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Bought myself some SAP gloves.
Zayl
Veteran
Well, since I got a new job in a let's say less than good side of Saginaw I decided to shell out some money for some SAP gloves. For those of you who don't know, SAP gloves are thick leather gloves with steel plates and powdered steel/steel buckshot protecting the knuckles/fingers. Their primary purpose is to transfer a more solid strike to your opponent, while protecting your hand from any damage caused by punching. Unlike brass knuckles which concentrate the force of your strike, causing severe damage to both your opponent and yourself. SAP gloves are designed to distribute the force over a wider area, meaning your hand will not get hurt as much. And you can K.O. someone without causing anything more than superficial damage.
So my question is, does anyone have any experience with these gloves? I talked to a police officer at a red light for a whole two minutes about them, but all I got from him was that he liked the pair he was issued, and that there wouldn't be any legal problems if I owned a pair, unless I took the offensive and committed a crime with them or something (which I don't plan to do) I only bought them to give myself more of a fighting chance the next time I get jumped. Yes it has happened before, and never once in the world have I ever seen a chunky white guy outrun three skinny African Americans. I think they only stopped chasing me because they were just as bewildered as I was. But I can't outrun everything, so I'd like to be able to know that I can hold my own if it got down to it.
So what do ya think? good choice? why or why not? in my opinion it is much better than carrying say, any other type of weapon since it was designed to lessen the risk of injury, instead of causing more pain. Well, except for the other guy. Even if it does not cause flesh wounds getting struck with a fist wrapped in metal can't feel good.
So my question is, does anyone have any experience with these gloves? I talked to a police officer at a red light for a whole two minutes about them, but all I got from him was that he liked the pair he was issued, and that there wouldn't be any legal problems if I owned a pair, unless I took the offensive and committed a crime with them or something (which I don't plan to do) I only bought them to give myself more of a fighting chance the next time I get jumped. Yes it has happened before, and never once in the world have I ever seen a chunky white guy outrun three skinny African Americans. I think they only stopped chasing me because they were just as bewildered as I was. But I can't outrun everything, so I'd like to be able to know that I can hold my own if it got down to it.
So what do ya think? good choice? why or why not? in my opinion it is much better than carrying say, any other type of weapon since it was designed to lessen the risk of injury, instead of causing more pain. Well, except for the other guy. Even if it does not cause flesh wounds getting struck with a fist wrapped in metal can't feel good.
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Comments
They don't protect, they inflict.
Therefore, they're aggressive.
Carry a hiking stick with you to help you walk more quickly.
When those at a distance see you already have a visible 'weapon' they'll think twice before considering jumping you.
With gloves, you risk being had from behind before you can even land a sucker punch.
Art least they'll protect your hands while your head's being kicked in.
:rolleyes: :screwy: :shake:
Surreptitiously wearing something that could seriously damage your assailant rather than impede their attack, is quite another.
They may well have a concealed weapon, in which case, gloves may be no match for a knife or club - but carrying a hiking stick, and walking purposefully with it, is an immediate visual image of someone who it may be wiser to steer clear of.
Plus you can pretend you are Gandalf.
SAP gloves are not distance weapons - you need to be handy with your fists in the first place and it will be close combat - they offer excellent protection from blunt object attack if you're able to block - there are some with metal plates in the palm which can be used to defend against knife attacks but it's a long shot with hands unless youre seagal I guess.
I'm not sure I see your justification that they're better than other weapons - if you attack with them, it is akin to knuckle dusters except that the risk of injury to your hand is diminished - you're hitting with metal reinforcement - they can easily cause a severe or fatal injury.
Being peaceful and anti-weapon is all well and good until the day your life is threatened. Having steel-plated gloves being the difference between a bad day with a story to tell your grandkids and meaningless death at the hands of thugs is something many people cannot comprehend until they live in a place where this is a reality.
Plus I mean, when I finally do get to my place of employment it'd be easier to place my gloves in my pocket and put my coat up rather than walking into my job with an obvious weapon. And any other weapons small enough to fit in your pocket are generally much, much more dangerous (such as knives, firearms, or other improvised blunt objects.) Though I am considering buying myself a small can of mace, one of the super small pocket sized deals. Spray someone in the face and then book it out of there.
It's simply that from my PoV, this seems like a deliberate 'come get some if you dare' kind of attitude....
I can't even smack a dog, let alone think of doing anything to anyone else.....
My thought process for buying these gloves were as follows. I wanted something that can stop an attacker, without permanently harming them. Something that is inconspicuous as to not attract the attention if someone else looking for a fight. And something that would be nigh impossible for someone to take away from me and then use against me, or worse, someone else.
Also, these gloves are very commonly used here by bouncers, private security, police, and military personnel. I have seen their effects first hand, and unlike knuckle dusters which cause severe lacerations and bleeding, people hit with these gloves often don't bleed at all, unless they get clipped in the ear or walloped on the nose or something. If I ever do have to use them, I'd use them much in the same way the police do. One solid strike to the gut to knock the wind out of someone. While they are looking for their breath, I plan to get as much distance between myself and them as possible.
@Brian Yes, I've been to Detroit many times, even got a knife pulled on me there. Lucky for me the idiot did it right across the street from a parked police car, which happened to be occupied. But I can't always expect help to arrive. This is why I can never be truly pacifist. I can be as non violent as I can be, but every now and then a situation comes up where it is just you, and an assailant.
Gloves are good in that they're always ready - mace for medium, SAP if no choice...
They're good to wear in training as well as they add weight to your hands - if you're going to wear them out, consider buying 2 pairs, one for training and one for wearing - start training with them so you're familiar with how they work and the limits - if striking, go for hard targets - probably best to have some drills well versed - the good thing about reinforced knuckles is that you have the element of surprise on your side - you can strike at areas that are not normally on a target range and disable close range - low arcing hook / straight to the top of the hip bone, straight / hook to front or side of thigh, above and below knees as well as the staple sternum, collar bone, ribs, arms - tape up practice gloves and hit hard targets - your wrist will need some adjustment - blocking is good with foam bat / hard bat (large and small) - wood is probably better as the metal ones dink and dent - a spade is also good as it has a broad metallic flat surface to work off.
OM VAJRAPANI HUM
Huh, just hit me. maybe acting completely crazy is a good defense? if I got confronted then tore off all my clothes while screaming in Sanskrit and spitting water at them while running at them...
People, I have to take the same route every time I go to and from work. I could go a much, much longer route all the way around the city and then approach my place of work from the opposite side. Of course this runs with the risks of what normally happens when you walk dozens of miles in a day. I could go another route as well, but it is much worse than the one I currently take.
So I'm stuck with this one route. If I get attacked or mugged *again* I cannot afford to look weak or to lay there and accept the beating. Because the next time I come through? it'l just happen all over again. I respect people's choice to be pacifist and all but there's a certain point where I consider those types idiots. To be clear, I'd rather die than have people walk all over me like that. That is why I only got bullied once in all my school years, then people learned not to mess with me (that "bully" also never harmed anyone again because I scared him straight I guess)
And so if the need arises, if I cannot run away or talk my way out of it. I will fight, and I will win if I can. And if I lose, then at least I gave self preservation a shot.