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 weapons and more. Also as a member free training classes are taught by professional instructors. 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 effective when stabbed at sensitive areas such as the face, neck, or groin. A simple ballpoint 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 instinctive 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 attacked to weigh the potential effectiveness of one object over another. Almost any object 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 often 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 broken, 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 defense 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 normal 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 target, 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. Turning you wrist and striking with the last two knuckles can easily lead to a “Boxer’s Fracture,” no matter what type of target you hit. Self defense is about being smart and making sure you can effectively defend yourself. Using the proper type of strike for your target can go a long way towards saving your hands from damage. Remember “Hard Target, Soft Weapon: Soft Target, Hard Weap- on.”

A Chair: A chair can keep your attacker at bay or shield you from a knife attack. They also make good larger improvised impact devices, although they are mainly best used as a shield.

Pepper Spray: Index Easy to carry in a purse or pocket, aerosol or "pepper" sprays make for a solid self- defense option. Law enforcement officers use potent, tear-gas formulations termed irri- tating agents. A well-placed blast of pepper spray into the eyes of an attacker may not be the most flashy form of self-defense, but it can stop the person in their tracks by causing their mucous membranes to become inflamed, effectively blinding them until you can get help. One disadvantage of pepper spray is that it may be difficult to locate deep within a handbag or cluttered pocket when someone decides to attack.

Canes: A simple walking cane is an efficient, hidden-in-plain-sight alternative to a gun or a knife for self-defense. A cane can come with an curved head, an ornate handle, or simply a plain grip and all possess the unique strength of being a weapon "already drawn." By using any cane, you can defend against an attacker by thrusting forward with the tip or striking with the length or the head of the cane. Common hook-handled canes work especially well for self-defense, as the curved tops make excellent weapons to catch an attacker by the neck or by the ankle for an unexpected trip and fall.

Stun Guns: One effective, commonly-used alternative self-defense weapon is the portable elec- troshock weapon, or stun gun. A personal stun gun emits an electrical charge that can incapacitate a would-be attacker, rendering him or her immobile "stunned" for as long as five to 10 minutes. Although easy to conceal and effective, stun guns do have a few drawbacks. Models that work well enough to knock out an attacker can get expensive. Also, you must obtain a permit to own and carry a stun gun in the following states: Illi- nois, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Wis- consin.

What form of self-defense could be more instinctive than using whatever ordinary objects around you to defend yourself against an attacker? Commonly found objects that were never designed with self-defense in mind. Objects that will neither raise the suspicion of Law Enforcement, nor take up any extra room since you would have had them either on your person or in your surroundings and environment anyway.

Index Flashlight: It can be used to momentarily blind an attacker or as an impact weapon. Car Antenna: You can quickly break off a metal car antenna and use it to fend off one or more attackers in a whipping action. The strikes can be very painful and effective and will likely at the very least stun and discourage an attacker from continuing. Remember, often these predators are looking for an easy victim. If you prove to the attacker that you'll be more trouble than your worth, he or she will likely discontinue the attack and seek out someone who will give him or her less trouble.

Keys: Not the easiest or most effective option in reality despite often being recommended by defensive instructors. Keys should not be your first choice, however if you have nothing else at hand it's better than nothing. For greater effect hold a key between middle fingers and use it to punch your attacker or it can be used to scrape across attacker's face. Index Steel Cap Boots: The steel-caped boot worn by every construction worker is often overlooked, but is very legal everywhere and it is a very painful alternative weapon. Kick the attacker in the shins or groin. This is a a real fight stopper with proper aim.

Ballpoint Writing Pen: A pen makes a mighty alternative weapon which can be used as a stabbing imple- ment. Hold with your thumb on the clicker or blunt end and then stab down or side- ways repeatedly with the writing end outwards. A hit to the kidneys, located on either side of the lower back, or other soft appendages such as the neck will have the greatest effect.

Glass Bottle: You can use a glass bottle as a weapon but do not break it on the table first as seen in the movies. Remember that is Hollywood acting. In fact most of what you see on TV and the movies does not work, and was never meant to work. Preferably use a glass bottle full of liquids, as an empty one will be far less effective.

Unlike TV and the movies do not ever first break the bottle on the table thinking you'll be left with a sharp knife like weapon. You won't. In reality what you will be left with is a small piece of the bottle's neck. That's it. Nothing sharp protruding at any length and nothing you can use effectively as a weapon.

Alcoholic Drink in a Plastic Cup or Glass: If there is alcohol inside your glass, throw it in your attacker's face. Aim for the eyes. The alcohol has a stinging effect and will temporarily blind the attacker.

Coffee Mug, Glass, or Ceramic Cup: Index If you have hot coffee inside at the time, obviously splash it on your attackers face. All of the sudden you won't complain that McDonalds makes their coffee too hot. When used as an alternative weapon the hotter the coffee or tea the better.

Trash Can Lid: A trash can lid is a great improvised shield and might give you time to escape or to employ a better weapon.

Dresser Drawer: If you are attacked in your bedroom immediately grab and pull out a drawer from the dresser. It can be used as a shield or even as an impact weapon, much like the laptop or book.

Index Padlock: A pad lock is a devastating weapon if you are lucky enough to have one handy. Slip your middle finger inside the steel loop with the rest of the padlock in your fist. Or swing the padlock at your attacker while holding it with one finger and the rest of padlock outwards. Aim for head, as the padlock would be too small to do damage to body.

Ashtray: An ashtray is usually a hefty solid weapon. Grab it like a frisbee aiming for your attackers head or face. Or jam it in his or her neck or throat. Throw the cigarette butts and ashes in his face as a distraction.

Magazine: A rolled up magazine can make an excellent impact weapon. It is most effective when using quick, strong, short strikes repeatedly to attacker's head or neck and to other more sensitive areas.

Neck Tie: If you're attacker is wearing a neck tie you have an excellent flexible weapon. You can use it to control or disorient him. Grab his tie and pull downwards hard. It is like having a rope around the neck. Grab the knot and tighten it around the their neck. This is why police quit wearing neck ties that are not a clip-on.

Laptop: Index The laptop computer can be used to shield against an attacker's weapon or strike or it can be used as a weapon. Hold with both hands and hit with full force your attacker's face, neck, or midsection with the sides or edges of the closed laptop.

Clipboard: The clipboard is used much the same way as the laptop. It has thinner and sharper edges however it also has less mass and might be less effective.

Book: A book is used much in the same way as the laptop and clipboard.

Computer bag, backpack, briefcase: You're already holding it, and it has a secure handle. Swing it into your attacker's head or use as a shield. Push him or her away with the what you have and escape.

Lamp: You'll usually have a lamp nearby in your home. Grab it, and hit your attacker with it. Use the cord as a flexible weapon.

Fire Extinguisher: The fire extinguisher has been used before with great effect with devastating power.

Spray the contents directly onto attacker. It will at the least disorient him or her and it will often hide your exit due to the temporary cloud. It also makes an excellent shield.

Put one in your car. You should have one in your car anyway for fire safety, but it might even save your life if you need to use it as a weapon.

Duct Tape: Index Not a weapon as such but makes good handcuffs to hold your attacker until the police arrive. Large zip ties are a good alternative to duct tape.

Light Switch: Darkness is a brilliant weapon under the right circumstances. If you are attacked by night, the light switch can be the best "weapon" for defense, without really being a weapon as such. Simply turn the lights off. Darkness is a tactical advantage for you. After all you know the layout of your own house while your attacker does not. You also know where you have other weapons and escape routes. Darkness could also simply give you the time needed to escape. Also, darkness will increase the blinding effectiveness of your flashlight if you are carrying one.

Clothing: If you are wearing a coat, jacket, or scarf they can be used to shield yourself against an attacker's knife or other weapon. Wrap it around your weak arm, and hit and defend yourself with your strong arm and legs. The long sleeves can also be used as a flexible weapon for choking or entangling limbs.

Bicycle: Your helmet, tire pump, and flexible bike locks are potential impact devices.

Even the bike itself can act as an effective shield against an attacker. It will act as a good obstruction between you and him or her giving you time to escape. If need be it can even be thrown at the attacker.

Belt Buckle: A heavy brass or steel belt buckle can make a great impact weapon. It can even be swung at the attacker since it's attached to your belt.

Index Belt: Even without a heavy buckle your belt can be one of the best flexible weapons available.

Comb: A comb is a potential weapon especially a metal comb. It can be raked across an attacker's face repeatedly with good success.

Index Umbrella: The larger ones make a good impact weapon and improvised stick fighting weapon. Also it is a great shield when opened. Some of the full sized ones have a pointy bit protruding 2 to 3 inches long, so while you shield yourself you can also push the opened umbrella forward into the attacker’s and body.

Iron: An iron is a common household device and it can cause a lot of damage from use as a striking weapon. Also most irons have an electrical cord that makes a good flexible weapon as well.

Broom or Mop: A broom or a mop are long impact devices. They can be used as a long staff for stick fighting techniques. They can also be used to hold the attacker at a distance.

Your Car: Index While it's not always justified to use deadly force in this way since it can be argued that if you're inside your car you are safe, if a gang of hoodlums or an angry mob is attacking you then just run over them and escape.

Edged Weapons Knives, swords, and tomahawks fall into this category. “Never bring a knife to a gun- fight” may sound cool in training or in the movies, but in reality, if you are armed with a knife and within twenty feet or so of someone, there is a very good chance you can get to them before they have a chance to bring their firearm into play.

Everyone needs a good knife, and the variety is up to the user. Each person must de- termine what he or she likes to use the most. A folding knife for the pocket and a larger fixed blade for bigger tasks will see you through most situations. If you are contemplating a knife for defense, make sure the blade is long enough to reach vital organs.

Things to avoid are fantasy knives that are offered in all too many catalogs. Any knife that has holes or slots in the blade will at best pick up junk in them with use; at worst, they will be weakened and break with all the extra holes. The same goes for extra pro- jections and points or knobs sticking out from the blade. They make it weaker and get in the way. If you get a survival knife with a saw on the back, the saw teeth do not need to be very large at all to work well. All the extra stuff will hang up if you use it to stab with, and if that happens, you may not be able to pull it back out.

Avoid the frilly fantasy swords since they are mostly unbalanced, brittle, and useless. Most people are not swordsmen anyway, and it is just extra weight to be lugging around when things get serious. Cane swords and hidden knives are generally considered concealed weapons and are usually not worth the hassle. They have awkward grips and are usually of shoddy workmanship. Hatchets and tomahawks are useful tools. Even cheap ones are fine for what you will probably be using them for. A word about the fighting tomahawks though: if you get one, make sure it is one that has a blunt back. The point on the back of many of them can become buried in your enemy, and you stand a good chance of having your weapon stuck when you need it.

Index Archery Both bows and crossbows fall into this category. They are quiet and have decent range and power to rely on in a survival situation.

A good bow can take any game animal you might come across. They are not so good at stopping a charging bear, but some large bears have been taken with bows. A great thing about a bow is that you can make everything you need from your local environment. The bow, string, arrows, fletching, and arrowheads can be crafted from scratch if you take the time to learn how.

Crossbows can be used by those who don’t have the shooting skills necessary to be proficient with a regular bow. Some states allow the use of crossbows for big game during archery season, while some restrict their use to firearm season.

Avoid the crossbow pistols for any serious work. They are underpowered and bulky for what they are. If you want one “just because,” knock yourself out, but don’t rely on it for protection.

Thrown Weapons When contemplating a thrown weapon, just remember that once you throw something, it is gone until you have a chance to retrieve it.

Sharp thrown weapons such as throwing knives or martial arts throwing stars will lack the depth of penetration needed to stop an attacker, despite what you see in the movies. Things like throwing stars may be fun to play with but are just extra weight in the field. At best you can hope to distract him, her, or it (animal) while you try to run away. Index Stones A stone is the most basic weapon you can find. The first murder in human history was accomplished with a stone. Many times people who are unarmed picked up good- sized rock when threatened by a dog.

A sling, with practice, will take game, and as Goliath found out, it can be used for protection against bad guys too. In fact, slingers were part of ancient armies. A sling- shot will shoot stones, marbles, and steel or lead balls with good accuracy and power.

Sticks A cane, staff or quarterstaff is a formidable weapon in the hands of someone who knows how to use it. In 1625, Richard Peeke, an Englishman, was captured by the Spanish and put on trial. Peeke was asked how well the British would stand up to a Spanish invasion. Peeke replied the Spanish “would prove to be pullets [chickens]” The Spanish then asked him to prove it by fighting a champion swordsman.

Peeke prevailed, and the Spanish were embarrassed so they demanded he fight another swordsman. He replied he would if he could fight with “mine own country’s weapon called the quarter-staff.”

When two swordsmen stepped up, Peeke sarcastically asked if any more would like to join them. The Spanish asked how many, and Peeke replied “Any number under six.” One more Spaniard took up the challenge, and when all was said and done, Peeke was still standing, one Spaniard was dead, and the other two were injured. The point of this is to show that a quarterstaff is a powerful weapon in trained hands.

Another advantage of the quarterstaff is that it is seen as a walking stick and not a weapon by most people. Some collapsible walking sticks can be used as canes and even brought on airplanes. Canes have the same advantage as a staff in that they can be taken everywhere. There are many videos online teaching proper techniques for using sticks as weapons.

If you are looking for something a little more formidable than a quarterstaff, Native Americans had war clubs, and knights had maces. Avoid anything that might get stuck while you are trying to use it.

Cell Phone: Index A cell phone is an excellent impact device, very handy. A cord phone also makes a good flexible weapon if you're skilled in using one effectively. Phones have been used many times as impact devices.

Coins: A good diversionary tactic is to throw coins from your pocket into the face of your attacker. A packed roll of coins can also make a good fist-load and has been used many times as such.

Sports Equipment: Commonly found in most homes or cars is sports equipment and all of the following are excellent impact devices, which are but not limited to, a tennis racket, golf club, pool stick, baseball bat, dumbbells, etc.

If you have these in your car and you are attack in a parking lot then a set golf clubs and balls make a good weapon. Consider carrying a baseball bat and glove and maybe some balls too in your car in order to not raise the suspicion of law enforcement.

Black Powder: Index While they are still firearms, black powder weapons can still be ordered through the mail and delivered to your home without paperwork. There are many good revolver de- signs to choose from that are perfectly adequate for personal defense. A .44 caliber cap-and-ball revolver will have nearly the same muzzle energy as a modern .38 spe- cial. Manufacturers make a wide range of black powder firearms starting at .22 revolving pocket pistols all the way up to large-caliber rifles or shotguns. They will take any game that a modern firearm will take. Black powder weapons do require more care and planning than standard firearms, but sometimes the advantages outweigh the little extra work. Index Air Gun: When most people think of air rifles, they think of the “Official Red Ryder Carbine- Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle” from the movie A Christmas Story; however, air guns have been in existence for hundreds of years, all the way back to the sixteenth century.

Lewis and Clark took a .46 caliber air rifle on their expedition to the Pacific. They used it to take a lot of game and provide meat for the pot. Modern large-caliber air guns can be used for big game hunting.

As you can see by this newsletter there are a number of the potential weapons men- tioned. This is merely a small sampling of possibilities. It would be impossible to list for you all the possible alternative use "weapons" or objects you might come across that might be of great defensive use during an attack.

No one can know what will be available to you in your specific environment at that time. Obviously some environments are richer in potential alternative weaponry than others. It is your job to train yourself to identify these potential weapons out of any objects around you.

Air guns that are just a step up from the Red Ryder can be used to take small game. Pretty much any air gun that fires a pellet instead of a BB can be used for small game. There are a plethora of pellets on the market, and you should take the time to find a type that shoots well from the gun you pick.

Most air pistols are too underpowered to consistently take game cleanly. CO2- powered air pistol can be used to take small game like rabbits and squirrels, but with CO2 weapons, you will need to stock up on cartridges along with pellets.

There is a higher-end .177 caliber air gun that is made in Korea and has a reservoir with a gauge to tell you your air pressure. This gun sounds like a .22 long rifle when you shot it and put a hole right through one-inch pine. It takes about 800 pumps with a pump similar to an old bicycle pump to top off the reservoir.

High-end air guns cost as much as firearms and range from .177 all the way up to .50 caliber and they can be used on big game where they are legal. They are made by small manufacturers and usually have a waiting list for those who wish to buy one.

A blowgun is an air gun of sorts. These will take very small game but really should be in the novelty class. Where they are used in real life, they are used in conjunction with poison for taking game.

Index We recommend that you look at the objects around you with a different eye. Specifi- cally ask yourself, which ones can make an effective weapon? How would you use it? Will that object really cause hurt to your attacker and disable him or her? Sometimes an object would make such a poor weapon that it is better to fight unarmed. Learn to accurately evaluate potential weapons in your environment.

Preparation and training is the best way to help guarantee a better chance for success in a self-defense incident. But once you develop this situational awareness and survival mentality you will be much better prepared to defend yourself in any situation than ever before, for you will have an instinctive understanding and application of self- defense.

As a member you have access to numerous training video

DVD’s that teach fundamentals, tactics, drills, responsible use of force, flash light and lasers as a defensive weapon, pepper spray, use of a stun gun, defensive cane fighting, etc.

From your computer go the website selfdefensefund.com and click on the “Members” tab in the top navigation bar. Enter your email address and password and click on “Confirm Membership” this will take you to the private member library. You man now select any training course and view at your convenience.

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