What should you do if you own a stun gun or pepper spray and don’t have it with you when an attacker strikes? You need to learn improvised self-defense. Defense Divas has you covered with a list of creative ways that you can use the clothes you are wearing and the items in your purse to defend yourself.

OCT 02, 2019

defensedivas  improvised self defense with items in your possession

“Think outside the box ahead of time so that you don't have to when an emergency happens.”


How to Use Improvised Self-Defense

BELT (AND BUCKLE)

Whether you’re wearing a traditional leather belt or a fashion chain, you can use a belt to defend yourself in a variety of ways.

  • Remove your belt and use it as a whip to keep your attacker at a distance.
  • Use a belt to choke someone who is attacking you.
  • Wrap the belt around an attacker’s arm to gain more power and leverage to force them to release their grip on you.
  • If your belt happens to have a buckle, smash your attacker’s face and break their nose with it. You can also slash at the attacker’s eyes with the metal finger of the belt buckle.

improvised self defense using gucci belt buckle

SHIRTS AND JACKETS

What if an attacker was approaching you with a knife? Would you know how to defend yourself? Believe it or not, the shirt on your back just might be what saves you!


  • Pull your shirt or jacket over your attacker’s head to blind them and disrupt the attack long enough for you to escape to safety.
  • Wrap the shirt around one of your hands to protect it and use it as a block when trying to defend yourself against an attacker who is wielding a knife.
  • Taking the collar in one hand and the tail in the other, you can use a shirt to block/shield an attack. You can also use it to wrap (like a rope) around an attacker’s arm and pull it away from your body.
  • Use your shirt or jacket like a tourniquet and tie off an arm, leg or the neck of your attacker and tighten as hard as you can.
  • Bonus: The scarf you’re wearing can do all of these things too!
improvised self defense using your hoodie

JEWELRY & HAIR ACCESSORIES

  • Take a minute and look at the jewelry and hair accessories you wear every day in a new way. Those earrings, necklaces, cuff bracelets and even hair claws can all be used for improvised self-defense.

  • Cuff bracelets are HUGE these days and can do some damage! Cuff bracelets can be wrapped over your knuckles to make your self-defense punch more powerful. The same thing goes for chunky rings.
  • Move all of the rings you are wearing onto your “punching hand” to maximize your damage and add additional defense force when striking an attacker with your fist.
improvised self defense with jewelry metal cuff bracelets

“Take 5 minutes to identify at least 3 items that you wear and carry in your purse that could be used for self-defense.”


  • Necklaces can be used to choke an attacker provided they are strong enough not to break. Even tying off an attacker’s ear and cinching down tight can cause excruciating pain, so try to lasso anything on your attacker that you can in an emergency.
  • Earrings, scarf pins, pointed pendants and even some hairclips can all be tucked in between your fingers (pointy side out) to turn your fist into a an impact self-defense weapon.

improvised self defense using hair combs and accessories

SHOES AND LACES

You can use both flats and high heels to defend yourself against an attacker in an emergency for improvised self-defense.

  • Rubber soled flats can be taken off of your feet and used to smack and beat an attacker in defense.
  • High heels make an excellent self-defense weapon by using the pointed heel in a way very similar to how you would use a kubotan for self-defense.
  • If you have the time, remove your shoe laces and use them to choke an attacker. You can wrap a shoe lace around any body part of an attacker (arms, legs, neck and even ears!) to tighten and pull, causing excruciating pain to an attacker.
improvised self defense using high heels

ITEMS IN YOUR PURSE

You’d be surprised how many things in your purse can also be used for self-defense in an emergency. Make-up tools, fingernail clippers and even mascara wands have their place on the list!

  • In case you hadn’t noticed, your fingernail clippers probably also have a metal file that folds out with a sharp point. Lace it between your fingers and use it to gash, slash and gouge an attacker.
  • Pens, pencils, eyeliners and make-up brushes with long handles can all be used like a kubotan to stab an attacker’s sensitive pressure points. View a diagram of the kubotan critical strike points for more info on how to use them.
  • Flick or stab an attacker’s eyes with a mascara brush and they’re sure to feel it! Whenever you can remove an attacker’s vision you have seriously amped your chance of escape and survival.
improvised self defense using items in your purse

Carrying a form of self-defense with you at all times should be a priority in these tumultuous times. It’s equally important to become educated on innovative ways to defend yourself in case your stun gun or pepper spray is not available when an attack happens.


Take 5 minutes to identify at least 3 items that you wear and carry in your purse that could be used for self-defense.


If you are always forgetting your self-defense weapon when you leave the house, Fight Fobs Self-Defense Keychains are an excellent way to carry personal defense protection right on your keyring.


At , Defense Divas® we offer you a diva-worthy selection of self-defense products for women including Bulletproof Clothing & Accessories, Stun Guns, TASER® energy weapons, Pepper Sprays, Concealed Carry Purses, and Campus Safety products. We also offer an extensive educational resource on personal self-defense training and safety awareness.


Copyright©2019 All rights reserved. This article or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of Defense Divas®

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