against some vital area.
So to me the right Mindset is fighting is fighting. Fighting is not sparring. Many people trained in arts that emphasize stylized forms and such do not prepare a person for the sudden violence of how an assualt happens. Simple techniques rather with gun, knife, club, or whatever are very useful for self defense. Gross muscle control vs. fine muscle control under duress thing. Being alert besides looking for routes of escape, individual(s) not acting right, gut instincts, should include what can I use as a weapon? What can act as a barrier between me and a possible attack? When anywhere you don't know being "switched on" is still your best option no matter what weapon you may or may not have.

[Brit]

Being a Brit, see the name? When I travel in Ireland, the British Isles, Europe, I rent a car. I know the average American is petrified of traffic Islands, (roundabout's) and driving on the left! and would sooner go on bus tours.

Fight the urge, get a mid sized diesel 4 door, standard shift, cheap, fun, GPS a must. My Wife is the passenger, gets treated like royalty (same as here) open doors, stay on her side. I have been know to cause damage to threats to my Lady.

Do not remember what I paid for my "City Stick" from Cold Steel? I think it was expensive, I have had it for years. In England my Liverpool Accent is reason to pause! We have this reputation.

Watch body language, men tend to spread their legs to exert force, that same upswing with your cane is an attention getter. Miss my Glock 19 in Europe, wear it every day in Florida.

Cold-steel-city stick, stay with the fiber, or Aluminum head. Stainless is too heavy. Gets you on the plane first, the white beard helps.

Hang an old canvas bag up to practice on.

When carrying a straight cane, do not lean it up, they fall. 511 pants, lots of pockets, every one wears multi pocket pants, and vests in Europe.

Carry cash, same notes in same pockets. Change in front left. If you carry a folding knife, keep it hidden! I opened mine to cut a string for a Lady in a Newspaper shop, she just about collapsed.

[Rifleman1776]

I have a club (billy?) I turned for myself from Osage Orange. It is kept in the door pocket of my truck. Never have had to use but it is there.
At age 75 I have good health and don't need a cane. But I made myself one from a 1" hickory shaft with an antique brass tip from a horse hame. It is quite heavy and would be a very effective weapon if needed. I call it my "New Orleans walking stick". I'll take in locations where my CCW isn't permitted. BTW, there are reproduction canes with horse hame tips but they are thin stamped brass and not very heavy. Mine could, quite literally, be a skull crusher.
Of course, an attitude that I won't be a victum is a big part of my arsenal.

[Brit]

Of course, an attitude that I won't be a victum is a big part of my arsenal.

There is a certain something some people have, it has been noticed on me, as you state Rifleman, it causes people to pick some one else, does not get noticed by all aggressors, but enough see it, to know you have it.

On the other side of the coin, some individuals look, and smell like victims.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Well studied - based on gait and alertness. Will the target make trouble?