At Your Service Understanding Improvised Weapons By Mark “Six” James
I often hear civilians as well as protection agents commenting about not being able to travel with their tools and having a feeling of being somewhat exposed without specific gear. It is regularly said the protection business is a game of chess not checkers. When you free your mind, it opens up a world of possibilities and defensive capabilities.
Edged Weapons – are sharp objects which are often used to cut or puncture (often through slashing, stabbing or thrusting).
Improvised weapons is a term utilized in the combative, self-defense and protection worlds. In a nutshell, it means, if it is available it can be utilized or deployed. As my good friend and fellow instructor Avery Mitchell likes to say, “If I can touch it, I can use it.” To help increase your defensive options it makes sense to first describe the functionality of the various weapon types.
Focused Weapons – are designed to increase the intensity and amplify the pain to gain compliance by channeling their energy or efforts into a concentrated area (i.e. a foot or toe stomp with a stiletto heel can concentrate all of the energy into a small area of an adversary’s foot to intensify the pain to help aid in an escape or disrupting the attacker’s balance).
Impact Weapons – are solid objects, tools or implements that are used to bludgeon and cause injury through ballistic contact (often repeated striking
Hybrid Weapons – are tools or objects which incorporate functions from various groups. An impact flashlight can be used to as a distraction to temporary blind an adversary or strike them as an impact weapon to gain compliance.
Flexible Weapons – are used to entangle, strangle, or whip (often through trapping, choking, popping or whipping).
A review of a formal table setting gives us a visual representation of the concepts: Salt & Pepper Shakers – Restaurants, bars and banquet facilities are used to having the shakers dropped on the ground, thus the often purchase high impact commercial grade materials or utensils. The strength of the glass often make them great improvised impact weapons. One such technique which can be employed is cycling, a series of downward blows with the salt shaker at the bottom of a hammer fist to repeal an attack.
Salt or Pepper – concealed in the hand can, and thrown or rubbed in the eyes of an adversary can cause temporary blindness or severe irritation limiting their ability to see and reduce their ability to continue to pose a threat to you, while assisting in your ability to escape from harm’s way. Glass of Water or Cup of Coffee – thrown in the eyes of an adversary can serve as a distraction, (hot coffee can injure) and provide you a split second to escape an encounter or provide you a tactical advantage prior to striking your attacker. Forks (prongs end) – focused against soft tissue can serve to puncture skin or vital organs. Steak knives or the sharp edge of a broken plate – can be used to stab, slash or puncture and focused appropriately with the level of threat.
The handle of the forks or knives can be used as focus weapons to intensify pain to an area without cutting or puncturing. It may also be used to strike or thrust the way you might employ a kubotan. Cloth Dinner Napkin – can be used to strangle an attacker, or snapped/popped in the attacker’s eye to cause injury or a temporary distraction. When it comes to the concept of self or in this case server preservation or employing improvised weapons, always remember the mind is the greatest weapon, everything else is just ammunition.
For additional safety tips visit www.pantherprotectionservices.com. Mark “Six” James is Founder and Executive Director of Panther Protection Services, LLC, and an internationally published author. Panther Protection Services is a full service protection agency focusing on Risk and Crisis Mitigation, Executive Protection, Self-Defense Training, and Firearm Instruction. For protective services, firearms or self-defense training contact info@pantherprotectionservices.com