The Sjambok

[Winchester]

I don't "carry around" my sjambok. The back sling is for when I ride my bike. Not strolling the mall or Wal Mart, that would be asking for trouble.

The sjambok as I said plenty of weapon for me.

 

[Tez3]

I don't "carry around" my sjambok. The back sling is for when I ride my bike. Not strolling the mall or Wal Mart, that would be asking for trouble.

The sjambok as I said plenty of weapon for me.

What martial art do you train?

 

[lklawson]

Most fights are easily avoided. Ignore & walk away is my policy. I don't go around with an attitude & try to get along with everyone.

Monkey Dance fights, yes. Self Defense, no.

You must live in bad area. I live in semi rural south Louisiana. Most people get along where I live.

 

[lklawson]

Your right. The CS sjambok is impossible to conceal.

Strangely enough, James' book, which you've referenced several times, lists at least 2 ways to conceal it which I can recall.

I have no interest in guns or knives.

Or knowledge of, or skill in?

 

[lklawson]

What martial art do you train?

I've asked him about his training and experience several times now. Crickets. Maybe you'll have better luck.

So far, every time he writes, I get images of Napoleon Dynamite.

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk

 

[Tez3]

I live in semi rural south Louisiana. Most people get along where I live.

We have an area like that here, Norfolk. Urban Dictionary: Normal for Norfolk

 

[Juany118]

The Sjambok is IN MOST CASES one helluva self defense weapon. The speed, the distance, the pain inflicted make it very hard to beat IMO. It isn't perfect but nothing is. I'd use it over a knife or a gun since those are potentially lethal weapons whereas the Sjambok isn't. I don't wanna kill an attacker I want him to wake up for many mornings following an encounter w/ me in alot of pain realizing he made a huge mistake. I won't be charged w/ murder or attempted murder. A&B possibly but doubtful.

A few stikes to an attacker's face or hands will end most fights very quickly. Once you've removed the dominant hand & an eye from the self-defense equation the odds are 80+% in you favor. You realistically can't ask for much more than that from a $10 polypropylene weapon which will pass through any metal detector and can be concealed.

Knowledgeable opinions?

Just one thing. In most States in the US such a weapon would at a minimum automatically rise to the level of Aggravated Assault and the weapon may, technically, be illegal. Many States have in their statutes that lethal force can be used in self defense if the person believes that they need to protect themselves from "serious bodily injury", which is often defined as: Bodily injury which creates a substantial risk of death or which causes serious, permanent disfigurement, or protracted loss or impairment of the function of any bodily member or organ."

I think your comment about taking out an eye would fall into that category and so I would use caution .

 

[Juany118]

Your right. The CS sjambok is impossible to conceal. Openly carrying it could have a definite deterrent effect, much like firearm open carry. No weapon is perfect. I have no interest in guns or knives.

The thing you forget is, under US Law carrying a firearm is Constitutionally protected, this weapon is not and is likely illegal in most jurisdictions as a Prohibitive Offensive weapon. Additionally as I noted previously it's use likely justifies someone shooting you.

Thanks said I can understand a distaste of carrying a firearm but a knife? Not only does that have utility but it's utility gets around pesky laws that prohibit the carrying of weapons that serve no other "legitimate" purpose than to harm another human being. Personally I have always wondered why the modern interpretation of the 2nd Amendment only gets applied to firearms (from a purely Constitutional literalist point swords and knives were used A LOT in the 18th century on the battlefield) bit the laws are what they are.

 

[lklawson]

Personally I have always wondered why the modern interpretation of the 2nd Amendment only gets applied to firearms (from a purely Constitutional literalist point swords and knives were used A LOT in the 18th century on the battlefield) bit the laws are what they are.

While avoiding modern politics (prohibited here on MT), the reason is most likely because the specific term "arms" was, at the time of writing, exclusive to what we now think of as "Military Small Arms." I.E. longarms and handguns. The specified goal, as accepted by SCOTUS in the Majority Opinions of U.S. v Miller in 1939 and D.C. v Heller in 2008, was to allow citizens ownership of personal firearms suitable for military service.

Basically "rifles, shotguns, and handguns."

There's a lot of scholarship surrounding looking at how the term "arms" was used in period and the gist of it is "guns."

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk

 

[ScourgeOfAfrica]

There are endless hypotheticals in SD. The sjambok is a damn good non--lethal SD weapon for numerous possible situations. Loriega makes note of the advantages of knowledge of filipino stick fighting arts as they relate to using the sjambok. I'm not aware of another non-lethal SD weapon which delivers so much while requiring so little.

 

[Juany118]

There are endless hypotheticals in SD. The sjambok is a damn good non--lethal SD weapon for numerous possible situations. Loriega makes note of the advantages of knowledge of filipino stick fighting arts as they relate to using the sjambok. I'm not aware of another non-lethal SD weapon which delivers so much while requiring so little.

As I noted earlier, this weapon, even Kali sticks, pull them and in most US jurisdictions you justified someone shooting you. It is not, legally, non-lethal at best it is "less lethal."

 

[lklawson]

There are endless hypotheticals in SD. The sjambok is a damn good non--lethal SD weapon for numerous possible situations. Loriega makes note of the advantages of knowledge of filipino stick fighting arts as they relate to using the sjambok. I'm not aware of another non-lethal SD weapon which delivers so much while requiring so little.

The sjambok is well documented to be able to inflict "serious bodily injury." Most U.S. Jurisdictions allow for the use of Deadly Force in response to the threat of "serious bodily injury."

Legally speaking, in most places and from everything I can tell (INAL), there is no legal difference between a sjambok and a knife or a club.

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk

 

[frank raud]

I watched Searching for Sugarman today. There is a scene with South African police using sjamboks to disperse a crowd.

 

[Saffa]

Hi guys, I found this thread while looking online to buy a sjambok here in Australia. I'm originally from South Africa so I thought I'd add my 2 cents.

Quick review on the Cold Steel sjambok which I received a couple days ago:
I've had and used a sjambok pretty much all my life. Primary used for dispatching venomous snakes specifically, which there are many in Northern KZN. Taken out about 10 snakes with it. One of which was a one hit decapitation when a snake stuck his head out of a exterior drain line.

The CS sjambok is quite a bit heavier than your typical sjambok from SA, especially the handle. I've given it a good swing or two and feel slower with it than my standard sjambok made in SA. I wouldn't feel as comfortable with it confronting a snake as my wrist control would be affected. My wife is petite so I'm not so sure how she'll handle it.
Don't get me wrong, I do like it. It's really well made and feels more like a self defence weapon.
My sjambok in SA was thinner and easy to use. I think I took out my first snake around 12 years old. I don't think I wouldn't have been able to with the CS one.

So my recommendation is if you're looking for a self defense weapon the CS one is probably better, however if you're primarily going to use it to control snake population I would probably recommend one off bidorbuy.co.za (SA's eBay equivalent).

On side note, not one I'm proud of, but it may prove educational: When we were in our early teens my bigger, older brother and I got into a huge fight (he started it). He armed himself with a field hockey stick and I armed myself with the sjambok. The superior reach meant I won the exchange untouched with him getting a big ol cut above his eye. Obviously not a life or death situation but show me the damage it can do.

 

[Jenna]

Hi guys, I found this thread while looking online to buy a sjambok here in Australia. I'm originally from South Africa so I thought I'd add my 2 cents.

Quick review on the Cold Steel sjambok which I received a couple days ago:
I've had and used a sjambok pretty much all my life. Primary used for dispatching venomous snakes specifically, which there are many in Northern KZN. Taken out about 10 snakes with it. One of which was a one hit decapitation when a snake stuck his head out of a exterior drain line.

The CS sjambok is quite a bit heavier than your typical sjambok from SA, especially the handle. I've given it a good swing or two and feel slower with it than my standard sjambok made in SA. I wouldn't feel as comfortable with it confronting a snake as my wrist control would be affected. My wife is petite so I'm not so sure how she'll handle it.
Don't get me wrong, I do like it. It's really well made and feels more like a self defence weapon.
My sjambok in SA was thinner and easy to use. I think I took out my first snake around 12 years old. I don't think I wouldn't have been able to with the CS one.

So my recommendation is if you're looking for a self defense weapon the CS one is probably better, however if you're primarily going to use it to control snake population I would probably recommend one off bidorbuy.co.za (SA's eBay equivalent).

On side note, not one I'm proud of, but it may prove educational: When we were in our early teens my bigger, older brother and I got into a huge fight (he started it). He armed himself with a field hockey stick and I armed myself with the sjambok. The superior reach meant I won the exchange untouched with him getting a big ol cut above his eye. Obviously not a life or death situation but show me the damage it can do.

Good to hear info from some one who have actually used it, thank you! Tho can you carry it on a plane? cos you some time get lots of snakes on those too..

 

[Saffa]

Good to hear info from some one who have actually used it, thank you! Tho can you carry it on a plane? cos you some time get lots of snakes on those too..

My final recommendation is that Samuel L Jackson is welding a sjambok if a sequel is made (please movie producers, don't a sequel).

It got delivered to my work so I had to take it on the train back home. Got some interesting looks.

 

[lklawson]

My final recommendation is that Samuel L Jackson is welding a sjambok if a sequel is made (please movie producers, don't a sequel).

How many Sharknado sequels are we up to now? Snakes on a Plane sequel is definitely a possibility. rofl

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk

 

[mwinchester]

CORPORAL PUNISHMENT: Leather strap at Mississippi prison farm

 

[Porong]

My question is would there be a tactical advantage to figure out how to put a side handle on a sjambok????

 

[Porong]

Does anyone know where I might be able to get information on using the Sjambok? It is allegedly an ancient African whip used to herd cattle and also used for self defense. It was originally made from braided animal hide but is now made with synthetic materials.

Yeah the thing is basically a whipping rod I would imagine it would not be hard to figure out how to use it as defenaive device