HOUSE HOLD ITEMS PHYSICIANS CAN USE FOR PERSONAL DEFENSE IN THE HOME
PRAETORIAN HOME PRAETORIAN QUICK LIST INCIDENT PHYSICIANS
YOU THE PHYSICIAN
You are a physician; you are well respected in every community and we love you for what you do and your service. Many would say you are a hero, for you apply Marvel Universe like skills in the art of healing; detailed knowledge of the academic disciplines, such as anatomy and physiology, underlying diseases and their treatment—the science of medicine—and also a decent competence in its applied practice—the art or craft of medicine. Wow step back Batman.
As a Doctor of any type of specialized care, you put in long hours and hard work every day that you go in to the hospital or your private practice.
TRANSITION OF THOUGHT
Much like the knowledge that you bring to your practice to provide benefit and healing to your patients, you should likewise have a formidable personal defensive mindset and knowledge.
Many people are conscious minded to a degree when out in public, and carry items they thrust to help protect themselves during a situation gone wrong. We should all have the same awareness at home.
YOUR FORTRESS
When you leave the hospital or office and enter your home, you expect the residence to be your safe place, your sanctuary, your get away from a crazy and hectic world of people in pain and misery. It is a mindset that we all have and for good reason.
Now the dilemma, to consider. Your home is your castle, but is your castle fortified and if breached would you have the means to defend your castle from the barbarians at the gate?
THE PERSONAL DEFENSE MIND
As a Physician your mind and heart are on saving and preserving life, however either at work or in your own home you should leave room for good old self-preservation.
Now when we talk about home defense the first things that come to mind is a ballistic weapon i.e. Hand gun, or more passively we think security system. Great! That is an awesome foundation to stand on, still to round out your personal defense profile at home let’s consider what we can do to protect ourselves now that the alarm is blaring, and the gun is not within reach or easy access.
Much like you have primed yourself to diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of disease, injury, and other physical and mental impairments of your patients, now turn that same mind set towards defending yourself from a home invasion.
THE PRAETORIAN RESOLUTION
Praetorian has compiled a list of everyday items found in most homes that can be used to defend yourself during a home invasion or domestic assault, when traditional protective products may not be at hand.
As a physician you are trained to center your thoughts towards the problem of others, however within your home your mission and first priority is to protect yourself, your family and to allow all to escape and get help. Anything that opens a window of opportunity for you to escape is beneficial to your personal defense objectives.
So, let’s take a tour through each primary room of a common residence and glean what ordinary items you can use to turn the table on the bad guy and allow you to maneuver into escape mode.
THE KITCHEN
Knives: You see it in every movie, the scared character grabs a knife and stands poised to ponce upon the assailant with jabs and slashes. Yep, this is an obvious and easy one. But what else lies lurking in our kitchen that can be used for our improvised personal defense. Come and see.
Hot Liquid: Be it coffee, tea, soup or water on the stove, throw that hot liquid in the face of your attacker.
Cutting board: So simple, yet so effective. If you have a sturdy cutting board made of wood or other strong material, then you have in your presence a weapon, a small shield, and a distance creator. With a little practice and thinking out of the box you can become effective at blocking fist and knife attacks; jabbing to create distance will allow you to move to an exit or safe room, or if called for to counter assault the assailant with direct force.
Kitchen cleaning products: The attacker rushes into your home, you are in the kitchen, panic attempts to set in your mind, but you cut it off. Immediately you reach under the sink and grab one of the multitudes of cleaning products. Cleaning products contain chemicals that are extremely irritable to the eyes. Spray or splash cleaning products in the face of an attacker and you will turn the tides on the battle.
Food Items That can irritate Eyes: Most of us have in our kitchen foods that naturally when they come in contact with the eyes can become an extreme irritant due to their acidity, granular form or other properties. Such items would include vinegar, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Grab the content container and toss or douse your attacker’s face with the item. Any of these items goal is to cause an attacker to be distracted and unable to see if even for only a moment.
Small Appliances: Grab that toaster, juicer and let it fly, even if you don’t hurt the invader you will cause him to flinch and, in this moment, you can gain vital seconds to move to the next phase which is to either set your escape in motion, or time your counter attack. Oh, an don’t rely on just one thing, you want to fling any and everything that is solid, and enough weight to move straight through the air. Get a nerf ball or other soft object and practice tossing it at a target while you move to escape or attack. Remember, your mind in difficult situations only knows what it has practiced to do.
THE BEDROOM
Okay traditionally this room will be one of the more weaponized rooms of the home. Now the next three items do not necessarily fall within the common improvised weapon category of home items, but I do want to cover them.
Hand Gun: So, do you have a gun? Great! Have you practiced moving in the dark to where you have it stored, and have you practiced dry firing in this situation to stimulate firing and engaging actual aggressor? Uh oh, if not make that part of your personal defense training profile.
When your adrenalin is kicking in at full bore the first thing to go will be your fine motor skills and clear thinking. What will remain will be your mechanical, repetitive trained motions, so keep the movement as simple and natural as possible and practice, practice.
Look let me put a fine point on this, just saying I have a gun and if someone breaks in, I will get it and shoot them is faulty thinking at a minimum. Please put your repetitive motion practice in, tell your mind and body what it needs to do for you, when you are unable to think clearly.
Stun Gun: Now this item you can place in your nightstand or near the bed, because it does not possess the lethality and finality of a handgun, still the same practice protocols should be applied.
Blunt Force Object: This would be a Baseball Bat, which you could also use to jab at the attacker to create distance.
Okay now back to those common items in the bedroom that you can weaponize in a pinch to protect yourself or to create time to escape.
Pillows and Blankets: Pillows and blankets can be used to delay and distract an attacker to possibly provide you with the opportunity to escape. Remember this anything you have that will cause the attacker to grab it, instead of you is a good thing, so get those pillows up and on guard. Blankets are interesting in that with a little practice and finesse the blanket can be used as a type of net.
Imagine your attacker having to fiddle with being tangled in a well thrown blanket over their head. Yeah, no matter what they will have to deal with that, even if it is just for a moment. As I say if you are well practiced and prepared a mere moment is long enough for you to make a lifesaving movement.
Table Lamps: Use your bedside lamp (and the cord), I would also throw in here, clock, book, coffee mug or anything else you have near you that has weight and you can lift and throw with ease. You can hit an attacker with these. Table Lamps can be used as a barrier to put distance between you and an attacker. You can also use that cord as a whip. Remember practice, practice.
MORE OF THE BEDROOM
Shoes: Yes, you heard me right, shoes. Men’s dress shoes usually have a harden heel, while a women’s high heel is also formidable use it. Now your first thought might be to throw that bad boy at the attacker, but not so fast, your first effort should be to use the shoe as a club or in the case of a women’s high heel shoe as a puncturing weapon.
For the men’s shoe or any non-high heel shoe you want to ensure to make sure to use the hard-sole side as the striking point, sounds simple I know, but you would be surprised how many people would out of panic strike with the side of the shoe or even the lance side. When you strike do not telegraph your blow, but rather us short arcing blows, again time your strikes and avoid that kamikaze fellow I spoke of earlier.
The female high heel is an interesting weapon, you goal here is to strike not at the body, but to time your strikes and wait for an opportunity to jab at the face and neck. Here you want to use quick forceful jabs, not long gauging blows. strike different parts of the target zone traveling your strikes to keep the aggressor from knowing what area will be struck next. Your strategy, strike and pivot and strike some more, again practice, practice.
Bed: Get out of bed, do not defend from your bed. You can use your bed as a barrier between you and the attacker depending on its location. If your bed is situated near a wall in such a way that there is gap between the wall and the bed, avoid this space, it is a red zone. This space will limit your mobility, and will not provide you with proper footing or defensive stance in which to launch your counter attack or escape.
Now if your bed is in the middle of a wall and provides free movement on three sides, you now have a bed that can be used for your defense. Practice moving around your bed, imagine an attacker on the opposite side of you and practice moving away with the bed as a barrier. Okay I said don’t defend from your bed, but does not mean using to transport from one side to the other, so practice moving across your bed from one side to the other, as if avoiding being grabbed. Finally, when using your bed as defense you must associate it with another weapon or object of defense if you move across the bed. When moving across the bed you must have a distraction which will delay the attacker from trying to out right tackle you on the bed. Practice, practice.
THE LIVING ROOM
Furniture: Learn the design of your living room furniture, take a moment to study. Look at the height of your chairs, sofa, couch. Look at the multiple pathways, observe the rooms obstructions. Imagine escape routes, also observe what parts of the room will allow you to make a defensive stand. With this accomplished you now know where your barriers are that you can use to place between you and the aggressor.
Chairs: Here is a prized defensive tool, learn its architecture and use it. How? The chair can be used to create separation between you and the aggressor while you are on the move. So, you can actually hold up the chair as you maneuver along your escape path. You can also jab at vulnerable areas of the aggressor if you are trapped, the goal is to attack to create an opening so you can move along your escape path. The goal is note to fight it is to escape.
Any Throwable Object: Other than shoes, cords and chairs everything else that you can comfortably lift and throw is in play. Your goal is to make the aggressor flinch. It is important that throwing becomes a conscious part of your plan, not the plan itself. You throw stuff to either allow you to get a prime weapon, or to move to a more secure and defendable position or to execute an escape action. So, throw that TV remote, throw that table air freshener, throw that flower vase, hey throw a few fake tosses and faints in there to keep the aggressor off guard. The point here is to keep ‘em flinching, on defense, and off guard.
Charging Cords: Charging cords be they from your phone, laptop, or other small appliance can be used as a whip to keep the attacker at bay. Now don’t go all kamikaze, you have to time when you use the whip. If you whip it through the air a couple times in the view of the attacker then raise your hand back in the ready whip position you will cause the attacker to pause. Use this pause to maneuver yourself towards an exit.
If the attacker makes a bull rush, then your tactic is to whip, pivot and whip, from here if you escape take it. If you are still in a compromised location, then use the ready-whip-move tactic until you get an opportunity to flee. Also keep in mind not to isolate this tactic, by this I mean if you can use the whip in conjunction with another device such as a barrier chair to make it harder for the attacker to get near you then you have enhanced your protection stance greatly.
Shoes: Same as above, however the circumstances of the environment an where the shoe would be are different and should be recognized by you. In the living room the shoe might be readily available as you may have just kicked it off by the couch, where as in the bed room you may have neatly stored it away in a closet or shoe rack. Keep this in mind and practice a bit getting to these spots in differing circumstances, to get a feel for the difference in the two rooms. The usage once in hand however is the same.
Pens, Pencils, Markers: Ah yes, the writing tool. If you can get your hand on one then jam it into your attacker’s face, neck or other soft tissue. Like the High Heel shoe, you want to jab firmly and with power, but not over thrust.
THE BATHROOM
Be mindful that most bathrooms will be what I call confined spaces, the defensive mechanics and mind set is different here. So, your weapon choices should be close in types that will require you to be more of the aggressor, as there will not be much in the way of structural barriers as in other rooms, okay let’s begin.
Hair Dryer: This is a striking item, do not throw it. You want to depending on its size and weight hold with two hands securely grasp it and jab at the aggressor.
Don’t thrust and leave it out there for the attacker to grab, the mission here is to cause the aggressor to flinch, back up, or move off balance, from here you can then make your move and use the device as a small shield to drive through and pass the attacker. Yes, it will require some practice, of course everything I am telling you will require you to practice and get a feel for.
Clothes Irons: If you keep this item in your bathroom (Yea some people do, thank you very much), then you have a very formidable weapon. It is effective as a thrust weapon, as well as a blunt force weapon so punch, and pound the aggressor until you get an escape opening.
Spays: This is anything that will eject a forceful array of chemicals towards an aggressor, try to avoid sprays to eject to great of a mist as this could in such a confined area come back to affect you as well.
So, test your items, look for bug sprays, hair sprays, air fresheners (you are going to want to get up close with this one, I would categorize this as an ambush weapon.), any aerosol/spray chemical product that is sprayed directly in an attacker’s face will temporarily blind them and expedite your escape.
Tooth Brush: Now you know for a certainty, that this item will be available in your bathroom, so develop a contingency plan that has this in it.
Manicure Tools: Anything with a pointy end makes a great weaponized choice for improvised personal defense, use it.
Trash Can: Trash cans are Irons lite; the type of material the can is made of will determine the degree of protection and weaponizing that will be acquired.
Laundry Bin: You can use the laundry bin as a shield to put a barrier between you and the aggressor who is trying to grab you. As an ambush device the laundry bin makes sense as you may be able to drop it over the aggressor head to momentarily obstruct view and distract them.
Here you ambush the aggressor as he enters the bathroom you are waiting; the moment he enters you drop the hamper on him and without hesitation push and drive pass them initiating your escape protocols (Fancy term for run). It is not the best of these options, but if you can make it work for you, it’s on the table and it beats, crazy fighting.
Curling Iron: If you have this item in operation, meaning this baby is hot, then you know what to do. Place that hotness on any exposed skin area of the aggressor burn him, then quickly move to escape, don’t waste any time here because if you burn the aggressor he will be pissed. Now if the item is not hot then of course it becomes a striking and jabbing weapon.
Cords: Okay let me first start with this, whipping should be a very last resort, due to the confined space of most bathrooms. So, what do I do? The cord here comes into play as an ambush choking weapon, this technique takes familiarity, and surprise, but can be effective, so there for it is on the table and in your arsenal of improvised defense weaponry. So, with two hands wrap that cord around the aggressor’s neck tighten and hold on until they are out. Need I say this is a last resort option.
THE LAUNDRY ROOM
Bleach: Most people have a bottle of bleach in their laundry room to keep their whites, super white. Throw bleach directly into the face of your attacker! Anything that burns an attacker’s eyes, lungs or mouth is a great option when your options for self-defense are limited.
Clothes iron: The Iron is more than just for making your clothes look good, in it you have a very formidable weapon. It is effective as a thrust weapon, as well as a blunt force weapon so punch, and pound the aggressor until you get an escape opening. If the iron happens to be on at the time, burn the attacker with it and make your escape.
Laundry Items: Clothes, socks and towels can all be used to cause the aggressor to flinch, distract, or cause the aggressor to make a defensive move as opposed to being on the attack. The causing of a defensive move is so subtle, but huge when seconds matter and escape opportunities fleeting.
Hangers: A regular wire coat hanger can be quickly bent and used as a self-defense weapon. Jab and stab an attacker to defend yourself! Aim for tender areas of the body such as eyes, neck, inner arms and behind the knees.
Ironing board: The ironing board can be used as a shield to block an attacker, because of most boards size it can afford you a good degree of spacing, which can be used to position for an opportune escape. You can use it to strike, but I would only do so as a last resort since the ironing board is odd shaped and unbalanced weight as striking is concerned, but makes an awesome shield. Okay here is where I again have to say, practice, practice.
Cleaning Products and Laundry Detergent: Any acidic or corrosive cleaning products in your laundry room can be used to blind your attacker. Even powdered laundry detergent can be thrown in an attacker’s face.
IN CLOSING
The number of items around your home that you can use as improvised weapons for your protection against an intruder is endless, it just takes a moment of consideration an imagination during times of peace, to see the possibilities.
If you take the time now while things are calm, to identify and make note of the weaponized potential of these items around your home, you will set in motion an amazing mental process. A process that will trigger under times of duress the subconscious mind and mechanical memory to link up and provide your panicked conscious mind with actionable protective options. It will allow you to like a super computing machine to process the right thing to do in a shifting unpredictable violent environment.
The ideal personal defense products are handguns, stun Guns, pepper sprays, however having one in every room is a bit Praetorian for some physicians, while others will find that buying that amount of product for each room is beyond the defense budget. Finally, other doctors have family member concerns and don’t want products designed to hurt people around every room. Improvised weaponry can fill the gaps of budget, over security, and child safety concerns.
PERSONAL DEFENSE PRODUCTS
You don’t need protective devices in every room, but you should have some form of device specifically designed for the environment and antagonist of personal defense in the home. Praetorian Incident Consulting offers a broad array of personal defense products to include: Pepper Spray guns, pepper spray hand devices, Stun Guns, Knives, ballistic protection, panic buttons, home security systems, cameras and more. Visit the Venture Store for full product line.
SPECIAL THANKYOU
Praetorian Incident Consulting is a service operation of Genesis Strategic Ventures, and we would like to personally thank you the physician for your hard work and dedication to stay up to date on the technology of medicine and the war against an ever changing battle field of decease an injury. Thank you for your consistent and continuing education within your profession, and we hope that we have been able to provide you with some information that will help you to have greater peace of mind in your personal life.
For more subject information see our : Training for Physicians section & Praetorian Video Section.