While an LEO I never received instruction on how to use a sap, always wondered why, I guess they just figured we all knew how to use one.

I learned how by watching a bar tender in Central City Colo use one. The bar was the 49er, a man aptly named "Shorty" owned it and usually tended bar. He was fair and ran a good bar, when needed he had a long sap in his back pocket. I watched him use it a lot! One little tap with the flat just behind the ear and the fight was over, never any blood or permanent damage that we heard about, he was a real artist with the sap. If he got in trouble his regular customers backed him completely.

We had a game, Shorty was aware of it, but never let on. The object of the game was to take Shortys' sap our of his pocket, if you could do it you got free drinks. Many tried, but Shorty was fast, very vast and those who tried ended up laying on the floor with a little bump behind their ear.

One night I entered the bar acting very drunk, staggered to a stool at the end of the bar and ordered a drink. After a while shorty took me for granted and got careless and I was able to take his sap out of his pocket!! He was furious but soon got over it, Shorty and I shook hands and I returned his sap. After a while I felt kind of sorry for Shorty, I had taken his championship away from him, but sometimes you got to loose.

Our first thought is to hit the antagonist on the head, but they work great for slaps to the face, ribs, elbow, wrist or any other part of the anatomy you could get to in a brawl. You could easily turn one side wise and break an arm or what ever needed done.