Legally the bat brings judicial frowns due to its frequent use as a gang weapon and tool of vengeance. Only use a bat if you are playing ball when attacked or when at home. A bat is a reasonable weapon for defending your home and your loved ones who may be in your yard. Remember that anytime you leave your house you increase legal jeopardy and that every time you step off your property your plunge into legal jeopardy. The only legal excuse to leave your house is to save a family member in distress. You cannot use a bat to protect property, only lives.

I like a bat for a front door weapon, keeping in mind that having this thing there to defend your porch or rescue a child or spouse being attacked in your yard, leaves the weapon there for anyone who kicks in your door to use. So hide it near the front door and make sure you have better weapons deeper in the house. Generally speaking, the deeper you have retreated into your house or the more deeply the intruder has penetrated into your house—with bedding areas generally considered the deep house—the more lethal force you can justify.

The bat must not be swung. Unless you are a strong, trained stick-fighter with Popeye the Sailor Man forearms, you will not be able to wield it with one hand effectively. The smaller the bat the better. T-ball bats, fish-clubs and souvenir bats are better, as you can use a stiff arm to grab a weapon hand or keep a big beast off while you whack away. Aluminum bats are always better. I favor an aluminum T-ball bat, which I use for exercise and will demonstrate on video at some point.

If you must use a full-sized bat, never hit the top of the head. I know three dudes who had bats broken over their head and kept on fighting.

Hold the bat with your rear hand at the butt and your strong hand up as far as you can still effectively grip it. The bigger your hand the better.

Use the bat to thrust the fat end [which is hard to grab] at the chest and face, and then chop down on the collarbone. You want to break his shoulder or arm.

Chop and thrust with the bat, with your guard positions being point to his chin with the back tucked under your arm, hands around rib level, or held high for a chop with the bottom hand at the chest and the top hand at the shoulder.

Do not hold the weapon extended in front of you.

Bring it to your ribs or shoulder.

If he grabs it twist and chop or twist and thrust.

If the attacker has a weapon, chop at the weapon and trust at his face alternately.

Against a group, if you have room to swing you must swing through and you must know that if he ducks your head shot he’s on you and you are on the floor. If numbers require you to take one out, then swing at the shoulder and then return to a chop against whoever tries to close after your swing.

Hitting the collar bone, upper arm and elbow are the best for breaking up his offense.

If you have trained with any weapon bigger than a knife use the bat in that manner. Stick, machete, sword or pugil stick tactics can all work with a bat if you have the strength to wield it. Get a bat that fits your art.