But the effectiveness of the weapon is as much a function of the operator as it is the weapon itself. Isn't that why you're supposed to practice?
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That is the essence of the truth.
So many of you feel that a stick has to have weight enough for a good club, and you've painted yourself into a corner by putting blinders on as far as a number goes. The sad truth is, the hand bones take very little of an impact to break, and a hand with broken bones is not going to be holding a knife well enough to do you harm, or a fist to hurt you with. It's not what you hit with, it's what you hit, period. Even with heavy padded gloves, boxers with heavily taped hands still get broken fingers and hand bones. What do you think a high speed impact with a piece of ash is going to do?
I spent too many years of my life as a city boy in Washington D.C., to include some not so nice neighborhoods. I spent time on a police department, and I spent time in an improvised weapons class in the army. I regularly walk the streets of Baltimore and New York city. I've seen what works. A 14 inch piece of one inch broom handle can disable you. It all depends on what the operator of the stick is going after. The mind set is way more important than the tool, and software is better than hardware.
I'll even make the following offer to a doubter. Give me a ring, and I'll give you a magic marker. You sign a waver that I'm not responsible for your injuries, and I'll put up one thousand dollars if you can get me with the marker. Thats one thousand dollars cash, in hundreds. On the table before we start, and I'll count it in front of you. All you have to do is mark me with the marker.
Take of your blinders and open up the closed minds. A stick is not just a club. It's a blocker, snap strike tool, thrust tool against very particular targets. A short fast stick can strike repeated blows to specific targets faster than you can defend, and in the end, you will be disabled. I don't care who you are, a hand with broken bones is out of action, and opens up the person for more strikes. And I'm not talking about trying to club someone with a heavy jacket or what they think may be padding. I'm talking about targeting hands, wrist, eye's, and throat. I don't care if he's on crack, if he can't hold a weapon or see you, he's going to have a hard time hurting you.
Some of you repeat the same old stuff thats plain wrong. Knife against a short light stick, the knife guy looses if the stick guy knows what he's doing.