When I first entered law enforcement I remember a Defensive Tactics Instructor who demonstrated a hazard to me concerning the way I had set-up my duty belt. I was wearing my handcuff case in the direct small of my back. My idea was that it was easily accessbile by both hands (plus it gave my uniform apperance a more “balanced” look).
All it took was a moderate “slap” by the veteran instructor to the handcuff case to send a jolt up my spine. After doing this he then asked me “Now imagine if you had fallen or been thrown onto your back. How much more stunned do you think you would have been?” Having a solid object which “penetrated” into my spinal area was not something I wished to have happen during a scuffle. Since that time, some 25+ years now, I make it a practice not to have any equipment located directly over my spine. Now a D/T instructor myself, I try and pass on this little “tip” to my students as well. “Stay Safe”