But could you use it as a weapon?

[shesulsa]

Spinning off from the "what good is that knife in your purse" thread, and from another perspective .... We all know you can make just about anything work as a weapon if you use it right (caveat ... I did say "just about" - let's not get ridiculous) or combine it with something else. So ....

If you had to make use of something as a weapon suddenly, say, in a self-defense situation, would you know what to look for? What would you choose?

If you *did* have the time to dig into your purse for something, what would you pull out and how would you use it? Lumberyard? Grocery store? Bank?

 

[Blotan Hunka]

A pen can be a great wepon.

 

[Kacey]

Keys - which I usually have out of my purse before I leave a store, both because I hate fumbling for them, and just in case I need them. I tend to carry my keys with one key sticking out between my forefinger and middle finger, so I could easily make a fist and hit with the key. And I always have them with me. If I have time to adjust anything, I would have keys sticking out between every pair of fingers... and I would probably use my purse as a weapon too; both as a distraction and to hit the attacker in the face.

 

[Darth F.Takeda]

Commonly found or carried-
Pens,pencils, glass bottles, chairs, coatrack, a coat,car keys,a can of any aerosal substence( I once shot a guy with my astham inhailor in the eye before kicking him) books(use the edge, it hurtsand can break bones), unbrella, broomstick.

In the woods-
Rocks, fallen tree branches, dirt, stcks, flint knife.

On a Construction sight-

Everything!Constructionsight fights can get real ugly, Hammers ( Kills more than guns, every year.)screwdrivers, carpenters knife, Drywall saw, Knife, buckets, hard hat, Boots on your feet.

Weapons are everywhere, having a combative outlook helps with the rapid identification and deployment.

Now that I'ma Dad, I see danger everywhere as well

 

[Rich Parsons]

A pen can be a great wepon.

I carry pens all the time for work. Also it is nice to have a couple when out and everyone has to pay their bill on a card. Or if both you and her are exchanging numbers, both can write at the same time.

What this means I could have one for each hand. Wow what a novel idea.

Weapons of opportunity I have used myself in a life long ago and far away:
Tuna Fish Can (* My favorite *)
cleaning supplies (* splashed or thrown *)
pens
butter knife in a restaurant
bottle
chair
tire iron
Umbrella

Does the door frame and or wall count as well?

Waepons of opportunity used in agression towards me:
tire irons
baseball bats
golf clubs
2x4
2x6
cars/trucks
chairs

As to lumber yard one could go for the odd cuts and find a good sized 2x4.
In a grocery store, one could use a can or something with a liquid, spray it into eyes, or bee spray for long distance.
In a bank most pens are chained, so you have limited distance to use them and or to use the chain. One could also use a chair for those waiting. (* Note: all banks have lots of cameras and everything you do will be caught on tape. *)

 

[Kreth]

Does the door frame and or wall count as well?

So I'm not the only one to run into those clumsy guys in bars that seem to run into everything as you're escorting them outside?

 

[MA-Caver]

One of the best improvised weaponry I've learned about was at a Wing Chun seminar (highlighted by Yip Sing) and that was the kubotan. On how a mini-mag light was very useful in subduing a person (trying to or actually) grabbing you. On how basically anything harder than a person's wrist could be used so long as the technique could be properly applied, even a pen or a folding knife (if long enough-- folded) could be used. Very effective to say the least.

Other weapons are just whatever is at hand. Knowing where to hit with them is something else of course

 

[Steel Tiger]

Don't forget your meat byproducts. If you're in a deli a good sized salami can be quite effective. Mind you, you'll probably have to grab another one after a couple or three good wacks.

 

[tellner]

Anything from a fluffy teddy bear to a sock and a bar of soap. The Christians' Book says "To the pure all things are pure." My Book says "To the bloody minded anything is a weapon." Within arm's reach right now let me see what I could use...

The computer. My wife's isoflex hand exerciser. Pens. A coffee cup. Staples, a stock. A rolled up paperback book. The aforementioned stuffed animal. A chair. A soapstone statue. A credit card. My keys, which are on a two foot chain. A prayer rug. A box of business cards. Rocks. Dissection kit....

Yep. All of those.

 

[Andrew Green]

If you had to make use of something as a weapon suddenly, say, in a self-defense situation, would you know what to look for? What would you choose?

Big and solid, and / or sharp.

Barring that anything that can be thrown into someones face can be useful.

Lumberyard?

Chainsaw. "Groovy"

 

[FearlessFreep]

Chainsaw. "Groovy"

*This*..is my BOOM stick!!!

 

[MaartenSFS]

I needn't look for a weapon because I always carry a 57cm long (22.5cm Collapsed) telescopic steel baton, which I have developed "quick draw" techniques for and dubbed "Bagunshu" (See Swords forum)

This is great because it is highly surprising, intimidating, long enough to fend off knives, and it lets me exercise self-control (if I choose to). Once drawn there are secondary to finish of the attacker or continue to any other attackers. It is quite important to get a baton of the right length in proportion to one's own arms. The longest standard batons that you can buy without customisation are 77cm long (Fully extended) and feel like a sword. There are also many ways that you can secure them to your body with a "sheath", so you can experiment with different ways to draw. I prefer to carry mine in my pocket, but for the 77cm long it would be too big (Unless you are Eminem with pockets deep enough to hide Osama Bin Laden). I'll write up a nicer article with illustrations one of these days.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

But let's say that for some odd reason I wasn't carrying it with me in a "situation", what would I use... ?

I have to agree on the pens thing. It's quite easy to, in the reverse grip, stab out eyes or puncture "****" along the neck with a pen. I have made cardboard targets to test this. It works great. Dog leashes also work great (Don't ask how I know).

Here, in China, I have used a closed parasol (Quite a nice rice paper one, actually, but still effective) and a closed paper/wooden fan (Have been looking for a steel war fan forever (One where the digits are also knives would be better?), but can't find it. That can also be rapidly deployed.

Chopsticks, TI83+ (And up) calculators, Al Gore documentary, trouser belts, hand bags, olde French bread, your ex-boy/girlfriend, nail clippers, wet towels, cross (to stab), electrical cables with plugs attached, my wife's socks, foreign language, Spice Girls CD, your STDs (Though this won't help you when you need it, it would be NASTY REVENGE!), boomerang (Don't throw it!!!), propaganda, Jehova's Witness' pamphlets, medical malpractise, my Daofu ("Dogi") after training, thumb tacs, parts of fences (preferably pointy), prickly bushes, pot of boiling water, silverware, plates, venomous snakes, poison toads, unusually large cat nip in the pressence of a tiger (Or other vicious feline), (If in water) chum, fire extinguisher, blow torch, fishing rod (Preferably for sharks), posters of teen idols, (When in the pressence of people over 25?) hip-hop, your vehicle, a "friend" with plague-like symptoms (Or ebola), your canine friend, Asian pop music, overly long list of "weapons", et cetera.

 

[MJS]

Spinning off from the "what good is that knife in your purse" thread, and from another perspective .... We all know you can make just about anything work as a weapon if you use it right (caveat ... I did say "just about" - let's not get ridiculous) or combine it with something else. So ....

If you had to make use of something as a weapon suddenly, say, in a self-defense situation, would you know what to look for? What would you choose?

If you *did* have the time to dig into your purse for something, what would you pull out and how would you use it? Lumberyard? Grocery store? Bank?

I always have my keys in hand when approaching my car, so that would be my first option. I wear a belt, so if need be, that can be used as a weapon.

Dirt, rocks, car antenna are all objects that can be used.

None of the objects that I mentioned are fight stoppers on the level of a gun per se, but I'm not intending them to be. If it provides me with a slight advantage to leave or to do follow up strikes, whatever I use has served its purpose.

Mike

 

[Grenadier]

I needn't look for a weapon because I always carry a 57cm long (22.5cm Collapsed) telescopic steel baton, which I have developed "quick draw" techniques for and dubbed "Bagunshu" (See Swords forum)

Interesting concept, and I have no doubts that a telescoping baton can be a great defensive melee weapon.

Unfortunately, here in the USA, most states highly restrict telescoping batons, and the penalties of carrying one unlawfully can be rather dire, indeed.

This is why folding lockback knives are generally preferred, since almost every state allows you to carry such a knife as long as you don't exceed some maximum blade length in some places (3" in South Carolina, for example, no limits in Alabama, etc).

 

[shesulsa]

Well, we all know there are many things that can be used, but would you know how to deploy and would you be less likely to hurt someone with an improvised weapon than a real one?

 

[Drac]

A pen can be a great wepon.

Keys - which I usually have out of my purse before

Ahh the old reliable standby weapons..I keep my car keys and house keys on seperate rings...One has a kubotan attached, the other a ProTek Key..

 

[jks9199]

Well, we all know there are many things that can be used, but would you know how to deploy and would you be less likely to hurt someone with an improvised weapon than a real one?

Which nicely lets me segue onto a point about using a belt as a weapon...

For most men -- probably pretty impractical. They don't tend to be able to be taken off quickly enough to deploy as a practical weapon. Especially if you hang stuff like cell phones, multi-tools, and the like off of them. (Of course, if you hang a lawfully carried gun off it, the whole discussion becomes moot!) When your assailant sees you fiddling with your belt... he's just gonna hit you!

And even if they can be... How essential is your belt to keeping your pants up? I know have at least one story about one of these idiot kids with the pants that are 8 sizes too big and barely hang off their backside trying to run... Kinda hard to defend yourself when your pants are around your knees...

I think many women are more likely to be able to make practical use of a belt than a man, because their belts are often more "ornamental" than structural, and can be removed more rapidly.

As to using a variety of improvised weapons -- since weapons in my system are used along the "extension of the hand" concept, with the same body dynamics and underlying principles as the empty hand, yep. I can use almost anything as a weapon. Some things are more distractions than real weapons, like a handkerchief (yeah, in theory you can snap one like a towel... but it's weak in reality!). Others, like those nifty "book holders" that are really double ended saps... They're dangerous!

 

[jdinca]

I remember a drill we did when I was an instructor trainee. Everybody had one minute to find something in the school they could use as a weapon, except a weapon (imagine 30 people scrambling to find SOMETHING). Once they picked something, they had two minutes to put together a SD technique with it. Some very creative results.

 

[bushidomartialarts]

best improvised weapon ever: steaming hot cuppa joe right in the face. you're not necessarily always carrying, but it's pretty easy to procure if you're concerned about the walk to your car...

 

[searcher]

Anything I can pick up and swing or throw.