A Guide to Improvised Weaponry: How to Protect Yourself with WHATEVER You've Got

by Terry Schappert, Adam Slutsky

Defend yourself with salad tongs, hairbrushes--and even a dirty diaper!

A sidewalk thief tries to steal your wallet, but you are unarmed. What do you do? With A Guide to Improvised Weaponry, you'll know how to protect yourself--even if all you have are your car keys and a candy bar. Written by Green Beret and combat expert Terry Schappert, this book teaches you how to turn your lipstick, your wristwatch--even the shoes on your feet--into strategic self-defense tools. Traditional weapons can be expensive, dangerous, and in the blur of an attack, easily turned against you, but with his life-saving advice, you can avoid these risks and defend yourself by deploying the hidden tactical uses of 100 ordinary items.

Whether you're out grocery shopping, riding in an elevator, or enjoying a stroll through the park, A Guide to Improvised Weaponry shows you how to control your environment and become your own bodyguard--ready and able to act when you need to.

209 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 6, 2015

Reviews

[Geoffwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining (ly stupid). IMAGINE: you are at a donut shop when a burglar breaks in. Would you firmly grasp your bag of donuts, taking care not to break a finger, and beat the burglar about the head? Consider, as a last resort, throwing your donuts at him, perhaps giving you a chance to escape? IMAGINE: you are shopping for a gun at a gun shop when a burglar breaks in. Would you firmly grasp a gun, taking care not to break a finger, and beat the burglar about the head? Consider throwing bullets at him, perhaps giving you a chance to escape? IMAGINE: you are at the zoo when a burglar breaks in. Would you firmly grasp an alligator, taking care not to break a finger, and beat the burglar about the head? Consider throwing birds at him, perhaps giving you a chance to escape? If you answered yes, congrats on getting this book published.

[Emma Woodcock · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm part way through this book. It's more of a dip-in kind of book than one you read in one sitting. I bought it for two (related) reasons.

a) general interest in what I could do if I ever found myself in a dangerous situation.
b) research for my own writing, since fighting is not an area I have any real experience in.

while it does do what it says on the tin, it is very repetitive in the way each chapter is presented. The solutions too are quite repetitive. And I do have to wonder how advisable it would be to attempt some of these actions.

For instace, trapped in a lift with a would be rapist, yes I suppose I could stick my hair pin in his eye, but then what? I'm trapped in a very small space with a really angry guy who already meant me harm... Maybe he's blinded, but it's not like he won't find me in that confined space!

Yes, it's interesting, and I have picked up a few handy self-defence ideas which I hope to never need. But in general, I'm taking it all with a pinch of salt.

[Emma Jackson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not sure what I was expecting from this book but it wasn't hilarity. If you don't want to take the time to find out about improvised weaponry I can sum it up for you. Whatever you're holding, jab the attacker in the groin with it.

From using a knife to sharpen some chopsticks to stab an attacker with (instead of just using the knife) to freezing a chocolate bar and sharpening it to a point this book is full of bizarre suggestions about items that clearly could never be a useful weapon.

But, it was entertaining and gave me some funny parts to read out to my family. It has also got me looking around myself at things I could potentially use to defend myself if I should need to.

[Víctor Cid · Rating 3 out of 5]

Autodefensa con objetos cotidianos. El libro va dedicando cada capítulo a un objeto normal y corriente, y te explica cómo utilizarlo de forma letal ante un agresor. En muchas ocasiones utiliza una contundencia excesiva en los ataques, buscando no solo herir al agresor sino quizás llegar a matarlo. Contrasta mucho con otros textos en los que te enseñan que es mejor evitar la confrontación y buscar tu oportunidad para huir.
No sobresale especialmente; de cualquier manera, un texto entretenido.

[Ulrich · Rating 1 out of 5]

If I am ever in an unplanned fight then I hope that my opponent has read this book so while they're fumbling with matches and lighting their own shirt on fire I can be far, far away.

Or if for some reason I have to actually fight them, I can do whatever damage I want while they're figuring out that baseball caps are NOT flails.

On the other hand, I sort of wish every copy came with a disclaimer that the book is meant for planning hilarious fight scenes involving Jackie Chan and to look elsewhere for REAL self-defense advice.

It is funny though.

[Elwin Kline · Rating 2 out of 5]

I honestly thought at the time of purchase I was getting a "serious" book... did not know I was buying satire. This book is so far-fetched, that I suppose it can be humorous at times. I mean... at one point in the book, he says to freeze a snickers bar, create an edge with the frozen chocolate, and then use it as a weapon to stab someone in the neck... it was hard to finish the book after reading that, but I continued on and made it to the end.

I would only recommend this book if you want to read something ridiculous and maybe if you got a little chuckle out of what I wrote above.

[Fresno Bob · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was expecting more than "Smash it in their face or foot, stab them in the neck or thigh, or break it and put it between your fingers" which seemed to be the strategy for 95% of the items. I wanted more McGuyver and less Caveman