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General >> General Slinging Discussion >> The Sling as a Hand to Hand Weapon
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Message started by me2 on Mar 15th, 2010 at 1:03am

Title: The Sling as a Hand to Hand Weapon
Post by me2 on Mar 15th, 2010 at 1:03am
Got to thinking about the various places I've seen scarves, chains, and belts used for fighting/detering an attacker that has gotten too close.  The braided slings are certainly strong enough for this, and maybe some weights could be added to the ends to make a weighted chain/sling combo.  Any records of ancient slingers being closed on and having to throttle their opponents with their slings?  How about sheperds strangling dogs or foxes after the lambs?

Title: Re: The Sling as a Hand to Hand Weapon
Post by Mordechaj on Mar 15th, 2010 at 5:32am
if you are using a sling as a melee weapon, you are using it wrong :D

Title: Re: The Sling as a Hand to Hand Weapon
Post by Fundibularius on Mar 15th, 2010 at 7:14am

Mordechaj wrote on Mar 15th, 2010 at 5:32am:
if you are using a sling as a melee weapon, you are using it wrong :D


;D

I don't believe it could be very useful in hand to hand combat - except you are Jet Li or so, but if you are, you probably won't need any weapon at all.

Shepherds used to (and many still do) carry a stick or staff with them, for multiple uses, among them, in the old times, to hit wolves and other predators (or human thieves) if they got into close range.

Even David is reported to have carried his sling and staff with him when he walked into the duel with Goliath.

Title: Re: The Sling as a Hand to Hand Weapon
Post by Et Cetera on Mar 15th, 2010 at 7:33am
http://slinging.org/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1240605101/0#0
:)

Title: Re: The Sling as a Hand to Hand Weapon
Post by Liberty dog on Mar 15th, 2010 at 9:06am
i have had that same idea about putting a weight on the end of my sling....and i believe that david morningstar pointed out that it is called a slung shot and its a fenoly in most places to use it....but if your life is at stake......well........... ::)
149.JPG (324 KB | )

Title: Re: The Sling as a Hand to Hand Weapon
Post by kuggur slingdog on Mar 15th, 2010 at 2:33pm
A sling is as an effective hand to hand weapon as any piece of rope...not at all really.
European shepherds carried a shepherd´s shovel (pointy blade with crook attached), a pretty effective  weapon. You can still buy these (I think a regular crook is more practical though)

Title: Re: The Sling as a Hand to Hand Weapon
Post by Rat Man on Mar 16th, 2010 at 12:01pm
Hi me2;
  I've thought about this also.  I think that by attaching a lock to the fingerloop you could make a fairly effective flail.  I would probably use something like that to defend my Huskies against attacking loose dogs.   Hopefully I'd never have to use something like that against humans.  As Liberty dog pointed out, you've made an illegal deadly weapon by doing this, but if your life is in danger you have to do what you have to do.  

Title: Re: The Sling as a Hand to Hand Weapon
Post by curious_aardvark on Mar 16th, 2010 at 1:33pm
a simple clip or loop used to lock the stone in the pouch and you've got a very serious close quarters weapon.

As for having to be jet li - ANY weapon requires extensive practice for a person to be any good with it - this would be no different.
If you want to effective with a weapon and not have to practice, then you're using a firearm. Which is why they're popular they're idiot weapons (any idiot can use one).
Most hand to hand weapons are NOT idiot weapons - ie: they require extensive training and practice to be effective.


Title: Re: The Sling as a Hand to Hand Weapon
Post by xxkid123 on Mar 16th, 2010 at 3:42pm
go with some Mace, the sling although will be okay for driving off pests, a an attacker would be much harder to hit. plus i, using luck, can even grab a fast moving rope without get rope burn or any bad pain. other hand to hand weapons work because of how short they are, so that they can be retracted easily, and can land a fast blow.

Title: Re: The Sling as a Hand to Hand Weapon
Post by timann on Mar 16th, 2010 at 4:07pm
I have found that some of my slings, like the Apache slings, simply is slung shots waiting to happen.  Put in the (last) stone, make on overhand knot with the cords, and bash the skull of the enemy(s).
If I was an ancient warrior I could do this when I was surrounded and would die anyway ;)
timann

Title: Re: The Sling as a Hand to Hand Weapon
Post by walter on Mar 16th, 2010 at 10:43pm
It would be like a bola with just one weight. Forget what that is called.

walter

Title: Re: The Sling as a Hand to Hand Weapon
Post by LukeWebb on Mar 16th, 2010 at 10:58pm
 Just tonight I made a very nice choking cord with mine, just leave the stone in the pouch and sneak up behind the intended victim.  Swing the sling across in front of their neck so that the pouch swings back around the neck where your hand is waiting.  It is a very effective method of garroting as it was used by the Deciever cult in India, only the weapon was not a sling just a weighted rope.  Don't worry, I just tried it on my bedpost!

Title: Re: The Sling as a Hand to Hand Weapon
Post by Donnerschlag on Mar 17th, 2010 at 1:05am

LukeWebb wrote on Mar 16th, 2010 at 10:58pm:
 Just tonight I made a very nice choking cord with mine, just leave the stone in the pouch and sneak up behind the intended victim.  Swing the sling across in front of their neck so that the pouch swings back around the neck where your hand is waiting.  It is a very effective method of garroting as it was used by the Deciever cult in India, only the weapon was not a sling just a weighted rope.  Don't worry, I just tried it on my bedpost!

The Japanese have something similar, a short length of chain weighted at both ends known as the "Manrikigusari."


Title: Re: The Sling as a Hand to Hand Weapon
Post by curious_aardvark on Mar 17th, 2010 at 10:04am
the original indian 'garotte' was used by the thuggee cult and was a scarf weighted at one end and knotted in the middle.
You never seen indiana jones and the temple of doom ? :-)

Title: Re: The Sling as a Hand to Hand Weapon
Post by me2 on Mar 17th, 2010 at 9:12pm
I've had some training with the kusari fundo/manriki gusari, which is what brought about this question.  A sling cannot hope to match a weighted chain for impact and durability, but the entangling techniques seem quite workable, if somewhat more vulnerable to breakage and cutting than a chain.  

Obviously this would be a last ditch effort.  Against a well armed attacker you'd be SOL, but surprise has its advantages.  As with any fight, it depends on skill and determination as much as armament, so the outcome is hardly fixed.  

Title: Re: The Sling as a Hand to Hand Weapon
Post by timann on Mar 18th, 2010 at 2:03pm
From a Japanese point of view a sling can obviously be used for strangulation and hayanawa techniques.
timann

Title: Re: The Sling as a Hand to Hand Weapon
Post by JerrySlinger on Mar 20th, 2010 at 3:56am

Liberty dog wrote on Mar 15th, 2010 at 9:06am:
i have had that same idea about putting a weight on the end of my sling....and i believe that david morningstar pointed out that it is called a slung shot and its a fenoly in most places to use it....but if your life is at stake......well........... ::)

I think you would do better with a padlock

Title: Re: The Sling as a Hand to Hand Weapon
Post by bigkahuna on Mar 20th, 2010 at 11:52pm
Run and sling, run and sling. This is a distance weapon. You lose all advantage at close range.

Title: Re: The Sling as a Hand to Hand Weapon
Post by me2 on Apr 22nd, 2010 at 6:43pm
Just a note on using the weighted pouch with overhand knot.  I was able to split a gallon milk jug using a 10 oz. stone tied into the pouch of my 36" sling.  Gave it a whirl and bam, a split about 10 inches long.  The jug was full of water at the time.  

Title: Re: The Sling as a Hand to Hand Weapon
Post by Cthulhu on Apr 26th, 2010 at 7:00pm
I tried using my 35" sling as a mace today, only instead of a overhand knot I just used a carabiner clip that i keep handy on my belt

unable to find a rock, I used a walnut. The walnut was smashed. so was the spring on my clip ;D. ( I was able to get it back in place with a pair of pliers )

this actually seems like it would make a good last-ditch weapon. Even if one were to block it with a stick/mace, it could still swing around, possibly still  hitting them or giving you a chance to knock their weapon out of their hands.

still, no good against swords or spears, or someone with a large shield.

Title: Re: The Sling as a Hand to Hand Weapon
Post by Woonilsra on Apr 27th, 2010 at 5:09pm
if you can strangle them and try to use it like a garrote (sp), your good to go! but for the most part, its impractical, so as others have said, use it for range

Title: Re: The Sling as a Hand to Hand Weapon
Post by SirBrittanicvs on Apr 29th, 2010 at 11:03pm
I wouldn't use it in a tussle, as I carry other items that are better for that sort of thing, but I have considered wrapping my sling (Baeleric style, #18 nylon) around my fist for a loaded, abrasive punch.

Title: Re: The Sling as a Hand to Hand Weapon
Post by wolf197 on Apr 30th, 2010 at 2:00am
When I was younger I had an idea simular to this, and it made a cool humming sound as I spun it around. What I did was wrap a stone the size of my fist with first rope, then ducttape then more rope and some ductape. I probaly had 8 feet of rope figuring it would be better, I got to swinging it and was thinking this would be great for the four dogs that attcked me every morning and evening on my way back and forth from the busstop. then I stopped swinging it. As the rope was wrapping around my body I did not think about the rather large rock on the other end, it hit me square in the back of the head. I threw that up in the trees after. It'll work, but it is a two way street, ever try stopping a weighted rope down? And people thought being hit by the retention cord stings (And oh it does at times).


-wolf197

Title: Re: The Sling as a Hand to Hand Weapon
Post by me2 on May 2nd, 2010 at 10:15am
So you're saying I should use my sling for ranged attacks?  Really?  No kidding?  I never would have thought of that.  

Of course this is a last ditch effort/improvised way to do things.  However, flexible weapons have been used for a long time, if for no other reason than when you need them they are handy.  With all the historical data here on slings, I just wondered if there was any record of this happening.  The option to keep distance is not always available.  In a war, the slingers would have backup/melee weapons, but for a shepherd it seems that you may have to go with what you've got.  

Title: Re: The Sling as a Hand to Hand Weapon
Post by mrboss on May 2nd, 2010 at 10:25am
If you know Hojo jutsu then a sling could come in handy.

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