Self-Defense Tip 134 Homemade Weapons, Improvised Weapons, and Weapons of Opportunity

This self-defense tip expands the subject I wrote about in Self-Defense Tip 102 — Improvised Weapons: Keys. It is about weapons of opportunity, improvised weapons, and homemade weapons, and shows video demos of using two ingenious homemade weapons. It is good to know how to make and use these common weapons, the better to guard against them.

Weapons of Opportunity

Weapons of opportunity are ordinary utility objects used in an emergency to defend oneself. These weapons have great deniability.
Examples:
A bike chain lock, picked up from one’s bike.
A pencil.
A book.
A handbag with a heavy book inside.
A magazine or a newspaper rolled-up.

Improvised Weapons

Improvised weapons are made of objects not designed to be weapons. These weapons have poor to none deniability.
Examples:
A padlock put in a sock or tied to a rope.
A handbag with a dumbbell inside.
A magazine or newspaper tightly folded into a Millwall Brick (the video below shows how it is made).

Homemade Weapons

Homemade weapons require tools and a few minutes, or longer, to make. These weapons too have poor to none deniability.
Examples:
Dan bong (a short stick with a wrist loop).
Trapo (a metal ball on a wrist loop).

I chose trapo and dan bong as examples of homemade weapons because these two are very easy to make but in trained hands they are irresistible persuaders, tactically near perfect. The dan bong with a wrist loop is a great substitute for a telescopic baton, invisible to metal detectors. The trapo is visible to metal detectors, but is easy to use, and decisively effective — each strike is the last one needed.

Dan bong, courtesy of Guro Jee Choi

Videos below show how to use it.

A different way of using the lanyard (wrist loop):

Trapo

Videos below show how to use it.

Now you know how to make and use these common weapons, the better to guard against them.

Recommended reading on deniability:
Self-Defense Tip 58 — Tactical Pen vs. an Ordinary Pencil, or “Pay More for Less”
Self-Defense Tip 99 — Good Advice on Deniability
Self-Defense Tip 100 — Empty-Hand Defenses and Deniability
Self-Defense Tip 117 — What Weapons Can You Legally Carry Everywhere
Self-Defense Tip 131 — Why Not “Tactical”?
Recommended reading on weapons:
Self-Defense Tip 135 — How to Carry and Draw the Weapons You Carry

You will find more posts on deniability at real-self-defense.com/?s=deniability

Attention:
Applying any of the techniques mentioned above is your sole responsibility.

Neither Never-Thought-of-It LLC nor the author of this self-defense tip, nor persons pictured in this self-defense tip, make any representation, warranty, or guarantee that the techniques described or shown in this tip will be safe, effective, or legal in any self-defense situation or otherwise.

The reader or viewer assumes all risks and hazards of injury or death to herself, himself, or others, as well as any resultant liability for the use of the techniques and methods contained in this self-defense tip.

Specific self-defense responses demonstrated or described in this self-defense tip may not be justified in certain situations in light of all the circumstances or under the applicable federal, state, or local law. Neither Never-Thought-of-It LLC nor the author of this self-defense tip makes any representation or warranty regarding the legality or appropriateness of any techniques described or demonstrated in this self-defense tip.

Self-defense tip from Thomas Kurz, co-author of Basic Instincts of Self-Defense and author of Science of Sports Training, Stretching Scientifically, and Flexibility Express.

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