Defending against a Knife Attack, 5

Continued from "Defending against a Knife Attack, 4"

A couple of weeks ago, a couple from church came over on a Saturday for a meal & some fellowship. The wives & my daughter decided to take a walk while we menfolk worked on soldering some components into a circuit for a project I have in mind.

Before they left, I reminded Laura that we had seen a stray dog hanging around the area where they planned to walk.

(Some people evidently think it's more humane to drop their unwanted pets off in a rural area than to take them to an animal shelter. The dogs turn feral & become a dangerous nuisance, especially if they team with one or more others. Laura & I have been stalked by feral dogs on our walks, and it can be rather unsettling. While I've never had to hit an animal, I have more than once raised a cane as I turned to face a stalking dog that was closing in. In each case, the critter backed off.)

When they left, all three women were carrying walking sticks of one kind or another. They walked four or five miles without encountering any wandering canines, but a stick in the hand can provide comfort in the face of predators.

If the predator goes on two legs and carries a knife, the cane can still give comfort & protection. Here are some pluses for using a cane to defend against a knife:

1. A cane is already in your hand -- you don't have to draw or retrieve it;
2. A cane gives extended reach, which can keep you out of the effective range of a knife;
3. When used with a whip-like action, the tip of the cane can tear flesh;
4. With a cane, you can develop adequate defense skills in days and weeks rather than over years;
5. With more training, you can use a cane as a grappling tool to apply leverage to joints & nerves.

Now here are some minuses:

1. In some jurisdictions, you must have a doctor's prescription in order to carry a cane, lest ordinary citizens have any kind of means for self-protection;
2. The length of a cane can make it easier for an assailant to grab & wrest it from your grip;
3. An over-committed swing with a cane means an opportunity for an assailant to attack while you recover.

A word about sword canes: I know they look cool and all, but there are two circumstances in which a sword cane can get you in trouble: 1) If you use it and 2) if you don't. LEO tend to take a dim view of concealed weapons & of edged weapons. You might make an argument that you use the machete in your truck as an agricultural tool, but the sword cane is a concealed weapon plain & simple that will get you in trouble with authorities.

It shouldn't be that way, but it is.

More ideas on weapons to use against a knife in another post.