The Koppo Stick Re-Visited

[Don Rearic]

I decided to go back through this topic as some folks have been discussing Palm Sticks and whatnot in various Forums. And "The Usual Suspects" should really get a kick out of some of this stuff too.

It is covert, quick and effective. Three ingredients for success in my realm of understanding.

This would have never come about the way it did had it not been for Hatsumi Sensei's excellent book, "Stickfighting." So, as usual, I give a special nod to the source.

There are several different hardcore groups of folks running between KnifeForums & BladeForums, and anyone that has seen some of the stuff I have written over in the Cane Forum at KFC knows I think very highly of Japanese Stick Techniques and Methods.

Then there is a crossover, what about a Push Dagger? You can thrust and slash with them very well. They are possibly the most underrated Edged Weapon ever. Very hard to disarm, very good for women and men alike.

The LaGriffe is similar in that respect, and in this, you can hit someone open handed with the palm or grab them if need be, if you have a Push Dagger or a LaGriffe in your hand. The same can be said for the Koppo Stick. Very effective and the crossover is there so you do not have to totally re-learn things to go with a "neat item."

The Koppo, in its' most easily used form can simply reinforce the fist, but where it shines is in the hammerfist, reverse hammerfist, open hand palm strike and in various grabbing and locking maneuvers. The reinforcement of the wrist and finger locks with it is amazing if you wish to play that way.

Now, if you have two of these and you get a JSP Bandando with dual, velcro-closed pockets, you are ready to rock and you have a few things that do many things. Force multiplier.



[This message has been edited by Don Rearic (edited 01-20-2001).]

 

[Ors]

so where can I get one...or several?

------------------
Ors, SMT

"In the end, there can be only one"

"Paranoia is just reality on a finer scale"

 

[Don Rearic]

Give James a call tomorrow and tell him I sent you! 406-844-2620

His site is www.bladerigger.com

Give him a call and see if he has any ready to go.

 

[Bandit]

What I believe would increase the effectiveness of the Koppo Stick dramatically would be making it into a T. Simply have a single THICK wedge sticking out through your fingers. I know a lot of people carry those ninja keychains with the 2 spikes sticking out but all they can do is put a 1" hole in your head where as a blunt tip coming from your fist would allow you to give concussions and hit pressure-points from 3 angles. I would love to see this in Titanium.

[This message has been edited by Bandit (edited 01-08-2001).]

 

[MrG]

So how do you carry/deploy your Koppo Stick Don? I seem to remember reading somewhere that you had them attached to your keys??( Or maybe I didn't; a sign of old age, I guess) Also, you mentioned the fantastic SYNERGY of combining both the Pocket Meteor and the Koppo Stick...

Can ya elaborate a bit more Don?

Please??

PS- To paraphrase Mr. Han from Enter the Dragon, "Your photography skills are extra-ordinary, Mr. Rearic." Keep them sweet ass pics coming!

 

[Don Rearic]

I was thinking about having James make a Kubotan length Koppo Stick and drilling an additional hole 1/4" from the end to put a split [key] ring through and use the whole rig as a Kubotan. Once you are used to this stuff, it is very easy to slip your fingers through the loops.

You could put a split ring on the finger cord loop as it is, but I don't think that would be as effective.

If Kubotans are legal, except for Courthouses, Commercial Aircraft and a select few Jurisdictions, why not? It is far more effective than a Kubotan as far as I'm concerned.

For the most part, I just drop a Koppo in the left hand pocket of a jacket or vest and go with that. You learn how to slip your fingers through the loop fast after awhile. I don't want to associate Thuggery with JSP Self-defense items, but Brass/Metal Knuckles, long looked down upon by Legislatures and Law Enforcement are actually some potent medicine for use against an attacker. The laws against them make the immediate assumption that because a person merely possesses or carries something, "only a criminal would use that." Well, we know the ludicrous lengths that sorry nonsense is taken to in every day life. The point being is, anyone familiar with the history of Metal Knuckles knows they are usually just kept in the pocket and for the most part, they are Self-Indexing, easy to get your fingers through fairly fast.

Here is a set of pics that will make it immediately apparent that you could combine these various Tools into some pretty effective combinations of Flail-Types of weapons...again, no value judgement is made by me on your safety or what you wish to do, this is, in the immortal words of some Publishers, "For informational and educational purposes only..."

 

[Don Rearic]

 

[VOODOO CHILD]

I haven't gotten the chance to play around with these yet, but I am looking forward to it. Money(or lack of) has become a real problem for me since joining BFC.

 

[Brian C]

Standard "I am not an attorney" disclaimer aside, I want to give a heads-up for anyone contemplating joining 2 sticks together into a flail-type device. From my reading of NY state law neither kubotans, Koppo Sticks, nor Pocket Meteors are expressly prohibited. However, by joining them together you may be creating a device that is in violation of state &/or local statutes. Here's an excerpt from the NYS law on dangerous weapons:

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">14. "Chuka stick" means any device designed primarily as a weapon, consisting of two or more lengths of a rigid material joined together by a thong, rope or chain in such a manner as to allow free movement of a
portion of the device while held in the hand and capable of being rotated in such a manner as to inflict serious injury upon a person by striking or choking. These devices are also known as nunchakus and centrifugal force sticks.</font>

Of course, YMMV.

------------------
Cheers,
Brian

He who finishes with the most toys wins.

 

[MrG]

Muchas garcia for posting those awesome pics Don.

The possibilities for pain with those puppies seem endless. And we're not talking flailing or "centrifugal force sticks" here either. I talking manrikigarrote/bandando on steroids! Imagine getting snagged, dragged, poked and choked with that!

When is there going to be a www.donrearicsweapons.com anyway?

 

[Don Rearic]

Brian,

Yes, Politicians are wonderful, aren't they?

Given sanction to perform a select few duties, they have snaked their way into every facet of our lives. They have abused their function and sanction.

 

[Brian C]

Yup. I couldn't agree with you more, Don. Without getting too much OT, there was a news item last night that I was actually happy to see. The story was on the ban of hand held cell phones while driving. A police chief, in Westchester County IIRC, was proposing that any legislation be tabled until the matter could be studied. Apparently, a review of all accidents in his jurisdiction turned up none that were caused by cell phone distraction. He was asking what next - a ban on eating, talking to back seat passangers, changing the radio, etc.

------------------
Cheers,
Brian

He who finishes with the most toys wins.

 

[Stickfighter2]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Don Rearic:
Brian,

Yes, Politicians are wonderful, aren't they?

Given sanction to perform a select few duties, they have snaked their way into every facet of our lives. They have abused their function and sanction.</font>

Geez Don, Ya Think So??!!

------------------
Stickfighter2
"I Used To Be Disgusted But Now I'm Just Amused"

"The More Corrupt The State, The More Numerous The Laws"

Publius Cornelius Tacitus
Histories III c.110 A.D.

 

[Don Rearic]

Sometimes, the obvious has to be stated.

 

[rinpoche]

I got thrown out of a federal building for carrying a kubotan. I didn't even think about it because it is my keychain. The guard started yelling at me for trying to bring in a weapon.

In the meantime there was a plumber carrying in pipes right beside me. i'm not arguing that I shouldn't have thrown out, but come on here.

It seems that the classification of something as a wepon instantly makes it more dangerous than anything else to morons. I think it's ridiculous that nuchalkus are banned in a lot of places. Sure they can be used as weapons in the hands of someone that's skilled, but I can walk into a hardware store and buy a chain or a saw or a rake and so as much damage. I could take a pen out of my pocekt and stick it into someone's neck.

Where I live I could conceivably get a permit to carry a gun (as difficult as it might be) but could not under any circumstances carry a pair of nunchaku - even for the study of historical martial arts. WTF?

 

[Don Rearic]

You get zero argument from me on the issue. As far as I'm concerned, you are absolutely correct. It is all symbolism over substance. All weapons laws are symbolism over substance.

This can be seen in many areas.

One of the most blatant cases of this is when Police respond to a Domestic Call now. The first question they ask, and rightly so for their own safety is, "are there any weapons in the home?" I understand that. I can understand in some cases, but not all cases, the removal of firearms.

(they might be removing the means of defense of someone, but that is an "extremist, gun nut" point of view nowadays)

But for the life of me, what I do not understand is why they will confiscate hunting, fighting or anything they can label as a "combat knife" or a tool that can be singled out as an, "edged weapon."

And then go on to leave every damned knife in the Kitchen. This points to the laws and policies as being, "symbolism over substance."

I have a little pamphlet that is printed by the American Bar Association, I believe, on Domestic Violence. In it, it warns women to get out of the Kitchen if a fight develops as most assaults, and particularly lethal ones, happen there.

They do not happen near the gun cabinet or near the knife collection, they happen primarily in the Kitchen.

Show me a Police Officer that likes to go on Domestics and I will show you a man that is a masochist...

Show me an Officer that likes the Kitchen during a Domestic, where he has to be in that particular Fatal Funnel...get the picture? Maybe he is a little loopy.

All weapons laws are nonsense.