Martial Cane Concepts
Reality-Based Cane Tactics For Personal Defense
Cane hook collarbone: The crook of a cane can be used with great effect
against targets like the collarbone and is particularly useful at close quarters.
My first exposure to self-defense using a cane or walking stick was more than 30 years ago while studying my first martial art. That art, which incorporated elements of Japanese Aikido and French Savate, focused exclusively on the cane as its one weapon of choice. As a teenager in the early 1970s — the height of the Bruce Lee era — the last thing I wanted to learn was a weapon for “old people.” I was much happier swinging nunchaku and throwing shuriken — neither of which had anything to do with the art I was studying.
My instructor, however, explained the reality of the situation using two very convincing arguments: 1) If I didn’t learn the cane techniques I would never be promoted to the next belt rank, and 2) someday I will be old and having the skills to fight with an object that I might actually need to hold me up would be a wise thing.
With that irrefutable logic in mind, I learned our cane system and practiced it diligently. Like all our training, I started with slow technique practice with a partner. I supplemented that with solo form training and impact training on heavy bags and other objects to get a feel for really hitting something. And once I started to feel comfortable with the system, my training partners and I “turned up the heat,” testing the cane system against intense, full-speed attacks in a practice we called “technical sparring.”
Here we see the basic MCC sequence used against a cane grab and punch.
Young And Bold
What I found was that, as a teenager with a high level of fitness and sharp reflexes, I could almost make some of the techniques work consistently. Most of them didn’t hold up against committed attacks and were far too complicated to work in the dynamics of a real fight. This realization was a major turning point in my approach to self-defense training. If, after months of diligent training — and with the benefit of some very good physical attributes — I couldn’t make those techniques work, the average elderly or disabled person with much more limited physical abilities wouldn’t have a prayer of using those techniques successfully against a real attack. I realized that the cane was in fact a very good weapon; but the tactics I was learning were unrealistic and more “martial masturbation” than practical self-defense.
Half of my instructor’s logic still made a lot of sense to me: someday I will be old and may need a cane, so having the skills to use it as an effective weapon would be a good thing. I also wanted to have the ability to meet the defensive needs of my future students, regardless of their ages or physical abilities. With all that in mind, I started researching and training in other cane systems with the hope of finding something more practical. That process continued for more than 20 years and unfortunately resulted in more disappointments than revelations.
Bluntly, the vast majority of cane systems being taught today are too complicated and require far too many physical attributes to qualify as practical self-defense. Even the “modern” systems that claim to be appropriate for use by the elderly are full of one-handed strikes, tonfa-style spins, and other tactics that require significant levels of physical strength and skill. For the average person, these tactics are difficult to learn. For someone who actually needs a cane because he or she has diminished physical capacity, these techniques are virtually impossible to master and apply.
The basic Martial Cane Concepts sequence is shown here with a recovery to the
guard after a single low-line strike. This basic sequence has many defensive applications.
Martial Cane Concepts
Disappointed with what was already out there, I decided to start from scratch and develop my own cane system. My primary goal was to develop something that could be learned with a minimum of training time, be simple enough to remember and retain without much regular practice, and, most importantly, be physically achievable by people with limited physical attributes. Building on these requirements, I also wanted the system to be versatile enough so that folks who do have the benefit of greater strength can pursue a higher skill set if they choose to. If, as they age, their physical abilities diminish, they can “scale” their tactics accordingly. The resulting system is known as Martial Cane Concepts.
Martial Cane Concepts (MCC) starts with selecting a proper fighting cane. To some, this means a heavily modified cane with carved teeth, sharp points, and other special features. If that’s your thing, have at it. If you’re not committed to a custom fighting cane — or the price of purchasing one — you’ll be happy to know that you don’t need anything special to defend yourself effectively. The MCC System is designed to work with all styles of canes and is not specific to any particular design.
The primary requirements of a good defensive cane are:
• Comfortable girth and texture that allow you to grip and control the cane well.
• Adequate weight for effective striking.
• Light enough to maneuver quickly.
• Strong enough to withstand impact.
The balance of maneuverability and striking mass is the most difficult part of choosing a defensive cane and is a very personal choice. As far as durability, you must understand you are going to be swinging your cane with all the strength you can muster with the goal of breaking bones and causing damage. You will also be using your cane to block weapon attacks coming at you. If the structure of your cane will not stand up to the impact of a tire iron, you need to find something better. My favorites are rattan and solid, straight-grained hardwoods like hickory. Synthetic materials like fiberglass also work very well, as long as they are not too heavy.
The choice of a crook-top cane, a T-handle, a knob-style handle, or a straight stick is up to you. In my opinion, it is more a matter of convenience and preference than fighting function; however, there are a few practical tactics that only work well with the crook-top cane.
One of the cane’s greatest advantages is the ability to hit at attacker from a distance.
Most cane systems focus on techniques that require advanced skills
and physical attributes—the kind that people who really need canes often don’t have.
In tight quarters — like this area between a truck and a trailer —
MCC adapts its tactics to focus on thrusts.
Here a preemptive thrust to the sternum or throat stops a knife attack,
and is followed by another thrust to the groin.
This sequence may be repeated as necessary until the desired result is achieved.
Starting Out
The first skill I teach in MCC is a proper guard stance. This stance has its roots in the Filipino stick fighting art of Serrada Eskrima, and more specifically in Serrada’s parent system, De Cuerdas. Assuming you are right handed, place your left foot forward so your feet are about shoulder width apart and staggered a bit. Grip the shaft of the cane near the handle with a strong, natural grip and raise the tip of the cane in front of your body. Grasp the shaft of the cane about 1/3 up from the tip with a palm-down, thumbless grip. All four fingers and your thumb should be on the top side of the cane shaft. Draw your right elbow in close to your body so your right hand is near your hip and center the tip of the cane in front of your face at eye level. This is your guard stance.
To assume the guard stance quickly, practice stepping back with your right foot to stagger your stance and raising the cane tip into your waiting left hand. This not only makes assuming the stance quick and reflexive, it also allows you to do it safely under stress — without smacking yourself in the face with the tip of your cane.
MCC is based on the concept of using a few basic, easily learned sequences of movement as the basis for a wide variety of combative applications. The idea is “Have a plan; work your plan.” With this approach — and the understanding that all motions have multiple potential applications — you can learn, apply, and adapt techniques to real defensive situations very quickly.
The basic MCC combination begins from the guard position and consists of the following steps:
Without changing any part of the basic guard, drop your weight slightly and execute a short, sharp, two-handed downward motion with the tip of the cane, lowering it to about solar plexus height.
From this position, and again without changing your grip on the cane, thrust forward at a slightly upward angle, driving with the power of both arms. A slight shuffle step forward will enhance your power.
Loosen your grip with your left hand and slide your left hand toward your right as you point the cane straight up.
Place your left hand on the thumb side of your wrist for support. If you are using a heavier weapon or do not feel that you have the strength to use a one-handed grip on the cane, move your left hand down so you are gripping with two hands like a baseball bat.
Execute a fast, forehand swing (like swinging a baseball bat) targeting the attacker’s knees or shins and follow through to your left side, letting the cane wrap around you and come to rest on your left shoulder.
Execute a fast, backhand swing, again targeting the attacker’s knees or shins. Follow through to your right side, letting the cane wrap around you and come to rest on your right shoulder.
Lower the tip of the cane and return to the guard position.
Here the basic MCC sequence is used to defeat a stick attack. After blocking
with the De Cuerdas tactic, the cane strikes the attacker’s hand and centers up.
This is followed by a high thrust and a powerful “mobility kill” strike to the shin.
What It Does, Is What It Is
Bob Orlando is a friend of mine and an outstanding martial artist and instructor. He has a saying: “What it does, is what it is.” As simple as that may seem, when it comes to understanding the meaning — and full potential — of combative movements, it’s priceless. It’s also the key to the concept of having a plan and working your plan.
Let’s take the first motion of our cane combination: a two-handed downward motion that lowers the tip of the cane from about eye height to chest height. Let’s say you assume your guard position and your attacker decides to grab the tip of your cane (a likely situation, since the guard position actually “baits” him to do that). The explosive downward motion of the cane allows you to use the strength of both arms and your body weight to break that grip. This action will also pull your attacker forward into your next motion, the two-handed upward thrust follows. The impact of this thrust when targeted at the solar plexus, sternum, throat, or face, will typically send your attacker reeling backward and create an opportunity for the finishing blow: a full-power swing to the knee, shin, or ankle.
We target the lower legs for two reasons: First, by damaging the legs, we achieve a “mobility kill” destroying the attacker’s ability to stand and fight, as well as his ability to chase us when we escape. Remember, stopping your attacker and escaping safely are always the ultimate goals in self-defense. And if you walk with a cane for a reason, odds are, under normal circumstances (i.e. not having a shattered tibia), your attacker can outrun you.
The other reason the lower legs are a primo target is that they are very easy for you to hit and extremely difficult for the bad guy to protect. If you tried to tee off on his head or any target above the waist, he’ll see it coming and block. However, strikes to the legs take best advantage of the length and power of the cane and are very difficult to stop.
What if instead of grabbing, the attacker strikes with a weapon, like a stick or tire iron? In this case, pivot your entire body in the direction of the strike, using the tip of the cane almost like a front sight. Open your left hand so only the palm touches the cane shaft and swat downward with the power of both arms, aggressively blocking the strike and killing its momentum. This aggressive blocking motion is the signature tactic of De Cuerdas Eskrima and can easily stop even the hardest hits. It’s also the reason we prefer a thumbless palm-down grip with the left hand, because it ensures your left thumb is not hit by the attacker’s weapon.
In keeping with the “what it does is what it is” theme, the block I just described is actually both a block and a strike. Once you’ve stopped your attacker’s weapon, you must center up on him to thrust with the second motion of the sequence. In centering up, slide your cane down the length of his weapon and smash his thumb or fingers to disarm him or at lease loosen his grip. Then, follow through with the rest of the combination as described above.
The ideal strike with the cane is a power shot to the attacker’s knee or lower leg.
This not only disables him and allows you to escape, it is extremely difficult to block.
Never Assume
One other shortcoming of most cane systems is their tactics assume that you will be in the middle of a large, spacious area when you are attacked. In reality, you may very well be attacked in confined quarters where broad, swinging strikes are impossible. In those circumstances, you’ll have to keep your movements tight and focus primarily on thrusting motions. For those circumstances, we have the second MCC combination:
From the basic guard, drop your weight slightly and execute a short, sharp, two-handed downward motion with the tip of the cane, lowering it to about solar plexus height — just like the first combination.
From this position, and again without changing your grip on the cane, thrust forward at a slightly upward angle, driving with the power of both arms.
Maintaining the same grip, thrust with the power of both arms at your attacker’s groin or pelvis.
Repeat the upward-angled thrust and return to the guard position. Additional alternating high-low thrusts may be repeated if necessary.
The alternating high-low thrusts of this sequence can be performed in very tight or narrow areas, such as hallways or between parked cars. The changes in the height of the strikes and the powerful piston-like action of both arms also makes it extremely difficult for an attacker to grab the cane, or to hold on for very long if he does.
Like all self-defense, cane tactics begin with awareness of your surroundings. Remember awareness isn’t just about looking for potential threats; it’s also about realizing the limitations imposed your environment so you can immediately and reflexively adapt your plan accordingly. As you walk through a parking lot, your spatial awareness should allow you to instinctively know whether you have the room to swing or whether confined quarters will dictate the thrust-only sequence. MCC takes environmental realities into account and makes “changing gears” between combinations an integral part of our tactics and training.
Combinations
At very close quarters, the length of the cane can be a disadvantage. MCC addresses this by emphasizing the integration of empty-hand techniques and a number of special tactics for up-close-and-impersonal confrontations. Some of these focus on the use of the crook of the cane as a hooking tool — an approach that produces an unforgettable brand of pain when applied to body parts like the collarbone. Although it’s a more advanced skill set and not appropriate for everyone, we also incorporate “compression” locks that use your forearm and the shaft of the cane to create a vise-like compression targeting the arms and other handy body parts.
The photos accompanying this article will hopefully give you a better idea of some of the tactics and concepts I’ve described. However, like most dynamic movement, until you really see it in action, it’s difficult to appreciate the power and brutal simplicity of the MCC system. If you’re interested in learning more about MCC, I encourage you to check out the instructional DVD Martial Cane Concepts, available from Stay Safe Media at: www.staysafemedia.com. It provides detailed, step-by-step instruction in all the basics of the MCC system and provides a thorough course in all the skills you need to develop a sound foundation in cane self-defense.
The cane is an incredibly potent weapon and, in many ways, the ultimate “PC” defensive tool. When powered by a sound, realistic system of tactics, it can be an excellent — and life-long — personal-defense companion.
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