When I was much younger, I worked as a bartender in a tavern. Well, to be honest, it wasn’t just a bar, there was a bowling alley, a fine dining restaurant, and a banquet hall there as well. We didn’t have too much trouble with people getting overly rowdy but once in a while, we had to break up a fight or something. I was always amazed at the guys who would grab a pool stick to fight with. Long, cumbersome, not much more than a really thin bat. Personally, I’d grab three or four balls off the pool table, knowing I could nail a guy in the head from relative safety fifteen feet away.
When it comes to violent conflict, whenever possible you want to keep distance between yourself and your assailant. In most cases, firearms are going to be the weapon of choice. But, there may well be times when you aren’t able to get to a firearm or use it safely. An example of the latter may be your opponent is standing in front of your child’s bedroom and a bullet might penetrate into that room. It could also be that you are not allowed to own or possess firearms due to local laws.
In any event, you are deluding yourself if you believe a firearm is or should be your only line of defense.
When it comes to improvised weapons, as I mentioned before, the ideal ones are those that allow you to keep some distance between you and your assailant. Once they are close enough to put their hands on you, the odds shift dramatically. One handy item that works well for this purpose is wasp/hornet spray. The can will shoot a stream of poison for several feet. Being that it is indeed a stream, rather than a fog, you can better direct it toward the face. It will put them down hard and fast.
A common one mentioned in various places is using a can of hairspray and a lighter to make an improvised flamethrower. First, the range is only a couple feet. Second, if someone is hit in the face with that, they aren’t going to just drop to the floor. They’ll run around yelling and screaming, all the while possibly lighting up your curtains and other flammable items in the room. It makes little sense to burn your house down while you’re trying to protect it.
Pepper spray is another one that works very well, though obviously it is made for that exact purpose. It isn’t something most folks have just lying around. I would encourage you to invest in a few canisters and stage them throughout your house, just in case.
I hesitate to recommend Tasers(c) for a couple reasons. First, if the person is wearing heavy clothing, the probes may not make contact with skin, rendering the weapon ineffective. Second, you get one shot with them. You miss and it was all for naught.
One of the things I want you to do this week is to walk through your house with an eye for readily accessible improvised weapons. Kitchens, of course, are full of goodies like knives and cleavers. The laundry room probably has a variety of aerosol cans of cleaning products that would work well if sprayed in the face. But, what about your living room or your foyer?
Use your imagination here. The vase of flowers you keep on a table right near the front door, is it light enough for you to grab and swing? Maybe you have a couple nice, solid candlesticks on a coffee table in the living room. If you have kids, a baseball bat resting in a corner will probably not look out of place.
You should also consider deliberately positioning weapons throughout your home. If you have kids, a baseball bat resting in a corner will probably not look out of place. Pepper spray, as mentioned previously, comes in small enough canisters to hide almost anywhere. Naturally, if you have young’uns, keep them in mind and position these weapons where they aren’t accessible to them. A can of soda placed into an old tube socks will work great as an improvised blackjack or sap. Grab the loose end of the sock and swing it over your head at your attacker. A cue ball works even better if you have one available.
The takeaway here is to have defensive weapons available to you in every room of your home…just in case.
Your assignments this week:
1) Go through your home and practice implementing improvised weapons you find throughout. It is important to practice using these weapons so you are familiar with their weight and how they “work.”
2) First aid supplies — add to your storage more bandages, more antiseptic, and more gauze tape.
