The Psychology of a Baseball Bat

The psychology of a baseball bat. Or indeed the attacker(s) mentality. In it's most basic way, can be summed up by an incident that happened to me some years ago...

I was living in Northern Ireland at the time. A local group of males, affiliated to a terrorist organisation, attempted to scare & intimidate myself & freinds. Verbally and visually with a baseball bat. I informed the person holding the bat, that if he tried to attack me with it, i would immediately go toward him,and he would end up having only one swing of the bat which may or may not break an arm. I would still be up close & personal with him. Using all my body parts to defend this attack. The situation immediately became a stalemate, and my friends & i were able to quickly get away, and get to relative safety.

Such personal experiences, and my reality training have helped mould both the techniques & the concept of CPP's attitude to baseball bats, or such weapons. All attacks are potentially dangerous, irresspective of what one's ego judges them to trained in. Or trained 'as', haha. However, Baseball bat (or stick attacks) can be perhaps one of the least threatening.

If we look at why a person would take a baseball bat to another in the first place, it could have origins in two reasons.

The attacker is in such a rage, they want to do serious damage
The attacker is actually experiencing the 'Bully Mentality'

Either way, a baseball bat is only optimally effective at range. It needs a certain distance to travel to achieve speed. This increased motion is what gives it power. Range + Speed = Power, in this case. There can be exceptions, however. a baseball bat can be used as a hard edged weapon up close. However, i'd take my chances that way any day, compared to having it swung at me from a distance of 5 feet.

The other element is the Bully Mentality. A bully is a coward, and will always try to have the odds in their favour. Many who decide to use a weapon against another expect the victim to be afraid. Of course, in a violent situation it is ok to be afraid, and it can actually help you (another concept we teach at CPP). However, if an attacker comes at you with a baseball bat, ready to inflict serious harm and you decide you have no choice but to defend, and in doing so go toward the attacker it can instantly change things.

Your adrenaline surge, mixed with your fear, is no longer making you assume you feel more fear. Instead, it is fuelling, supercharging, your gross motor skills (reflex actions). Already the tables have turned. Psychologically it is the attacker who is caught of-guard, caught unawares. For a split second, the attacker may hesitate, giving you another fraction of a second to get in closer. Even if there is no hesitation, your action has greatly enabled your reflexes, and from a close range, a baseball bat still hasn't travelled far enough to gain speed + power. This makes it much easier to deflect via reflex. After the initial deflection... Well, you'll just have to take the training, won't you! Haha!

CPP believes in avoidance & evasion. If that isn't possible, we teach that it is ok to be scared, it will help us. That if there is no other choice, we change from being a victim, to being the one who attacks the attacker with the bat. We will show you how to not only beat the psychological attack upon you, but to turn it around and challenge the psychology of the attacker. We will give you tools in which you will defend and take down such bullies in two reflex moves.

Stay Safe
Wayne Harrison
Chief Instructor

copyright © Wayne Harrison 2010