Eric Stalloch is a West Coast-based martial artist and freelance writer.
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“It is the only self-defense tool that can be carried everywhere legally—including airplanes and courthouses.”

Carrying a weapon on the street sounds like a martial artist’s dream. Imagine legally carrying a sword, bo, sai, nunchaku, or other traditional weapon. Working with these weapons in the training hall is undoubtedly beneficial, but they have few practical uses in a real-life self-defense scenario.

Enter the cane.

The cane has a long history of self-defense applications, and in recent years has risen in public awareness. Its versatility allows it to be swung, twirled, and flipped; it can be used for hooking, locking, throwing, and tearing techniques. The best part? It is the only self-defense tool that can be carried everywhere legally—including airplanes and courthouses. This fact alone makes it essential knowledge that everyone should learn.

One for All
Dedicated to empowering people around the world with cane self-defense skills is grandmaster Mark R. Shuey, Sr., founder of Cane Masters International Association, the American Cane System, and Cane Fu. He is known internationally as “the Cane Master,” and he has a passion for breaking down stereotypes to put the cane in the hands of everyone.

“The cane has been stigmatized far too long,” notes Shuey. “Too many people still see it as a crutch. It isn’t. Yes—it is a medical device, but not one just for the elderly or injured. The cane is equally useful for men and women of all ages without injuries.”

In recent years, Shuey has allowed his top students, whom he has certified as Cane Masters, to help him achieve that goal. As one of his Cane Masters, I recently presented a seminar in Central New York, hosted by my instructor, grandmaster Clifford C. Crandall, Jr., founder of the American Martial Arts Institute and American Eagle Style. Shuey actively oversaw the event and personally worked with participants.

Self-defense techniques exploit the physics of the body. One concept familiar to martial artists is head control. Many of the cane techniques presented at the seminar focused on these control techniques.

Cane-Fu?
Anyone can benefit from training with the cane, regardless of background or martial arts style. Practice carrying a cane regularly and you will become more comfortable and more willing to carry one wherever you travel.

What’s on the horizon for cane training? Cane-Fu, a cane self-defense system designed specifically for senior citizens and non-martial artists who want to feel more secure in their daily lives. Whatever your background, knowledge is the key that can make the difference in your ability to defend yourself.

Anyone can benefit from training with the cane, regardless of background or martial art style. Practice carrying a cane regularly and you will become more comfortable and more willing to carry one wherever you travel. What’s on the horizon for cane training? Cane-Fu, a cane self-defense system designed specifically for senior citizens and non-martial artists who want to feel more secure in their daily lives. Whatever your background, knowledge can make the difference in whether or not you survive a street attack.

For more information, visit www.canemasters.com

Caps

(A-E)

Double Lapel Grab

Crandall is holding the cane in his right hand below the crook (1). Trap the attacker’s arms. Crandall brings his right arm over Stalloch’s arms, drawing them sharply to his body (2). Notice this shifts Stalloch’s shoulders and head down and forward. Crandall rotates the palm of his right hand, striking Stalloch in the base of the cranium and positioning the shaft of the cane across the back of Stalloch’s neck (3). Crandall reaches across the front of his body with his left hand and grasps the shaft of the cane, palm down (4). This creates a triangle with his forearms crossed in front of Stalloch’s throat and the shaft along the back of his neck with his head in the middle. Crandall steps back, lowering his center of gravity and pulling the shaft of the cane toward his body (5).

 (1-6)
Bear Hug
Crandall is holding the cane in his right hand. He slides his right hand down below the crook and brings the cane up to his left hand near the end of the shaft (1). Crandall steps to the right, quickly lowering his center of gravity while bringing both arms up and thrusting them forward to break Stalloch’s grip (2). Crandall strikes Stalloch in the solar plexus with the tip of the cane (3). Crandall steps his left foot back so his hips are perpendicular to Stalloch’s (4). He also releases the cane with his left hand, drops his shoulder and reaches around behind Stalloch’s body. Crandall re-grabs the shaft of the cane (palm down), with the shaft of the cane along the left side of Stalloch’s neck at an angle (5). Crandall steps back and pulls on the cane with both arms to bring Stalloch down at angle to trap his head against Crandall’s body. Crandall also pushes forward with his right shoulder (6).

(1-6)
Right Punch.

Crandall is holding the cane in his right hand below the crook and starting from a seated position (1). Crandall blocks Stalloch’s punch by bringing the shaft of the cane up in front of his body in a circular block (2). He stands and redirects Stalloch’s arm down so that the shaft of the cane is now positioned above it (3). Crandall strikes Stalloch in the throat (along the tracheal line) with the cane’s shaft. Crandall moves around Stalloch by stepping past him with his right foot. Then he steps around with his left foot, rotating his body 180-degrees clockwise (4). Crandall brings his forearm up and behind Stalloch’s neck, to the base of the skull (5). Notice the importance of wedging the palm down below the base of the cranium and then rotating it up and into the skull. Stepping back will also shift the attacker’s center of gravity so that his legs cannot aid in supporting his body weight or stabilization. This increases pressure on the neck (6).