“A cane? You mean, like an old guy?” Brad protested. “I’m supposed to act like an old crippled guy and walk with a stupid cane, Chief?”
“You should not act like an old man,” Ratel said. “Never try to be something you’re not—most people can’t pull it off, most others can detect it, and you’ll call attention to yourself. Act normally. You don’t have to walk with a limp, put any weight on it, or even have the tip of the cane on the ground all the time, but you should carry it with you, have it at the ready, and never set it down. Loop it over your arm or belt, but never set it down because you’ll forget it. You can loop it through straps on your backpack as long as it’s easily within reach. And never refer to it as a weapon or as something that is necessary for self-defense. It is a walking stick—you will just happen to know how to use it as something else.”
“This is stupid, sir,” Brad said. “I’m supposed to carry around a stick with me? On the bicycle? In class?”
“Everywhere,” Ratel said. “Everyone around you must associate you with the cane and the cane with you. It must be your constant companion. People will see that bruise on your head and face, see the cane, and add one plus one, and that correlation will survive long after the injury is healed. Aggressors, on the other hand, will see the two and think you are weak and vulnerable, and that gives you an advantage.”
Ratel held up the cane. “Notice that the cane has a round crook that is pointed at the tip, and grips cut into the shaft at two places and a grip cut into the crook,” he said. “There is also a ridge along the back spine of the cane. We will adjust this cane for your height, but I estimated this one so it should fit well.” He gave it to Brad. “As with any cane, it should be long enough to provide support for your body if you lean on it, but not too short to diminish its striking power or have you assume a weak stance. Hold it alongside your body.” Brad did as he was told. “Good. Your arm is not quite straight. We want just a slight bend in your elbow. If you did lean on it, it should look natural, like you can really put a little weight on it.”
Ratel picked up his own cane, a well-worn version of Brad’s, for a demonstration. “You normally stand with one or two hands on top of the crook and form a triangle with your legs, like so,” he said, standing casually before Brad. “This is the ‘relax’ position. You’re not really relaxing, but the idea is to appear relaxed and casual yet let a potential attacker that you have identified by your observations or instincts see that you have a cane, which might either deter him or embolden him. Obviously, with the kind of attackers we’re preparing for, the sight of a cane is not going to deter them, but they might think you are weak. If you need your hands you can hook the cane on to your belt, but return to the ‘relax’ position when you can. This is the first warning position to an attacker, the green light.”
He slid his hand off the crook down the shaft to the uppermost set of grip ridges, with the open end of the crook facing downward. “Now your attacker is coming toward you, and you see him, so you take this position, which we call ‘regrip,’ the yellow light. The crook of the cane is in front of you, and you are holding the upper grip. The crook is facing downward. This is the second warning. To a casual observer or adversary this may not seem like a warning position.
“From here, there are a number of things you can do,” Ratel went on. “The easiest, of course, is to use the cane to keep someone away simply by poking at him.” He took a couple stabs at a mannequin that had been stationed nearby. “These, along with verbal warnings, are usually effective enough to deter an aggressive panhandler or young would-be robber. Obviously, with the adversaries we are preparing for, that would probably not be enough. I will teach you later on how to counter someone who grabs your cane.
“From the ‘regrip’ position, if you are attacked with fists or a knife, you swing the cane from the outside, striking your attacker’s arms between the wrist and elbow, as hard as you can. That twists his body away from you, and you have the advantage. You can strike with the crook on his knee, hip, or groin. Be warned, a blow to the head with the crook of the cane will probably kill or seriously wound. Killing in self-defense is permissible, but exactly what is ‘self-defense’ is debatable in a court of law. Defend yourself at all times, but always be aware that your actions have consequences.”
Ratel had Brad practice the moves against the mannequin, doing each move on Ratel’s orders, increasing speed as they went. Soon sweat was glistening on Brad’s forehead. After just a few seconds of practice, Brad’s arms were definitely getting weary. “Break,” Ratel said finally. “Once we build up those arms and shoulders, you should be able to both speed up and increase your hitting power.”