Do bookbags make you vunerable?

[Gotkenpo?]

I just kind of skimmed the thread, but did anyone mention that if you usually carry a bag...train with it on you about 3 times a week. If you always wear a business suit, train with an older one on, to get used to it, etc.

Whether or not you get pulled down by your bag from behind, or your shirt from behind, you are still in the same predicament, so work on attacks from behind in general.

 

[Black Bear]

Question for you all: when you say "book bag" are you guys generally picturing a "backpack" or a shoulder bag/messenger bag.

Many people habitually carry them on the street day to day, and it astonishes me that some of them do not consider it in self-defense training.

The backpack isn't so bad, it slows you down, but it shields your back a bit, and also keeps you from flattening out on your back on the ground. The messenger bag can be awkward, but of course you can grab the handle quickly and use it as a shield. Or you could chuck it at the guy's knees/feet a second before climbing on the guy with a straightblast or blitzkrieg.

 

[KenpoTex]

When I was in college, and on the few occasions I carry one now I only use one strap. I carry it on my left shoulder and keep my thumb looped under the strap...yeah I'm tying that hand up slightly but I can also either ditch it or throw it with one move.

 

[Black Bear]

When it comes to backpack-wearing, there are a lot of considerations other than self-defense stuff. For instance, carrying a backpack in various ways will affect your spine and bone structure. The best way ergonomically is to have one with hefty straps, with kind of a teardrop shape (most weight toward the bottom), wear both straps, and use the waist (belt) strap so that a portion of the weight is taken on your hips.

If you consider what is the likelihood that most of us will get assaulted (especially if we're aware and have good personal safety practices), and what is the likelihood that the way that we wear our backpack will make a big difference, it makes no sense to put this so-called tactical stuff before other health considerations.

I once taught a seminar at a jujitsu place where I was teaching about tactical folder use and "EDC" (everyday carry). I told them I always wear my wallet in my front pocket and asked them why they thought I did this. They all guessed it was to prevent having it "picked".

I told them that this was wrong. The real reason I wear my wallet in my hip pocket is because if it's in your butt pocket, then when you sit on it, it will be under one of your ischial tuberosities (ie. butt cheeks) and it'll make your butt uneven. Over time, this changes the way your spine aligns in relation to your pelvis. It's bad for you and you'll hurt when you're older. Not everything that I do in life is in relation to anticipating getting mugged.

Self-defense is just one part of your life, and it has to fit in with the rest of your life.

 

[Quick Sand]

Black Bear: That's how I look at it too. I have a good backpack and I wear it with the straps fairly tight so that the weight is pulled in against my back, not hanging too far back or too low.

I also learned the wallet in the back pocket thing a few years ago because one of my uncles now has trouble with a nerve in his back from sitting on his wallet for years. Even though I'm female, I used to carry my wallet there, but now I've stopped.

I've also had to make a serious effort the last couple years to lighten the load I carry in my backpack because I'm only in my early 20's and already developing some back problems. Through most of High School I didn't have any choice though. The text books were way bigger then necessary and. . . well, that's another thread.

I was just curious to see how others felt about the bookbag thing and see if anyone took it into consideration when training.

 

[Black Bear]

It is cool that you are interested in the real-world context, and at the same time keep s-d within the larger perspective.

I was mainly referring to the post above mine, that's going to tire the guy's shoulder after awhile.

 

[Eldritch Knight]

I use a large, thick, woven messenger bag that I got from Old Navy. It has a single wide strap that you sling over the opposite shoulder and stays flat against my side, not interfering with movement at all. I usually rest my hand on it as I walk, and with the material being as thick it is, it can serve as an impromptu shield against knife attacks. A very good bag for a martial artist to use.