Speak softly and carry a big stick

I googled this phrase and found out it's an African proverb. In Ian's case, it really should be, "Shout loudly and run with a big stick."

While spending time at a park in Tokyo with Nathan and Kerry, I gave Ian a stick to hold. He spent most of the rest of his time running, shouting, and poking at the ground with his stick. If baseball doesn't work for him, we'll consider introducing him to javelin.