I’m sure at some point in your life, whether out of fear or anger you thought about using your hair stick or hair pins on someone, otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this 😊 Concealed or disguised women’s self defense tools like these can really be dangerous when improvised and rightly so!
So Can Hair sticks or Hair pins actually be used in Self-Defense?
In short, Yes! It is very possible to use hair sticks for self defense if a person is in a life-threatening situation and has limited options, almost any day-to-day item particularly an unassuming and concealed hair accessory like this can be converted into a survival weapon if you know how to choose the ideal hair stick for its dual purpose. We share our tips on how hair sticks can be used and how to choose the ideal one.
An Age Old Smart Dual Accessory
So, using hair sticks or hair pins aren’t a new idea of a concealed self defense weapon, the Kanzashi, which is a type of Japanese women’s hair accessory or ornament dates way back around 1000BCE. As much as it was a hair grip that was said to rid of evil spirits, it was also known for it’s self-defense benefits. Quite a dual tool for women.
Modern day women, being more independent and accomplished can unfortunately find themselves in very compromising situations. Business trips, driving your own car late-night, early morning runs through that quiet park, walking alone to your car through that gloomy underground parking late after work, or just mugged while shopping or assaulted by that two-faced coward boyfriend… whatever it is, there’s a damn good advantage of being a woman when you can whip out your hair stick and show your power!
How To Use A Hair Stick or Hair Pin As a Self Defense Weapon
Fairly straight forward right? Draw it out and jab away… not quite as we think. By resisting an attack, are you placing your life in greater jeopardy or run the risk of stabbing yourself or aggravating the situation more into fatal outcomes?
It’s wise first to access your situation very quickly before deciding to switch on fight or flight mode.
Remember, once you decide to fight, there may be no turning back!
If you are faced with an attacker with no obvious lethal weapon and feel you could stand your ground, loosen your hair sticks as soon as possible and try to avoid any contact yet by stepping back firmly into a firm stance. Seeming brave and threatening to use your sharp hair accessory dangerously by being vocal of your willingness to use it can help. This way you hope to look armed and dangerous and by threatening to use it, you hope to discourage any physical contact.
Practice makes perfect!
In any unfortunate situation where you don’t have an option to step back or negotiate, you will at least want to have some sort of routine of how to use your hair sticks to inflict some pain hence discouraging any further attack and saving your life.
Practicing a drill or set of hair stick handling skills of how to poke someone is not all that I mean. At times, using psychology and the least expected thing can give a victim the upper hand.
One of the best ways is to catch the assailant at their least expected state, do this by making them think that you surrender but then quickly pouncing to attack. An idea of a drill could be to put your hands up in the air immediately in surrender or as we commonly hold the back of your head with both hands in act of fear and protecting our head from any strike, but this is the exact place wherein lies your weapon.
Don’t let it turn against you!
You never want to be attacked with your own weapon, so in your practices keep that in mind. As much as two are better than one, if you have another free hand to grapple around with, one hairstick will be adequate to defend yourself. If you do have 2 on your hair, just use one and keep the other as a backup should you break the one you’re using of it gets pulled away from you.
How to Hold or Grip a Hair Stick In Self Defense
Always remember that your hair stick isn’t going to be the most comfortable of weapons to use in your fight for your life but at least it can do more damage than your bare hands.
When gripping the stick,
- it may be better to hold it as you hold a knife when slicing food
- hold it firm, never lose your weapon and jab in a horizontal way
- don’t hold it as you would a dagger to stab
- similarly avoid striking vertically or downward
- if the attacker grabs hold onto the stick, don’t instinctively yank it away, this becomes a power struggle and you’re likely to lose.
- instead, rotate your wrist in a circular and anti-clockwise direction which opens up his fingers for you to get loose again
Thrusting horizontally gives you more surface area to land on and you can strike in quick successions even at hands that come towards you. The more important caution with this grip is that it won’t be as easy for the pointed end of the stick to be turn in on your tummy or thigh during a struggle.
Can You Get Into Trouble Legally By Using Your Hair Stick In Self Defense
From simple hair clips to hair daggers, chopsticks to hidden hair blades, it’s all dependent on the extent of the attacker, if they had a weapon, your motive or premeditation and how you use these hair accessories.
I am by no means a law expert, but it’s pretty easy to tell that the law may swing against you if you killed an attacker while using your blade or dagger that you were in possession of especially if they were empty handed, more so if your accessory looks like a typical weapon.
As far as possible, in your panicked state, aim to strike at the non-vital organs but in areas that cause immense pain and cripple the perpetrator. An ideal spot if the thigh, it’s one of the bigger muscles and it a crucial requirement for both flight or fight decisions.
There are definitely grey areas and you should seriously think of getting professional advice on this if you travel through dangerous areas and think you may have use for it.
Choosing The Ideal Hair Stick For Self Defense
The last thing you want is to get distracted when a hair stick is tangled up in your hair, imagine the attacker’s confusion when he sees you trying to fix your hairdo in the middle of a mugging.
So, consider the following tips when choosing a hair stick:
- Firstly, one that is comfortable but also easy to slide out of your hair in an emergency
- Preferably isn’t wooden, if wooden then one that wouldn’t break easily
- At the same time, if you know you have oily hair, perhaps a strong wooden hair stick is better – it won’t be as slippery in your hands as a oily metal hair stick
- Avoid a stick that has ridges or spikes on it, this will be hard to draw out quickly and also hurt the palms of your hand while holding it tight and if it’s pulled away from your hands
- A pointed stick, one-sided sharp edge is good enough
Final Thoughts
On a serious note, one of the saddest statistics of today is women increasingly becoming victims of abuse or attack globally. While there are only so much the authorities can do, every individual plays an active role in reducing these attacks on women, including women themselves who will stand up, let their voice be heard, stand their ground and fight if necessary.
If every man in every circle of friendship, families or communities in every corner of this world actively played a role, these stats could markedly decrease.
Every girl and woman, being a symbol of strength, power and giver of life to this world deserves to feel and be safe and protected, whether inside or outside of her home!
