one of the most popular self defense weapons in use today by the average citizen and police officers alike is the “Kubotan” (pronounced: ‘koo-bow-than’), or just the self-defense keychain. The versatility of this effective little item is that it lends itself well to being used in different ways by people. with different martial arts backgroundas well as by people no formal training in martial arts whatever. In fact, this is perhaps one of the Kubotan major advantages and therefore strengths, as it can be easily picked up and used by any martial artist, regardless of style or principle fighting method. Regardless of whether a practitioner has studied the techniques of Aikido, Jujitsu, Karate, Kung Fu, and yes, ninjutsu – the art of the Ninja – the self-defense keychain snaps on easily and power up of almost any technique.

For example, a karate practitioner who is trained and has a preference for striking techniques can use the ends of the weapon to painful bumps on soft tissue areas or disable hits on an opponent vital points. In contrast, a practitioner instructed in a grip-based system such as Jiu Jitsu Prayed aikidōyou may feel more comfortable using the Kubotan to hook, catchY pain compliance techniquesusing the leverage and intense pain generated by the weapon to immobilize and neutralize an opponent’s ability to get to him.

Certainly, any school or practitioner that takes the view of having no preferential fighting method – that means he or she is comfortable hitting and fighting – will have even more options with this gun. Composite styles, such as ninjutsu and many other authentic warrior arts find that the Kubotan, to them actually a simplified or modified version of what they call a eda koppo stickIt allows them the flexibility to go from hitting to grabbing and vice versa without a problem.

even for those without experience In a formal martial art, the Kubotan provides a economic Y easy to learn self-protection method. This powerful weapon can and should be part of any good self defense program. Its ease of use and relatively short learning curve make it the ideal “first weapon” for beginning students. can be used for provide a level of comfort, safety, and preparedness while the student is learning more unarmed scientific techniques, tactics, and strategies that naturally take longer to internalize.

For many, the self defense keychain gun is a tool of pain, pure and simple. Regardless of whether you use it to punch, dig into sensitive areas, or apply crushing pressure to small bones and joints, the fact remains that you don’t need years of training be okay with that. You can pretty much, with little to no extensive training, pick one up and be ready to at least defend against the most common attackers.

Note that I am not saying that a certain level of training does not significantly increase your ability and chances of success, especially in a more aggressive situation, but for the majority of the attacks and types of attackers you are likely to encounter in the world today, is the perfect starting point for most new students.

As always, my advice is to find a qualified instructor, or a course taught by professionals, where you can be introduced to the gun. properly. Then, when you have the basic ideas and principles, combined with the fundamentals of unarmed self-protection tactics, you can continue to explore the full potential of both the weapon and its uses against a real-world assailant who might want to do more than slap you.