Nunchucks for control

[sensei8]

The nunchaku speaks about destruction; it just has that type of look, and it can surely be wielded in that manner by choice, and by intent!! Get angry and hit with a police tonfa/baton, and that will certainly injure, but get angry and hit with a nunchaku, and that will certainly cause death. Yes, both can kill, but just one angry strike with the nunchaku, and death is more likely to happen. It can happen with the tonfa/baton as well, but, in my experience, it might take more than one strike with the baton to cause immediate death.

After all, this might be true for all MA weapons. While they're beautiful, they're still weapons, and not toys!!

[Spartacus Maximus]

An inexperienced or insufficiently trained nunchaku wielder is probably more of a danger to himself than such a person wielding a nightstick. In any case, the type of training police officers recieve with their weapons, including firearms is far from intensive. With all the regular work to occupy thier day, how much time can the average officer expect to train and practise with their weapons?

The only members who have additional time to train experience are either special units or those whose personal background included applicable techniques such as service in the military or a martial arts background.

[sensei8]

An inexperienced or insufficiently trained nunchaku wielder is probably more of a danger to himself than such a person wielding a nightstick. In any case, the type of training police officers recieve with their weapons, including firearms is far from intensive. With all the regular work to occupy thier day, how much time can the average officer expect to train and practise with their weapons?

The only members who have additional time to train experience are either special units or those whose personal background included applicable techniques such as service in the military or a martial arts background.

Solid post!!

Even though, and I'm sure this applies, LEO's regularly have to qualify with said tool/weapon, but I too, doubt that even that doesn't allow for further education of the nunchaku's.

I don't want LEO's to be MAist's of the nunchaku because it's not required for LEO's. But I'd like to see LEO's learn more than nunchaku 101. How can a LEO use the nunchaku for control, when the LEO lacks the proper training to control the hunchaku, let alone both, the suspect and the nunchaku, at the same time.

Some might say..."Having the nunchaku is better than not having it at all; better to be save than sorry." That, to me, would be quite irresponsible of the department, imho.

[Spartacus Maximus]

How many regular police officers actually have time to train at least on a weekly basis with the nightstick/baton in addition to their service firearm?

How many have never gone beyond the few short sessions taught at the academy?

Adding anything that requires more training to become functionally effective would certainly put an unnecessary burden on them and would increase costs for little additional benefits. This is the reason why police departments have specialized units instead of training every officer in the use of every tool/weapon at their disposal.

[bushido_man96]

How many regular police officers actually have time to train at least on a weekly basis with the nightstick/baton in addition to their service firearm?

How many have never gone beyond the few short sessions taught at the academy?

Adding anything that requires more training to become functionally effective would certainly put an unnecessary burden on them and would increase costs for little additional benefits. This is the reason why police departments have specialized units instead of training every officer in the use of every tool/weapon at their disposal.

These are all valid points to make in regards to LEO training. Our department trains monthly with firearms, either qualifying, or working some other aspect of proficiency, like Simunitions training or training malfunction drills, shooting from vehicles, etc. And this is not the norm for many departments. Monthly training is a great thing.

Also, not every department has specialized units. That's a benefit of bigger, better funded departments.

[bushido_man96]

A a copper I'll say this....the idea is ridiculous.

There is nothing that this weapons does, striking or joint control, that isn't better filled by a simpler weapon to use. Simple is life when you're rolling in the ditch with some mope. Heck, carrying these will be a pain. Transitioning up and down force options will be difficult. If any department actually trains enough to use them well (which is doubtful) then what other training suffers?

Empathy hands (better not, that's the most common police use of force after handcuffs.) Handcuffing (nope, THE most common thing we do.) Firearms (nope far to critical when it does happen.) So where does the time come from?

We get so entranced with whatever the hot idea is to lessen use of force beefs before we realize that all it's doing is adding to them by improper application. Look, the jobs not safe. Coppers, administrators, and citizens need to get that. Sometimes, even when it sucks, you just need to put hands on. Or Taze a dude. Or get on the trigger.

That's the reality of it. Adding a poorly selected weapon choice to an already crowded field that has tools already shown to work better....Some admin somewhere is just trying make life hard for beat cops.

I guarantee than all HATE them.

Alex makes a lot of good points here. I don't think it would be the best option to have on the belt, I don't necessarily think it wouldn't work. These guys aren't going to be learning to twirl these like Bruce Lee did in Enter the Dragon. The methods they use will be much simpler, more like baton usage as far as striking goes, but with the added element of control it can offer.

With that said, I do think the collapsible baton is a better option than these. I don't know how many departments actually use the nightstick anymore, but I haven't seen one anywhere I've gone. Collapsibles like the Manadanok or ASP have become the norm.

As for the term "non-lethal," its mainly based on how the tool is trained. Try not to get too hung up on the terminology. Can a baton kill? Yes. Do we as officers train to kill with it? No. Most baton training systems are designed to subdue as opposed to try to kill someone, by training officers to not aim at areas like the head and neck, but at the fleshy parts of the arms and legs, or the joints. Although it can kill if need be, that's not the point of it, like a firearm. I don't know of any departments that train with firearms to shoot someone in the legs or arms. Training is to hit center mass, therefore, the tool is lethal.