Originally Posted by royalflash
they don`t seem very well balanced for defensive use -the best place to hold them would probably be at one side of the U near the cross bar
you should hold it with your fingers curled around the 'bar' end, with the 'u' braced up against your arm (i have the medium sized, not the little one). you can block using the bar along your arm, and punch with your fist around the bar (think a roll of quarters), or stab with the blunted end of the bar.