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Side-handle baton with Todd safety retention lanyard

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PR24 with Todd safety lanyard

With over 40 years’ experience as a proponent and instructor of military CQC as well as instructing law enforcement, I have instructed my fair share of riot stick and baton training.

I have never been a fan of the tonfa type PR 24 side-handle baton for high-risk defensive tactics applications.

The unfortunate reality was the forward hand if grasping the shaft was open to impact in disarming and if the shaft was not held but placed against the palm, retention was compromised and risk of injury increased.

I developed the TSB 45 double handgrip rotational expandable baton to eliminate weapons disarming risks by having both hands behind the housing and shaft securely grasping the rotational handgrips.

I find myself instructing more straight, fixed and expandable batons and riot sticks/ rebar bludgeons over side-handle batons for military CQC courses.

I have made various modifications and adaptions for the side-handle baton to increase retention and safety under weapon disarming.

You have to ask yourself a very important question and be truthful with yourself, would you use a conventional side-handle baton against a machete swinging violent aggressor.

And if you’re truthful with yourself, you will understand the dangers of such a device against an armed dangerous violent aggressor.

I have developed hand guards including combination sliding tube hand guards that can be easily attached to the shaft of the side handle baton to increase safety.

A very effective and inexpensive addition, I have come up with for the PR 24 is pictured above and is as follows.

Two drill holes through the front shaft with a groove between the two holes.

Wire cable covered with rubber tubing threaded through both the holes and pushed down into the groove.

On the opposite side a lanyard made of webbing, leather or para-court is attached.

The lanyard is correctly applied to the weapon holding hand around the thumb and over the knuckle side of the hand.

The hand is rotated making the lanyard taut and the padded heel of the palm is positioned securely against the back of the shaft.

This ensures the hand is on the opposite side of the shaft to any contact and the retention is high with the hand securely wrapped around the lanyard and pushed hard against the baton shaft.

This simple adaption increases safety under disarming by considerable.

Article written by Tank Todd

Special Operations CQB Master Chief Instructor. Over 30 years experience. The only instructor qualified descendent of Baldock, Nelson, and Applegate. Former instructors include Harry Baldock (unarmed combat instructor NZ Army WWII), Colonel Rex Applegate OSS WWII and Charles Nelson, US Marine Corps. Tank has passed his Special Forces combative instructor qualification course in Southeast Asia and is certified to instruct the Applegate, Baldock and Nelson systems. His school has been operating for over eighty years and he is currently an Army Special Operations Group CQB Master Chief Instructor. His lineage and qualifications from the evolutionary pioneers are equalled by no other military close combat instructor. His operation includes his New Zealand headquarters, and 30 depots worldwide as well as contracts to train the military elite, security forces, and close protection specialists. Annually he trains thousands of exponents and serious operators that travel down-under to learn from the direct descendant of the experts and pioneers of military close combat. Following in the footsteps of his former seniors, he has developed weapons, and training equipment exclusive to close combat and tactical applications. He has published military manuals and several civilian manuals and produced DVDs on urban self protection, tactical control and restraint, and close combat. He has racked up an impressive 100,000+ hours in close combat.