Self Defense Weapons

"Defang the snake" principle being used in stick vs. stick and a palm stick defense.

In any situation where you're legally justified to use self defense, when your life is truely in danger, you need every advantage you can get. You're likely to be facing an armed attacker, multiple attackers, or at least one who is bigger and stronger than you. It's unlikely that you'll be attacked by a single individual who is smaller than you and has no weapon. Weapons can provide you with a tremendous advantage if you know how to use them. Even if you choose not to carry one, there are many everyday objects that can be used as a weapon. Additionally, learning how to use weapons will increase your skill in defending against them.

(Check out our Self Defense Products page for recommendations on self defense weapons.)

Weapon Types:

• Stick (stick, cane, bat, hammer, crow bar)
• Palm Stick (wrench, pen, flashlight)
• Knife (knife, broken bottle, scissors)
• Sword (machete, sword)
• Projectile (gun, pepper spray, rocks)
• Linked (chain)

The above weapon types are uniquely different in their power and application, but do have similarities in training. The primary motions, swining and thrusting, are nearly identical regardless of whether you're using a wrench, bat, knife, or machete for example. Projectile weapons are a class of their own however, and linked weapons are also substantially different.

The majority of our weapons training comes from Filipino martial arts, and the lessons you're learn from single stick practice apply to a great variety of weapons and household items (see the use of a shoe at the end of our video on sombrada).

See: Our Palm Stick section to learn how to use small objects that are easy to carry anywhere.

Read: Knife as a Self Defense Weapon, and find out why a knife is a less than ideal weapon for self defense.