Over a million violent crimes are committed every year, including muggings, sexual assault and more. It’s a statistic no one wants to be a part of, but sometimes bad luck and unfortunate circumstances have other plans
You can’t control every situation you’re in, but you can learn how to defend yourself in case the worst should happen. One valuable form of defense we teach in our Ladies Only course is improvising things on hand to turn everyday items into weapons.
One everyday item most people have on hand is a key or set of keys!
KEY MYTHS
You may know the technique known as “The Wolverine” – wherein you put your keys between your fingers, ready to jab an assailant. What you might not know is that it’s not a great approach! The belief that putting your keys between your fingers will make your hand into a deadlier weapon is so common a misconception, in fact, that we must dispel this myth at pretty much every adult course we run.
If you had thought about using this approach yourself – don’t worry! Even if you’re starting out with less-than-ideal strategies in mind, we love that you’re thinking of something! But there is a more effective way you can use your keys to help keep you safe.
HOLD THE KEYS IN A WAY THAT WON’T HURT YOU
Putting your keys between your fingers may be reminiscent of a wild animal or your favorite Marvel action hero, but the potential for damage to your own hand is high. Unfortunately, holding your keys this way will likely cause more problems for you than your assailant.
First, the metal jagged area of the key can easily cause damage to the skin between the fingers when being used violently. Sharp pain like that can lead to opening of the fingers which will immediately reduce the effectiveness of any strike.
The base of the key hitting the inside of your hand after impact would also be painful, all of which means you might drop your keys, leaving them vulnerable to a bad guy scooping them up. (And you’d be locked out of the house.) However, if you must throw a big ring of keys in someone’s face to get away, that’s an option.
If you must use your keys to fight, we suggest you try closing a fist around it with the sharp edge coming out the bottom or pinky side.
TAKEAWAY MESSAGE
The overall message is that keys can be used as a valuable self-defense weapon in a confrontation, but the keys should be held through the center of your fist to avoid injury, and the most widely publicized method may be counterproductive for your safety.
Of course, if someone is close enough to poke with your keys, they are also close enough for you to pull their hair, scratch them with your fingernails, and go for their eyes. Because no one wants to be a part of an assault, robbery, or mugging situation. However, sometimes we’ll end up in unlucky circumstances and be forced to defend ourselves. If this is the case, don’t be afraid to improvise weapons like the set of keys in your pocket or handbag.
