Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2019/01/21/using-pikes-to-confront-and-im.html
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The British have abandoned their quartstaff supremacy?
Don’t bring a knife to a pike-fight.
Also, this is probably obligatory:
Not a simple pike, though; looks like some kind of sasumata/mancatcher thing. I’d bet it’s more effective than a taser.
Wow, very cool. It looks medieval but effective. What we can learn for the past.
The right species of salmon or mackarel would probably be as effective as well.
I don’t think they’re really considering the advantages of other species. I’d think that really any of the larger stingray-type fish would be ideal–you get your built-in handle, plus a lot of troublemaker-slapping surface area.
This’ll work too…
Now in jumbo for large hat wearing knife-wielding troublemakers.
They would trap 'em with pikes and then shoot them. Duh.
This seemed to be a coordinated effort, well executed, similar clothing. Just odd. Do the shop keepers in the area practice this?
It isn’t the usual beat-down-until-fatally-wounded apprehension.
Oh sure, but then the criminals will just get pikes of their own, and the police will need longer pikes, and where will it end? The phalanx formation? Early black powder weapons?
Mid-evil? As in. . . only semi-evil?
So if Rob is suggesting we start to open carry pikes, I am down with that. Are halberds ok too? Love me a nice looking halberd.
Does @Medievalist want to get on this pole arm action?
Once they had him pinned to the wall a taser would have ended it much sooner.
They’re using a modern day variation of a old samurai restaining weapon called a sasumata that’s used by school admins and riot police. Their use and popularity have grown outside of japan over the past few years.
(before anyone says weird japan or whatever bullshit, remember that it’s extremely bizarre that a nut in the states could easily get their hands on a high capacity assault rifle and shoot up an entire school or church)
At least one British police force still carry halberds:
Look at those glorious bastards!
Another nuclear arms race, no doubt.
I’m not seeing any guns in this video. Next video, please. And, make it something serious this time!
-An American