When faced with imminent danger, humans have two options to choose from: fight or flight. Often, one or the other may not be an option at all and we are forced to choose what will most likely lead to our survival. This is why some basic knowledge of self-defense is necessary.
Knowing where to aim and what can be used as a weapon is important as it could make a fundamental difference in life or death situations. Fortunately, you don’t have to spend your hard-earned money in a gun shop or in any weapons store.
You might not see it but you carry everyday things that can be lethal and fatal. However, before you can use those invisible weapons properly, you need to know where any human is weakest and learn to aim those areas.
Table of Contents
Knowing What to Target
Generally, anywhere in the center mass (chest and abdomen) will cause excruciating pain. A stab to the stomach can cause fatality to a person’s organs. It can also lead to severe blood loss.
A powerful punch to the chest robs a person of his or her breath, which can give you vital seconds to overturn the situation. A person’s ribs are extremely tender and susceptible to pain.
Exerting enough force onto it results to a cracked rib which could puncture the lungs or cause blinding pain.
The best part of the body to hit is the back. It gives you an advantage as it causes your assailant to bend or even drop to the floor.
Because you will also cause considerable impact to the person’s spinal cord, lungs and heart, it could also cause temporary immobility and difficulty breathing, which will give you time to get a head start for when your flight mechanisms kick in.
The neck is a very vulnerable spot and it is every human’s weakness. When slashed or stabbed, not only will it cut off a person’s supply of air, it will also cause a heavy flow of blood which will inevitably lead to death.
If you don’t have the means to cut, a blow to the carotid artery will knock out your opponent as it cuts off air supply and causes dramatic changes to blood pressure. A well-aimed blunt force to the jaw, temple and back of the head can also cause immediate unconsciousness.
Because danger does not give a lot of opportunities for you to reach the most ideal parts of the body that can cause pain or unconsciousness, your next option would be to target anything that will give you an advantage.
A blow to the knees can cause a person’s legs to involuntarily buckle as it is a well-known reflex area. Stepping on a person’s toes can cause the immediate reaction of backing away.
The groin area is also a pain center when targeted and hit, especially for men. A stab to the thigh will cause considerable injury, though you’ll only have a few seconds before adrenaline pushes your assailant’s pain aside.
Knowing where to aim takes you one step toward surviving dire situations. The next step that will get you to the other side is knowing all the invisible weapons around you.
The Armory That Is Your Kitchen
Your home is a goldmine of part-time self-defense weapons. The first place that will prove this to you is your kitchen. It’s filled to the brim with weapons that you can use for stabbing or for causing blunt force trauma.
A typical kitchen would have a knife and a fork, both of which should be sharp enough to penetrate the skin. Some homes may even have icepicks. If for whatever reason, you don’t have any of the aforementioned part-time weapons, you can improvise.
Take a plate or a mug and smash it. The jagged and broken pieces should be sharp enough to cause considerable injury.
Part-time self-defense weapons in your kitchen that can cause blunt force trauma can range from pans to your rice cooker. Ketchup bottles or any kind of bottle can also be used.
Don’t hesitate to use your chopping board, especially if it’s made from wood or steel. If you have any cans of food somewhere in your kitchen, those can be pretty painful blunt force weapons.
Spoons and other cutlery that may not be big or sharp enough for stabbing can be used as an element of surprise or misdirection.
The cleaning chemicals you have under the sink can also be used as a weapon. Dishwashing liquid may not seem like much but mix it with water and you’ll have an eye irritant.
Bleach may even be permanently damaging if you get it in your eyes. Aside from chemicals, another eye irritant is spices like salt, pepper or chili powder.
If your assailant is not in spraying range, then use some oil and let it spill to the floor and hopefully cause them to slip and head their head. Follow through with a pan, kettle or plate to the head and you’ll have yourself an unconscious person on your kitchen floor.
Your Bedroom’s Invisible Weapons
Just as your kitchen is filled with weapons for blunt force and stabbing, your bedroom actually contains things that you can use for choking or asphyxiation.
Rummage through your closet and you’ll find lots of invisible self-defense weapons. Scarves, belts, jeans, pillowcases and towels are deadly when forcibly wrapped around someone’s neck.
Your pillow or maybe a teddy bear can be used to asphyxiate or deprive a person’s air supply by covering their nose. Your blanket can be used as a distraction if you throw it in your enemy’s face to cut off their vision.
If you keep your shoes in your bedroom, remember that the harder or sharper the heel, the deadlier it is. Poke your assailant in the eye with your stiletto and you might actually blind them.
Makeup is more than just cosmetics. Powder and foundation are eye irritants. Break your hand mirror to get pieces of sharp broken glass. A pencil-type eyeliner can be used for stabbing.
As precious as your books may be, you can use them as shields especially if your attacker is using as sharp weapon.
If you have hardbound books that looks like it could hurt another person, use them to knock the person out. Use an empty bag in the room to your advantage and fill it with as many heavy things as you can.
It may do a better job at blunt force trauma than a single book. If you have reading glasses resting on your bedside table, put them on for protection. Your opponent’s eyes are not the only ones vulnerable in dangerous situations.
A bag with everyday things you carry with you is another goldmine of part-time self-defense weapons. Your pen actually takes the number one spot. It’s sharp and easy to hide if you see an opportunity for a surprise attack.
House keys or car keys are number two, especially if you put a key in between each of your fingers before punching a person. You can cause deep lacerations.
If your wallet is equipped with a condom and if you think you have a quick couple of minutes before your attacker finds you, fill it with water. It can take up to two liters and makes as either an effective water balloon or simply just an element of surprise. It can also function as a slingshot.
Another thing that can be used as a surprise weapon is tampons. They’re extremely flammable so light it up and don’t hesitate to throw it toward your attacker.
They will either dodge or panic. Either way, those are important seconds you can use to think of what to do next.
The Irritant Center: Your Bathroom
If the first place you run to is your bathroom, don’t panic. There are many chemicals in there that can help you find a way out of danger. As mentioned above, bleach is an irritant. Soap and shampoo too.
Muriatic acid is extremely dangerous to touch and ingest. Before you do anything, bear in mind that there are two disadvantages when using irritants.
One, you are also in danger of getting hit or ingesting it. Take necessary precautions like gloves or wrapping your hands and covering your mouth and nose with your clothes or towels. Second, you have to get in close range to your attacker.
Remember that they can dodge and that the projectile of your irritant may not reach them.
If you run out of chemicals, use the plunger as an effective defense and offense weapon. There’s also the shower head that you can use to try and render the person unconscious.
If you keep a hair dryer in your bathroom, use it as a blunt force weapon. It can also make your attacker lose focus if you turn it on and aim for their face until you get your hands on something that you can hit and stab them with. Your towels and your bathrobe can be used as choking weapons.
Self-Defense Weapons in Your Living Room
Sometimes, you may be cornered or trapped in your living room. While there might not be much in it other than your TV or your computer, you still have invisible weapons around you.
The computer cord, telephone cord or even an extension cord are all perfect for choking. If you can’t get those immediately, the next best thing is to smash your TV either with an adrenaline-packed punch or with its remote.
Pick up the largest broken piece and use it as a pseudo-knife. This also applies to the vases that may be near you. If you don’t have time to smash it and if you think you have the strength to lift and throw it, then use the TV or the vases and aim for the head.
If you keep sporting equipment near your living room, then you’re in luck. Those make wonderful weapons. Baseball bats, tennis or badminton racquets and golf clubs are usually more than enough to cause blunt force trauma. If you break a billiard stick, you’ll get a weapon with sharp edges that you can use to stab.
Part-Time Self-Defense Items in Your Garden
The next best source of self-defense weapons is your garden. If your aim is to knock the person out, then your ideal weapons would be the hoe, shovel, and rake.
You can also use empty pots, dustpans and brooms. Anything that will give you offensive and reach and defensive distance will increase your chances of survival. If you somehow manage to render your attacker on the ground, quickly grab the hose and use it for choking.
Disclosure: This post has links to 3rd party websites, so I may get a commission if you buy through those links. Survival Sullivan is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See my full disclosure for more.
Other weapons that can be used for blunt force are hammers, toolboxes and just about anything hard or heavy enough. A screwdriver, saw and anything sharp can be used for stabbing. Umbrellas are blunt force weapons and make a great distraction.
A lollipop is also a very likely weapon. If you put the head of the candy in your palm and wrap your hands around it, letting the stick poke in the middle of your fingers, you get a dangerous weapon for stabbing. Aim for the eyes and make your lollipop count.
Things to Remember
- Don’t think about the cost of anything that you’re going to have to break for the sake of your survival. Your life is priceless.
- Think out of the box. Anything in your home can save your life. Think outside the box if an obvious solution is not presented to you. Think of ways to turn something into a weapon even if it doesn’t seem to be as such.
- Don’t hesitate. If you stop even for a few seconds, it could cost you your life.
- Make every hit count. You may only get one chance and what use would it be if you missed? Aim well and remember: the neck, chest and head are the best places to target.
- Prepare a backup plan. If the shovel didn’t work, grab the rake and try again. Better safe than sorry.
- Be stable, fast and alert. Don’t let yourself trip, stumble or fall. There might not be anyone there to help you up.
- Unless it is a part of your body, any weapon can be grabbed and used against you. Take this into consideration when you think of a plan.
- If you think you cannot win, inflict enough pain or injury that will give you a head start. Don’t try to stick around when the opportunity of running away presents itself. Call for help.
- You may have to end a life. Strengthen your resolve before you do anything because it will help prevent hesitation that could cost you your life. Taking a life is never easy for anyone. Let it sink in, move forward and think only of moving forward.
- The best weapon you have at your disposal is your mind. Don’t let panic overtake you. Keep thinking of ways to get out of the situation alive.
My dad was military. My grandfather was a cop. They served their country well. But I don’t like taking orders. I’m taking matters into my own hands so I’m not just preparing, I’m going to a friggin’ war to provide you the best of the best survival and preparedness content out there.