It's a flawed truism, though. If I have a knife to defend against your knife I can still keep the knife sheathed and run, right? I don't have to use the knife. But if I don't carry the knife then I've ONLY got the option to run. And there are situations where I might not feasibly be able to run. It also ignores the intent of the attacker. Does he really want to fight another guy with a knife at all, let alone to the death? The knife you could carry could deter him.
If you can. Sometimes it's not practical or possible, or it could put you in a more disadvantageous position. If someone's close enough to you with that knife, you're not gonna be able to turn around & run away safely, even if you were overall more fit than your attacker.
+William Wallace As pointed out by others it is as likely to deter the attacker as it is to escalate the situation. A robber might not have the mind set to "murder" when he/she engages, but as soon as the robbers life is threatened by you then it is likely you're going to flip that switch.
Umbrellas - even short ones - are really very nice in several ways. One of my early teachers swore by them (he was a hand-to-hand-instructor for the police at the time) and did at least one umbrella-lesson per quarter with us. And some MA-shops sell very robust umbrellas ;)
In school, I was once attacked with a large pair of scissors (enough to hurt like hell if I got hit). I was in a closed room, so I couldn't run. I grabbed a chair and held it up between myself and her (think lion tamer). It likely prevented me from getting injured, and I was able to protect myself for long enough for a friend to step up and stare her down (intimidating guy).
Bowie was actually shot, then run through with a sword cane, at which point Bowie gutted and killed his opponent. Not a strong recommendation for sword canes.
Not really. That line is generally used about tanto, but is false there too. Bowies are much thicker and wider than swords of the era, so you could't really make one from the other, except as a complete forging from scratch.
Andrew Rosniac You can elaborate, but I just don't buy it. The designs are independent. Bowies grew out of common utility knives that most people had on their belts. In those days most people had a personal general purpose sheath knife. Bowies were just larger versions in frontier regions, often manufactured in England. In fact etiquette manuals of the day expected diners to bring their own cutlery to dinner and discussed what to do with forks. i.e. if the host has one of those new split spoon things, should one still use his personal knife or keep it sheathed and use the fork, or use both.
I cannot fathom the thinking behind banning completely nonlethal means of self-defense like pepper spray or tasers, unless the idea is to make sure the law-abiding citizens are completely helpless and therefore entirely dependent on the government for their safety.
I believe the Facon knife with a poncho was used by gauchos in Argentina similar to the Navaja knife, so it seems like it was a fairly effective way to have a lightweight self defense
Well, the stick might be a better weapon, but I know that a swordstick would scare me more than just the stick... I would probably run away from the swordstick if I had a knife.
Here's an idea for a compromise weapon: the spear stick! Attach a knife blade to a stick, and cover it with a walking stick grip as a scabbard. If you're attacked, pull of the grip and you've got a little spear. It will not run through the opponent so far/easily, the broader blade makes a bigger wound, and it can still be used to parry and strike. Added bonus: you can throw the grip/scabbard like a sword pommel, which as we all know is very effective ;)
Wouldn't it be possible to use the "scabbard" of a sword stick as a defensive device though ? To push the opponent away or to parry attacks from another stick for instance, all that while stabbing with the sword part. Then there are stuff like the Basque Makila, which is what Sven Blubber describe actually, a hidden point inside a walking stick, so you can bludgeon or stab someone if need arise; kinda like a very short bâton à deux bouts in fact.
Please don't take this as a "bash" against England , or the UK. My ancestors came from England, and I would LOVE to visit and see the historical sights. However, I feel very sorry that the people of the UK aren't "permitted" to defend themselves against criminal attack. I'm a middle aged guy, not in the best shape, and somewhat disabled from a nasty motorcycle crash in 1991. I have to use a walking stick to walk. Down here in the American South, we have concealed weapons licenses. I have a German Shepherd dog that I take with me when I go to the store, and I go for walks to try and get back in shape. She has been trained as a personal protection dog, but she's mostly my buddy. She enjoys going for a stroll as well! Most people avoid the old man with the big scary dog. However, if they don't , I also carry a .38 special snub nosed revolver. Even though my dog, Lena, will protect me, I would not want her hurt by a criminal, if one were to confront us. He'd have the two of us to contend with, Lena protecting me, and me, protecting her!
We're allowed to "use reasonable force", but we're not allowed to carry offensive weapons. This means we have to rely on improvised weapons, which is why you see a lot of women carrying their car keys poking through their knuckles like they're cosplaying Wolverine or X-23.
Legal firearms are more of an oddity rather than a rule. In most countries firearms are illegal to have or carry. It is America's unique history that made weapons legal. Whether it is good or not is a debatable question. I personally prefer living in a place there only police and army can legally carry firearms. If someone lives in a bad neighbourhood they can buy a non-lethal weapon - I think it's enough. Maybe I think so because I consider my neighbourhood safe. I am in my early 30s and I've had a few quarrels when I was younger - I think these quarrels could have become much more bloody if hot-bloodied twentysomethings had been allowed to carry firearms. The only thing that bothers me with my local law is that the difference between a legal knife and illegal one is very subtle and there may be problems with carrying a legal knife, even though sometimes knife is not a weapon but a very basic survival tool (e.g. in the wild). Also people in historic reconstruction may have some problems. But self-defence wise I don't see problems
@Vasya Bublikov: I find it interesting that both you and Matt Easton refer or allude to situations where you have been attacked. I've lived in many parts of the US (some of which were definitely not good neighborhoods) and have never been attacked with a bottle or "had a few quarrels". I think the European attitude toward being subjected to casual violence dismaying. (I'll note that I've seen a similar attitude from the residents of some larger US cities and have much the same response.) Conversely, Europeans seem to find the "typical" American attitude toward a civilian right to employ deadly force dismaying. Horses for courses, I suppose.
Doug Sundseth Most of the time it's just drunken fights outside of clubs and pubs, or an argument that turns physical. Obviously there are "rough" areas in every country that you would expect to be at a far greater risk walking down alone at night than other places, but so long as you stray from those, there's not much to fear really; at least I don't, and I'm from the UK. Most of the killings that happen with knives here are either domestic attacks inside the home, or gang related, it's uncommon to have random civilians who aren't affiliated with gangs be confronted with life or death, sure you may get mugged at knife point but 9 times out of 10 they're not there to kill you. I suppose the difference is that in most of Europe you can drink in the streets, meaning, especially at night and on weekends, you have a lot of drunken men more prone to violence who are quick to start a fight over the smallest of things, and someone then introducing a glass bottle to the mix. But honestly the later, at least in my experiences are rare, usually it's just fists, and sometimes people die from being KO'd and hitting their head on the concrete (that's quite commonly heard). From what I understand you can't drink on the streets or have bottles of alcohol with you in the street, perhaps this has a difference. But am I to believe that you've never seen streets fight on Friday and Saturday nights in towns and cities in the states, with someone utilizing improv weapons? sticks, glass bottles etc.?? I find that hard to believe.
I once used a umbrella as a defensive weapon late one night. The person treatend me he diden't have a weapon as far as I could tell. I deployes the umbrella and kept it at arms length keeping the deployed canope interposed between me and him. he did try to lunge at me a few times but coulden't fins a good angle t aproach me. Meanhile I kepot backing up out from the small side street onto a street that had more trafic, when he realised i was out in the other streat far enough that other people might notice what was happening he turned and ran.
Navaja fighting was not specifically basque, but done all around Spain. Indeed, manuals on navaja fighting were published elsewhere. Some can be found scanned in the Internet ("manual del baratero"). Incidentally, a navaja is any folding knife. Some were quite large.
Yes, They are an interesting style. Indian street gangs also had a similar style of knife with a folding bit on the handle to make up for the over length blades.
Funnily enough, sword sticks and weighted canes/sticks are illegal for carry under North Carolina weapons law here in the States. They're considered concealed weapons, and NC law takes a rather dim view of those. Chairs, barstools and pool cues are my favorite anti-knife weapons, as they create and control space. It may interest you to know that the knife and jacket/cape/etc was also used in Argentina in the many knife systems available there.
Argentina, Uruguay, Southern Brazil, Chile, probably Paraguay too: All places where "Gauchos" or equivalents roamed the countryside. And it's not quite a thing of the past since most rural workers still walk around with a foot long knife on their belts (I've even seen them in night clubs with the things, haha) and occasionally disagreements end up in a knife fight. XD
Yup, developed directly from the cloak and dagger (or other single handed weapon) fighting tradition in Europe. Nice to know it's not entirely out of use
The stick doesn't need to be weighted, which leaves it legal. The wood needs to be tough and the heavier the stick is the better. Yew works excellently if you can find a yew stick. Cross grained, dense woods like mahogany work well and look nice. Oak or holly are more than heavy and tough enough, and there are numerous African and Asian woods. The chief requirement is that the stick doesn't break when you strike with it. Most common hardwoods will do the job, if they aren't very old. These days quite a lot of walking devices are sold to hike and weight reduction is a serious consideration in manufacture. So, probably don't bother with something from REI.
JW Dougherty I find that there are plenty of places to order quality red oak and hickory canes online, based in the US. Thing with even unweighted canes is that you'll probably still be harassed or convicted on something if you carry them around without a "legitimate" reason. In my state it's technically illegal to carry around any blunt object to use as a weapon, even for defense. Originally probably passed as an anti-vigilante law to give a reason to arrest miners and farmers who were going to beat the shit out of someone with pick or axe handles, it's written in a way that literally makes carrying anything illegal if the state decides to prosecute.
Laws, what would we do without them? The only real use I have ever had for my stick is smacking the daylights out of a dog that used to work really hard at escaping his yard when people walked by. Once, he did. I actually don't remember the action. I just saw a medium large dog coming fast, a blurry moment, and then an unhappy dog, and an even more unhappy dog owner. Dog slobber and rips in a pant leg convinced him not to sue.
Cold steel & a couple of other companies make umbrellas & flashlights that are built extra tough so they can be used as impact weapons. I've been stabbed/cut in fights several times & these types of items saved me more than once.
In Col. Rex Applegate's book Kill or Be Killed has a reference where when confronting someone armed with a knife: "If you have a gun shoot him, if you have a chair available use it, throw something at him, or kick him in the knee." Not the kick part comes last after the other methods.
Definitely going to share this with a couple of my friend, especially in these uncertain times when crazed people literally trying to kill people every chance they got. So thank you for the advice.
hey mat i hope its ok but the police arrested me while i was carrying my greatsword around on my shoulder and i said u told me i could so yeah they might show up at ur house soon cheers
Haha that reminds me last year I saw a group of people carrying longsword on their backs for some reason in Seattle just casually walking by a police station.
In most of North America, the law is about concealed weaponry. There is simply no law against carrying any sort of sword, presuming it's not concealed.
+Dave I was taking my swords to and from class, or just one sword when I've been asked to do a display (which has happened once a year for the last few years). I'm sure any reasonable person would consider that a valid reason. How is that disturbing the peace?
Keys are also quite important in these situations - a mortise key in an eyeball is better than a jabbed thumb, and a keyring can form a mildly adequate brass knuckle.
Chairs and stools are pretty good at keeping people at distance using the legs for jabbing. You can also run at them and pin them to a wall with the legs. But having said that don't be a hero ... RUN!
One benefit of sword-stick is that you also have a stick in your left hand as well as a sword in your right. Also, the cold steel heavy duty sword cane is double edge for cutting as well as thrusting.
Bowie's brother made his knife for fighting because it was a popular, quiet way to solve arguments along the old frontier, and because Bowie was a knife fighter. You can tell because of the s-style guard and the brass along the spine. BTW, like the Thundercats shirt.
Funny you mentioned bicycle. Here in the Netherlands, inner city police often does patrolling on bikes, and they get training in using their bike as a shield, obstruction and "weapon". They have these fancy light-weight city bikes so I imagine they make for a nice "shield" of sorts in a pinch.
It took me 12 minutes to realize that's a Thundercats shirt. One of my old martial arts instructors always said "The best fight I ever had is the one I never had." Seriously, your main weapon should always be your legs, and only if you use them to run away. Everything else in your scabbards and holsters are backup plans.
I like that little bowie knife you showed there before the pistol, and in that fight where jim bowie was shot, he actually fought a guy using a sword cane and the guy stabbed him with it but the sword blade broke, and he ended up chopping the guy up with his "bowie knife" which was actually just a knife made for the kitchen adapted to a fighting knife.
I assume you are talking about the Sandbar Duel ? The Knife he used there was a custom made hunting knife which his brother Rezin designed and gave to him. It would have looked much like this one uk.images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=A9mSs2oTc5tXyTIA5vxLBQx.;_ylu=X3oDMTE0cGs5cThkBGNvbG8DaXIyBHB
Ah, i was reading somewhere that he was late or something and just grabbed the biggest knife he could find in the cooking area, which happened to be a big clip point style butcher knife, there is a lot of debate about what his actual bowie looked like and supposedly what we know as a bowie didn't appear until after that duel made him famous, i guess he decided during the aftermath what sort of knife he needed and got with his brother to make a specialized dueling knife.
Arctic Gator Sorry the link doesn't work. Try this one www.davide-pedersoli.com/scheda-accessorio.asp/l_en/idpr_350/pre_0/accessories-knives-rezin-bowie-knife.html if that doesn't work either, try searching for The Rezin Bowie Knife or the Searle Bowie Knife.What we call the Bowie knife was based on design of his own - which James Black modified. Bowie liked the modification ( the clip point ) and went with that design. The Knife from the Sandbar Duel didn't have a clip point. The confusion comes I think from ther term " Butcher knife ". This term was generally used to describe all big knives at that time. It had nothing to do with kitchens though. More to do with being big enough to butcher big animals. James Black described the knife as having and 11 1/2" long, 2 1/2" ( although some sources say 2" ) wide, and 1/4" thick blade with a clip point " like part of a circle " and a brass " S " guard. As a coffin shaped handle was Blacks sort of trade mark, I think we can assume it had one of those as well. Unfortunately we don't know just how big a circle he was talking about, so we cannot say exactly what the knife looked like. We do know that it looked like a vicious weapon. As Davy Crockett ( a man not really known for having a delicate stomach where violence was concerned) put it. The thought of it being used on another human being is enough to make a strong man feel queasy. Especially before breakfast ! ".
3 cheers for team walking stick!!!!! I've found them quite comforting on my walks and they can be taken most any where. A very capable defense tool for a "gentleman".
really should have used the Monty Python skit about defending against fruit as an intro. I was reminded of it as soon as you talked about disarming the attacker.
Anyway you could talk about how in late Medieval and early renaissance Italy Assassination wasn't uncommon, and how in Fiore's treatise he demonstrates defenses with a baton from a bench?
Gstrangeman96 Not really. Would you rob or rape if there was a good chance that the person you are seeking to victimize is carrying a weapon? Conceal carry is about setting a legal president of 'not worth it'.
darkblood626 If I am not 100% right in the head and I see a cute chick that apparently has no weapon I might just go for it. That might then cause her to be pinned to the ground and unable to draw her hidden knife or reach in her purse for pepper spray. Or, it could result in me getting killed, when had the weapon been visible I would probably have not even tried.
Exactly. I actually defended my home that way. Had a 2ft piece of steel bar I was using for some home construction work and somebody's (5) was going to come in my house & hurt me. So I decided to dissuade them. Stood just inside the door and reminded them that I was trained, and that while they'd eventually get me, I was going to take out the 1st two no problem. And the cops wouldn't even blink at hauling them away. OR we could all just back off and they could leave, no harm no foul. Guess what they chose?
Great video! Good point about people who physically cant run. I might suggest that their odds of surviving a fight of that kind are very low, so in addition to whatever item they choose to carry, it would be a good idea to have some sort of loud alarm device to signal for help and let the attacker know that help may be coming.
Excelent video, full of sense . I teach walking stick fencing focused in self defense in our club. Only that navajas are spanish knives with an andalusí origin, not especialy from Euskadi (País Vasco).
The 1689 English Bill Of Rights gave people the right to go armed for their own defence.(as long as they werent catholic).The problem is that no English law is Constitutionally protected.
A longer single shot wheel lock/flint lock/ percussion lock pistol with a metal covered grip is a pretty good cudgel and if I am not mistaken was used that way after being discharged.
I think the swordstick would be a great option. It's socially acceptable in more places and it doesn't have to kill the attacker. Quick stabs and swipes could keep them at bay and a stab through the liver or kidneys would cause immense pain, possibly stopping them. Stabs to the lungs would stop them as it gets harder to breathe and they'd have leave the area or die. Quick stabs and cuts to the hands would be painful and slow them down as well, and simply severing muscles and tendons may make them drop their weapon. Slashes to the arms, hands, and face would draw a fair amount of blood, blood dripping down their faces would obscure their vision and blood soaking their hands would make it harder to grip their weapon
In the context of Matt's video, historical knife defense, sword sticks seem to have been fairly popular, based on production records, and collector auctions. (They show up with reasonable frequently).
I think it sounds great until you start thinking about a person under the influence or just crazy trying to kill you. It works best as a deterrent and peace of mind. Slashing with that flimsy blade? Not going to disable them reliably. Stabbing at their chest? Definitely not. I encourage you to go try thrusting a blade into some ballistics gel. It doesn't go in and out like it's hard. Against a person it's curtains if you give them 10 seconds of ability to stab you with their knife. That's also what he was getting at in the video. People get booked on prison yards and take minutes to die from tons of deep puncture wounds. Again, getting at their heart won't be easy. The throat is not an easy target when their head is down or when they're moving.
It would be a nice idea, excpt that the mere possession of a sword cane is a criminal offence in many Eueopean countries, except for collection purposes: wearignint in the street and ready fro action is definitely out of "collection purposes"
Brave Sir Robin ran away Bravely ran away away When danger reared its ugly head He bravely turned his tail and fled Yes, brave Sir Robin turned about And gallantly he chickened outBravely taking to his feet He beat a very brave retreat Bravest of the brave, Sir Robin!
I have blocked a sudden and unexpected knife attack (blunted knife, though, probably not serious) with a walking stick a few weeks ago. It really is good for early defense as you are likely to have it in your hand if you are carrying one. A sturdy cane is hard to outclass.
Used a collapsible baton once in late 80's against a folding type knife. Agree with Matt, go for the knife hand and forearm, it doesn't take too many strike before they either lose interest, or the ability to hold onto the knife. In my case, some of both, beat the knife hand while keeping out of reach, after several blows, attacker took off with severely bruised forearm.
A nice head height walking stick is ideal since it can be carried in a nonthreatening context and it makes a barrier. A walking stick can be good for striking the arm or blade with considerable force. If you get surprised, you must use unarmed defenses, since you won’t have a weapon prepared either way. Interestingly, sword canes are often illegal outright in parts of the US while concealed handguns can often be had with a license.
Very timely topic, as we seem to have weekly "large knife" attacks in America and Europe these days. (Just had one two days ago in Texas, USA) I wish I could carry my small sword every day.
Did I hear you correctly that a "walking stick" is legal though? So you can protect yourself by presumably fracturing someone's bones, but not by temporarily blinding them?
Of course anybody can carry a walking stick for the purpose of walking. But anything you carry as a weapon is classed as a weapon and therefore illegal. As I understand it anyway - I'm not a legal expert!
Actually, pepper spray is super risky, as it's not nearly as effective as movies and T.V. shows make it out to be. That said, it being illegal is of course stupid.
I can carry a pistol on me most of the time since I live in the U.S.A., however since I cannot carry a gun at university or certain buildings such as arenas, movie theaters or federal buildings I carry a 3/4 inch (1.9 centimeter) hickory cane on most days especially when at school. It definitely makes me feel safer knowing I have something I can defend myself with that I can take anywhere. Love your videos and I am a huge fan, keep up the good work.
fun fact, California limits the type of knife you can carry in public to small blades, but the Bowie knife is mentioned specifically as an exception to the rule and have no length restrictions for cultural reasons.
The reason I can't run away is the same reason I always have a stout, extremely well used walking stick on me at all times. A good use for one is as a long reach punching aid. A punch's power concentrated down to the size of the end of a walking stick is quite potent, it increases the range of that punch by (in my case) 36", and it's black rubber and quite hard to see, as any thrust, but the punch with the stick in hand as you walk with one is quite natural.
One thing I thought, right off the bat -- If you need to defend yourself, do what you need to and worry about the legality of it later. Staying alive is more important than staying out of trouble.
I really like the content of this video. The one thing that is absolutely true, is that if you are attacked by a person with a knife, you ARE going to get cut. Thanks again.
A percussion Colt is insane. Better than nothing I guess. However, what you should do is get a 1851Navy Colt *Conversion*, extra long barrel, a poncho that you'd throw over your *LEFT* shoulder, a half cigarette in your *right* mouth corner and if you remember to squint, really, really, really hard (no matter how dark it is), you will channel so much Clint, 20 to 30 assailants will not be enough to take you on.
That's been my SOP. I'm unable to really run due to a physical handicap, so if I book it they're going to get me. I basically am just picking what side of my body I want most of the wounds on, I guess.
''Cloak and dagger'' means to cover and trap a sword or knife attack with your cloak in left hand then slash and thrust with your own blade in the right hand
Laws are a bit different here in Canada. It's generally frowned upon for a person to be carrying a weapon in public, and any complaints will likely get the police asking you questions about why you have it, but they are generally not illegal unless they are hidden. Even if one has proper training and certification for a restricted item, such as an extendable baton, if it is carried hidden from view (in a pocket, or purse, for example), it is illegal.
If you are being attacked in a building don`t forget most public buildings have fire extinguishers - dry powder really messes up an attacker, but all may buy you sufficient time to get away.
I love your channel! I was kind of surprised listening to what is and isn't legal in the UK in terms of what self defense weapons you can carry. In the US, sword laws vary by state. This results in some hilarious disparities. In Texas, you can walk around with an assault rifle openly, but you can't openly display a blade over 5.5 inches outside of a handful of circumstance haha
Based on the military definition of "assault rifle" you can't legally own one at all in any state much less open carry them (unless you have a very specific federal license that allows for the ownership of more highly controlled weapon platforms, and even then you can't open carry it in public spaces) because for the military a "assault rifle" is a automatic rifle. The civilian use of "assault rifle" mostly just refers to a semi-auto rifle that has a pistol grip, which has nothing to do with the overall capabilities of the weapon, it's similar to the different grips that you can see on sabers used for mounted combat. The overall use and capabilities of the weapon stay the same, but the way you hold it and the control you are afforded change slightly.
+karadinx While you are correct about the term "assault rifle", I believe that the point was that a rifle is allowed to be carried but not certain knives
Er... well having served in Iraq as an infantry soldier, i'm well aware what is legally an "assault rifle." It was a hyperbole to make a point about how silly it was to be able to carry an infinitely more deadly rifle but not a knife over 5.5 inches.
+TJ Brooks Military service has nothing to do with legal knowledge, so don't use that to try and bolster your position. Hell, I've seen enough soldiers who don't know their way around guns after they're done that I won't even accept it as proof of that knowledge. I will however take your word that you know an assault rifle is a fully automatic or burst firing rifle (in an intermediate cartridge by military terminology, but not necessarily so legally I believe), because I have no way of verifying otherwise.
I see much discussion of alertness and awareness of your surroundings. I would recommend you read "The Gift of Fear" by Gavin De Becker or "Left of Bang" by Patrick Van Horne and Jason A. Riley for some interesting points to consider.
one of the reasons i like living in the US... the laws are much more conductive to self-defense in most states than they are in other countries... some really cool ideas in here though, and some good advice for self-defense if you don't have that advantage, though
I really dislike pepper spray bans, not to get political. I could see them requiring some sort of registration process though because yes some people will misuse them and there should maybe be a process to check for that.
***** See but the amount of people it would stop from doing something terrible versus how many it would allow seems like it'd be heavily weighed in the favor of the legalize camp. At the end of the day, it is a nonlethal weapon. It is good for running away, if you want to hurt somebody you can just use a kitchen knife.
Great video. I hope I didn't rile you up too much yesterday, lol. Speaking of being stacked with bottles, are there any manuscript entries that deal with defending against improvised or "odd" weapons? Also, are you still making the chain mail test videos?
In america I recommend situational awareness and pepper spray for self defense. A vast majority of violent situations can be avoided by having good situational awareness. And pepper spray will give you a few seconds to run away from the attacker or such. I hope your laws change soon and people in the UK can carry pepper spray.
Great video Matt. I was wondering what your thoughts on blunt trauma weapons are. You sort of went into here but not in great detail. In your opinion how effect as a defense tool would say a solid wooden cane/cylinder be if it were I don't know waste length; let's say 35" or so. Specifically in a modern context. How much training would be required to fend off multiple unarmed, unarmored attackers. Forgive me if this is a stupid inquiry.
Talk about that Irish stick! I've been wanting to learn more about the technique of that thing. Wouldn't it be a great self/home defense weapon even now? Non-lethal, can parry, can keep someone at range while striking hard, can be used at short range?
On pointing it at the camera, the safety rule is "Don't point a firearm at anything you're not prepared to destroy." So if you're prepared for the slight chance of destroying the camera or tripod to make an educational point, that's no one else's business.
i would like if you covered wrestling in medieval martial arts... in particular wrestling with submissions or finishes with say a rondel dagger on the ground
The sword stick made me think: Wouldn't it make more sense to have some kind of spear stick? Like, instead having a long blade attached to the short end, you have a short blade attached to the long end. Then you you just pull the handle off and you have a stick you can beat people with, but you also have a pointy bit for stabbing. Would probably be cheaper and easier to produce than a sword, too.
When travelling abroad I always wear a wide brimmed straw hat... both as protection from the sun, and in case I need to obstruct someones vision. A leather belt could also be unbuckled and whipped at the opponents face relatively quickly. Neither is really effective as a weapon but might help distract an attacker long enough to get away.
Matt, the Academy of Historical Fencing has produced about 3 videos lately featuring the "basket hilted sabre". I think that they look really cool. I know that you are very good with a sabre, (I saw on FB how you embarrassed that poor reporter) so I wanted to ask if you would tell us sometime your opinion of this style of sabre. How does it compare with, or is it any different really than one of your favorite types? Thank -you, Dante.
I think the saying "The loser of a knife fight dies at the scene. The winner dies in the ambulance on the way to the hospital" sums it up.
Yeah... you're better off just running away.
troll answer, but true.
It's a flawed truism, though. If I have a knife to defend against your knife I can still keep the knife sheathed and run, right? I don't have to use the knife. But if I don't carry the knife then I've ONLY got the option to run. And there are situations where I might not feasibly be able to run. It also ignores the intent of the attacker. Does he really want to fight another guy with a knife at all, let alone to the death? The knife you could carry could deter him.
If you can. Sometimes it's not practical or possible, or it could put you in a more disadvantageous position. If someone's close enough to you with that knife, you're not gonna be able to turn around & run away safely, even if you were overall more fit than your attacker.
+William Wallace As pointed out by others it is as likely to deter the attacker as it is to escalate the situation.
A robber might not have the mind set to "murder" when he/she engages, but as soon as the robbers life is threatened by you then it is likely you're going to flip that switch.
I remember Bas Rutten's advice for dealing with a knife in a bar fight, "Create distance, and grab a chair."
Yep. I think chairs are awesome.
IIRC W. E. Fairbairn wrote he'd bet on a chair over a knife!
I've been meaning to try knife vs chair sparring for a while. I can imagine it being pretty effective.
By far the best thing about Bas' self defense videos is how pragmatic he is.
+scholagladiatoria wwe
i just love how he pulls items out of nowhere, especially the bowie knife and umbrella.
It's in his inventory, along with all his swords, the ones on display excepted. Seems pretty normal.
He's like Mary Poppins!
+Spec I also have an inventory box full of bowie knives, sticks and umbrellas
In one video he even pulls a shovel.
I think it would be great for him to continue this as a little joke, pulling larger random objects from off frame at unexpected moments
Umbrellas - even short ones - are really very nice in several ways. One of my early teachers swore by them (he was a hand-to-hand-instructor for the police at the time) and did at least one umbrella-lesson per quarter with us. And some MA-shops sell very robust umbrellas ;)
In school, I was once attacked with a large pair of scissors (enough to hurt like hell if I got hit). I was in a closed room, so I couldn't run. I grabbed a chair and held it up between myself and her (think lion tamer). It likely prevented me from getting injured, and I was able to protect myself for long enough for a friend to step up and stare her down (intimidating guy).
Well done.
Bowie was actually shot, then run through with a sword cane, at which point Bowie gutted and killed his opponent. Not a strong recommendation for sword canes.
Funnily enough, the Bowie knife was supposedly made from a broken sword, so Bowie definitely knew that he needed weapons
Not really. That line is generally used about tanto, but is false there too. Bowies are much thicker and wider than swords of the era, so you could't really make one from the other, except as a complete forging from scratch.
+GunFun ZS
Let me elaborate, the knife was made from a sword, and that served as the basis for the what became known as a Bowie knife
Andrew Rosniac You can elaborate, but I just don't buy it.
The designs are independent. Bowies grew out of common utility knives that most people had on their belts. In those days most people had a personal general purpose sheath knife. Bowies were just larger versions in frontier regions, often manufactured in England. In fact etiquette manuals of the day expected diners to bring their own cutlery to dinner and discussed what to do with forks. i.e. if the host has one of those new split spoon things, should one still use his personal knife or keep it sheathed and use the fork, or use both.
David sure had a crazy life.
I'm glad that weighted walking stick made another appearance. It's an interesting object.
I cannot fathom the thinking behind banning completely nonlethal means of self-defense like pepper spray or tasers, unless the idea is to make sure the law-abiding citizens are completely helpless and therefore entirely dependent on the government for their safety.
Oberstgreup Non-lethal weapons can still be used for robbery and rape of those without.
I keep an axe handle in my truck. "nothing like a good piece of hickory"
I believe the Facon knife with a poncho was used by gauchos in Argentina similar to the Navaja knife, so it seems like it was a fairly effective way to have a lightweight self defense
Well, the stick might be a better weapon, but I know that a swordstick would scare me more than just the stick... I would probably run away from the swordstick if I had a knife.
I think that's a very valid point and in fact the main purpose of sword sticks may have been to scare attackers and make defenders more confident.
scholagladiatoria Well. a thug would not expect someone to pull out a sword out of their stick... so it is a valid weapon in the correct CONTEXT! :)
Here's an idea for a compromise weapon: the spear stick! Attach a knife blade to a stick, and cover it with a walking stick grip as a scabbard. If you're attacked, pull of the grip and you've got a little spear. It will not run through the opponent so far/easily, the broader blade makes a bigger wound, and it can still be used to parry and strike. Added bonus: you can throw the grip/scabbard like a sword pommel, which as we all know is very effective ;)
Wouldn't it be possible to use the "scabbard" of a sword stick as a defensive device though ? To push the opponent away or to parry attacks from another stick for instance, all that while stabbing with the sword part.
Then there are stuff like the Basque Makila, which is what Sven Blubber describe actually, a hidden point inside a walking stick, so you can bludgeon or stab someone if need arise; kinda like a very short bâton à deux bouts in fact.
It might not scare you more after you study Laboucher and Vigny
Please don't take this as a "bash" against England , or the UK. My ancestors came from England, and I would LOVE to visit and see the historical sights. However, I feel very sorry that the people of the UK aren't "permitted" to defend themselves against criminal attack. I'm a middle aged guy, not in the best shape, and somewhat disabled from a nasty motorcycle crash in 1991. I have to use a walking stick to walk. Down here in the American South, we have concealed weapons licenses.
I have a German Shepherd dog that I take with me when I go to the store, and I go for walks to try and get back in shape. She has been trained as a personal protection dog, but she's mostly my buddy. She enjoys going for a stroll as well! Most people avoid the old man with the big scary dog. However, if they don't , I also carry a .38 special snub nosed revolver. Even though my dog, Lena, will protect me, I would not want her hurt by a criminal, if one were to confront us. He'd have the two of us to contend with, Lena protecting me, and me, protecting her!
We're allowed to "use reasonable force", but we're not allowed to carry offensive weapons. This means we have to rely on improvised weapons, which is why you see a lot of women carrying their car keys poking through their knuckles like they're cosplaying Wolverine or X-23.
Legal firearms are more of an oddity rather than a rule. In most countries firearms are illegal to have or carry. It is America's unique history that made weapons legal. Whether it is good or not is a debatable question.
I personally prefer living in a place there only police and army can legally carry firearms. If someone lives in a bad neighbourhood they can buy a non-lethal weapon - I think it's enough. Maybe I think so because I consider my neighbourhood safe. I am in my early 30s and I've had a few quarrels when I was younger - I think these quarrels could have become much more bloody if hot-bloodied twentysomethings had been allowed to carry firearms.
The only thing that bothers me with my local law is that the difference between a legal knife and illegal one is very subtle and there may be problems with carrying a legal knife, even though sometimes knife is not a weapon but a very basic survival tool (e.g. in the wild). Also people in historic reconstruction may have some problems. But self-defence wise I don't see problems
@Vasya Bublikov: I find it interesting that both you and Matt Easton refer or allude to situations where you have been attacked. I've lived in many parts of the US (some of which were definitely not good neighborhoods) and have never been attacked with a bottle or "had a few quarrels".
I think the European attitude toward being subjected to casual violence dismaying. (I'll note that I've seen a similar attitude from the residents of some larger US cities and have much the same response.) Conversely, Europeans seem to find the "typical" American attitude toward a civilian right to employ deadly force dismaying.
Horses for courses, I suppose.
Doug Sundseth Most of the time it's just drunken fights outside of clubs and pubs, or an argument that turns physical. Obviously there are "rough" areas in every country that you would expect to be at a far greater risk walking down alone at night than other places, but so long as you stray from those, there's not much to fear really; at least I don't, and I'm from the UK. Most of the killings that happen with knives here are either domestic attacks inside the home, or gang related, it's uncommon to have random civilians who aren't affiliated with gangs be confronted with life or death, sure you may get mugged at knife point but 9 times out of 10 they're not there to kill you.
I suppose the difference is that in most of Europe you can drink in the streets, meaning, especially at night and on weekends, you have a lot of drunken men more prone to violence who are quick to start a fight over the smallest of things, and someone then introducing a glass bottle to the mix. But honestly the later, at least in my experiences are rare, usually it's just fists, and sometimes people die from being KO'd and hitting their head on the concrete (that's quite commonly heard).
From what I understand you can't drink on the streets or have bottles of alcohol with you in the street, perhaps this has a difference.
But am I to believe that you've never seen streets fight on Friday and Saturday nights in towns and cities in the states, with someone utilizing improv weapons? sticks, glass bottles etc.?? I find that hard to believe.
Guns make for a polite populace. :D
I once used a umbrella as a defensive weapon late one night.
The person treatend me he diden't have a weapon as far as I could tell.
I deployes the umbrella and kept it at arms length keeping the deployed canope interposed between me and him.
he did try to lunge at me a few times but coulden't fins a good angle t aproach me.
Meanhile I kepot backing up out from the small side street onto a street that had more trafic, when he realised i was out in the other streat far enough that other people might notice what was happening he turned and ran.
Well done.
"Run away...", absolutely true. Managing the distance between you and a potential assailant is essential to staying alive and well.
11:44 "if you have got a sword or a spear ..." you probably wouldnt get mugged.
Noneofyour Business Carry one in a shinai bag, if asked just tell them you just got back from practice, perfect plan *get 3 warning shots in the back*
Navaja fighting was not specifically basque, but done all around Spain. Indeed, manuals on navaja fighting were published elsewhere. Some can be found scanned in the Internet ("manual del baratero").
Incidentally, a navaja is any folding knife. Some were quite large.
Yes, They are an interesting style. Indian street gangs also had a similar style of knife with a folding bit on the handle to make up for the over length blades.
This makes me want to have a walking cane and steel vambraces.
To be honest - boiled leather is probably enough, for knives. That stuff's as hard as thick plastic.
+Kevin Schultz but steel is nice and heavy. Back handing someone would be extremely satisfying.
Been there, done that. Yup, it works real good.
I’d rather have a Glock.
Funnily enough, sword sticks and weighted canes/sticks are illegal for carry under North Carolina weapons law here in the States. They're considered concealed weapons, and NC law takes a rather dim view of those.
Chairs, barstools and pool cues are my favorite anti-knife weapons, as they create and control space.
It may interest you to know that the knife and jacket/cape/etc was also used in Argentina in the many knife systems available there.
Argentina, Uruguay, Southern Brazil, Chile, probably Paraguay too: All places where "Gauchos" or equivalents roamed the countryside. And it's not quite a thing of the past since most rural workers still walk around with a foot long knife on their belts (I've even seen them in night clubs with the things, haha) and occasionally disagreements end up in a knife fight. XD
Yup, developed directly from the cloak and dagger (or other single handed weapon) fighting tradition in Europe. Nice to know it's not entirely out of use
The stick doesn't need to be weighted, which leaves it legal. The wood needs to be tough and the heavier the stick is the better. Yew works excellently if you can find a yew stick. Cross grained, dense woods like mahogany work well and look nice. Oak or holly are more than heavy and tough enough, and there are numerous African and Asian woods. The chief requirement is that the stick doesn't break when you strike with it. Most common hardwoods will do the job, if they aren't very old. These days quite a lot of walking devices are sold to hike and weight reduction is a serious consideration in manufacture. So, probably don't bother with something from REI.
JW Dougherty I find that there are plenty of places to order quality red oak and hickory canes online, based in the US.
Thing with even unweighted canes is that you'll probably still be harassed or convicted on something if you carry them around without a "legitimate" reason. In my state it's technically illegal to carry around any blunt object to use as a weapon, even for defense. Originally probably passed as an anti-vigilante law to give a reason to arrest miners and farmers who were going to beat the shit out of someone with pick or axe handles, it's written in a way that literally makes carrying anything illegal if the state decides to prosecute.
Laws, what would we do without them? The only real use I have ever had for my stick is smacking the daylights out of a dog that used to work really hard at escaping his yard when people walked by. Once, he did. I actually don't remember the action. I just saw a medium large dog coming fast, a blurry moment, and then an unhappy dog, and an even more unhappy dog owner. Dog slobber and rips in a pant leg convinced him not to sue.
Call Samuel Colt or John Browning
That antique walking stick is gorgeous, the simplicity is something you don't see very often.
Cold steel & a couple of other companies make umbrellas & flashlights that are built extra tough so they can be used as impact weapons. I've been stabbed/cut in fights several times & these types of items saved me more than once.
You call that a Knife! This is a knife! *pulls out spoon*
no man a spatula!!!
I see you've played knife-y/spoon-y before.
In Col. Rex Applegate's book Kill or Be Killed has a reference where when confronting someone armed with a knife: "If you have a gun shoot him, if you have a chair available use it, throw something at him, or kick him in the knee." Not the kick part comes last after the other methods.
You definitely don't want to square up with them if you're unarmed, that's for sure.
A chair is actually a great defensive tool to aid your escape.
Definitely going to share this with a couple of my friend, especially in these uncertain times when crazed people literally trying to kill people every chance they got. So thank you for the advice.
hey mat i hope its ok but the police arrested me while i was carrying my greatsword around on my shoulder and i said u told me i could so yeah they might show up at ur house soon cheers
Haha that reminds me last year I saw a group of people carrying longsword on their backs for some reason in Seattle just casually walking by a police station.
In most of North America, the law is about concealed weaponry. There is simply no law against carrying any sort of sword, presuming it's not concealed.
For years I took my swords to class in their canvas carry bags and wore a fishing hat. People just assumed it was angling stuff.
you can and probably will be charged with disturbing the peace, unless you have a damn good reason to carry a sword. take it from me :(
+Dave I was taking my swords to and from class, or just one sword when I've been asked to do a display (which has happened once a year for the last few years). I'm sure any reasonable person would consider that a valid reason. How is that disturbing the peace?
Keys are also quite important in these situations - a mortise key in an eyeball is better than a jabbed thumb, and a keyring can form a mildly adequate brass knuckle.
Chairs and stools are pretty good at keeping people at distance using the legs for jabbing. You can also run at them and pin them to a wall with the legs. But having said that don't be a hero ... RUN!
One benefit of sword-stick is that you also have a stick in your left hand as well as a sword in your right. Also, the cold steel heavy duty sword cane is double edge for cutting as well as thrusting.
Bowie's brother made his knife for fighting because it was a popular, quiet way to solve arguments along the old frontier, and because Bowie was a knife fighter. You can tell because of the s-style guard and the brass along the spine.
BTW, like the Thundercats shirt.
Funny you mentioned bicycle. Here in the Netherlands, inner city police often does patrolling on bikes, and they get training in using their bike as a shield, obstruction and "weapon". They have these fancy light-weight city bikes so I imagine they make for a nice "shield" of sorts in a pinch.
Tee Hee. "Striking at... Other painful bits...bony bits, basically." -Mattt Easton 2016 Historic self defense against knife attacks. Kudos.
A side handle baton or tonfa is an amazing tool in the hands of a skilled practitioner, IMO. Also extremely versatile, both in attack and defence.
In a poetic sense, with the accent, it was hard to determine whether Matt said Lawyer, or liar.
It took me 12 minutes to realize that's a Thundercats shirt.
One of my old martial arts instructors always said "The best fight I ever had is the one I never had." Seriously, your main weapon should always be your legs, and only if you use them to run away. Everything else in your scabbards and holsters are backup plans.
I like that little bowie knife you showed there before the pistol, and in that fight where jim bowie was shot, he actually fought a guy using a sword cane and the guy stabbed him with it but the sword blade broke, and he ended up chopping the guy up with his "bowie knife" which was actually just a knife made for the kitchen adapted to a fighting knife.
I assume you are talking about the Sandbar Duel ? The Knife he used there was a custom made hunting knife which his brother Rezin designed and gave to him. It would have looked much like this one
uk.images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=A9mSs2oTc5tXyTIA5vxLBQx.;_ylu=X3oDMTE0cGs5cThkBGNvbG8DaXIyBHB
Ah, i was reading somewhere that he was late or something and just grabbed the biggest knife he could find in the cooking area, which happened to be a big clip point style butcher knife, there is a lot of debate about what his actual bowie looked like and supposedly what we know as a bowie didn't appear until after that duel made him famous, i guess he decided during the aftermath what sort of knife he needed and got with his brother to make a specialized dueling knife.
(also the link doesn't work, just takes me to a yahoo search page with nothing else)
Arctic Gator
Sorry the link doesn't work. Try this one www.davide-pedersoli.com/scheda-accessorio.asp/l_en/idpr_350/pre_0/accessories-knives-rezin-bowie-knife.html if that doesn't work either, try searching for The Rezin Bowie Knife or the Searle Bowie Knife.What we call the Bowie knife was based on design of his own - which James Black modified. Bowie liked the modification ( the clip point ) and went with that design. The Knife from the Sandbar Duel didn't have a clip point. The confusion comes I think from ther term " Butcher knife ". This term was generally used to describe all big knives at that time. It had nothing to do with kitchens though. More to do with being big enough to butcher big animals. James Black described the knife as having and 11 1/2" long, 2 1/2" ( although some sources say 2" ) wide, and 1/4" thick blade with a clip point " like part of a circle " and a brass " S " guard. As a coffin shaped handle was Blacks sort of trade mark, I think we can assume it had one of those as well. Unfortunately we don't know just how big a circle he was talking about, so we cannot say exactly what the knife looked like. We do know that it looked like a vicious weapon. As Davy Crockett ( a man not really known for having a delicate stomach where violence was concerned) put it. The thought of it being used on another human being is enough to make a strong man feel queasy. Especially before breakfast ! ".
3 cheers for team walking stick!!!!! I've found them quite comforting on my walks and they can be taken most any where. A very capable defense tool for a "gentleman".
really should have used the Monty Python skit about defending against fruit as an intro. I was reminded of it as soon as you talked about disarming the attacker.
the cane sword is good just don't run them all the way through and always keep your distance
A kevlar umbrella, now that would be useful, you could use it as a shield.
Anyway you could talk about how in late Medieval and early renaissance Italy Assassination wasn't uncommon, and how in Fiore's treatise he demonstrates defenses with a baton from a bench?
This sounds interesting
Nice falchion, you only have one video about it that I know of but it is probably my favorite weapon.
Carrying weapons has always been about making the other guy think ‘it's not worth it’.
In that case a "concealed" or "discrete" SD weapon kind of voids its purpose...
Gstrangeman96 Not really. Would you rob or rape if there was a good chance that the person you are seeking to victimize is carrying a weapon? Conceal carry is about setting a legal president of 'not worth it'.
darkblood626 If I am not 100% right in the head and I see a cute chick that apparently has no weapon I might just go for it.
That might then cause her to be pinned to the ground and unable to draw her hidden knife or reach in her purse for pepper spray.
Or, it could result in me getting killed, when had the weapon been visible I would probably have not even tried.
My canister of nitroglycerin keeps me safe while i am jogging. No one seems to be around when i set foot on the streets.
Exactly.
I actually defended my home that way. Had a 2ft piece of steel bar I was using for some home construction work and somebody's (5) was going to come in my house & hurt me. So I decided to dissuade them. Stood just inside the door and reminded them that I was trained, and that while they'd eventually get me, I was going to take out the 1st two no problem. And the cops wouldn't even blink at hauling them away. OR we could all just back off and they could leave, no harm no foul.
Guess what they chose?
Great video!
Good point about people who physically cant run. I might suggest that their odds of surviving a fight of that kind are very low, so in addition to whatever item they choose to carry, it would be a good idea to have some sort of loud alarm device to signal for help and let the attacker know that help may be coming.
Be nice if everyone could carry little parachute flare guns
This is a fine argument for allowing good people to carry weapons for their own defense.
Excelent video, full of sense .
I teach walking stick fencing focused in self defense in our club.
Only that navajas are spanish knives with an andalusí origin, not especialy from Euskadi (País Vasco).
The 1689 English Bill Of Rights gave people the right to go armed for their own defence.(as long as they werent catholic).The problem is that no English law is Constitutionally protected.
A longer single shot wheel lock/flint lock/ percussion lock pistol with a metal covered grip is a pretty good cudgel and if I am not mistaken was used that way after being discharged.
I think the swordstick would be a great option. It's socially acceptable in more places and it doesn't have to kill the attacker. Quick stabs and swipes could keep them at bay and a stab through the liver or kidneys would cause immense pain, possibly stopping them. Stabs to the lungs would stop them as it gets harder to breathe and they'd have leave the area or die. Quick stabs and cuts to the hands would be painful and slow them down as well, and simply severing muscles and tendons may make them drop their weapon. Slashes to the arms, hands, and face would draw a fair amount of blood, blood dripping down their faces would obscure their vision and blood soaking their hands would make it harder to grip their weapon
In the context of Matt's video, historical knife defense, sword sticks seem to have been fairly popular, based on production records, and collector auctions. (They show up with reasonable frequently).
I think it sounds great until you start thinking about a person under the influence or just crazy trying to kill you. It works best as a deterrent and peace of mind. Slashing with that flimsy blade? Not going to disable them reliably. Stabbing at their chest? Definitely not. I encourage you to go try thrusting a blade into some ballistics gel. It doesn't go in and out like it's hard. Against a person it's curtains if you give them 10 seconds of ability to stab you with their knife. That's also what he was getting at in the video. People get booked on prison yards and take minutes to die from tons of deep puncture wounds. Again, getting at their heart won't be easy. The throat is not an easy target when their head is down or when they're moving.
It would be a nice idea, excpt that the mere possession of a sword cane is a criminal offence in many Eueopean countries, except for collection purposes: wearignint in the street and ready fro action is definitely out of "collection purposes"
"Run away! Run away!" - Monty Python and The Holy Grail
Brave Sir Robin ran away
Bravely ran away away
When danger reared its ugly head
He bravely turned his tail and fled
Yes, brave Sir Robin turned about
And gallantly he chickened outBravely taking to his feet
He beat a very brave retreat
Bravest of the brave, Sir Robin!
Once i used the bycicle chain against a guy with a knife and he went to the hospital after 3 hits in the face
I have blocked a sudden and unexpected knife attack (blunted knife, though, probably not serious) with a walking stick a few weeks ago. It really is good for early defense as you are likely to have it in your hand if you are carrying one. A sturdy cane is hard to outclass.
i've heard that a sturdy maglite torch (one of the large 5-, 6-cell ones) can double as a legal mace/club quite nicely.
I carry a colapsible baton every day. Thank you for the advice about blunt stick vs knife, as it is the scenario I'm most likely to be faced with.
Used a collapsible baton once in late 80's against a folding type knife. Agree with Matt, go for the knife hand and forearm, it doesn't take too many strike before they either lose interest, or the ability to hold onto the knife. In my case, some of both, beat the knife hand while keeping out of reach, after several blows, attacker took off with severely bruised forearm.
love your videos. very informative.
I just carry around a big bag of sword pommels.
A nice head height walking stick is ideal since it can be carried in a nonthreatening context and it makes a barrier. A walking stick can be good for striking the arm or blade with considerable force. If you get surprised, you must use unarmed defenses, since you won’t have a weapon prepared either way.
Interestingly, sword canes are often illegal outright in parts of the US while concealed handguns can often be had with a license.
Very timely topic, as we seem to have weekly "large knife" attacks in America and Europe these days. (Just had one two days ago in Texas, USA) I wish I could carry my small sword every day.
Mace is illegal in the UK?!?!?!? Thats preposterous, its one of the most humane and effective ways a person can defend themselves from an attacker.
Yes, it is absolutely insane :-)
Did I hear you correctly that a "walking stick" is legal though? So you can protect yourself by presumably fracturing someone's bones, but not by temporarily blinding them?
The UK has a ‘thing’ about weapons intended to blind people, even temporarily. I think it’s a consequence of the history of mustard gas.
Of course anybody can carry a walking stick for the purpose of walking. But anything you carry as a weapon is classed as a weapon and therefore illegal. As I understand it anyway - I'm not a legal expert!
Actually, pepper spray is super risky, as it's not nearly as effective as movies and T.V. shows make it out to be. That said, it being illegal is of course stupid.
Street fighter maxim: "Charge a gun, flee a knife."
I can carry a pistol on me most of the time since I live in the U.S.A., however since I cannot carry a gun at university or certain buildings such as arenas, movie theaters or federal buildings I carry a 3/4 inch (1.9 centimeter) hickory cane on most days especially when at school. It definitely makes me feel safer knowing I have something I can defend myself with that I can take anywhere. Love your videos and I am a huge fan, keep up the good work.
fun fact, California limits the type of knife you can carry in public to small blades, but the Bowie knife is mentioned specifically as an exception to the rule and have no length restrictions for cultural reasons.
The reason I can't run away is the same reason I always have a stout, extremely well used walking stick on me at all times. A good use for one is as a long reach punching aid. A punch's power concentrated down to the size of the end of a walking stick is quite potent, it increases the range of that punch by (in my case) 36", and it's black rubber and quite hard to see, as any thrust, but the punch with the stick in hand as you walk with one is quite natural.
One thing I thought, right off the bat -- If you need to defend yourself, do what you need to and worry about the legality of it later. Staying alive is more important than staying out of trouble.
I really like the content of this video. The one thing that is absolutely true, is that if you are attacked by a person with a knife, you ARE going to get cut.
Thanks again.
"Navaja" is also used in Spain/Mexico to generically mean "pocket knife."
Good stuff Matt!
A percussion Colt is insane. Better than nothing I guess.
However, what you should do is get a 1851Navy Colt *Conversion*, extra long barrel, a poncho that you'd throw over your *LEFT* shoulder, a half cigarette in your *right* mouth corner and if you remember to squint, really, really, really hard (no matter how dark it is), you will channel so much Clint, 20 to 30 assailants will not be enough to take you on.
You can buy high quality umbrellas which are hefty and sturdy enough to be used as a weapon.
If you decide to run away and they can out run you, then way? You better know how to fight. It is better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6.
That's been my SOP. I'm unable to really run due to a physical handicap, so if I book it they're going to get me. I basically am just picking what side of my body I want most of the wounds on, I guess.
''Cloak and dagger'' means to cover and trap a sword or knife attack with your cloak in left hand then slash and thrust with your own blade in the right hand
can u make a special episode on Indian weapons such as Tulwar, Patta,katyar,gurja etc.....
Search his channel, he already has a few videos on those topics.
Ok i'll look for it !!
hehe love this chanel :) thanks Matt for a great job
Matt Easton in a pub fight armed with an umbrella bowie knife combo.
Laws are a bit different here in Canada. It's generally frowned upon for a person to be carrying a weapon in public, and any complaints will likely get the police asking you questions about why you have it, but they are generally not illegal unless they are hidden. Even if one has proper training and certification for a restricted item, such as an extendable baton, if it is carried hidden from view (in a pocket, or purse, for example), it is illegal.
If you are being attacked in a building don`t forget most public buildings have fire extinguishers - dry powder really messes up an attacker, but all may buy you sufficient time to get away.
I love your channel! I was kind of surprised listening to what is and isn't legal in the UK in terms of what self defense weapons you can carry. In the US, sword laws vary by state. This results in some hilarious disparities. In Texas, you can walk around with an assault rifle openly, but you can't openly display a blade over 5.5 inches outside of a handful of circumstance haha
Yes it seems that weapon laws are idiotic in most countries, just in different ways!
Based on the military definition of "assault rifle" you can't legally own one at all in any state much less open carry them (unless you have a very specific federal license that allows for the ownership of more highly controlled weapon platforms, and even then you can't open carry it in public spaces) because for the military a "assault rifle" is a automatic rifle.
The civilian use of "assault rifle" mostly just refers to a semi-auto rifle that has a pistol grip, which has nothing to do with the overall capabilities of the weapon, it's similar to the different grips that you can see on sabers used for mounted combat. The overall use and capabilities of the weapon stay the same, but the way you hold it and the control you are afforded change slightly.
+karadinx
While you are correct about the term "assault rifle", I believe that the point was that a rifle is allowed to be carried but not certain knives
Er... well having served in Iraq as an infantry soldier, i'm well aware what is legally an "assault rifle." It was a hyperbole to make a point about how silly it was to be able to carry an infinitely more deadly rifle but not a knife over 5.5 inches.
+TJ Brooks Military service has nothing to do with legal knowledge, so don't use that to try and bolster your position. Hell, I've seen enough soldiers who don't know their way around guns after they're done that I won't even accept it as proof of that knowledge. I will however take your word that you know an assault rifle is a fully automatic or burst firing rifle (in an intermediate cartridge by military terminology, but not necessarily so legally I believe), because I have no way of verifying otherwise.
I see much discussion of alertness and awareness of your surroundings. I would recommend you read "The Gift of Fear" by Gavin De Becker or "Left of Bang" by Patrick Van Horne and Jason A. Riley for some interesting points to consider.
one of the reasons i like living in the US... the laws are much more conductive to self-defense in most states than they are in other countries... some really cool ideas in here though, and some good advice for self-defense if you don't have that advantage, though
I really dislike pepper spray bans, not to get political. I could see them requiring some sort of registration process though because yes some people will misuse them and there should maybe be a process to check for that.
It's weird to me that a brain-breaking bludgeon's legit, but pepper spray is not.
*****
Good point.
***** See but the amount of people it would stop from doing something terrible versus how many it would allow seems like it'd be heavily weighed in the favor of the legalize camp. At the end of the day, it is a nonlethal weapon. It is good for running away, if you want to hurt somebody you can just use a kitchen knife.
How many people do you think have ever been robbed at spray-point? I suspect it's not many.
+swagman
...Right. Like all those illegal pepper spray attacks in the U.S., where OC spray is legal in most places? *SARCASM DETECTED*
Excellent video.
Great video. I hope I didn't rile you up too much yesterday, lol. Speaking of being stacked with bottles, are there any manuscript entries that deal with defending against improvised or "odd" weapons? Also, are you still making the chain mail test videos?
In america I recommend situational awareness and pepper spray for self defense. A vast majority of violent situations can be avoided by having good situational awareness. And pepper spray will give you a few seconds to run away from the attacker or such.
I hope your laws change soon and people in the UK can carry pepper spray.
Great video Matt. I was wondering what your thoughts on blunt trauma weapons are. You sort of went into here but not in great detail. In your opinion how effect as a defense tool would say a solid wooden cane/cylinder be if it were I don't know waste length; let's say 35" or so. Specifically in a modern context. How much training would be required to fend off multiple unarmed, unarmored attackers.
Forgive me if this is a stupid inquiry.
Great information mate welldone.
There is one situation where you will not run, no matter what: you are NOT leaving your children behind
Talk about that Irish stick! I've been wanting to learn more about the technique of that thing. Wouldn't it be a great self/home defense weapon even now? Non-lethal, can parry, can keep someone at range while striking hard, can be used at short range?
You can't even use Mace in the UK??? That's like basic self defense in the US. A LOT of women have pepper spray here on their key chains even.
Can you make a video on the killij saber. Supposedly it was used by vlad the impaler and the Ottoman Empire.
On pointing it at the camera, the safety rule is "Don't point a firearm at anything you're not prepared to destroy." So if you're prepared for the slight chance of destroying the camera or tripod to make an educational point, that's no one else's business.
Hey did you change your camera or the lightning set? The video quality seems extra nice!
I agree with you, and my personal experience backs it up.
i would like if you covered wrestling in medieval martial arts... in particular wrestling with submissions or finishes with say a rondel dagger on the ground
The sword stick made me think: Wouldn't it make more sense to have some kind of spear stick?
Like, instead having a long blade attached to the short end, you have a short blade attached to the long end. Then you you just pull the handle off and you have a stick you can beat people with, but you also have a pointy bit for stabbing. Would probably be cheaper and easier to produce than a sword, too.
Matt your amazing
When travelling abroad I always wear a wide brimmed straw hat... both as protection from the sun, and in case I need to obstruct someones vision. A leather belt could also be unbuckled and whipped at the opponents face relatively quickly. Neither is really effective as a weapon but might help distract an attacker long enough to get away.
Matt, the Academy of Historical Fencing has produced about 3 videos lately featuring the "basket hilted sabre".
I think that they look really cool. I know that you are very good with a sabre, (I saw on FB how you embarrassed that poor reporter) so I wanted to ask if you would tell us sometime your opinion of this style of sabre. How does it compare with, or is it any different really than one of your favorite types? Thank -you, Dante.
It was on Face Book, sorry that's all I remember.
Matt, I swear you look so much like Stannis Baratheon.
That's a weird way to spell Nosferatu.
can i request a video on the use of a key chain, rolled up newspaper or magazine as a last resort self defence please?
I now shall eat the banana! Thus disarming him! : D
Trained for years in knife fighting & rule number 1 was always if you can run away do so.