Self-Defense Tip 91 Whack, Then What? Arrest?

British police officer suggests an improvement to Unbreakable® Telescopic Umbrella

A British police officer sees a problem with Unbreakable® Telescopic Umbrella and suggests an improvement to help deal with an attacker one has subdued.

Suggestion:

I recently bought the telescopic model umbrella through your UK distributor. It is so inconspicuous that I walked right past the security at a bar in London last week and they didn’t look twice because it is just an umbrella.

However, I would like to suggest one small improvement. The umbrella, although the smallest of the range, is still quite large. I’m not suggesting you make it any smaller, since the length is perfect for defensive purposes (and is equivalent to a standard ASP baton). However, it can occasionally present a problem in a defensive situation, if I have subdued the attacker or otherwise need to go hands-on. Perhaps I have threatened to strike the attacker and the attacker then complies with instructions to lie down, etc. I now need to handcuff the attacker, or, in the case of non-law-enforcement customers, sit on the attacker, or use both my hands to somehow control the attacker. I have nowhere to put the umbrella, except on the ground where the attacker may retrieve it. My suggestion is, could you perhaps put some kind of clip on the umbrella’s pouch so it can be hooked to clothes and the umbrella can be slipped into it?

Reply:

I don’t like the idea of clipping the umbrella’s pouch to your clothes and then sticking the umbrella in that pouch, all the while controlling someone hostile. There is a simpler solution to your problem with handcuffing:

In the standard prone handcuffing technique, you don’t need both hands to take and control the arrestee’s arm (the right arm in the first two videos below). Once you control the first (right) arm, you can stick the umbrella under your left armpit and proceed with the handcuffing. The umbrella under your armpit can be quickly put into action, much faster than if you had to pull it from its pouch. Adopt and adapt techniques shown in the videos below.

Now, those who are not law enforcement officers should think carefully about arresting the assailant and calling the police. Keep in mind the following:

— Police officers have arrest quotas to meet, and when called to your situation, they may gladly take a “two-for-one”: They may arrest the assailant for the assault and you for excessive use of force or whatever;

— A street criminal has experience with the justice system and knows how to use the system better than you do;

— A street criminal is possibly a police informant, so the police officers you will face may value that criminal’s services much higher than your rights.

In my scrapes, with only one exception, I made myself “scarce” as soon as I could.

The purpose of the justice system is to be able to pin something on everybody. See this video:

Attention:
Applying any of the techniques mentioned above is your sole responsibility.

Neither Never-Thought-of-It LLC nor the author of this self-defense tip, nor persons pictured in this self-defense tip, make any representation, warranty, or guarantee that the techniques described or shown in this tip will be safe, effective, or legal in any self-defense situation or otherwise.

The reader or viewer assumes all risks and hazards of injury or death to herself, himself, or others, as well as any resultant liability for the use of the techniques and methods contained in this self-defense tip.

Specific self-defense responses demonstrated or described in this self-defense tip may not be justified in certain situations in light of all the circumstances or under the applicable federal, state, or local law. Neither Never-Thought-of-It LLC nor the author of this self-defense tip makes any representation or warranty regarding the legality or appropriateness of any techniques described or demonstrated in this self-defense tip.

Self-defense tip from Thomas Kurz, co-author of Basic Instincts of Self-Defense and author of Science of Sports Training, Stretching Scientifically, and Flexibility Express.