# Defensive Kane, walking stick, and baseball bat? Strongest out there?



## kip42 (Sep 1, 2010)

I am looking for a universal defensive weapon that I can carry in no carry zones or states that dont allow any weapons such as NYC and NJ. I came to the conclusion that a kane would be my best bet. Can I take it on an air craft? Figure it will make me look weak and give me a very good advantage. I am looking for the best regular kane that wont break. Not sure if I should go solid wood or some type of titanium. Who makes these things possibly with defense in mind? Something solid and legal that I can take anywhere. I am also looking for a crazy sword cane that wont snap. Finally, I am looking for a walking stick. What do you guys use for hiking? I notice alot of people use ski polls? Any ideas where to get kane training? Oh yea and figure I would get a good baseball bat for hotel room defense when im in a no gun state. Better than nothing by a long shot....


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## harold (Sep 2, 2010)

IMO, the cane is the way to go. You can find good, sturdy wood canes at some Tractor Supply Stores. Ranchers use them to "move" livestock.
I have several walking sticks,made from oak and one shilleighly made from blackthorn.
As for training,try your local Hapkido school if you have one near you.


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## Chris Parker (Sep 2, 2010)

kip42 said:


> I am looking for a universal defensive weapon that I can carry in no carry zones or states that dont allow any weapons such as NYC and NJ. I came to the conclusion that a kane would be my best bet. Can I take it on an air craft?* Figure it will make me look weak and give me a very good advantage.* I am looking for the best regular kane that wont break. Not sure if I should go solid wood or* some type of titanium.* Who makes these things possibly with defense in mind? Something solid and legal that I can take anywhere. I am also looking for a *crazy sword cane that wont snap*. Finally, I am looking for a walking stick. What do you guys use for hiking? I notice alot of people use ski polls? Any ideas where to get kane training? Oh yea and figure I would get *a good baseball bat for hotel room defense when im in a no gun state*. Better than nothing by a long shot....


 
Why? Frankly, this line of posting worries me. I mean, really, how many fights are you planning on getting into?


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## Bill Mattocks (Sep 2, 2010)

kip42 said:


> I am looking for a universal defensive weapon that I can carry in no carry zones or states that dont allow any weapons such as NYC and NJ. I came to the conclusion that a kane would be my best bet. Can I take it on an air craft? Figure it will make me look weak and give me a very good advantage. I am looking for the best regular kane that wont break. Not sure if I should go solid wood or some type of titanium. Who makes these things possibly with defense in mind? Something solid and legal that I can take anywhere.



Canemasters is probably what you're looking for.  However, like Chris Parker, I question your motives, based on your statements.  Are you very young?  I ask not to insult you, but your statements seem very 'comic book' based.  This ain't the movies.

Most places support the right of the disabled to use whatever is required for their mobility.  Generally, disability is presumed if claimed - you don't have to prove you need a cane if you say you need one.  Yes, you can take a cane on a plane.  However, you could find yourself in such a situation if you had to use a cane for self-defense and the police asked you why you were carrying it - especially if you seem able-bodied then.

_"Looking weak"_ is, in my opinion, a very poor defense.  The strong attack the weak, in nature and in human societies.  You will attract violence, not the other way around.  It is one thing to look non-threatening; it is quite another to look 'weak'.

A cane, like a firearm, is not a magic wand.  Owning one that "won't break" is a lot less important than knowing how to use one.  You can be quite effectively beaten to death with your own indestructible cane when it's been taken away from you, know what I mean?



> I am also looking for a crazy sword cane that wont snap.


This is not the late 19th century in England.  Gentlemen do not go about with cane swords, capes, and top hats.  Get caught with a cane sword and it is a concealed weapon, of the same nature as carrying a concealed handgun without a permit.  Very bad idea.



> Finally, I am looking for a walking stick. What do you guys use for hiking?


A stick.  In the woods, there seem to be a lot of them about.  Have you been there?



> I notice alot of people use ski polls? Any ideas where to get kane training?


Canemasters again.



> Oh yea and figure I would get a good baseball bat for hotel room defense when im in a no gun state. Better than nothing by a long shot....


A baseball bat is a baseball bat when you are playing baseball.  Otherwise, it's potentially a deadly weapon, according to the police.  Intent is everything.

For example, truckers often carry 'tire thumpers'.  They might be able to get away with it; they have an actual use for the things.  If you're not driving a semi, it's a bit more difficult to explain to law enforcement.  Don't get into the mindset that if you hit someone with a baseball bat, it will be OK because it's not a club.  It's a club if you use it that way.  And frankly, although it can be a nice weapon of expedience, it makes a better baseball bat.


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## Carol (Sep 2, 2010)

Hikers do not use ski poles.  The metal poles are hiking poles with snow skirts.  There is a difference in the construction.   Trust me on this one.  

The stick in my avatar photo is one I found in the woods and broke to size.


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## Drac (Sep 2, 2010)

It sounds like a cane is prolly your best bet. *Canemasters* has some excellent canes and the DVD's on Street Defenses are great..Now before somebody says it. NO, they are not the only cane makers out there. Yes, they can be a little expensive. Having met,trained with and Uke's for Grandmaster Mark Shuey Sr, I support him and his programs. http://www.canemasters.com/


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## wushuguy (Sep 2, 2010)

personally I wouldn't recommend walking around with an "alternate defensive weapon", don't know much about your background or training other than your profile says you do MMA. MMA afaik doesn't train weapons anyway, so why not just use what you have around the house, or if traveling, a hotel room? walking around with a defensive weapon like a staff, especially if you "look strong" and pretend to be weak, might now fly well and make people feel uneasy esp if you walk normally but just carry along a baseball bat. Only way to really look weak, is you have to be weak. like if the ankle is twisted and you had a cane, walking around like that looks normal and won't draw unwanted attention, overweight and easily out of breath, have a hiking stick is also not an attention getter, etc. but a generally healthy looking individual, even trying to pretend to be weak, people often can still have a gut feeling about it.

Use a cane or stick, if you want to, might not be fashionable anymore but hey, if you dress it up it would prob look cool and there's no law against it, might not attract too many girls though. but don't use it to pretend to be weak, as a martial artist should have some moral value, be real, don't lie, (most martial arts teach moral values as well, don't know if MMA does or not), so if you want to use a cane to let people see you're weak, then should be really weak or really need the assistance.

And if you're so afraid of being jumped all the time where you go, maybe the best defense is not draw attention to yourself, and change any bad habits, etc. I don't know many people who would get attacked in their hotel room, even in NYC, from knowing a lot of people often those who do get attacked is because they're doing something that attracts criminal activity or otherwise too much drinking. comparatively I only heard a few "innocent" people minding their own business getting robbed or attacked in their hotel.

If you do decide to carry a weapon, are you prepared for the consequences with its use? a baseball bat is a deadly weapon, especially without training. Training with weapons and using them isn't about learning how to kill a person, but learning to apply the amount of force needed to protect ourself which includes everything from restraint to killing if really in dire straits. 

Any cane, stick, rod, or bat, all of them can break of course. it's a piece of wood, but they probably won't break on a person, it would be the other way around. if you say like titanium or metal cane, really will get strange stares walking around with a steel pipe...

anyway, that's my 2.5 cents.


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## geezer (Sep 2, 2010)

wushuguy said:


> ...Any cane, stick, rod, or bat, all of them can break of course. it's a piece of wood, but they probably won't break on a person, it would be the other way around...


 
Actually, a lot of the common wooden canes sold at the corner drugstore _are_ dangerously weak and could easily break if used for self defense. Many, many years ago that happenned to me. The whole situation was stupid (ie I was a total idiot) and doesn't bear repeating in detail. But, the short of it is that I brought my cane down hard across my opponent's back and the damn thing broke into three pieces leaving me to face a large and now _very_ angry individual, while holding a tiny, foot-long stump of wood in my hand. Oh, did I mention I was hopping around with a "walker" cast on my ankle at the time?

Anyway, if you _have_ to carry something for defense, first make sure it's up to the job. Second, pay attention to what Bill said, and make sure you can come up with a legitimate reason for carrying it, or you are asking for trouble. Finally, stay out of situations where you might need to use a weapon like that! --Besides, if you go around _depending_ on a weapon like a cane, maybe you aren't just pretending to be weak!


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## Bill Mattocks (Sep 2, 2010)

And for me, the thing to remember about ANY weapon that is not your bare hands is this - if it's a weapon for you, it's a weapon for your adversary if they get it away from you.  I don't personally fancy being beaten to death with my own stick.  And yes, I have a tale of woe based on my idiotic youth about that too.  I did not lose control of my weapon, but I nearly did (because I nearly passed out from being kicked in the head while being held down by two guys); and if they had gotten my stick, that would have been the end of me.

I'm not saying no one should carry a cane or stick or other defensive weapon.  I'm saying it's not a magic wand.  It's a tool, and like any tool if you don't master it - COMPLETELY - it will master you.  And someone will take it away from you and kill you with it.


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## Flea (Sep 2, 2010)

Ditto on what everyone says above.

I have a friend who's legally blind and often uses a 6' bo staff rather than a white cane if he's in a dicey neighborhood or something.  He's trained on the standard white cane as well.  The thing is that he has a black belt in TKD with a chosen "specialty" in the bo for exactly that reason.  That said, there's no question that he has a disability, and for that reason he takes any SD edge he can get within reason.

There's no mistaking the bo's potential as a weapon though.  He spends a lot of time volunteering at the local school for the blind and they've asked him not to bring it anymore.  I don't think anyone could mistake him for a loose canon, but they say it makes people nervous.  So don't assume you're being subtle just because it isn't a gun.


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## Ken Morgan (Sep 2, 2010)

I'm not trying to flog my Sensei stuff yet again, but one of the MA we practice is Tanjo. Wooden walking stick against a sword, developed in Japan circa 1880 or so. The techniques can be adapted quite easily against an unarmed opponent to.

I haven't looked for a while but there are videos and walking sticks for sale somewhere on the site. http://sdksupplies.com/ Failing that there must be videos somewhere on the net.


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