The Japanese "Scary Man" drill

**DdlR** · Posted On: 6/21/2010 8:51pm

With the private ownership of handguns almost impossible in Japan, whackjobs who want to go down and take a bunch of innocent people with them usually resort to swords and knives. In the wake of the tragic Osaka School Massacre of 2001, Japanese school teachers consulted with the police to answer the question: if a knife-wielding maniac gets past the school gates, how can we save the kids?

YouTube- Sasumata Demonstration

This is a clip from a recent Japanese "school intruder" training drill using a modern adaptation of the sasumata, which was originally (centuries ago) a control and restraint weapon used by Japanese police. It's largely a role-playing exercise in which teachers get the chance to practice their sasumata-jitsu against a cop pretending to be a dangerous nutcase, so skip ahead to about 2:30 if you don't care to see the non-physical part of the drill.

**SFGOON** · Posted On: 6/21/2010 8:56pm

That would actually work brilliantly in US schools against asshole kids.

You'd have to find a way to accommodate their enhanced carriage, but that should just be a matter of spacing the tines farther apart.

**Craig Jenkins** · Posted On: 6/21/2010 9:08pm

Interesting. Pretty clever.

You'd think that as the restrained person, shifting the poles up or down to break the plane would be the trick.

This does seem a little compliant as a drill though, no?

**Conde Koma** · Posted On: 6/21/2010 9:19pm

Actually, this is pretty awesome. They're not really training well, but it's better than nothing.

To anyone familiar with Sasumata-do, is there any reason why application of the weapon to the weapon arm or neck wouldn't work? With the guy already pinned against the wall, catching him around the throat doesn't seem too hard.

**Rivington** · Posted On: 6/21/2010 9:19pm

So, where are those restraining devices stored? Does security walk around the school with 'em all the time?

**DdlR** · Posted On: 6/21/2010 9:20pm

Originally Posted by Craig Jenkins

Interesting. Pretty clever.

You'd think that as the restrained person, shifting the poles up or down to break the plane would be the trick.

He does that twice early on in the restraint maneuvering and seems to try it a few times once he's pinned, but it looks like he doesn't have the leverage. Basically, as he manages to shift one sasumata down, they all re-position a bit. Plus, I guess, he's trying to shift the forward pressure/body weight of the two people at the other end of the pole.

This does seem a little compliant as a drill though, no?

A little - bearing in mind all the glass surfaces in that vestibule, there must have been some pre-arrangement for safety. I'd definitely like to see these tactics tested more realistically.

**DdlR** · Posted On: 6/21/2010 9:23pm

Originally Posted by Conde Koma

Actually, this is pretty awesome. They're not really training well, but it's better than nothing.

To anyone familiar with Sasumata-do, is there any reason why application of the weapon to the weapon arm or neck wouldn't work? With the guy already pinned against the wall, catching him around the throat doesn't seem too hard.

I've seen other sasumata designs online that have extra hooks to snag arms, etc. It occurred to me watching the video that when the "scary man" moves past the first line of defense at about 2.44, that would be a great time to hook him from behind.

**Craig Jenkins** · Posted On: 6/21/2010 9:24pm

Originally Posted by DdlR

He does that twice early on in the restraint maneuvering and seems to try it a few times he's pinned, but it looks like he doesn't have the leverage. Basically, as he manages to shift one sasumata down, they all re-position a bit. Plus, I guess, he's trying to shift the forward pressure/body weight of the two people at the other end of the pole.

True, but there's no surge - he seems to try to push, but never bucks against it. I get that the combined push of all the wielders would add up to a lot. But that's why you wouldn't want to wait for them all to have you, wouldn't want to get too close to the wall, would want to close asap on one or more of them etc. A lot of that wouldn't be any different if you have a short weapon (dagger) and they all had long (staff, bat, whatever).

I know - I'm making too much of it. Sorry. It's interesting to see. Thanks.

**DdlR** · Posted On: 6/21/2010 9:25pm

Originally Posted by Rivington

So, where are those restraining devices stored? Does security walk around the school with 'em all the time?

From what I've gleaned, they're usually (securely) stored in racks on the walls in classrooms and corridors, sometimes with a locked box containing pepper spray. The teachers also do combined sasumata/pepper spray drills.

**MrGalt** · Posted On: 6/21/2010 9:30pm

Originally Posted by DdlR

From what I've gleaned, they're usually (securely) stored in racks on the walls in classrooms and corridors, sometimes with a locked box containing pepper spray. The teachers also do combined sasumata/pepper spray drills.

Oh, great. So they're kind of like a gun in a combination safe with a trigger lock and a separately stored key and ammunition, except when you finally get to them they don't work as well.