Principles of War: Self Analysis - Weapons

I’m analyzing my martial arts skills, capabilities, and personal style through the lens of the Principles of War. U.S. Army Field Manual FM 3-0 starting on page 4-11 defines the Principles of War. My commentary on these definitions can be found through the links below.

Mass
Objective
Offensive
Surprise
Economy of Force
Maneuver
Unity of Command
Security
Simplicity


Any discussion of self defense that excludes the use of weapons is just silly. First, a serious attacker – and maybe even a drunk – is likely to attack you with a weapon. Second, a weapon is a force multiplier and if you are attacked multiplying the force you bring to bear on the attacker is a good thing,

Clearly, a gun trumps other weapons for self defense. I support the Second Amendment. I support “shall issue” concealed carry laws. And, I support people who carry concealed for self defense.

Carrying a gun is a very personal decision and it’s not for everyone. You need to know how to use it. More importantly, you need to be willing to use it when necessary and you need to clearly understand when it’s necessary.

That being said, my topic is other legal objects that I can, in a pinch, use as a force multiplier and how I train to use them.

There are three generic implements easily found or carried just about anywhere. They’re not legally classified as weapons but they can be effective force multipliers. They are: a cane (any stick-like object 2 to 4 feet long), a kubotan (any stick-like object 6 to 12 inches long), and a knife (any sharp object less than 18 inches long).
I prefer the cane and I’ve developed a sophisticated training regimen around the crooked cane or the umbrella. The problem is I don’t actually carry a cane or an umbrella with me unless it’s raining. Cane-like sticks are sometimes available in the environment, however, and if one is available I’ll certainly use it.

On the other hand, I almost always carry an aluminum barreled ball point pen about 6 inches long. I train to use this and other pens and objects as kubotans. I also carry a legal folding knife with a handle approximately 5 inches long and a 3.5 inch blade. The knife can be used as a kubotan when the blade is folded and, of course, as a knife when the blade is extended.

Either the pen or the folded knife can be brought to bear very quickly. It takes a bit longer to open the blade. Even though I train myself to open the blade with one hand it can only be done when I’m not engaged with an opponent.

So, the most likely self defense scenario would find me drawing either my pen or my folded knife to use as a kubotan. My choice of weapon would depend on which hand was most free. If my right hand is free I would draw the pen; if only my left hand is free I would draw the folded knife. That’s simply the way I carry them.

The kubotan can be used in some joint locking techniques but I don’t care for those techniques and so I use the kubotan only as a striking weapon.

The cane, however, has many effective joint locking and choking techniques that work with my style and I train with them regularly. If I can get my hands on an appropriate stick my defense capability will be multiplied five-fold.

Finally, I think I’m ready to evaluate my self defense style through the lens of the Principles of War. I’ll begin with Mass in my next post.

Link to the Martial Arts Training Report: The Principles of War