In Japan, guns are illegal, so people don't see them around all too often. Instead of fearing a mugger with a gun, they fear muggers with knives. The best way to keep a dude with a knife from cutting you? Keep him at a distance. That's the idea behind these Sasumatas, strange self-defense poles that are found hanging around Japanese schools. If a bad man tries to come at you, simply push him against the wall with a Sasumamta. It's a sort of logical yet also sort of ridiculous way to defend yourself, and I imagine that if I was in a school with these hanging on the walls we'd get into Sasumamta fights all the time. [The Low Down via Spulch]

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