A Cane? what to do?

Yup, having it be an extension of your body is the key with any weapon of any length. It's all about having accuracy and to be able to issue power with it.
Training with cane or a shorter stick also makes you see your surroundings differently - noticing the chair leg, stick, rock, rope, rolled up magazine, whatever..... which could be useful.
There's a great story about Antonio Illustrissimo a very famous Filipino fighter, the veteran of more than one duel or 'death match' as they are called over there, who only died recently, well into his 90s.
When he was in his mid 80's he was in a taxi, which over there are generally Toyota trucks into which as many people pile in as can fit. 2 guys get on to hold up the truck and rob the passengers. Illustrissimo was carrying a 2 ft length of pipe with him, knocked one guys teeth out and, I believe, poked the other in the chest/ solar plexus. They both ran off. (Just Google his name if you are interested in more about him, he's very famous in Eskrima circles).
I think it would be cool to still 'have it' at that age .

Quote:......"hurling an overhead or jabbing straight". Both great moves.
How about an upward strike under the jaw? Hitting their feet/ ankle bones (great for sandal wearers)? .. I could go on ... and then there's stick grappling? ...that's a whole other field of study.

im my opinion, its also not allowed in stick fighting, but just stab with the stick hit from a swing are effective, but a stab.. i dont care wich part of the body is stabbed, but it has its effect..
and you can do a lot of nice locks with the cane.

Taking into consideration the fact that one could drop the cane,,,,,,,,,,,drill a hole through it and use some leather/rawhide cord that could be secured around the wrist. Just a loop that you can put your hand thru and twist to tighten it up. This would help from having the cane pulled from you. (I know some cops who had this on their night sticks years ago)

i toured the FBI headquarters years ago and saw in their museum--of assorted eye candy, a 'cane' gun. some old girl had turned in this nasty little toy. i can only guess her some was a gun maker.

the wrist strap makes sense. i guess however one roles the dice, there's danger in all directions. the strap would have to be lose enough to come off easily if someone stepped on the cane--like a bobby's strap (as you referenced). jabs and stabs leave me the least uncomfortable, because i always picture it in reverse. if someone was trying to issue a beating on me with a can, what do i think i might do (i will eventually bite the bullet and have someone come at me...erm, not high on my list yet...maybe after the forearm pads and head gear are in place ). i THINK i'd just be trying to grab the fooking weapon and run him back and off balance at the same time minimally--and if my head is on straight...again i THINK i'd be trying to attack fast enough to have someone back pedelling, with less regard for the stick. with that HYPOTHETICAL visual in place. i think what would send me on my arse is someone stabbing in a machine gun pulsing vicious way. multiple fast nasty thrusts. but, taken with a grain of salt, this is just the reasoning of person wholly unfamiliar with canes/etc (me). at some point i'll find someone to attack me--geeze that sounded weird, and minimally have some head gear on. i like the idea of coming up in an upper cut way too. hard to see that coming, i bet.

You are right that range and the element of surprise give you more options for strikes, and your instinct to close fast is a good one if you have no weapon. Of course so much depends on training - if your opponent know all the ways a cane can be used you are in way more trouble, at any range, compared to the someone that does not.
I would personally not be so happy with a wrist strap because then you lose some of the options to strike with both ends of the cane. There are also ways of seeing someone grabbing one end of the cane as a gift! Nice traps and tangles there, and of course if they use both hands, let go and hit them!!
'Multiple nasty thrusts' are always good - check out the first 30 secs of this French 'Canne' vid (the rest of the clip is more the sport sparring part of the art)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqYeDCAO2Hg

maija,
nice points and vid!! the first two drills i can really see backing someone up and injuring them. that bloke really gets behind the thrusts. i didn't want to sound too close minded regarding the strap, but the first thing i started worrying about was someone grabbing it and the holder not being able to let go--but perhaps being better off letting go. more fluid. rolling (in) with it, following in, kinda like. anyway nice. good music on the vid too