Dave's Friend, the Pickaxe Handle

Carrying this over from the "olde place" because the house came crashing down shortly after I posted it, and because a couple of guys had asked for it.

When I was in Doncaster, Dave introduced me to his friend the pickaxe handle. Nice ta meetcha, sir.

Dave, I know I’m missing some good stuff, so please fill in whatever blanks you think need filling.
Tony, you were there as well, please add your comments and favorite techniques as well.

Meet the Pickaxe Handle. First off, it is not a one-handed weapon. Don’t think of it as a baton or eskrima stick. It’s a whole ‘nother animal. Think of it more like a short staff, on steroids.

It’s really pretty simple. If some bugger is giving you trouble, bash him with it. However you hit him with it, it’s going to hurt.

OK,. maybe that oversimplifies it a bit.

Let me try again. Keep in mind that this is a DT system, and therefore it’s strength and sophistication is (oddly enough) in its simplicity. Simple is repeatable and natural, and therefore good. I'm all for simple.

Guard positions – high and low guards.
You grab it with both hands comfortably apart.
High guard – up slightly above eye level (so you can see, of course).
Low guard – about waist level.
These give you a solid base from which to bash.

You can defend high vertical “caveman” strikes by raising your high guard slightly overhead.
You can respond to non-vertical strikes by putting the stick to vertical and blocking (better, attacking) the incoming strike.
And bash from there.

If the BG tries to grab it, use it like a kayak paddle (end over end through the middle of his grab) and it’ll come right free. Then bash him.

You can bash with either end. Or with the middle, if that presents itself. Again, Dave’s principle – hit with the closest weapon. Or the closest part of the weapon.

You can use it like a bayonet (“stabbing” strikes). Either end (so I suppose it’s “rifle butt and bayonet”).
Another nice butt strike comes from using the pickaxe handle like a pool cue, sliding it forward through a loose grip.

At close range, you can slide one hand to the middle and use pivoting strikes, with the primary force coming from the hand at the end, the middle hand serving as the pivot. Nice for a bit of an in-tight bash.

Also at medium range you can use it one handed, holding it more in the middle. It gets a nice feel that way, and of course, you can bash with either end. Or both in succession. It's lovely, really.

At longer range you can take your “middle hand” and slide it up next to your “end” hand and use it like a 2 handed club or hammer. Either end will do, the heavier end hits harder, the lighter end hits faster.
Either way, administer a good bashing.

There’s a trick to the “slide your hand it” that I’ll try to describe. Either turn your hand as you slide, so as to go into a “baseball bat” grip, or slide with the back of your hand on the under/inside of the pickaxe handle (so your hands are both turned palms facing the same direction), then pivot the stick and your hands to wind up in that baseball bat grip. And, of course, give a nice solid bash.
Or a few. It's very therapeutic.

You can also use it for locks, chokes and takedowns. This is a bit complex to describe. If you do stickwork, your favorite stick locks apply.
I don’t have a partner handy, so I’ll not try to describe an example, but the pickaxe handle variant of a rear naked choke is pretty nasty.

The key, as with any tool, is practice. Which I have neglected more than I would like. So many tools, so little time!
It's not quite an awkward tool, not quite an easy-flowing tool either. It takes some playing with it to really get a nice feel and flow with it.

Addendum: shortly after writing this, I got the chance to do some light "flow sparring" with one of my seniors, him with an Eskrima stick (with which he has lots of skills and practice), me with the pickaxe handle (with which I have little). I especially wanted to see how those sideways blocks worked.

It was great, and very instructive. Rather than fight at largo (long) range where the Friend would have a clear advantage, I chose to spar at medio range. The blocking works beautifully. And I was blown away (as was my training partner) at how nicely those close-range pivoting strikes work. As well, of course, as the butt strikes. In closer-to-real usage (as opposed to just swinging the thing) the awkwardness goes away, and what is left is a very comfortable, very effective tool.

Dave, here is where you tell me what I got wrong...

JK

to re-write what I said on the GT forum

Your ability to retain knowledge is excellent and you have done a great job in reviewing your short (too short mate) stay in Doncaster

I cant find fault with the report at all

lets hope TonyS comes on here and continues your little tale

nice one mate

Jonathon really is a jedi sponge!

Gotta say it really was a highlight of my training career spending that half hour training with you gents - it was a magical moment that went far too fast!


First gotta say Jonathons previous stickwork and Daves skills put them both well ahead of me and i really felt like a drunken double leftfooted yowke who'd snuck in at the back of the class!!!

I felt that Chris or another mod would come in at any time and haul me out of there for being a fraud


Watching the pair of you guys "whip the pick" around your bodies like a pair of BruceLee Ninja monkies was simply aweinspiring! I could tell JK was a VERY fast study


Ive gotta say i dont feel 100% safe in doing the nunchuka style singlehanded movements atm. Surely if you hit something its VERY hard to recover and dont you have a chance of loosing it? Id like to get the chance to work them on a heavy bag first....before i attempt them seriously..... But ive no doubt the pair of you could get it to work!


Two handed low guard feels right and works brilliantly for me atm...i was gobsmacked at how many ways Dave could strike effectively in a non-telegraphed manner from this guard.

There are few moments where ive felt so lonely, mortal and fragile as when Dave was approaching me with his pick in hand and a glint in his eye!
And i KNEW he wasnt actually going to hurt me!



About the only parts that Jonathon has left out are the chokes which i found instantly useful....

Chokes and face bars i find are an effective method of grappling - using a pickaxe handle makes them several times more effective!

A facebar with the pick is HORRENDOUSLY painful - if they can feel pain theyll start complying.....lips, nose, cheeks, eyebsockets it ALL hurts...

A rearnaked choke with a pickhandle is highly effective - but put the handle in at a slight angle as this allows you to around his jawline better and get to his neck. Be aware of how easily the windpipe can be crushed on the hard surface and target the carotid arteries on the side of the neck.

Slightly off topic if you get to see Miami Vice 2006 theres a great example of this where Collin Farrel chokes out a bad guy with his Sig225 using that exact move! Im guessing Mick Gould, Manns fight coordinator, (who like Dave studied Goshinkwai) knows the same move


Oh yes i must get round to trying Daves version of skeet shooting sometime!

Tru about Mikey Gould.. we were both taught by John Warfield..

although in honest truth

Gouldy is a few levels above me in the Goshinkwai Yawara

and there are loads of fight scenes done by Gouldy or at least devised by Gouldy

Oh and I breathed a sigh of relief when I realised you HADNT just missed the letter 'R' out Ha Ha Ha


"PICK in hand and Glint in eye" .. whew

Now that WOULDVE scared me!



Any tips for the more onehanded swirling stuff Dave?