Many believe kubaton is an over rated self defense weapon. But with right technique, it can be an irreplaceable self defense tool. A kubaton is nothing but a stick on a chain ring. No wonder people find it hard to comprehend that this chain stick can 'stick out' to be a make or break weapon for you when you are attacked.

In times that we are living in, it is essential to have a self defense weapon on you at all times. Critics may say that you can learn kickboxing but chances are your attacker is armed himself before he decides you harm you.

Why does he do that? Because he knows that you are unarmed and therefore an easy target for him to rob or assault you. So carrying a kubaton not only becomes vital, it is a responsibility you owe to yourself.

We present you 10 reasons why and how a kubaton can be an ultimate self defense weapon for women and men alike. So brace yourself for a ride down the kubaton land.

Before buying any self defense weapon, you need to know the origin or history of the tool. This will give you an idea of how a kubaton was used by people who invented it. A quick explanation of the source of kubaton comes from the Filipino martial arts-also known as Eskrima.

The filipino martial artists trained with the single stick and double stick kubaton to build a core foundation of attack. From there, they would go into practicing with bladed weapons such as the knife and then from the knife these kubaton experts would advance into fighting with specialized weapons such as a Karambit knife.

Many people associate karambit to be an ordinary knife but it is actually a specialized weapon and many kubaton attacking techniques are actually foundations from which karambit attacking forms originated.

See, we told you. Learning about the history of a kubaton is as important as kubaton attack techniques themselves. Now you must be wondering how the chain stick landed across the shores of the United States? Well, Escrima artists take all the credit for that spread and popularity of kubaton.

So somewhere in the late 1980s, a Japanese martial artist, who was called to the United States especially to train female cops and security officers, brought Kubaton with him. Such was the fascination triggered by this tiny chainstick that the popularity of this self defense weapon for women grew leaps and bounds.

This is why kubatons are commonly associated with female self defense as well law enforcement officers. These were the first people to have used kubaton on a regular basis before this tool became popular amongst the general public.

Now when you see your kubaton, you know how and why it landed amidst the bunch of your car and house keys. 

Many female coos complaints about not having to make backup to ward off a physically well built and stronger attacker. Owning a kubaton gave them a relief as they could carry this small stick and kick ass with some training.

Now you are a well versed kubaton historian, it is time to put theory into visuals and. Talk about some real parts of a kubaton. The first and most important but is obviously the key ring.

We recommend something slightly larger than your average self defense keychain especially if you're going to put your keys on it too. If you might be wearing gloves or other hand protection on a day job, then you're definitely going to want something where your finger can go through and be comfortable to carry a kubaton around.

The larger the keyring, the greater momentum a kubaton stick will generate upon rotation. It means that the stick will hit harder on the target. Generally, the length of a kubaton is 5"-6" long and you can't change that. 

Nor can you do much about the material (usually) aluminium from which most kubatons are made nowadays. So what you can do to maximize the impact of a kubaton, purely by following logic, is increase the size of keyring holding the stick.

The fourth thing to know about a kubaton is that it was made as an impact enhancing self defense weapon for female cops. Think of it as a brass knuckle but much more compact and versatile.

In order to correctly hold a kubaton, you need to brace the stick inside your palm with four fingers covering it. Ideally, your thumb should cap the top to completely shield a kubaton from public view making it a hidden self defense weapon.

When not in strike or attack mode, your kubaton should still be held in a way that you still have hand capability so that you could drive a car, play the piano, use your fingers for holding cell phones etc. with kubaton in the same grasp.

So keep on doing day to day activities whilst holding on to your kubaton is the idea behind this stick as a whole. Kubaton is a palm strike enhancer that you don't need to reach out for as it is already there clasped within your fingers ready for strike. 

We are nearing the action part of a kubaton. The first thing is leverage on the deception the kubaton affords you. Imagine a scene where you sense someone approaching you from the front. You need to be prepared with your stealthy kubaton.

In order to conceal a kubaton, you can fold your arms, this way the hand grabbing the kubaton is under the armpit. If the suspect is indeed there to attack you, you can shock him with your hidden self defense tool.

The extension grip helps in not only concealing a kubaton but also launching most common kubaton strikes. All you need to do is wrap 3/4th of the length of the stick tightly with your four fingers and your thumb as a blowback absorber. With this kubaton grip, you feel like deploying a 6 inch long knife onto the assaulter.

Congratulations! You have made it to the fun part of this kubaton 101. There are two common strikes you need to master using your keychain stick. Both strikes are variants of a basic hammer attack most Escrima masters recommend as a mode of attack using a kubaton.

 

The first strike is called a downward strike, which is a standard hammer strike. Imagine you are nailing a coffin with a hammer but with a kubaton instead of an actual hammer in hand. A downward strike can be diagonal to increase the effectiveness of the strike. Think of it as making an X on the face of your attacker.

The second kubaton strike would just be to go side by side instead of diagonal. This strike is intended for the abdomen and chest area rather than the face. 

When you strike inside from the sides, and mix it up with diagonal strikes, you can actually impact the whole torso and face leaving the attacker disillusioned, alarmed, pained and ultimately unconscious.

Next part in mastering the art of kubaton attack is to practice the reverse grip. Just like the extension grip, a reverse grip allows you to keep your fingers closed as much as possible but with a thumb pointing sideways rather than on top. The whole mode of attack changes as you change the way you hold a kubaton.

A reverse grip does not allow for  fancy and showy kubaton strikes like the extension grip does. It is about how compactly and tightly you could hold a kubaton while striking with a reverse grip. 

Never allow a kubaton to accidentally drop and a reverse grip is amazing in how securely it holds your self defense keychain with the thumb firmly attached to the keyring.

Another thing a reverse grip allows you to do is perform a knee jab with your kubaton. Imagine an attacker takes hold of you from behind (fun fact: most females repost being attacked like that). 

You need to bend forward, your attacker won't realize what's happening before you jab him on the shin or the knee with your kubaton.

People always talk about the hammer strike with kubatons. Although it is indeed a good and solid technique which probably makes for the primary technique for a cool time, however in our point of view, a kubaton can achieve a lot more damage with little more diversity in attacking style.

If you look at the kubaton as a knife in the reverse grip ( that's the way that we would like to view it) you will notice that not only do you have the kind of poking or stabbing type motion with your keystick but can also achieve  slashing motions with some practice.

It's just that when you don't have a bladed edge but an improvised weapon, the slashing motions turn into scraping motions. What you are essentially doing is scraping the hell out of the attacker, be it the face or the temple or the neck. Thick of it as a cat clawing a defenseless rat.

Pulling scraping motions may sound food on paper but the type of scraping attack a kubaton can efficiently manifest depends also on the type of kubaton you have which then determines where exactly you're going to be scraping on a person's body.

If you have a small pointed bottom, it is just going to make it easier for you to scrap effectively with regular slashing strikes. 

However, if you have a kubaton that has a flat bottom, you could use the side of the very bottom circle so you're using that to create the scraping type of motion where you could stab at an angle so that you really get that edge part to wedge into the skin of the offender.

Most women actually prefer a flat bottom on their kubaton as not only it is safer to carry around (chances of it scraping the car seat or a dress are minimal) but a flat bottom gives them leeway to attack with limited liability as it causes less damage to the attacker.

Many people boast about their tactical kubatons but where is the tactic in that tactical self defense weapon? Fortunately, we are here to help you with that. A final but definitely no less menacing way to deploy your kunaton is to convert it into a baton stick.

It is a simple way to use the kubaton-a mini tactical baton right in your palm. All you are going to do is to bam! And whack people with it. You're going to strike with it but if you use the key ring while launching the attack, put it either right on your pinky or  your ring finger for a close grip.

Now you could use the top three fingers to snap the daylights out of the attacker. If he happens to take hold of your kubaton, you can pull enough pressure off the finger ring to wriggle the stick out of his hands.

You don't have to be an Escrima artist to master the art of kubaton. This self defense weapon was created for non lethal yet power packing smacking on any individual who dares to trouble you.

Kubatons are easily the most portable self defense tools which won't diminish their popularity amongst citizens and law officers alike.

Let not the various striking techniques or absence of a bladed edge discourage you to buy a kubaton for yourself. It is totally worth it because you are worth it. We hope you found our foray into kubatons useful and informative. Get yourself one now and put it in your keychain to get your safety sorted.