[5398] in Central_America
Re: New quotes for Tue Apr 12
wesommer@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (wesommer@ATHENA.MIT.EDU)
Tue Apr 12 15:56:14 1994
one comment on the "caning" incident:
I have direct personal experience with a martial art which uses rattan clubs.
(SCA armored combat). As I was getting my armor in shape, I was hit *numerous*
times with full force shots on unprotected areas. Yes, it was painful.
It's especially painful when you get hit in the same spot twice.
However...
Depending on the length and thickness of the cane in use, this could be either
more or less brutal than the hardwood paddles which were used in this country
at one point for disciplining students.
Given equal lengths and diameters, rattan is a lot more flexible and springy
than a comparable piece of hardwood or even softwood.
I have not heard any detailed descriptions of the cane in use in Singapore,
though I did see a cartoon which suggested a length of roughly 4 to 5 feet.
Has anyone heard specific details? the press reports I've read have been
vague about these things.
particularly relevant ones are:
- length
- diameter
- whether the bark was shaved off or not (most of the tensile strength
is in the bark)
- whether it's a one-handed or two-handed swing
