Hapkido Cane

The cane is one of my favorite Hapkido weapons. I teach seminars with the cane, and will be filming a DVD with Paladin Press next week on its use for self-defense.

Yes, there are a number of Hapkido cane techniques that are more for demo or show. But there are a lot of practical cane techniques as well. I find cane techniques are similar to empty hand techniques. Learning basic blocks and strikes are your primary self-defense tools. Locks and throws take much more practice to actually do in a self-defense situation.I've seen some of the cane videos out there (and there does not seem to be that many, or else I just don't know about them) and I feel my new DVD will fill a void for people that want to learn practical self-defense with a cane as well as traditional Hapkido cane techniques. (Yes, I will include both) Why include both? Because I am a Hapkido instructor, and want to pass on the art as well as teach people how to defend themselves.

There are some techniques that I won't include because they are purely for demonstration. But some of the joint locks, even though a bit complicated to actually do in a real fight can be done with enough practice and under the right circumstances, so those will be taught.

I have walked through airports and onto planes with a cane without using it. One seminar I was going to I was actually passing most people as I walked very quickly due to such a short layover between flights. I carried the cane and my carry on in my right hand, not using it. As I put the cane onto the belt to have it x-rayed as I went through security, I was asked if I could go through the metal detector with it. I just replied that I could. I do have a reason to carry it, I teach seminars with it. Do I always carry a cane? No. It is just one more tool that I sometimes have available. As some have pointed out, certain cane techniques and stick techniques are related, so you can do them with different sticks, walking sticks, etc.

Legal - if you hurt someone with anything: cane, stick, hands - you may face criminal or civil charges and find yourself in a court room. If your cane has been modified to be more of a weapon, such as sharpening it, etc., you may have a harder time explaining what you were doing with it. If you don't need a cane or have a reason to be carrying it other than to hurt people, you may have a harder time explaining it. That is why it is important to be aware and avoid trouble. Keep yourself from being hurt, and keep yourself out of trouble. However, knowing how to defend yourself with a cane, and having one available can be a good thing for those times you can't avoid it. And in those time, I would hope you are in the right, did everything you could to avoid it, and then if you do find yourself in a court room you can explain that you were only defending yourself and hopefully be let off due to justifiable use of force.

If people have other cane questions I can help with, let me know.

Yours in Training,
Alain