Don't Be a Cute Keychain Commando: Get Self-Defense Training

If your kids are going off to college, you might think giving them a self-defense tool is helpful. However, what's more effective is empowering them to protect themselves with their bare hands. Consider making self-defense training a family activity – not only will it equip your kids with essential skills, but it also provides valuable family time before they head off to college.

 The Reality of Self-Defense Tools

Whenever someone mentions they were scared or involved in an incident or attack, the common advice is to get mace/pepper spray/oc, tough kitty keychains, pen knives, taser/stun gun, or a firearm. But that's not always the best advice. At Weapon Brand, our instructors have been training people to defend themselves for over 25 years.We've seen it all, and we can tell you this: self-defense is a skill, not a sparkly accessory.

Think of it this way: would you try to defuse a bomb with a pair of fuzzy dice? Probably not. So why would you trust your safety to a keychain weapon you've never practiced with?

Here's the truth about cute self-defense keychains and other untrained weapons:

1. They're unlikely to stop a determined attacker. Most keychain weapons are small and lack stopping power. Even something like a taser requires precise deployment to be effective. An untrained user might struggle to use any of these tools effectively in a stressful situation, and a determined attacker could overpower them while the weapon is deployed.

2. They can escalate a situation. Pulling out a weapon, even a small one, can be seen as a threat by an attacker, making them more aggressive.

3. They can be used against you. An attacker might try to grab your keychain weapon and use it against you.

4. A false sense of security is dangerous. Just because you have a keychain weapon doesn't mean you're safe. It might lull you into a false sense of security and make you less aware of your surroundings.

Understanding Pepper Spray

If you have pepper spray, make sure you practice with it. Does it spray wide like a mist or more like a stream or a cone? Or is it foam? How far? How do you activate it? If you use it, will your hands be free to go for their eyes, nose, throat, or groin (also unlikely due to cross extensor reflexes)? Is it windy? Are you sure you won’t get the spray in YOUR eyes and nose? Have you trained on it to be able to work through it when it sprays in your own eyes and nose? Is it expired? Are you strong enough that if someone grabs you, you can direct it away from you to protect it? Is it commercial/police grade (highly unlikely)? All questions to think about when using mace/pepper spray, tasers, firearms, brass knuckles, etc.

More Serious Self-Defense Tools

Even more serious self-defense tools can be misused:

Mini Stun Guns

Mini stun guns can be effective but require close contact and precise deployment. An untrained user might find it difficult to activate the stun gun properly under stress. Additionally, if the attacker is wearing thick clothing, the stun gun might not work as intended. Worse, the attacker could overpower you and use the stun gun against you.

Pen Knives

Pen knives are small and easily concealed, but they require a lot of skill to use effectively. In a high-stress situation, it's challenging to deploy and use a pen knife without hurting yourself. Moreover, the attacker might take the knife from you and use it against you, escalating the situation.

Firearms

Firearms are a huge responsibility and require extensive training. Improper handling can lead to accidental discharge, injuring yourself or others. In a stressful situation, an untrained user might miss their target or hesitate to use the firearm altogether.

Personal Experience: Brian's Story

Our co-founder, Brian, has been sprayed with OC Spray (pepper spray) numerous times during his career in the military and law enforcement. He's trained to work through it. When a predator is willing to risk his freedom or life to attack you, these "tools" may not stop that sort of adrenaline and commitment.

The Weapon Brand Approach

At Weapon Brand, with 25+ years of professional experience as a Marine and having trained over 50,000 law enforcement, corrections, and parole officers, we teach that all of those devices should only ever be used as a SECONDARY device, and not something to count on. This isn't because they are bad, but because most people won't train using them effectively, and they become a liability instead of an asset. They get them and think they're "ok" and will be able to use them in an incident effectively, which isn't the case most of the time. They're great to have to give you confidence (which could in turn prevent the crime), but not necessarily the most effective forms of self-defense. So, we wouldn't encourage anyone to actually have them unless they are trained on them (we feel the same way with firearms).
 
What Should You Do?

- Get trained! We offer self-defense classes here at Weapon Brand that will teach you how to use your body and everyday objects to defend yourself.
- Be aware of your surroundings. This is the best defense against any attack. Pay attention to what's going on around you and trust your gut.
- If you can't avoid a confrontation, fight back! Don't be afraid to yell, scream, or make a scene.

Remember Weapon Brand’s Five Core Principles

1. Situational Awareness.
2. If the situation gets bad, get out.
3. Generate force to the best target of opportunity.
4. Make the attacker the defender.
5. Fight till the last breath.

Remember, self-defense is about giving yourself a fighting chance. Cute keychains and other untrained weapons won't do that. But self-defense training and awareness can make all the difference. 

Don't wait until it's too late. Sign up for a self-defense class today! You can see our upcoming workshops here: www.weaponbrand.com/shop

We also offer firearms training , but remember, firearms are a serious responsibility and should only be used by trained individuals.

With Weapon Brand, always remember that you can "Be Your Own Weapon!"