Customer Reviews

Self Defense Keychain Kubotan

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

This is a fine weapon for the average citizen who is not inclined to carry a knife or handgun, but it cannot be as effective as a cane or a police baton, two other alternatives to consider. The cane is perhaps the most innocent seeming yet it has reach advantages over the kubotan and will deal a most damaging strike.

The above review is a good one, but please ignore the advice about sharpening keys and using the kubotan as a flail. This is unlikely to provide any real stopping power to a determined attacker. The kubotan excels as a loadfist weapon, so use it to enhance your hammerfist and punch strikes. You can also use the point to 'stab' your attacker's body points and bony targets like the back of the hand can be excruciatingly painful when struck. In other words use the kubotan like it was intended to do so. Nowhere in any traditional yawara training is it used like a mini-flail like the above poster suggested.

I use this product primarily as a keychain. Its weight and heft allow me to know without having to reach into my pants pocket that I haven't left my keys behind. I have carried it around with me everywhere, including through airport security, without any problems. That is, until today, when airport security at LAX detained me for over half an hour for carrying this kubotan keychain on my person. I tried to explain that as a weapon a pen would be more dangerous, but they informed me that it was a martial arts weapon on the list of prohibited items. It was interesting to observe how quickly the number of security officials grew as I sat there while they took my information and debated whether it was illegal or not. So as nifty and useful as this keychain is, don't forget to save yourself some grief and check it with your luggage when you fly.

Wrap your hands around this and you know that you have, in some way or another, an upperhand when your safety is put at stake. I literaly can say my friends still in practice of many different forms of martial arts are afraid of his helpful hunk of metal. It's a good size, fits in your back pocket front pocket, anywhere. I carry it next to my wallet, it's perfect honestly. The fist this creates is powerful and with a little boxing technique you can land it on all the boney areas that it works best in. This is not a product just for women, infact, I feel they should target men more, it's obviously a good product otherwise I wouldn't keep ranting about it. The rounded end seems sharp in the picture, it is not sharp, but affective, makes a centered area of imapact which would work great if attacked from behind, quick powerful jabs to the eyes, the ribs, the neck, kneecaps, and even holding it opposite in such situations still keep the kubaton helpful. Trust me when I say, it's a good addition to your everyday grab and go things for your pocket. And also, don't bother with the key ring, it's practical for carrying but why would you want a flail if you are in danger of real problems, I doubt that a few mm of sharpness will hurt.

I am hoping they just accidentally sent me the wrong item because what I received looks nothing like the picture and is made out of aluminum. Have contacted seller. Will update review accordingly.

Update: Nope. Item they sent me doesn't match description at all. Response from seller is that it is all they have and I have to be happy with it or send it back. DON'T BUT THIS ITEM unless you like getting random things.

Item is an OK product, but it is metal not polymer like the description on the web says. Wanted polymer. VERY disappointed. Looking at packing slip it says harden steel but description on site when ordering says polymer.

these 3 dudes jumped me in an alley and i jabbed the closest dude right on the side of the jaw and he dropped like a punk the other 2 just ran as did i to the safety of my car

i bought 6 more for xmas presents this year

For the price you pay, this is a very good deal. It is exactly as pictured and described, it is a well made solid piece of aluminum that feels good in your hand. It fits easily into your back pocket or backpack. I teach self defense and manual restraint in a hospital setting. I get into about 2 to 3 physical altercations a week at work. Although I would never in a million years use a Kubaton on a patient, my frequent altercation experience has taught me the value of simplicity when dealing with an attack situation. The Kubotan is about as easy a weapon as you can get. If you can hit someone with your fist on a boney area, any boney area at all, it seems like you can use a Kubaton effectively (from the videos I have seen- no personal experience with it yet- thank goodness). Just playing around with it, swinging it hammerfist style into a piece of wood, it is easy to see how much energy and power you can focus on a little spot. It is not the ultimate weapon that will protect you in any and all situations, but it is a useful, easy to use tool that could give you the edge to keep you from being a victim. For around $5, you can't go wrong.

Very solid quality and just the right length. Paint doesn't rub off at all. This is also great since, at least at my company, it doesn't scare people into calling Human Resources because I've brought a weapon to work. It is pretty large for a key fob, but doesn't obviously look like a weapon.

Positives and Negatives:

+ Since I can carry it everywhere, I have it on me at all times. Big plus.

+ Knives and batons work by concentrating force in a small area, creating cuts or blunt trauma. Conceptually, this does the same thing in a lesser way. Just big enough for the point to protrude from one end of a fist, it would be dang uncomfortable to receive the force of a punch concentrated in about a 2/5ths of an inch (1cm) round area, especially if on the edge of that circular area, which is a nice solid corner. Or the flat part against bone...crack...ow...reconsider...

+ This also acts like "a roll of quarters", meaning it adds weight and solidness to a punch when inside your fist. Might break your fingers if you hit someone in the wrong spot though.

+ The grooves keep it from slipping pretty well, if I wanted to use the end in a fist jab.

- When using as an oversized key fob (lol), the keys get in the way. BUT, since I always have it on me, if I'm starting to think I'm in danger, easy to get out ahead of time. (Some people talk about using this as a flail with your keys at the end, which I think is kind of dumb and a good way to lose your car keys. Keys don't really get in the way of use though.)

+ It is mostly innocuous looking to normal folks, but an obvious deterrent to anyone planning to cause trouble, especially because they have no idea what it is. A long round black thing with a protruding circular tip...hmm. As an attacker, I would go on to the next target because this guy has something dangerous in his hand and probably knows how to use it.

- Not all crackheads think beforehand and wouldn't help much against a gun in many cases. Very hard to whip out instantly in the case of an ambush if attached to keys...but it is attached to car keys...he he. I recommend martial arts training along with this!

But legal, seemingly benign to the clueless (especially when attached to keys), easy to use if you have to. Scary enough to be a deterrent against non-crackhead muggers, imho.

10x more effective with martial arts training though!

It's lighter than I thought it was, which is actually pretty nice.
It's made very well and is pretty durable.
I wouldn't go around hammer-fisting any boards though, seeing as how it's only aluminum-alloy.
It's great for all other kubaton uses though.
For the price; I would highly recommend.
There really is nothing to lose.

Got this item in great condition. Fits on my key chain and is very useful as self-defense weapon.