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