I take my flexible weapons advice from Bruce Wayne. Every time your kids get on your nerves, put a quarter in a sock. After an appropriate amount of time, tie off the open end and slap said semen demon with it!
I too started when saps were a thing. A guy at a neighboring agency made some that I swear looked as big as kitchen spatulas. I never developed the knack with one, but we had a jailer that could knock a belligerent drunk out cold and never leave a mark. I had a black walnut straight baton I used until made to go to a PR-24 (that I never liked). I too carried a collapsable baton and while i hit several and even broke a couple of car windows with it, I never broke it. Guess I wasn't trying hard enough.
E-4 through E-6, I stood the occasional Shore Patrol duty. We were issued a white canvas duty belt, a black wooden baton and an SP brassard. Never got any training on the baton. Never used it, never wanted to. When I promoted to Chief they issued me just the SP brassard. I asked, "Where's my baton?" They said I didn't need one that I'd have to use my power of persuasion. I was 26. So now, the Chief of Shore Patrol, I'd persuade the biggest, burliest and meanest looking sailor to be my partner. The persuasion consisted of, "You're my partner. Guard the Quarterback. Got it?" They'd answer, "Yes, Chief". My pick was usually a Seabee or a Boatswain's Mate. You kind of wanted to avoid a Yeoman or Data Systems Technician. But I did miss my baton.
The Scariest Shore Patrol I ever had was on 6 August 1970. I had just finished SP duty in Iwakuni, Japan and was waiting for a Navy bus to come pick us up. Decided I didn't want to wait and would just follow the train tracks back to the vicinity of the navy base, maybe a few miles. I walked for a half an hour and approached a train station. It was very crowded. Odd for 0130. I got closer and noticed that all the people waiting there were young males, some with signs, many with head bands and arm bands...and a low angry murmur was coming from the crowd. I was in full kit. Tropical Whites, dixie cup, baton, and canvas belt and a dark blue brassard with the bright yellow letters SP. For all I knew the SP might have meant "Special Pilot" to them because by then I had realized they must just have come from the 25-year anniversary of the nuking of Hiroshima. I kept my eyes straight ahead, looking at the tracks and kept walking. Good bless the Japanese people. They are civilized. I was 22, looked 16. Maybe that was it. Must have been pretty obvious I had not been born when Enola Gay flew. Still wondering, "Where's my baton training?" Ditto for small arms. Carried 1911 for several years on Quarterdeck watch. Zero pistol or small arms training. The first time I fired a Navy small arm was when I qualified for the Expert Pistol ribbon when I had 24 years in and was a Lieutenant. So if you are going to supply a 3-4 part training series on blackjacks and saps you'll have my rapt attention. Maybe I can apply to this Battle SPQRK I had made a few years back. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k51lGAdMzYs
I take my flexible weapons advice from Bruce Wayne. Every time your kids get on your nerves, put a quarter in a sock. After an appropriate amount of time, tie off the open end and slap said semen demon with it!
Tomorrow's post will cover that kind of sap.
I too started when saps were a thing. A guy at a neighboring agency made some that I swear looked as big as kitchen spatulas. I never developed the knack with one, but we had a jailer that could knock a belligerent drunk out cold and never leave a mark. I had a black walnut straight baton I used until made to go to a PR-24 (that I never liked). I too carried a collapsable baton and while i hit several and even broke a couple of car windows with it, I never broke it. Guess I wasn't trying hard enough.
E-4 through E-6, I stood the occasional Shore Patrol duty. We were issued a white canvas duty belt, a black wooden baton and an SP brassard. Never got any training on the baton. Never used it, never wanted to. When I promoted to Chief they issued me just the SP brassard. I asked, "Where's my baton?" They said I didn't need one that I'd have to use my power of persuasion. I was 26. So now, the Chief of Shore Patrol, I'd persuade the biggest, burliest and meanest looking sailor to be my partner. The persuasion consisted of, "You're my partner. Guard the Quarterback. Got it?" They'd answer, "Yes, Chief". My pick was usually a Seabee or a Boatswain's Mate. You kind of wanted to avoid a Yeoman or Data Systems Technician. But I did miss my baton.
The Scariest Shore Patrol I ever had was on 6 August 1970. I had just finished SP duty in Iwakuni, Japan and was waiting for a Navy bus to come pick us up. Decided I didn't want to wait and would just follow the train tracks back to the vicinity of the navy base, maybe a few miles. I walked for a half an hour and approached a train station. It was very crowded. Odd for 0130. I got closer and noticed that all the people waiting there were young males, some with signs, many with head bands and arm bands...and a low angry murmur was coming from the crowd. I was in full kit. Tropical Whites, dixie cup, baton, and canvas belt and a dark blue brassard with the bright yellow letters SP. For all I knew the SP might have meant "Special Pilot" to them because by then I had realized they must just have come from the 25-year anniversary of the nuking of Hiroshima. I kept my eyes straight ahead, looking at the tracks and kept walking. Good bless the Japanese people. They are civilized. I was 22, looked 16. Maybe that was it. Must have been pretty obvious I had not been born when Enola Gay flew. Still wondering, "Where's my baton training?" Ditto for small arms. Carried 1911 for several years on Quarterdeck watch. Zero pistol or small arms training. The first time I fired a Navy small arm was when I qualified for the Expert Pistol ribbon when I had 24 years in and was a Lieutenant. So if you are going to supply a 3-4 part training series on blackjacks and saps you'll have my rapt attention. Maybe I can apply to this Battle SPQRK I had made a few years back. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k51lGAdMzYs
Pull the other one, it's got bells on.
Thanks for the heads-up on the expandable baton.
Terry Trahan provides flexible weapons training. Start by following him on FB and Patreon. He does love slaps and saps.