Schneier on Security

Great. Now they're going to ban umbrellas from airplanes.

but does the TSA allow them on flights, or is the above comment going to be the norm...

If they ban them, then umbrella stand franchises might be the way to go for passive income! Call now!!

What's an umbella?

Something that has been known about for centuries...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ttQA2ISMC5E

...just got a lot better.

My husband will be pleased. ;-7

Who cares, you can buy a set of golf clubs in the TaxFree in Buenos Aires Ezeiza airport.

Erik

@pegr
Apparently, an umbella is an unbreakable umbrella.

Clearly umbella is a clever portmanteau of umbrella and the Latin 'bella', meaning 'wars'. It's a WAR UMBRELLA.

Guy I knew made a war umbrella out of machined aluminum back in 1986. Now he's living in the woods in Tennessee, I think.

A brutal brolly, indeed, guv.

So that's why John Steed always carried one.

I'm trained in 半棒 (hanbō), and personally, I find most full-length umbrellas that aren't thin aluminum fine - as long as you don't care too much about rain protection after the fact (assuming that you're dealing with an opponent with an edged weapon).

This is just the thing to go with the "cane fu" story from this past weekend's WSJ.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121582129325447667.html

Amusing, but clearly it would be no match for the unbreakable watermelon.

@James: Ahhh... thanks for cracking the code for us...

This is not really new to anyone who watched the old British TV Series "The Avengers". John Steed kicked ass with his sword umbrella. And of course there was the lovely Diana Rigg as Emma Peel!!!

Great, how long before we can no longer carry umbrellas on airplanes?

Kinda lame. I thought it would stop bullets when openend or something like that.

I'm surprised they only demonstrate beating things with it, while I imagine it is even more useful when used as a fencing weapon to keep opponents at a distance.

Most bodyguards (or other people) will never have to deal with a trained opponent with an edged weapon, and it they would, most would probably still lose because of lack of training and skills.

Maybe using something like kevlar for the fabric might be useful to offer some protection against small firearms, but I'd think it would get very think and heavy, and therefor totally useless, if the kevlar is thick enough to be of any use.

And how does it work as an umbrella? I never buy expensive umbrellas since they don't last too much longer than cheap ones.

Some restaurants and stores require you to leave big umbrellas at the door, which is why I carry a small folding one I can stuff in a bag and continue to walk around. With a full sized umbrella, you never know if it's still going to be there when you've finished dining/shopping.

"Unbreakable"? I wonder what wind speed it's rated to...

@Sparky-
I think that beating things look more dramatic to an untrained eye. A cane/umbrella/半棒 is very useful for blocks (hard or soft) disarms, holds, and chokes, but showing that assumes that the audience has some knowledge about blocks, disarms, holds, and chokes. I suspect that they're trying to sell this to a more general audience.

If you don't poke your eye out opening it first ;)

No fair correcting the headline after I point it out! It was "umbella" people! It was! Bruce is changing his entries without telling anyone!

;)

great post. good to have a laugh sometimes. my only comment would be 'not indoors'.

I'm with Steve - doesn't that guy know it's bad luck to open an umbrella indoors?

A 21st Century Mary Poppins could use that!

But can it make you fly?