Saxon's Survival Hour #194: Beyond the Sinker Basher

5 months ago

Today's excerpt begins on page 122 of The Survivor Volume 1.

By BRADLEY J. STEINER

There’re more ways than one to skin a cat— or to stop an attacker.
And if you are serious about your and your family’s survival, you’ll make it your business to learn these ways.
Learn them before you need them.
Be prepared.

The Kurt Saxon "sinker-basher" is a dandy, inexpensive, easily-concealed, and highly efficient personal defense weapon.
Alas, with gun laws as they are (and worse, as they are getting) the aware, survival-conscious individual must often rely upon improvised weapons.
(This will apply only until The Day when he can bring out all of his cached goodies!)
In this article I am going to go beyond the sinker basher, and give my fellow Survivors some tips on improvised weaponry based upon my experience in unarmed and hand to hand combat— SELF DEFENSE!

These little gems are all quite deadly, and each is very, very effective when used as described.

The "home made Yawara stick”
The "umbrella bayonet"
'The surprise in a bag' which I just love to teach to the lady of the house who is afraid to walk the streets without her husband and brother along for protection!!

In my experience of teaching personal defense and physical conditioning I have found that the most intelligent and alert people are immediately aware of the advantage in having SOME SORT OF WEAPON ALWAYS AVAILABLE.
Especially is this true in such vermin-infested sewers and toilets as New York, where bongo beating, drunken screaming jungle savages rule the streets, apartment dwellings and the social order.

I must add this, too: even with a high degree of skill in unarmed combat (which I think is a MUST thing for every Survivor to have) the advantage of being armed is great.
The rule of Survival Karate (my method) is this: use any available weapon first.
Rely upon teeth, feet, elbows and hands last.
Leave the gallantry for the movies.

In self defense, as in any form of war, he who fights fair is lost.
In defending against the unprovoked onslaught of some stinking pile of human excrement who happens to think you’re an “easy mark" because you live and behave like a human being among the tribes, he who fights fair is an ass.

THE HOME-MADE YAWARA STICK

You don’t need to spend over $10 for a good, killing Yawara-stick weapon.
You can make one, with the help of a hacksaw, that costs about $1.50.
It is superior to the best of the commercially-available models.

Go to a sporting goods store and buy a standard five-foot or six-foot steel (solid steel only, not pipe!) barbell bar.
Don’t spend extra for the wrench and collars, or for the cylindrical tube (the "sleeve”) that is available with such bars.
Tell the salesman you want the plain bar only.

When you take the bar home mark off six inch segments using a tape measure or ruler.
Tape is handy to mark the bar.
Now get your hacksaw and cut your bar down into six inch pieces.
Each is a perfectly proportioned Yawara stick.
Barbell bars are machined at the factory to be the right thickness for a comfortable grip.

If you saw well you should be through the bar in about five minutes’ time.
A five foot bar gives you ten Yawara sticks, and a six foot bar gives you a dozen!
Sell ’em to friends at $3 each and you make a nice little profit while insuring that they have in their little hands a lovely instrument of mayhem— should they need it.

I suggest two "finishing up" procedures that will make your Yawara stick a completely professional item . . .

a. file down the ends of the bar so that there is no rough edge, following the hacksaw job.

b. use some attractive plastic tape to wrap the bar for a good grip.

Don't cover the ends of the yawara stick.

Note: people with very small hands might find a 5" or 5.5" stick more comfortable.
The important thing is that, when the Yawara stick is held properly (see illustration) a slight end protrudes at both ends of the closed hand.

If you hold the stick very firmly, and if you know how to punch, you can deliver a wallop like a sledge hammer blow!
Unless you really do have some boxing or karate experience, however, I'd suggest you limit first-blows with the Yawara stick to two basic types

Punch into the solar plexus (hitting hard, with a twisting of your entire body into the blow as you direct the force upward into the opponent’s body).
This is a hook-type blow.
Punch into the groin and testicles.

Essentially, the Yawara stick ought to be used to JAB, employing either of the protruding ends.
Keep the little darling concealed if you expect trouble, and don’t let the creature who starts with you know that you're armed.
(A good idea is to stand with arms folded— stick ready, but hidden from view.)
Always stand slightly turned toward an opponent to protect your groin.

These are the best "jab points";

Temples, eyes, bridge-of-the nose, sides of neck, solar plexus, groin, also, spine, nape of neck, kidney or scapula (if the opponent’s back offers itself).

Without serious training over an extended period of time, no attempt should be made to use the Yawara stick against a knife-wielder.
Since many of our city-dwelling skels carry blades, I suggest the following as a workable "last-ditch” defense:

Throw the Yawara stick— HARD!— right into the lout's face or upper body (stomach) us he approaches.
The stick is a full pound of solid steel, and he’ll feel it.
Then kick him as hard as you can in the testicles, then, kick him again.
Then, get away.

In future SURVIVOR issues I'll talk about unarmed defense at greater length; but for now, just remember that simple tactic.

In using the Yawara stick generally, employ fast, chopping motions, from the elbow down— never wide, swinging blows.
Most of the street rats are experienced in fighting, and wide swinging blows that begin at a distance are easy to block.

THE UMBRELLA BAYONET

If you live in a city where scum rules, don't let your loved ones venture forth without their umbrella.
Just in case it rains— or in case they're attacked.

The use of an umbrella is taught by some ju jitsu and karate teachers, but I've done them all one better, by teaching it in my own, special "ultimate" form!
In BELOW THE BELT! UNARMED COMBAT FOR WOMEN (my first hardback book on self defense tactics and skills; available through Paladin Press) I urge the ladies to do the following

a. Get a good, stout man's umbrella, and

b. File the metal tip until it’s sharp as an ice pick.

Need I say more?

With such an umbrella in his hands, anyone— even a slight 90 pound girl like my wife— can put a speedy end to any barrel chested skel who decides to put his mitts where they don't belong.

The umbrella bayonet is a fine implement of protection to carry when for some reason you cannot carry a loaded gun.

Don’t worry about the cops giving you any trouble.
No one’s ever been stopped because his umbrella looked suspicious!

Use of the umbrella sequence is taught in my book, but here is a fundamental attack that provides defense in many situations. . .

SEE ILLUSTRATIONS

The umbrella bayonet, like any weapon, must be used with maximum speed, the element of surprise, accuracy, and total rulhlessness.

In addition to the throat, the solar plexus is a nice portion of the enemy's anatomy to pierce.

A final word of warning;
When you're standing alone with your umbrella don’t forget yourself and try to balance the end in your palm.
Most unrewarding.

THE SURPRISE IN THE BAG

Another invention of mine described in BELOW THE BELT!

For this tactic I recommend that you purchase a good, double edged British Commando knife or, if you can afford it, the superior Gerber Mark II Survival (Combat) Knife.
You should have one of these little "punk-jabbers" anyway, as standard Survival Gear!

Get a paper bag large enough to hold the knife, but not so large as to be cumbersome.
A bag big enough to allow plenty of room for a nice sized dictionary is good.

Take the knife out of the sheath, when you want it with you for protection, and place it inside the bag.
Close the opening of the bag around the handle, and hold the knife.
For all practical purposes, you are now fully prepared for action!
The bag serves to conceal your weapon, but will in no way obstruct the blade's passage through your surprised opponent's guts.

I highly recommend this little gambit for women returning home alone late at night.
What a blessing to enter a dim-lit elevator with your "trusty" pointed friend!
Especially when some sack of vomit shows up beside you in the elevator and would like to get to "know" you better.
By all means, acquaint him forcefully with your little bag!
He'll never know (literally!) what stabbed him!

Note: a well-made fighting knife in skilled hands is second only to a heavy duty sidearm as a defensive piece.
But please, USE IT PROPERLY!
The blade must be thrust in deep-right up to the hilt— and NOT withdrawn.
Rather, it should be wrenched and twisted violently around inside the enemy’s body.
This is akin to performing careless surgery without bothering to use an anesthetic.
It is very, very unpleasant to be the recipient of such an attack.

More will be said about knife-work in future issues of the SURVIVOR, but this little trick should keep you delighted for months on end.
(Be sure to change paper bags frequently after use, for sanitary reasons.)

Persons sharing my interest in close combat survival skills, and COMBAT oriented martial arts studies should follow this column.
You can't begin to imagine what goodies I have in store for thee!!

kurt pic.png

Kurt Saxon thought civilization would have collapsed by now.
He spent the majority of his life collecting knowledge of home based business.
His goal was for all his readers to survive at a more comfortable level than those that were less provident.

He knew the importance of communicating at a level folks could understand.
Most of what he has compiled for our benefit can be easily understood by everybody.

He also includes a subtle sense of humor.

You can find the majority of his life's work here.

Hear him read his stories.