This post comes after a recent event where a man came into our school's teacher office yelling. His voice would oscillate in pitch, words slurring into one another, most unlike any Japanese person I have met. These particular vocal characteristic are often seen when a person wants to be seen as threatening and angry. And trust me, I had no intention of going near him!
The man was there to evidently complain about the non compliance of our students to clear the road when he honked his horn; however, I was thinking that the bigger issue is letting him drive in his current state (possibly not quite so sober). Let me tell you, that as our vice principal came over to sooth the situation over and coax the older man into an office, I was looking at the sasumata as my best friend of the moment. The man did comply and we did not have to get forceful or use the sasumata at all.
Let me explain, the sasumata is a metal pole that is about 2 meters long with a U shape at one end. Now you may look at the and scoff like I did when I first saw it, but it may be the friendliest thing you have in a dire situation that you don't want to become worse. Sometimes the pole has a grip or bar on the opposite end to help the detainers have a better hold on the tool to stop the assailant. How it works it that one or more people grip the pole end and use the opposite end to force and assailant up against a wall and pin him there until the authorities arrive to handle the situation.
This tool is an adaptation from a much older weapon that was perhaps barbed and bladed which existed in the Edo period.
No comments:
Post a Comment