We are surrounded by weapons, most of the time. They may not look like weapons at the moment, but they can do incredible harm to someone who wishes to do harm to you! This is the idea behind homemade weapons or improvised weapons like the ball point pen.
Homemade Weapons You Can Rely On
One of the core tenets of active shooter training is to be prepared to use improvised weapons to fight a shooter when you have no other options. This means that you can turn a rock, a book, a pair of scissors or whatever else is around you into a weapon.
Ideally, you want to identify potential weapons long before an attack, so you limit hesitation. What about the simple ball point pen?
1. Simple Ball Point Pen
Most people look at the simple ball point pen and assume it is useless outside of writing. Anything that features a point can be used as a jabbing weapon. There are soft and vulnerable parts of the human body that are very susceptible to a strike from something like a ball point pen.
Knowing how and where to strike someone with a ballpoint pen is the best way to be effective with one. The two best places to attack with a ball point pen are going to be the eyes and throat. A ball point pen will not make it through layers of clothing and will certainly fail you against something like body armor.
2. Tactical Ball Point Pen
There is an entire market out there for tactical pens. These tactical pens are incredibly effective and often house a number of tactical and survival schools in a housing that looks deceptively similar to your average ball point pen.
I have seen pens with glass breakers, handcuff keys, and even ferrocerium rods built into them. These can be much more effective when it comes to dealing with a threat.
Suddenly, you have access to a legitimate weapon in an altercation. One of the most prized tactical pens for self defense is going to have a knife built into it.
There are also pens with built-in flashlights, which can also be pretty effective in a self-defense scenario. A blinding light during a surprise attack with a ball point pen can give you just the window you need to be as devastating as the situation requires.
There are even pens that contain mace! Obviously, being able to incapacitate someone is a much better plan than sticking a ball point or a blade into their soft parts. That is called assault, and it can come with a penalty if you are not incredibly careful.
When you use mace you not only put a hurting on the person, but you also blind them to either your next attack or to your getaway. They will have a lot of trouble identifying a license plate as you drive away or even which direction you ran away.
Donβt assume a criminal wonβt take down your license plates and try to sue you for damages even though they were trying to rob you!
Going on the Attack
There are some things to remember when you are attacking someone. Some of these things have to do with keeping yourself safe and others have to do with mounting a successful attack.
First, you must first clearly identify your attack. I know this sounds like, duh, but bad things happen to good people all the time because of misidentification, darkness, and surprise. Boyfriends have been shot sneaking into their girlfriends home only to find a father and a smoking gun. Donβt get any ideas, protective Dads!
Second, you want to plan where and how you are going to attack. Is this a hand to hand engagement or are you going to use a weapon? Where are you going to strike first?
Third, attacking using surprise and ambush. This will give you the upper hand automatically. Hide and strike or strike when an attacker least expects it. He tells you to get on your knees and you bend a bit only to launch a knee into his chest or groin. Surprise!
Finally, use extreme violence of action. You are fighting for your life. This is no time to throw one good right straight and wait for their return volley. You chew into the bad guy with everything you have. You destroy your opponent and eliminate the threat to you and the people you care about. Overwhelming force and violence of action are what is called for when you are fighting for your life.
A Ball Point Pen Is a Good Backup Self-defense Weapon
The ball point pen is never going to be your first choice in a fight. However, if you understand what it is and understand an attack it could be all you need to get out of a bad situation. The pen is a pointed and dangerous object when used to attack the soft parts of a human.
Follow the steps in planning your attack, and it might be a good idea to combine that tactical ball point pen with some physical fitness to bring to the fight.
What other homemade weapons can help with self-defense? Give us your two cents in the comments section below!
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