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Cane

• If you use a cane, take “cane-fu” classes if possible. Yes, it’s a thing.
• A sturdy cane with a strong handle works best.
• Do not assume you can fight with a cane just because you need one to walk.
• Avoid a cane with a hidden knife or sword unless you specifically train to fight with a blade.
• A person’s first instinct with a cane-like device for self-defense is to wield it in a horizontal path as though swinging a baseball bat. This is wrong, as it can easily be seen in progress by the person you’re trying to ward off; that person could dodge it, deflect it or grab the cane from you. This is why a cane self-defense class is crucial.

Magazine

• Swatting someone with an unrolled magazine is worthless, even the most tightly rolled magazine won’t stop an assailant—because swatting is the wrong way to use a rolled-up magazine as a weapon.
• The proper way to strike is with a hammer motion, your arm as the handle and the magazine as the head, so that the end of the roll is struck into the assailant; the roll, ideally, is perpendicular to the surface it strikes, concentrating as much impact as possible into a small area. But if this small area is his neck, nose, temple or groin, it will stop him long enough for you to either follow up with another blow or to escape.
• A pre-rolled magazine, fastened tightly with several thick rubber bands, is something you should have on hand, just in case. Otherwise, pray you don’t let panic make you fumble as you’re trying to roll up a magazine when an assailant approaches.

Flashlight

• A flashlight, being shaped like a rolled-up magazine, is used in the same way as a magazine roll.
• But because it’s more solid, it will be more effective.

Pen

• You’re probably already picturing a pen sticking out of the assailant’s eye.
• A pen jabbed into the temple, nose and neck hard enough will disable the attacker; the more perpendicular the pen to the strike surface, the better.
• A pen jammed hard enough into the collarbone will also stop the assailant.
• Other body parts worth mentioning: ear, cheek, top of hand, groin.

Belt

• The key is being able to quickly pull the belt off your pants.
• And that’s it: whip at him with the buckle as the striking end. Don’t try to strangle him; that only works in the movies, then run!

Robert Siciliano CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com, personal security and identity theft expert and speaker is the author of 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Identity Was Stolen. See him knock’em dead in this identity theft prevention video.