Since the beginning of time, darkness has been something that most humans have feared. In the darkness everything that scares us resides. To the caveman it was wild animals that wanted to make a meal of him; in the modern age, it's the mugger or rapists that wants to makes us their prey that reside in the dark. Just like the caveman that found out fire would often scare away, or if needed injure, threats to him, people in this day and age have a tool to even the odds with potential predators. This tool is the flashlight, and as we shall see, it has many purposes other than merely illuminating one's way at night.
TYPES OF FLASHLIGHTS
For people unfamiliar with modern flashlights, there are multiple styles to choose from. Which one you need depends on your reasons for getting one. There are small lights that attach to a key ring that provide enough light to illuminate a lock so you can insert a key without feeling around for the keyhole. At the other end of the spectrum, are large lights that require several "D cell" batteries to power. These large lights are often used to light up dark rooms, forest trails, and other areas where it is hard for an individual to see. In between these two extremes lies the "personal" light. Personal lights offer a happy medium between the rather limited "key" lights and the bulky "D cell" lights. Often the personal light is no more than six inches long, weighs roughly six to eight ounces, but provides the same amount of light as a "D cell" light that weighs several pounds and is over two feet in length.
BRINGING LIGHT ON THE SITUATION
The most obvious use of the flashlight is to provide enough light for you to see what you are doing under low light conditions. When it comes to self-defense; the flashlight's light producing ability serves two purposes. First off, the light gives you an opportunity to view possible threats that may be hiding in the darkness. Second, the light can be directed into an attacker's eyes, momentarily blinding him and providing a person with a chance to escape. When a light is flashed into someone' eyes; the attacker's first instinct is to raise his hands to shield his eyes and turn his head away from the source of the light. This will provide the defender a chance to launch a counter attack, and then make an escape. It is also possible that the temporary blindness produced by the flashlight may be more than enough to create a window to escape.
HAVE LIGHT, WILL STRIKE
One use that many flashlight owners overlook is the ability of their lights to serve as striking instruments. When it comes to striking, the personal lights and the "D cells" prove their worth over the small key lights. While both the "D cell" and personal lights have an advantage over the key light, each of these two offer certain pluses and minuses.
When it comes to striking, the "D cell" flashlights offer the most bang for your buck. Since each of these lights are heavy, long, and usually made of some form of metal; having one is much like having a steel pipe in your hands. A person that has even the most basic knowledge of how to swing a club can use these lights effectively. Very few people can stand to take solid shots to their thighs, arms, or, in lethal force cases, head from a solid weapon such as a four or five cell metal flashlight. Even if the strikes don't result in a knockout, the defender can often stun the attacker enough to land a more solid strike or create an avenue from which the defender can exit the attack.
While personal lights don't have the heft or length of a "D cell" flashlight, they can be used as a striking instrument if the defender knows what he is doing. Using the personal light as a striking implement requires a more "unique" method of employment. Due to its size, there is no way you can use the personal light to land baton light strikes on an attacker. While the personal light fails as a baton like weapon, it more than makes up for it, by serving as lightning quick weapon. The defender is able to land more shots to more precise areas (eye socket, mouth, bridge of the nose, etc) in a faster, more accurate method than the lumbering swings used with the "D cell" lights. While the precision shots don't induce the mass trauma that a large light does; they tend to create body reactions such as watering of the eyes and flailing of the hands to block the numerous incoming strikes that enable the defender to pursue the most effective means of defending himself as possible. Also, due to the size of the personal light, the attacker is less likely to notice in coming into play until he feels the strikes raining down on him.
JOINT LOCKS R US
For people that are familiar with the aspect of joint locking, the flashlight can serve as a technique augmenter for performing these actions. By applying various locks with a flashlight, a defender can use the increased leverage the light provides to induce more pain and gain quicker control of the attacker. Also, the metal body of the light can serve to increase the levels of physical pain felt due to the metal grinding into the bones of the attacker's limbs. If carrying a personal sized light, the joint locking techniques are limited to ones such as wrist and finger locks since the size of the light limits the available amount of leverage afforded to the defender.
For those people who may be limited or ignorant as to how a joint lock with a flashlight works some examples shall follow.
Our first example will have the defender holding a personal sized light in his right hand. The attacker, while facing him, grabs the outside of the defender's right arm with his left hand. Once the attacker grabs the defender, the defender will take his left hand, reach across his body and pin the attacker's hand in place. Once the hand has been pinned, the defender will then circle his right wrist in place so that a portion of the flashlight's body is resting on the attacker's wrist. Once this has been accomplished, the defender will then apply downward pressure with the light while maintaining a grasp on the attacker's hand. This action will lock the attacker's wrist and cause a significant amount of pain if done correctly.
The second example will focus on using a large "D cell" light to provide the lock. Once again the defender and attacker will be facing each. From here, the attacker grabs the center of the defender's shirt with his left hand. With the flashlight in his right hand, the defender will rotate the light so the body of the light is on the outside of the attacker's arm. From here, the defender will bring the light against the attacker's arm, right above the tricep. As soon as the body of the light makes contact, the defender will reach up with his left hand and grab the top portion of the light. Once a firm grasp is made, the defender will pull the light down and towards his chest. This action will lock the attacker's arm at the elbow and force him to go towards the ground due to the momentum and pain of the lock.
BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER
As you have seen, the flashlight has many things to offer. From lighting up a dark room to smashing into a mugger's head, the modern flashlight is a valid self-defense tool for those that carry it. When deciding to use the flashlight for self-defense, remember you aren't limited to just striking, joint locking, or blinding your attacker. In order to make the most of it; use a combination of these actions to have the maximum effect on an attacker. Blinding an attacker, followed by a sudden strike to the neck, then flowing into joint lock that renders the attacker helpless is a much better result than simply doing one of these actions by themselves. In the event that these techniques fail, remember you can always throw the flashlight itself in order to distract and escape from an attacker. With that being said, the most important thing to remember about applying any of these strategies is this: you must have the flashlight in your possession in order to perform them. Its not going to do you any good if it is sitting in your car or in your garage at home and you are incapable of reaching it when attacked.
SOURCES FOR LIGHTS
If interested in viewing different lights check out these resources:
SureFire - www.surefire.com
Mag Instruments - www.maglite.com
Streamlight - www.streamlight-flashlights.com
Written by Chris Clifton (18 June 02)
