During the Victorian era, police in London carried a one foot wooden baton – called a “billy club.” The term was first used in 1848 as a slang for a burglar’s crowbar. They were used defensively (to block an attack) or offensively (to strike, jab or bludgeon). A billy club can also be called nightstick, truncheon, baton, or cosh. Today, many batons or billy clubs are telescopic – allowing expansion and collapse.

There are also “side-handle” batons (sometimes called T-batons) which are derived from the tonfa – an Okinawan kobudo weapon. There is flexibility on how it can be held – and used. There are more defensive techniques that can be employed and more power in offensive use. It won’t roll away if dropped. It is harder for the bad guys to take them away.

Billy clubs are legal for law enforcement and military in most countries around the world. In modern police training, the primary target areas are muscle groups – mid-thigh, quadriceps and biceps. Modern protocol strictly prohibits hitting the skull, sternum, spine or groin – unless such attack is conducted in defense of life. Depending on the state – private citizens may carry billy clubs as well for self-protection.

I am curious as to why billy clubs are not used to deter the smash and grab criminals who commit forcible felonies, the protesters (of any stripe) who battle police and against the criminals like those who invaded our nation’s Capitol on January 6th (and threatened to kill America’s legislators). Appropriate? What do you think?