Palm Stick:

The Palm Stick (also called Pocket Stick, Kubotan, Dulo Dulo or Olisi Palid) is one of the most effective close-quarter self-defense weapons. It is essentially a derivation of the Yawara stick, usually 5.5 inches (14 cm) long and 0.56 inch (1.5 cm) in diameter, slightly thicker or the same size as a marker pen. Attached with a key ring for convenience and concealment, the Palm Stick appears as an innocuous key fob to the untrained eye.

Aside from its size and shape, much of its usage is quite similar to the Yawara stick. As with the Yawara stick, the principal areas for attacks in self-defense include bony, fleshy and nerve targets such as knuckles, forearms, bridge of the nose, shins, stomach, solar plexus, spine, temple, ribs, groin, neck, eyes etc. The Palm Stick is usually held in either an ice pick grip (for hammer fist strikes) or forward grip (for stabbing and pressure point attacks). Common uses include hardening the fist (fist load) for punching, attacking vulnerable parts of an assailant's body, and gaining leverage on an assailant's wrist, fingers and joints. With keys attached, it can also function as a flailing weapon. As a pressure point and pain compliance weapon it can attack any point a finger can, but with greater penetration because of the smaller surface area at the ends. For example, a law enforcement officer may wrap his arm around the suspect's neck while simultaneously digging the end of the Palm Stick into the small of his back. The officer may also reach around the suspect's neck and underarm from behind and cause pain by digging the end of the Palm Stick into the top of his pectoral muscle. One typical pain compliance technique is a wrist "gasket" lock in which the attacker's wrist is captured and sealed around with both hands and the body of the Palm Stick laid across the radial bone. Downward squeezing pressure is then applied to the bone to take down the opponent. Its techniques are greatly linked to 'empty handed' martial arts techniques.

In the absence of the Palm Stick (and similar weapons like the Yawara stick and the Koppo stick) improvised versions can be readily found and used in similar fashion. Since a Palm Stick is just a rod of material any restrictive regulation would most likely be ambiguous and undefined due to the ability for any rod-shaped item to essentially be used in palm stick-like fashion. Thus, the Palm Stick can be replaced by everyday items that can include hairbrushes, pens, magic markers and Sharpies, flashlights, twigs, etc.