Here's the challenge in Michigan; our 'leadership' in Lansing has only seen fit to preempt local regulation of firearms. (ref FIREARMS AND AMMUNITION (EXCERPT) Act 319 of 1990
123.1102 Regulation of pistols or other firearms.
Sec. 2.
A local unit of government shall not impose special taxation on, enact or enforce any ordinance or regulation pertaining to, or regulate in any other manner the ownership, registration, purchase, sale, transfer, transportation, or possession of pistols or other firearms, ammunition for pistols or other firearms, or components of pistols or other firearms, except as otherwise provided by federal law or a law of this state.)
Outside of firearms, every little podunk village has the right to pass laws outlawing ANY sort of weapon- knives, clubs, etc. You run the risk of breaking the law simply by crossing some line on a map.
Why is a baton illegal? Most likely was a bargaining chip in some negotiations in smoky backrooms in Lansing. What remains, is that they are, indeed, illegal. (ref 750.224 Weapons; manufacture, sale, or possession as felony; violation as felony; penalty; exceptions; "muffler" or "silencer" defined.
Sec. 224.
(1) A person shall not manufacture, sell, offer for sale, or possess any of the following:
(a) A machine gun or firearm that shoots or is designed to shoot automatically more than 1 shot without manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger.
(b) A muffler or silencer.
(c) A bomb or bombshell.
(d) A blackjack, slungshot, billy, metallic knuckles, sand club, sand bag, or bludgeon.
(e) A device, weapon, cartridge, container, or contrivance designed to render a person temporarily or permanently disabled by the ejection, release, or emission of a gas or other substance.
(2) A person who violates subsection (1) is guilty of a felony, punishable by imprisonment for not more than 5 years, or a fine of not more than $2,500.00, or both.
(3) Subsection (1) does not apply to any of the following:
(a) A self-defense spray or foam device as defined in section 224d.
(b) A person manufacturing firearms, explosives, or munitions of war by virtue of a contract with a department of the government of the United States.
(c) A person licensed by the secretary of the treasury of the United States or the secretary's delegate to manufacture, sell, or possess a machine gun, or a device, weapon, cartridge, container, or contrivance described in subsection (1).
(4) As used in this chapter, "muffler" or "silencer" means 1 or more of the following:
(a) A device for muffling, silencing, or deadening the report of a firearm.
(b) A combination of parts, designed or redesigned, and intended for use in assembling or fabricating a muffler or silencer.
(c) A part, designed or redesigned, and intended only for use in assembling or fabricating a muffler or silencer.)
My best advice; if you can get close enough to deploy a hand held weapon, you're too darn close. If you have the physical capability, retreat is always your best option. You have no real idea whether your opponent is an MMA fighter, or just a loud drunk, until he disarms you and sticks the baton somewhere uncomfortable.
If he's simply running his mouth, back away with your head on a swivel. His buddies (that you don't see) are waiting for you to make a mistake.
Just the advice of an old man, who plans on getting older.....