scary
We have screwed around with the DTL a little bit. I bought mine from Botach and they accidentally sent me two, so I gave one to my friend (soon to be bro in law).
I have hit my 100lb heavy bag with it going full bore and it felt "ok." It took me a while to realize that you are supposed to hit with it by making contact with both the ring and the bent part at the same time. I don't know... it just kind of screws up my ergonomics. It seems like a good tool if you dedicate to training with it or take a MA that has similar movements, but for me, it's not something that I would carry on the street.
That's what I told my bro too... if he would have used it on the guy, it prob. would have been more of a distraction than anything. I mean that would make it assault with a deadly weapon anyhow, and if you are going to use it for, say, a hammerfist, why not just give them the elbow or knee instead (or boot to head, like Hackney should have done to the big sumo guy).
DTL is great as far as a trainer goes (now there is a better trainer from Tarani) but as far as a weapon, IMO there are lots of way better options, even "non metallic" ones for the airport ninjas ;).
As far as the ego thing... yeah, you're right. But also there is the "little man's complex" too that shorties have sometimes. Or there is the "I'm in a gang and they can't do that to ME" ones (this-is-my-turf kinda thing like how the locals vibe people sometimes).
I think that once you realize that:
- even a snotnose kid can kill you with an effective weapon
- jail sucks (there are lots of tuff guys in jail that "did something" about a problem) and freedom
- insults, stares, and such aren't true threats to your safety
then it makes it all the easier to walk away. You, me, anyone reading this could have been in the can or dead right now if we hit that guy that was staring at us or took that fight with the drunk dude in the bar.
It's friggin EASY to go to jail. Too easy. It's even easier to get killed.
krept,
nice post. it's HARD to walk away (figuratively and literally), but i think that is the best option.
your "little man's complex" i call the small dog complex. same thing.