| One of the most popular self-defense weapons in use | | | | from striking-to-grappling and back again with no |
| today by the average citizen and police officers alike is | | | | trouble whatsoever. |
| the "Kubotan" (pronounced: 'koo-bow-tahn'), or simply | | | | Even for those without experience in a formal martial |
| the self-defense keychain. The versatility of the this | | | | art, the Kubotan provides an economical and |
| effective little item is that it lends itself well to being | | | | easily-learned method of self-protection. This powerful |
| used in different ways by people with different martial | | | | weapon can, and should, also be a part of any good |
| arts backgrounds, as well as by people with no formal | | | | self-defense program. Its ease-of-use and relatively |
| training in the martial arts whatsoever. In fact, this is | | | | short learning-curve make it the ideal "first-weapon" for |
| perhaps one of the Kubotan's greatest advantages | | | | beginning students. It can be used to provide a level of |
| and therefore strengths, in that it can be picked up and | | | | comfort, security, and preparedness while the student |
| easily used by any martial artist, regardless of style or | | | | is learning more scientific unarmed techniques, tactics, |
| principle fighting method. Regardless of whether a | | | | and strategies that naturally take more time to |
| practitioner has studied the techniques of Aikido, Jujitsu, | | | | internalize. |
| Karate, Kung Fu, and, yes, Ninjutsu - the art of the | | | | For many, the self-defense keychain weapon is a tool |
| Ninja - the self-defense keychain fits easily into, and | | | | of pain, pure-and-simple. Regardless of whether you're |
| increases the power of just about any technique. | | | | using it to strike, dig into sensitive areas, or apply |
| As an example, a Karate-oriented practitioner who is | | | | crushing pressure to small bones and joints, the fact is |
| trained in, and has a preference for striking techniques, | | | | that you don't need years of training to be good with it. |
| can utilize the ends of the weapon for painful blows to | | | | You can practically, with little-or-no extensive training, |
| soft tissue areas or disabling strikes to an opponent's | | | | pick one up and be ready to at-least hold-your-own |
| vital points. Conversely, a practitioner schooled in a | | | | against most common attackers. |
| grappling-based system like Jujitsu or Aikido, may feel | | | | Please note that I'm not saying that a certain level of |
| more comfortable using the Kubotan for hooking, | | | | training wouldn't significantly increase your ability and |
| trapping, and pain compliance techniques, using the | | | | chances of success, especially in a more aggressive |
| leverage and intense pain generated by the weapon | | | | situation, but for most of the assaults and types of |
| to immobilize and neutralize an opponent's ability to get | | | | attackers you'll most likely encounter in Today's world, |
| at him. | | | | it's the perfect starting point for most new students. |
| Certainly, any school or practitioner that takes the view | | | | As always, my advice is to find a qualified instructor, or |
| of having no preferential fighting method - that means | | | | a professionally delivered course, where you can be |
| that he or she is comfortable with both striking and | | | | introduced to the weapon properly. Then, when you |
| grappling - will have even more options with this | | | | have the basic ideas and principles, combined with the |
| weapon. Composite styles, like ninjutsu and many other | | | | fundamentals of unarmed self-protection tactics, you |
| authentic warrior arts, find that the Kubotan, to them | | | | can go on to explore the full potential of both the |
| actually a simplified or modified version of what they | | | | weapon and it's uses against a real-world assailant |
| call an eda-koppo stick, allows them the flexibility to go | | | | who might want to do more than slap you around. |