The Jones Brothers Engagement Ring

The Jones Brothers are Twin Knifemakers! They make tough folders and fixed blades. They also make interesting little items and have experimented with making effective fistloads that resemble Okinawan Tekko. And they have been making some very cool Fighting Rings. This is not the only one, they have been experimenting and making some prototypes of others as well.

Barry Jones told me on the phone that they call it, “The Engagement Ring” because you “engage” people with it, pretty neat, huh? I think so!

This Ring really piqued my interest when I first saw it. The only Hojojutsu-style Rings I was familiar with were Sterling Silver ones on certain websites. Silver is quite soft, this Ring is Titanium.

As you might already know, Titanium is an incredibly tough metal. It is lighter than steel and arguably stronger. Even though I was very interested in this Ring, I thought to myself, “This would only have a limited application, how would you drive with this thing without taking away the covert nature of it by turning the ring around and telling the whole world you were wearing a ‘Fighting Ring?’”

If you drive with white knuckled tenacity, this might not be the thing for you to have on your hand. If you are just tooling around town, this thing is great, it is a minor interference to begin with but you get used to it quickly. I have worn this Ring on and off for months now.

This is not the sort of thing that someone wants to keep on their gun hand if they have a concealed handgun permit, but for some people who do not or cannot carry, this is just another neat little device that can help them make it home. It may interfere with the grasp and draw of handgun, knife or baton, so you have to figure out precisely where this fits into your own, personal, security chain. But it definitely has some merit.

Another possibility is to have it in your pocket and when you exit your place of business or your home, etc., especially if you are in a bad neighborhood, you slip it on the index or middle finger.

My Buddy Ray Smith let me borrow one of his Japanese videotapes that covered Kusarifundo and Shuriken, near the end; they had some rather oddball Japanese hand weapons on it. This proved to be quite interesting. There were simple Kata for a Ring similar to this. Very simple Kata, the sort of thing you could teach your Wife or Girlfriend in an hour. This is a picture from the videotape that shows the Ring they were using.

Most of the movements in the Kata were forehand and backhand, raking slaps with the fingers clenched together as if you were going to execute the te-gatana, the edge of hand blow. Very simple. Cool to practice with it in the beginning in a rigid manner like this to get the feel for it. Then you can create whatever you want.

Here is a picture of my lovely Wife’s hand formed into a claw, this is also a viable way of dealing with some thug.

Just wait until the last moment and launch that famous World War Two Chin-Jab or Tiger Claw, tear them to pieces. With one of these rings, you can slap, rake, tear, claw and in general, rip someone up who is stupid enough to attack you. It’s a fight, always remember that reality. Forget all of the training vehicles that you have used when it happens on the street, forget to remember and your body will take over. Just fight.

Deception is a part of all Combat and so it is with effective Self-defense, keep the hand with the ring concealed until the last possible moment whenever possible. Because street muggers might be interested in your jewelry, they might just look directly down at the Ring, allowing you the opening shot in extreme close quarters.

A Little Less Ferocious

OK, so maybe the situation does not warrant you going after their face with palm slaps/rakes with a Fighting Ring on. What else can you do?

I’m not a big believer in “Pain Compliance Techniques” because if you get your hands on someone who has a high pain tolerance, emotionally disturbed or out of their mind on drugs, by the time you figure that out – that something is not working – there is a very real possibility you will already be swallowing some of your teeth. Or possibly something far worse will happen to you.

You can grab people with this Ring and it is going to hurt like hell. Loose areas of skin like under the upper arms, the waistline, groin and inside of thighs…this will get their attention.

It could also lock into flesh for some nasty jointlocking controls as well.

The Will to Power

G. Gordon Liddy, huh? What the hell?

It does not matter what you think of George Gordon Battle Liddy, known affectionately as “The G-Man” or “G. Gordon.” You may disagree with him politically and think him simply a one-time FBI Agent gone bad or a bungling burglar. This does not matter. Find his book “Will” and purchase it, enjoy it. Not only is it an excellent and interesting read, you might find out how to turn yourself into one Bad Dude, should that be your goal in life, to be a badass. Lots of people think they’re a badass but seldom deliver. Liddy is still a badass and he’s an old man now.

Liddy was sentenced to “Big Boy” Prison, unlike most people in Government who screw up, he did not get sent to a Country Club. Liberals think he is crazy and they despise him, which is a stellar endorsement if you ask me.

So, what does G. Gordon Liddy have to do with this neat, Titanium Fighting Ring made by The Jones Brothers? Well, read Liddy’s book “Will,” become a badass and find out why!

OK, here is a teaser for you, you ready? Gun Guru Massad Ayoob wrote an absolutely excellent book on Self-defense way back about 20 years ago called “The Truth About Self-Protection.” Here is an excerpt from the Ayoob book, which anyone who is serious about Self-defense should find, purchase and study:

This was Ayoob commenting on Liddy’s book, “Will.” Buy both books, didn’t I already say that?

The general idea in Ayoob’s book is to buy a couple gnarly Biker’s rings, like a Viking Head and a Wolf Head and carry them in your front pockets if they would be to gaudy where you work or in your social circles. A light punch can lacerate; a moderate punch might send someone to the hospital for sutures.

The Jones Brothers Engagement Ring might be even more insidious because it just looks like a ring on the outside of the hand, there is no “Biker” or “Goth” look to it. And you don’t have to punch with it, you can slap, rake and claw with it. That might be even more devastating. It could be a segue into drawing your knife or a baton. Whatever you are using.

Just remember that you might be maiming someone when you strike them like this so make sure the situation warrants the use of a weapon.

Thanks!

Thanks to Barry Jones of Jones Brothers Knives for making this Engagement Ring and thanks to Ray Smith for giving me a glimpse into some Classical movements from Japanese Arts to add to my trickbag.

Many thanks to Liddy and Ayoob for giving me ideas over the years, forming mindset and tactics. Thanks for writing the entertaining and informative books Gentlemen!

Here is a link to The Jones Brothers, if you like The Engagement Ring, you can drop them an E-mail and tell them you heard about it here and they will take care of you.

Here are a couple more of the interesting hand weapons in the aforementioned Japanese video and another shot of the Engagement Ring.

A little Disclaimer

Remember what I said earlier; don’t use these things on people unless you fear for your life. You’re going to scar them.

Also, don’t be E-mailing me and asking me if THIS is the “thing” to carry onboard Commercial Airliners for Self-defense! Don’t carry weapons onboard Commercial Airliners unless you smile when you get a prostate exam at your Doctor’s Office because that’s going to be the result when they are done with you if you try to take this onboard.

Don Rearic

copyright DonRearic.Com

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