No one likes to think of situations that require self-defense, but learning information about everyday items you can use for self-defense is a precaution you can take, just in case. Ideally, you would never need to use any of these items. If you ever do, the best outcome is getting away from an attacker or intruder without injury. Your jewelry and Grandma’s good silver service will never be as important as your personal physical safety.
Things That Poke, Jab, Hit, and Distract
The point of self-defense is not to prolong a fight—it is to deter or distract an attacker for long enough to get away from them and summon help. This may require overcoming squeamishness about poking, hitting, or jabbing the person in a vulnerable spot, like the eyes, throat, or the genitals.
Pen—Held like an ice pick, with your thumb supporting the bottom and your fist closed around the shaft, a pen becomes an effective jabbing, poking, and raking item. Aim for the eyes, or poke and scrape the attacker’s forearm.
Umbrella or Walking Stick—Whack, jab, or trip an attacker with an umbrella, a cane, or a walking stick. Some types of canes or walking sticks for self-defense have built-in weapons, but these may be illegal in your jurisdiction. A regular walking cane or shillelagh with a heavy knob end or handle applied forcefully to the head might be plenty of discouragement to an attacker.
Heavy Glass Bottles or Ceramic Mugs—It won’t be like in the movies, where the antagonists break their beer bottles and go at each other for a fight. Instead, use the weight of a full glass bottle to strike an attacker. Anything you can pick up and throw, from a mug to a bottle, can offer sufficient distraction to buy time to get away.
Hot Liquid—You have probably spent a lot of time walking around with a cup of coffee in your hand. Flung at an attacker’s face, hot liquid can slow them down long enough for you to escape.
Confidence and common sense go a long way toward deterring attackers. Walking with a friend, sticking to well-lit areas, and maintaining your best city “don’t mess with me, I know what I’m doing and where I’m going” attitude can cause a bad character to look elsewhere for easier prey. Search online for courses designed to train people how to use common everyday objects for self-defense. Keep in mind that an experienced criminal knows how to turn your weapons against you, so your goal should be to disable or distract them and get away as fast as possible and call for help.
