Millwall brick
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Millwall brick | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Type | Blunt hand-held weapon |
| Place of origin | England |
| Service history | |
| Used by | Football hooligans and Martial artists |
| Specifications | |
| Head type | Rolled, folded paper |
| Haft type | Rolled paper |
A Millwall brick is an improvised weapon made of a manipulated newspaper.
The Millwall brick was allegedly used as a stealth weapon at football matches in England during the 1960s and 1970s. The weapon's popularity appears to have been due to the wide availability of innocently appearing newspapers, and due to the ease of its construction.
Contents |
[edit] History
In the late 1960s — in response to violence at football matches in England — police began confiscating any objects that could be used as weapons. These items included steel combs, pens, beermats, polo mints, shoelaces and even boots.[1] However, fans were still permitted to bring in newspapers. Larger newspapers such as The Guardian or The Financial Times work best for a Millwall brick, but the police looked with suspicion at working class football fans who carried such newspapers. Because of their more innocent appearance, tabloid newspapers became the newspapers of choice for Millwall bricks.[2][3] The book Spirit of '69: A Skinhead Bible describes the use of Millwall bricks by British football hooligans (not just skinheads) in the late 1960s:
Newspapers were rolled up tightly to form the so-called Millwall Brick and another trick was to make a knuckleduster out of pennies held in place by a wrapped around paper. You could hardly be pulled up for having a bit of loose change in your pocket and a Daily Mirror under your arm.[4]
The book Skinhead says, "The Millwall brick, for example, was a newspaper folded again and again and squashed together to form a cosh."[5]
In 1994, martial artist Robert Luis Rivera used principles from the Kampilan Kali martial arts style to devise a curriculum for his weapons class that included using a newspaper as a weapon. This was not limited to just a newspaper. Master Rivera also used pens, combs, brushes, phones, umbrellas and anything he can get his hands on. Master Rivera teaches the weapons are extensions of the hands and your empty hands skills must be perfected.[6] In Shotokan Karate, Shihan Craig Finch (6th Dan) has analyzed the Millwall brick as a weapon in order to teach better unarmed defense against attacks using the Millwall brick.[7]
In June 2003, the British House of Commons began to treat folded newspapers as weapons, and prevented public visitors from bringing them in.[8]
[edit] Design
 |
This section may contain original research or unverified claims. Please help Wikipedia by adding references. See the talk page for details.(February 2008) |
A Millwall brick is constructed from one or more newspaper sheets rolled and folded to create a handle (a haft) and a rounded head at the fold. The Millwall brick becomes harder as more newspaper sheets are stacked. The Millwall brick is used similarly to a shillelagh or waddy.
The newspaper sheets can first be wet with a liquid to add weight. The blunt end can be wrapped with a shoelace or leather. The ends can be taped together and a string attached to the handle, enabling the user to swing the brick, similar to a meteor hammer. A pencil, pen, or large nail can be driven from the first interior side near the middle perpendicularly through the first end so that that head of the nail rests against the first interior side. The nail may be secured in place by bringing the ends towards and adjacent to each other, effectively forming a crude nail bat.
[edit] Cultural references
- The term Millwall brick appeared in a 2001 Times column about the September 11, 2001 attacks, in which writer Mick Hume sarcastically proposed that airlines get rid of newspapers since "football hooligans used to fold them into something called a Millwall Brick."[9]
- The Millwall brick was mentioned in a 2004 Spiked column about Britain's knife culture.[10]
- A 2004 column in the New York Sports Express (NYSX) includes an expression of hope that Millwall F.C. would "upset Manchester United and put the infamous Millwall Brick inside the famous FA Cup."[11]
- A skinhead reggae magazine series entitled Millwall Brick addressed topics such as the film The Harder They Come, Motown Records and football.[12]
- In 1995, guitarists Doug Aldrich and his hard rock band Bad Moon Rising released an extended play CD entitled Millwall Brick.[14]
- In the film The Bourne Supremacy, Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) fashioned a similar weapon out of a magazine.
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ Marshall, George. (1991) Spirit of '69: A Skinhead Bible Publisher: S.T. Publishing. ISBN 0-9518497-0-0
- ^ Self Defense Forums: For a Fighting Chance. Thread: I don't anyone has posted specific instructions on how to make a Millwall Brick? Obtained Nov. 4, 2006.
- ^ Knight, Nick. (Oct. 1982) Skinhead. Publisher: Omnibus Press. Pg. 17. (writing, "The Millwall brick, for example, was a newspaper folded again and again and squashed together to form a cosh.") ISBN 0-7119-0052-3
- ^ Marshall, George. (1991) Spirit of '69: A Skinhead Bible Publisher: S.T. Publishing. ISBN 0-9518497-0-0
- ^ Knight, Nick. (Oct. 1982) Skinhead. Publisher: Omnibus Press. Pg. 17. (writing, "The Millwall brick, for example, was a newspaper folded again and again and squashed together to form a cosh.") ISBN 0-7119-0052-3
- ^ Higbie, Andrea. (Mar. 19, 2000). New York Times. Working-Out: Self-Defense with Props (Try This Newspaper). Pg. 8.
- ^ Shotokan Karate website. (Feb. 18, 2006) Shotokan Karate - Self defence and Bo course. Obtained Nov. 4, 2006.
- ^ Jory, Rex. (June 4, 2003). The Advertiser (Australia). Delight of a city not yet shackled by security. Section: Opinion. Pg. 18 (writing, "Entering the House of Commons to listen, from the public gallery, to Question Time is to be treated like a felon being sent to prison. I was stripped of anything larger than a fountain pen. Even a folded newspaper was viewed as a potential weapon of mass destruction.")
- ^ Hume, Mick. (Oct. 20, 2001). The Times. If they evacuate the stock exchange every time someone spots white powder, the City will be in big trouble; Comment; Opinion. (writing, "For a start, ban passengers wearing belts and shoes - especially platforms and stilettos. And get rid of newspapers, since football hooligans used to fold them into something called a Millwall Brick.") Others were aware of the Millwall Brick's potential at that time. See Samboboy. (Mar. 15, 2000) Stickgrappler's Martial Arts Archives. Fifty rules of fighting page. (writing, "if you know how to roll it properly a newspaper will kill a man, 'Millwall brick'") Obtained Nov. 4, 2006.
- ^ O'Neill, Brendan. (Dec. 16, 2004). Spiked. Knife culture? Cut the crap: There is little evidence for a 'rising tide of knife crime' in Britain. Obtained Nov. 4, 2006.
- ^ New York Sports Express. (April 8, 2004) Millwall-Cardiff Yobs Prep for FA Cup Fun. (writing, "As for the game, we hope the (Millwall) Lions (who have "pride, not prejudice" according to the Millwall front office) upset Manchester United and put the infamous Millwall Brick inside the famous FA Cup.") Obtained Nov. 9, 2006.
- ^ Out Knocked. Millwall Brick #2. Obtained Nov. 9, 2006. Out Knocked. Millwall Brick #3. Obtained Nov. 9, 2006.
- ^ Sneeze, Mr. (June 3, 2001). Sneeze's Blink Page. Blink discography. Obtained Nov. 6, 2006.
- ^ Warpigcat; Tbieri; Chrysostome; _jmc_. (2006). Rate Your Music dot com. Albums by Bad Moon Rising. Obtained Nov. 6, 2006.
