Have you ever wondered what you would do in a home invasion? The thought is almost inconceivable because we consider our homes as our sanctuaries, our safe places. Unfortunately, home invasions & related home based violence occur on a daily basis. The intent of this article is not to alarm you or place an unrealistic fear inside of you. You simply need to be aware of your environment, your surroundings, your possessions, the layout of your home, your doors and windows, and your co-habitants.

Awareness

The most important thing you can do for self defense is be aware of your surroundings. You can do this right now, at this very minute, without any formal training. Simply look around right now and look at the items within reach. How would you use that pen? Could that book be useful to fend off an attacker. How could I possibly use my phone or tablet? Are there dishes, glasses, utensils, pots & pans, knives, laying around? Is there a guitar in the corner (hopefully not an expensive one!). Candles? Chairs that can be used to give you distance?

Look around, walk around, go to the different rooms, see what is there. All you really need to do is take a few minutes and imagine yourself using the items that are within reach.

Not everything has a practical self defense application but you may be surprised what your imagination conjures up. You may not be as proficient with a pencil as John Wick, but chances are pretty good that if you have given it some thought you could do some damage with it. We talk about tactical pens on this website as a very good tool to have on hand in just about every situation.

Awareness is by far the single best life skill that you can develop that will keep you out of trouble. When you are aware of your surroundings, your environment, and the people around you then you are in the best possible position to avoid altercations.

For more information on awareness, see the post: The Basics of Self Defense Training

Preparedness

After you have gone through your home and looked around at what you have laying around, you may come to the conclusion that it would be a good idea to buy a few pieces of personal defense equipment. The good news is that you do not have to break the bank. A lot of basic self defense tools are pretty cheap and low tech. The goal of a protection equipment is to always be ready, always be available, and always be useful.

Here at PersonalProtectionEquipment.com, we talk a lot about simple things that you have access to such as: Personal Alarms, Flashlights, Tactical Pens, Sprays, Batons, Blades, Shock Devices, Walking Sticks, Clothing, and Home Kits. These are things that you can shop for and buy either locally or online. In most cases they are relatively inexpensive and you can easily afford to have several different pieces of gear laying around, strategically located, or give as gifts.

Once you have a few basic pieces of self defense gear on hand, whether it’s an every day household item or it is something specifically designed for self defense like a baton or spray, then it is your responsibility to learn how to use it, train, practice, and be prepared.

Training

There is no substitute for proper instruction & practice. The good news is that thanks to the wonder of the internet, you have all the training you need to get started at your fingertips. Youtube is full of excellent content created by instructors who are really good at what they do. If you want to learn how to use a tactical pen, there are multiple videos on the subject. How about learning to use pepper spray? Watch some videos and learn. Every piece of self defense equipment that we talk about here on this website has a vast array of information on their proper use for your personal protection.

The next step is to actually practice. Take some time, it doesn’t have to be much, and go through some basic moves. In the case of a self defense baton keychain you want to go through the striking motions and defensive postures. How can you use the tip? Can you use it in either hand? Practice pulling it out of your pocket or purse. There is so much you can do to be prepared.

How about a pepper spray? First of all you should always try it out to make sure that it works. These things can fail and something like 1 in 5000 simply don’t work when they are delivered. So you need to give it a try in a safe environment. How far does it actually shoot? What is the spray dispersion like? How messy is it? Practice pulling it out of your pocket or purse, unlocking it, pointing it, pressing the trigger. How long will it spray with each trigger pull?

With a flashlight you should periodically check the battery power. Then, feel it in your hand in an overhand grip and an underhand grip. How would you react in either position? What are the advantages and disadvantages? How many times do you have to press the ON button to get the beam that you want? Is it water proof? Does it have a holster? Practice retrieving it from wherever you carry or store it.

At some point, you may want more instruction. And there is no substitute for a qualified self defense teacher who understands what your goals are and knows how to help you get there. The author of this article started studying martial arts over 30 years ago and it is undoubtedly one of the best things in life. While the techniques are excellent for defense and fitness the biggest benefit that most people talk about after training in martial arts for awhile is the self confidence of knowing that in any given situation we will be prepared to do what is necessary to protect ourselves, our friends, and our loved ones.

Strategic Locations

Think about where you spend most of your time at your home. Odds are that it’s your bedroom or your home office. Take a few minutes and make sure that these locations are set up safely and you have the self defense tools you need within easy reach. Do you have family members within your household? Are they of the age and responsibility that they would benefit from some basic awareness?

These are questions that only you can answer. Think about them now and come to your own honest conclusions.

Many people will put personal defense tools under their bed. If there is a night table nearby that may be a good place.

In your home office is there a place to put a small, tough flashlight? How about a tactical pen?

Does your keychain have a personal alarm on it? How about a baton?

Your kitchen is probably full of things that could be repurposed for self defense.

How about your living room or wherever you watch tv or sit at your computer or read and just relax? A small, tough flashlight could be placed nearby that would serve as a light if needed or for self defense.

What about near your front door? Could you place a walking stick there that would just look like an inconspicuous cane, but you would know it could have another purpose? You could also place a large metal flashlight near all of your doors. You may want the bright light to shine in the darkness or you may need that large metal club for another purpose.

Final Thoughts

Personal protection and self defense is not about living in fear. Quite the opposite is true. When you are prepared, equipped, and aware then you can live at peace knowing that you’ve done everything in your power to keep yourself and your loved ones safe.