Testing the BlackSwift Raven self defense walking stick
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- Опубликовано: 5 сен 2024
- Testing the BlackSwift Raven self defense walking stick at the Forteza Fitness and Martial Arts studio in Chicago. We assessed the Raven for applicability in formal Bartitsu training as well as street self defense.
I've owned one of these for 18 months now, use it as a daily cane. I have the black one with a maple hardwood handle, the hardwood is even more low profile. What is especially impressive about the cane is the speed of deployment, in your dominant hand with the lanyard on your wrist you can bring it into action about as quickly and as impressively as you can. The ball gives excellent leverage when slashing with the tip. I have used mine to ward off dogs, cut through undergrowth and nettles and every day walking, never a mark on the shaft. The only caveat with the hardwood is its now as indestructible as the poly head but it's still very tough indeed, I think this is an acceptable trade off for low profile. I live in the UK where carry laws are about as strict as you can get them, I've used it on planes, stadiums, shows, crowds and never a problem, even complimented by a policeman.
I also have a blackthorn root ball stick and a hawthorn one. The good thing about the blackswift sticks is that unlike a thorn wood stick you are unlikely to kill your assailant, if striking with the thin end or point you'll certainly incapacitate him and if you use the ball, yes you could kill him with a head strike but your control is better due to the light weight, my blackthorn weighs 1.5kg and would crush a skull or a throat easily.
Lastly, point slipping.. I use a cane because I have to due to a chronic illness, I'm 45 and walk quite a bit. After a few months of using this on roads and pavements, the tip becomes much better at gripping, not up there with a full sized rubber but not bad, also you could always fit a small ferrule and it would still bloody hurt if you got poked with it.
For the price, it is a superb stick well made, nigh on indestructible and gives you a phenomenal sense of security especially in crowds or uncertain places, the single best thing IMHO and what gives this sense of security is the deployment speed, it is foil fast.
It actually supports weight as a walking stick? Doesn't look like it can as thin as it is.
Yes, they definitely support weight as walking sticks. I'm about 200 lbs and I can not only lean my full weight on it but also bear down into it with muscular effort - makes no difference to the cane.
I've got 3 of them now.
Would it be able to knock a knife out of an attacking thrust using the thin side?
@@prst99 I'm not sure if the fibreglass would be tough enough not to be cut by the edge of the knife. Bearing that in mind, the Raven is very, very fast and accurate to aim right into the fingers, knuckles or wrist of the knife-holding hand. There's absolutely no vay they'd be able to keep holding onto that knife after that.
Against a knife thrust.. it would depend on the skill of the user. The force of the stick is not enough, but if you use it as a projector of your own force and weight: yes. It won't bend nor break. Or if you are fast enough to move aside and hit the hand as you go; that's what I would do if I have enough space to move.
The Raven is a *very fast* defence tool, better use that to your advantace. Fast hits to vulnerable places with the thin end.
I'm 75 and 190# with arthritis and a bad back. My Raven is an excellent cane and has never shown any tendency to bend.
damn it, I'm in love with a stick !!
The traditional cane uses the ball end, given the modern material and the speed that light weight fiberglass can obtain, the tip is the business end of this thing, with a splashing down across whipping motion from the over head position. Someone able to defend that ball end could grab that ball end and pull this away from you. It is very strong, does support weight, true it isn't what a heavy medical cane. The graphite model this comes in most lightly couldn't stand up to a lot of abuse, graphite has a brittleness, it can be made strong but can still give way, but at half the weight of the fiberglass I would think that tip would be incredibly fast making up for durability. One of my fly rods cracked out iof this stuff under stain. It is not mass, it's speed that counts, swinging a heavy baseball bat is one thing, getting speed out of it problematic but a fast light fiberglass rod can do a lot more to stop an aggressor. Look at a bull whip, it's light, that tip hitting sonic boom speed.
Ballet doesn’t work in street fighting. Having taken baseball bats and staffs from attackers, the best defense is fast reaction to action timing. Meaning you may not be the initiator of the encounter, but you need not be the victim. Practice your defensive to offensive tactics remembering that muscle memory can and will take over in a situation where you have not been the initiator. In some areas this particular stick is illegal, so do your research. Ignorance of the law is no defense. And above all, situational awareness can help you to understand when it is time to get out of the way BEFORE you are endangered. Don’t walk around with a headset, your head, ears eyes covered. Understand that the world is a dangerous place when you are not aware of who is around you and what is going on around you.
Sincere question here, don't want an argument, just information: What is the advantage of holding the stick overhead like that, that is, with the hand to the rear, as opposed to the shillelagh style of holding it with the hand at the front?
Thanks!
+LeopoldUlysees - in Bartitsu that's referred to as the "left guard" or "rear guard". It's a counter-offensive position used to bait an attack to an exposed target such as the head or lead hand (as in the "guard by distance" tactic shown in the video clip), also protecting the weapon hand against being "sniped" by the opponent's weapon.
One of the key characteristics of the Vigny stick fighting style is that all single-handed parries are performed with the hand high (prime and seconde positions, in fencing terms), specifically so that it's less likely that the opponent's stick will glance down the shaft and strike the defender's weapon hand.
So, this is a technique for defending against another stick, correct?
+LeopoldUlysees Mostly, though it's also demonstrated as a defense by invitation against a "left lead-off" boxing punch in one of Barton-Wright's essays. Any use against other weapons (knives, etc.) is a modern experimental adaptation of the canonical (original) style.
Thanks for the explanation. I often carry a stick as I use the D.C. Metro system, and more people are being attacked. I constantly train on defending myself with the stick, and I'm always on the lookout for better techniques.
I fight medieval longsword, it's very similar to a guard that Lichtenaur calls Der Och , Ox. It keeps the hands away from the adversary and allows rapid blocks to haymaker attacks and strikes to the head, the face, the shoulder, the arms and the hand
I own one of the graphite Blackswift SL models, which looks to be of similar dimensions. I found it just too narrow to use for Vigny techniques (and it also got chipped by a mask grille). Nice stick in other respects, though.
+Quixotematic I think the Raven is identical in terms of dimensions, but it's solid rather than hollow.
The most comfortable solutions we've come up with re. the narrow grip at the tip end are, basically, not to try to keep a death-grip on the stick and to focus most of the single-handed strikes with the ball-handle into a punching bag or striking pad. That way, the momentum of the strike is largely absorbed into the target, rather than having to be controlled by the hand.
For most practical purposes, though, I'd recommend an active and mobile double-handed grip anyway - still part of the Vigny style and clearly more powerful and comfortable with the Raven.
+Quixotematic "got the stick, too thin, got chipped when practicing. great though 10/10"
+Judo Guy To be fair, the stick only chipped when smacked hard into the steel grill of a fencing mask, which is not the kind of use it's designed for.
+BartitsuSociety Yeah I know, I was being an ass. Do you guys have to pretend you have a limp to walk around with these things? Or is it truly just a novelty? I've never actually seen one out 'in the wild'.
+Judo Guy I affect a very slight limp when I'm carrying the cane through airport security, but not otherwise. On the other hand, I'm old enough that walking with a cane is plausible anyway.
I wouldn't say the cane is a gimmick - it hits seriously hard and it's basically unbreakable. The only drawback for the classical Bartitsu stickfighting style is that the very narrow taper does make the cane difficult to grip for single-handed techniques at the extreme end.
The tutors here are agile, practiced at what they do...I was viciously attacked by a crackhead woman [29 ish] who took me by surprise in a busy shopping street...I am in my 50's and cannot run [knee arthritis] I need one of these. I instinctively went for the woman's eyes but she was wearing glasses...after the attack [which hopefully was on cctv] I had hold of her glasses..my guard was down in a busy street..I think I froze. attacks, esp by deranged people happen so fast.
I'm sorry to hear that you were assaulted and hope everything works out for you.
Noting that the purpose of this video was to test the BlackSwift cane for applicability to Bartitsu, which is a specific historical martial art style and therefore takes long-term training, agility etc. for granted as prerequisites. Our assessment is that the BlackSwift a good general-purpose self-defense cane, but do note that any weapon is only as effective as the training you're had to use it.
We'd recommend training with an experienced self-defense instructor who is able to make any necessary adjustments for physical limitations, etc.
You are so right. The training is 'everything' here..the people in this video are obviously fit, disciplined, and extremely proficient in what they do.
The stick here looks strong, but a stick 'without training' is not necessarily useful, and could be snatched off a weaker person and used against them [worst case scenario]
When a ''street attack'' comes, it tends to be ''dirty'', the attacker amoral and on drugs/drink.
I knew another woman [in her 30's] who did a self defence course, but when she was attacked, she ''froze''..the suddenness, the shock made her forget all she was taught.
One also needs to be fairly physically fit..if a stick like this was wrenched off one, it could be used against one.
Proper disciplines like Martial Arts require dedicated practice , so it becomes ''second nature
Thanks for your reply ,Bartitsu Society.
Sorry for those over 6 feet tall....There seems nothing over 36" long.
Is there any Bartitsu training near Washington D.C.?
+LeopoldUlysees Not that I know of, sorry.
No problem. Thanks.
Well, it's definitely not a cane in any sense of the word. It worn't support any weight. To me it looks like a fancy sjambok you use assbackwards.
Having actually used it, yes, it definitely does support weight. It's far stronger than it looks.
BartitsuSociety - Really?? Mind if I ask how much you weigh? The ball doesn't look like it'd be comfortable on the hand, it's looks pretty big.
+Chris Lichowicz I weigh 17 stone and the level of support from the Raven is perfect. Its a considerably more robust cane than all but the hardwood ones I own. As a defence tool it's speed of deployment is very rapid and anyone you wack with it will be incapacitated which is a good thing. If I wanted to kill them I'd be carrying a blackthorn. The round ball handle is comfortable enough but this is a matter of personal choice. I'm sure they be more than happy to fit a crook instead.
The cane in the flesh is a serious bit of kit the taper on the Raven is more akin to the taper on a longsword rather than a pool cue, this puts the point of balance the 10cm or so up the hand grip, exactly where it is on a quality sword.
Best of all, because it lacks the ridges, points and hooks of a typical cane do stick, it is an excellent day carry in legislations that are very strict on these things. I've taken it on flights. It does not look intimidating but it carry a he'll of a clout.
Carlos Malleum - Well, I apologize for the assumption, since you're actually using it, I have no reason to doubt your word. I just started needing a cane a few months ago. Not so much for walking, but, a hospital stay has left me a bit unsteady at times. I use that United hook cane that out. It's pretty good so far. It will take a lot to break that thing. I don't know what kind of plastic it is, but it'll probably bend in half before it breaks. It's not heavy either. Tell me if this is strange or not? I'm right handed, but, cane left handed. It just seems to work and feel more comfortable in my left hand.
I weigh about 190 lbs and find the ball handle perfectly comfortable - your mileage may vary.