My father told me that he made preparations for the next encounter he had with a rival gang in his hometown. He showed up at the next fight armed with a potato. A potato. He drove a large nail through its center and tied heavy twine around the nail. After doing this he proceeded to push razor blades into the face of the spud. I never asked if this story was true. What I do know is you don’t have to put this much preparation into creating such a weapon. Having a weapon creates a psychological advantage for you over your potential attacker.
Any of the items listed below can be legally carried by you and none of them need to be modified to make them as a dangerous a potato Morningstar.
- Coins: A good roll of coins tucked into your jacket pocket can come in handy. It’s not the ideal weapon but it can help you hit a person harder, especially if you don;t already pack a wallop behind your strikes. If you have a handkerchief use that as well. Insert the roll of coins in the kerchief and use it as a blackjack.
- Flashlight: You don’t have to carry a large, policeman’s patrol light. A good, small Surefire light or any other brand will suffice. A strike to the nose, across the combatant’s brow or cheek should cause him some pain. Don’t reveal what you’e got in your hand. Keep the light tucked behind your wrist until you’re ready to use it. Flesh will give, not so much with plastic or metal.
- Umbrella: There are some good action flicks out there where the umbrella is put to use. No need to be the next Jackie Chan with the umbrella. Sometimes you need to create enough of a distraction to be able to run away. A hard strike over the face or the combatant’s knuckles may stun him enough for you to try something else more injurious to his person.
- Comb: You might want to think twice about stabbing someone with the end of a comb, but if it means life or death, the choice is easy.
- Pen: Tommy Lee Jones in the movie U.S. Marshals pulls a part a pen-gun. We saw something similar in the Man with the Golden Gun, James Bond movie. Well, they don’t sell these at Walmart, but they do have Bic pens on sale. A good stab in someone’s neck or face should be what you need in a life and death fight. No matter how ninja you are, a little bit of help, goes a long way.
- Belt: Choke someone out with this if you don’t know submission holds. A good, heavy buckle is useful for striking across the face: either wrap the belt around your wrist and use the buckle as a gauntlet, or use the belt as whip.