Expandable Batons Becoming Self Defense Weapon Of Choice

What is the best self defense weapon on the market today? Well that's a ''loaded question". Pepper spray, Mace, tasers and stun guns all come to mind and for good reason. One product that is often overlooked but are quickly becoming the self defense weapon of choice for law enforcement officers nationwide is the expandable steel baton. These batons have replaced the old "billy club" because they are much more convenient to carry, easy to use, extremely effective, durable, and affordable. With crime on the rise in many areas, personal safety is something for all of us to consider and the expandable baton is worth looking into. Experts encourage you to display the baton openly. Often, just the presence of this weapon deters an assailant. Holsters are available that attach to your belt so the baton is in clear view of any would-be attackers. Since criminals usually look for easy targets, simply displaying a baton may help avoid an attack in the first place. To use an expandable baton, grasp the baton firmly in your hand and quickly flick your wrist. This will open the baton. You want to maintain a secure, but not tight, hold of the baton. Since fluidity of motion is required to strike effectively, a grip that is too firm will cause tightness in your wrist and arm, decreasing your ability to strike quickly and smoothly. Create a distance of a few feet between you and your assailant, if at all possible. In order for your strikes to be effective, make room to maneuver. Take a step back or to the side to create the distance needed. Target your attacker's weapon to disarm him. Then, aim for the bony areas of the body, including the head, knees, collarbone, ribs, elbows or wrists. This is much more effective than striking areas of muscle. While muscle strikes will hurt, they are not nearly as debilitating as a strike to a bony area. Block your attacker's blows, and aim at disabling him, if possible. Stop him long enough to get away and get help. Put your whole body into the strike. Using only your arm for leverage is not nearly as effective as a strike that has the force of your body behind it. Close your baton by holding it perpendicular to the ground, and strike the tip firmly onto the ground. This will start the retraction process. Continue to tap the ground until all the sections of the baton have retracted, and the baton is in its closed form.