The Badge & Shield Membership News Letter - July 2013 “I have a gun in my pocket and a lawyer by my side” Unconventional & Alternative Self Defense Weapons Index Air Gun Alcoholic Drink in a Plastic Cup or Glass Archery Ashtray Ballpoint Writing Pen Belt Belt-Buckle Bicycle Black Powder Book Broom Canes Car Antenna Car Cell Phone Chair Coffee Mug, Glass, or Ceramic Cup Clip Board Clothing Coins Comb Dresser Drawer Duct Tape Edge Weapons Fire Extinguisher Flashlight Glass Bottle Hand Iron Keys Lamp Laptop Light Switch Magazine Mind Neck Tie Padlock Pepper Spray Umbrella Steel Capped Boots Stun Gun Thrown Weapons Trash Can Lid Sticks Stones Voice _____________________________________________________________________ Reminder as a member you are covered for the use of all of these self-defense weap- ons and more. Also as a member free training classes are taught by professional in- structors. All training DVD’s are available on the website. There is a reason people use firearms for defense and hunting— they just work, plain and simple. But many people in this country live in places that don’t allow firearms, or for some reason or another, they do not wish to own a firearm. There are still many ways you can make sure you are equipped to protect yourself, hunt for food, or just enjoy a fun hobby with some alternative weapons. When considering alternatives to firearms, it is best to forget everything you have learned at the movies and look at what each weapon is capable of doing in the real world. The whole point of a defensive weapon is to stop, disable, or kill the person or animal attacking you as quickly and as efficiently as possible. Some so-called weapons can be worse than useless against an attacker. We do not advocating violence. Instead we recommend training for real world incidents that could crop up at any time. It is best to learn how to avoid an attack and not just survive one. Your mind is the best weapon you have. A person who has the right motivation, tal- ent, and the will to survive can employ almost any object as a weapon. Governments can't ban them and customs can not confiscate them. Many common items can serve as valuable alternative self-defense weapons; some of which you may never have considered for this purpose. For instance, a nail file is effec- tive when stabbed at sensitive areas such as the face, neck, or groin. A simple ball- point pen can serve the same purpose. An umbrella, the variety with a pointed tip, makes for a powerful thrusting weapon. Aerosol hairsprays can sometimes work as well as pepper spray if aimed at the attacker's eyes. When danger strikes, be resource- ful and use anything in sight as an alternative self-defense weapon. Always remember, even if you're busy defending yourself with an unconventional weapon, to call for help so law enforcement can deal with the attacker. In today's anti-weapons climate many times and in many locations it is impossible to carry a gun or knife (Courts, airports, etc). Even in your home at the time of a violent invasion you might not be close to your gun, or even knife. Sometimes all you have left is your tactical creativity and your motivation and ability for thinking outside the box. Your mind will always be your greatest weapon, not least of all because with your in- telligence and ingenuity you can locate the most effective, commonly found objects in any house of office, to use as weapons during an assault. Wherever you are you are surrounded by a multitude of potential weapons. While the will to use improvised weapons is often instinctive for the experienced fighter, the effectiveness of such improvised weapons can depend on how good an eye you have in not only quickly locating and choosing your improvised "weapon" but also on your ability to use that object in a way that will disable your attacker effectively or allow you to escape the threat. First let us look at the normal processes of you mind and natural reactions. What is the first natural reaction a person has when being attacked? Most of the time a person will put up their arms to block any attack, then they will in- stinctively grab for any object that can multiply the expediency of that weapon. Often one of the first such objects grabbed is a chair and it is used as a shield. If not a chair it will be another object that can be used as either a weapon or shield. It's an instinc- tive and natural reaction displayed by seasoned fighters and people with no experience in self-defense. Generally not much thought goes into such a split second decision in terms of exactly which object to grab. There simply isn't enough time for someone who is being at- tacked to weigh the potential effectiveness of one object over another. Almost any ob- ject can be used as either a weapon or a shield. You probably never thought of some of the following objects as weapons or even shields. The following is a list of a few possible objects you very well might have in your environment that could be employed as improvised weapons or shields: Index Your Voice: Your voice can be a great improvised weapon wherever you are. Verbally you can of- ten stop, control or at very least influence the direction of an attack. You should learn about verbal commands and communication skills for defensive purposes in order to redirect an attacker's violent behavior toward you. This is sometimes known as verbal judo. Your Hand: A general rule is for a hard target use a soft weapon and for a soft target use a hard weapon. This may seem strange, but the concept can save you from breaking bones in the hand while you defend yourself. To learn to strike safely with full force make sure you first know what part of the hand to use to strike what sort of target. Let’s start with the first half of the rule, “Hard Target, Soft Weapon”. When striking at a “hard target” such as the jaw bone, head, or the area around the nose and eyes, use an open hand. Boxers and mixed martial artists all wrap their hands and wear some type of glove. These safety measures are not there to protect their opponent; they are used to protect their own hands. The small bones of the hand are easily bro- ken, especially if you hit a hard object such as the human skull or jaw bone. Known as the “Boxer’s Fracture,” breaking the bones of the hand will quickly disable the hand and make self defense much harder. To avoid breaking your hands, and to make sure you can “stay in the fight” and protect yourself, deliver strikes to the head with open hands. Using the soft parts of the hand, the palm heel and top edge of the palm, you can deliver full force while still protecting your bones. The Palm Heel is the area along the bottom of the palm where the hand meets the wrist. Used to deliver direct line strikes, this part of the hand is capable of delivering the same bone breaking force as a jab or cross, perfect for strike to the eye sockets and nose. The Palm Heel Strike is more than capable of breaking your attacker’s nose and knocking out teeth. The other part of the hand that makes an effective self de- fense strike is the “meaty” section of the hand where the fingers meet the top of the palm. To use this part of the hand, use what is known as the “Combat Slap.” Using a similar motion to a good hook, open the hand and flex the fingers back and strike with the exposed ridge. This is very different from the normal slap most people use. A nor- mal slap makes contact with the fingers, which flex back and absorb some of the force. In the “Combat Slap” all of your power is delivered into your target, just like a hook in boxing. The “Combat Slap” is perfect for strikes to the jaw and temple and can result in broken jaws and knockouts, with less chance of breaking your own hand in the pro- cess. Index The second half of the rule, “Soft Target, Hard Weapon,” is just as important. When striking a soft target such as muscle it is best to use a hard weapon. This is where you employ a fist to deliver maximum damage. Punches should only be applied to areas such as the stomach, legs, and shoulders. Punching to the chest, ribs, and sternum can result in broken hand bones. Punching high in the stomach can be used to drive the air from an attacker’s lungs while punching low in the stomach area can do painful damage to the bladder. Punching to the shoulder, between the neck and shoulder cap, can break the collar bone and disable the arm. A punch further out on the front of the shoulder, where the shoulder cap meets the pectoral muscle, can easily numb the en- tire arm and provide time for you to escape and seek help. No matter what your tar- get, please exercise caution when striking with a closed fist. Striking with the first two or first three knuckles is safe; the bones in that section of the hand are strong enough to take the force of impact.