Flashlight For Self-Defense

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lightemittingharry

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I always carry around a flashlight in my pocket (for paranoia reasons) yet I've never really needed to use it. Apparently a flashlight of 50 lumen or more can blind and disorient an assailant with night adapted vision. Is this true? Has anybody actually encountered a mugger, or something other, and escaped safely with the flick of their flashlight?:naughty:
 

half-watt

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I always carry around a flashlight in my pocket (for paranoia reasons) yet I've never really needed to use it. Apparently a flashlight of 50 lumen or more can blind and disorient an assailant with night adapted vision. Is this true? Has anybody actually encountered a mugger, or something other, and escaped safely with the flick of their flashlight?:naughty:


would that be a slow-footed mugger without a gun that is being referred to?

more seriously, no. haven't been in that situation while having a flashlight. i too would be interested in other's first-hand experiences.
 

ACMarina

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I tried it with my brother and his wrestling team. They stood at about 10 yards, I blasted them in the eyes, and they tried to grab me. They were unarmed, and I'm glad - they all got close enough to grab me pretty easily.

I tried with several types of light, and the only one that really messed with them was a mini-HID, and it wasn't one that instantly striked, so it would only be of limited use in a situation like that. Of course, the 4D Maglite to the stomach worked pretty well, too..
 

Rzr800

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I would guess that if you're to the point of blinding somebody with your flashlight for any length of time..one might as well hit 'em in the eyes again with the 'bear spray' in your other hand...and then run! (or) :twak: :touche::xyxgun:
 
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drizler

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Re: Flashlight For Self-Defense FORGET IT

Do yourself a favor. If you are concerned about self defense get yourself a can of old fashioned spray mace in a can. Not the newer pepper spray but the old fashioned mace using CN powder. I am issued it and I don't even carry the new stuff. You need to fire it like a squirt gun and hit them in the eyes, SPELL THAT AMBUSH. Thats something you won't achieve with a mugger. The old type are an aerosol spray and get all over them which is what you want. Believe me on this its very true. Think of a squirt gun that is what you have with the pepper spray. Go with the old Mace its more foolproof which is what you want. OJT with this stuff is not what you want unless you carry a gun for a living like I do. You want to hose the guy and get out of there fast. Shining a light in his eyes won't do a thing except give him another excuse to give you a beating. :oops:
 

kimjune01

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BUMP.
How many lumens does it take to essentially blind him for a few seconds? If an EDC-able flashlight can be used for self defense, how much $$? Thanks
 

Monocrom

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BUMP.
How many lumens does it take to essentially blind him for a few seconds? If an EDC-able flashlight can be used for self defense, how much $$? Thanks

Okay.... As someone with actual self-defense training, here's the deal:

You can forget about blinding an attacker for a few seconds. That's not happening. That's way too much time. More like a second, perhaps two. If we're talking about a very poorly lit place, I wouldn't trust anything below 200 lumens out the front. (Not those over inflated emitter lumens that most companies quote).

Main problem is that many places have too much ambient lighting. Street lights, interior lights in clubs, lobby lights in apartment complexes. You can forget about blinding your attacker with a blast of light from your EDC. Ironically, the only truly dark places you'll encounter in a city is on the express way.... Where the overhead lights are sometimes turned off because greedy city politicians who ride in limos have no clue that car headlights are sometimes not enough for drivers to be able to see!

Want a defensive light? Get one that is made from aluminum and is long enough to take two CR123 cells. I recommend a model with a pocket-carry clip and no strike-bezel. (If the head is made of aluminum, you don't need a strike-bezel). With the head extending below the bottom of your fist, you now have an excellent hammer-fist enhancer. With a 3-cell light in a open-top holster, you have an excellent yawara stick.

Don't know what those terms mean? Find out, get trained. A flashlight is not a magic wand that will protect you. Get training! Then get a good light.
 

houtex

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Okay here's the deal.... I work in a niteclub and have used the light in the eyes trick with great success. You gotta move though, blinding light in the eyes and like Mono said you might get a 2 second jump on someone. That's in the club though. On the street it's my G19. you wouldn't use a gun to light your way down a dark alley, don't use a flashlight to defend your life. Get trained,practice,practice,practice, remove yourself from any sitiuation if you can as soon as possible. As far as the light,the brighter the better for that purpose but if you try the light trick and it don't work what will you do then?
 

kimjune01

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Thanks a lot guys for the advice. I appreciate that.
The only reason that I want to use a flashlight above anything else is that light in their eyes doesn't hurt them. I don't like being hurt so I'm sure the attacker doesn't want to get hurt, either(my Christian pacifism comes with a big debate but let's not go there). Given that guns, maces, peppersprays and brass knuckles are illegal here in Canada along with self-defense knives, I just want a safer alternative. The attacker will not have a gun on them and if all they want is the cash in my pocket, then I'll try my best to avoid physical conflict. Having said that, I think the hammerfist thing is a good idea. If you have anything to recommend within my boundaries of self-defense, please tell me. :D
So, how much does 200+ lumens edc cost? I'm willing to carry around anything near the size of the A2. thanks
 

Lightraven

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I assume Tasers are illegal in Canada?

My question is: What is your 100 yard sprint time?

Do you have anybody you might want to protect, such as your wife or children?

If you are a sprinter, by yourself, you may very well be able to simply run for it. Otherwise, I think you are best to give the robber what he demands--because you simply can't win a fight without the means to do so.

I think anybody shining a flashlight at a bad guy, without other more effective action is requesting serious injury or death.
 

Monocrom

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Thanks a lot guys for the advice. I appreciate that.
The only reason that I want to use a flashlight above anything else is that light in their eyes doesn't hurt them. I don't like being hurt so I'm sure the attacker doesn't want to get hurt, either(my Christian pacifism comes with a big debate but let's not go there). Given that guns, maces, peppersprays and brass knuckles are illegal here in Canada along with self-defense knives, I just want a safer alternative. The attacker will not have a gun on them and if all they want is the cash in my pocket, then I'll try my best to avoid physical conflict. Having said that, I think the hammerfist thing is a good idea. If you have anything to recommend within my boundaries of self-defense, please tell me. :D
So, how much does 200+ lumens edc cost? I'm willing to carry around anything near the size of the A2. thanks

Tell me you did not just post that!!

:ohgeez:

Oh for God's sake.... Listen, if you end up remembering only one thing from my posts several years down the road, let it be the following; You have way the Hell the wrong mindset!

I'm not talking about your religion, I mean your mindset. One of the best ways to tell if a self-defense instructor is "for real" or just a con-man is to listen to what he says. If he only tells you $#^% you want to hear, don't waste your money taking his classes. If he tells you he's going to show you how to defend yourself without hurting your attacker, then he's a f**king con-man! Effectively defending yourself against an attacker, without hurting him.... That's like two gay men trying get each other pregnant. Not gonna happen!

We're talking about someone who is trying to murder you. Do you understand that part? We're talking about someone who doesn't give a damn about you in any way, shape, or form. He doesn't care if you have a family. He doesn't care if you have children. He doesn't care if you're the only one taking care of your elderly mom or dad. He doesn't care that he's about to make your wife a widow. He doesn't care that your children will never see daddy again.

All he cares about is perhaps that nice watch that you're wearing on your wrist. And while it's unlikely that an attacker will have a gun, in Canada, I'm willing to bet there are no restrictions on buying large kitchen cutlery up where you live. Hell, even a small steak knife will do the job. All you need is two pieces of cardboard and some tape for an improvised sheath. And if you're a bit too slow in handing over your nice watch, your attacker will have no problem at all in stabbing you and taking it off your wrist. That's reality! That's what your life is worth to him.

Here's another scenario, you hand over your wallet with your credit cards in it, and he still kills you! Why? If he leaves you alive, first thing you'll do is cancel those cards. If you're dead, he can sell your credit cards for about $200 more on the Blackmarket because it will take several hours before anyone realizes that your cards are being used by someone other than you. That's what your Life is worth to an attacker.... an extra $200.

Yes, sometimes you're just dealing with a mugger. Sometimes, all they want is your money. But if they pull any sort of weapon on you, you still have no clue if they'll use it. Sometimes you have to trust your gut. If it's only about money, give it to him. A good idea is to carry your money in a cheap moneyclip. You get mugged, pull out the clip, tell him that's all the money you have, then toss the clip in one direction while you run screaming like a lunatic in the other. Now; if you're a mugger, what would you do? Go after the screaming lunatic who has no money on him? Or walk over to the nice, quiet, moneyclip that's just laying a few feet away, waiting to be picked up.

The good thing is, you're not a woman. So, you don't have to worry about getting raped. But what if you're out with your wife or girlfriend, or having lunch with your daughter or mom. And two or three attackers come along.... and they're less interested in you.... You really going to care whether or not you hurt them?

Least expensive light that's capable of putting out about 200 lumens out the front is a Fenix T1. The clip is less than great, but it's functional and allows instant access to the light. Surefire will soon be coming out with their new and improved U2 models. The Optimus can produce 200 lumens on high, the Invictus does 400 lumens on high. I will be purchasing an Invictus soon after it comes out.

But like I said earlier, using your light to actually strike an attacker is going to be far more useful than how many lumens it puts out. Based on that, the A2 is a very good choice. It's long enough, the clip allows instant access to the light without fumbling with a holster or trying to dig the light out of the bottom of a pocket.

Don't misinterpret my post. I'm not saying you're stupid. I am saying that your mindset of not hurting an attacker who's trying to murder you, that's stupid. But that can be changed.
 
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quokked

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Whoa....
Best flashlight self defense post i've seen on CPF in a while :eek:oo:

Another tip i've seen in travel guides is that of a decoy wallet,
you stuff the wallet full of zimbabwe dollars (or other cheap currency), old/cancelled credit cards and you keep it on yourself, and when a mugger comes for you, you drop it and run, much like monocrom's money clip suggestion.
 

kimjune01

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but let's not go there
you might not have understood that clearly. Anyhow, there are good (well-studied and well-practiced) self-defense methods to counter inexperienced knife-attackers(Be aware that I don't fantasize about the 27 ninjas) or fend them off until i have time to get away. Aikido, for example.
I choose to think that an overwhelming majority of muggers do not kill for a single score of a few thousand dollars.
Having said that, I really do appreciate your lengthy yet wordy input onto this subject - especially for a newb like me. I will look more into those flashlights that you've mentioned earlier. Thanks again.
 

Monocrom

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you might not have understood that clearly. Anyhow, there are good (well-studied and well-practiced) self-defense methods to counter inexperienced knife-attackers(Be aware that I don't fantasize about the 27 ninjas) or fend them off until i have time to get away. Aikido, for example.
I choose to think that an overwhelming majority of muggers do not kill for a single score of a few thousand dollars.
Having said that, I really do appreciate your lengthy yet wordy input onto this subject - especially for a newb like me. I will look more into those flashlights that you've mentioned earlier. Thanks again.

I have studied traditional martial arts, and I have studied R.B.S.D.

I know what you mean about the 27 ninjas scenario. Thing is, my knowledge of knife combatives is far beyond what I've studied in traditional martial arts and even R.B.S.D.

I specialize in knife combatives. And I'm fully aware of those so-called well-studied, well-practiced, and well-known (at least in the martial arts community) counters to a knifer.... Sorry, but this subject is too important for me to pull any punches.... A real knifer isn't going to cooperate with you the way an instructor's student, pretending to be a knifer, will.

Here are things that a real knifer will do:

1 - Hit you with his free hand. Never seen that demonstrated in those well-known counters.

2 - Bend his elbow. It's great to see someone flipped on their back. Funny how it's only done when the student-knifer uses an unrealistic stiff-arm, half-hearted technique. Or in combination with being several feet away, and then lunging forward, while being horribly off balance.... And then freezing for a second or two while the instructor makes himself look good.

That's what I've learned. I saw students who made half-hearted efforts in their knife attacks against their instructors or Masters. (Some of it may have been on a subconscious level, and not intentional). But that's what I saw, and it was far from realistic.

You can think what you want about muggers.... I know of people who were murdered for a dollar. Homeless man attacked a woman on a subway platform. She wouldn't let go of her purse; so he intentionally pushed her in front of an oncoming train. And I never posted anything about a few thousand dollars. I said a couple of hundred dollars.... Your outlook on life is horribly optimistic.

I'll admit my previous post was lengthy. (Guess this one is too). All I can do is wish you good luck. Honestly, I sincerely believe you're going to need it.
 

Burgess

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to Monocrom --


Thank you for your words of wisdom in this thread. :thumbsup:


Straight-talk. Pure and simple.


No sugar-coated, "feel-good" nonsense.



Real advice, for the Real World.

:goodjob:
_
 
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