Fight Like Jason Bourne

You have seen it repeatedly. You are sitting there, watching that amazing action flick for the first or hundredth time, and it’s the final climatic boss fight. The big boss loses the weapon he was using to pummel the good guy, and then it happens…the good guy throws his weapon away to fight the boss hand to hand.

The use of weapons, whether for their intent or otherwise improvised, is ubiquitous in today’s Hollywood movies. There are many fans of the Jason Bourne series, movies which brought the use of improvised weapons to light. Who can forget Bourne using an ink pen to get the upper hand on a trained assassin there to kill him? Or the iconic scene in the second Bourne film where Bourne uses a rolled up magazine to fight off a trained attacker. Even in the third Bourne film, the hero uses a hand towel to fight off a man attacking with a knife. Most of the “weapons” used in these films are common household items. You probably have some of these items on you or near you right now.

One of the greatest things about the world of martial arts is the vast variety of styles. There are systems coming from literally every part of the world, new and old. Most traditional arts teach the use of traditional weapons, and some of the more recent systems have some sort of weapons program as well. Human beings have been employing the use of weapons for as long as we have been around, so it’s only natural for us to have training systems based on weapons.

What are improvised weapons?

An improvised weapon is an object made for a purpose other than to be used as a weapon, but which can be effectively used as a weapon. In the right hands, anything can be used as an effective weapon for self defense. As stated above, an everyday ink pen can be used as a defensive weapon for someone who knows how to use it. Most people have their car keys on them throughout the day. And should a confrontation occur, these can be used to help defend oneself.

Once, in my younger years, I was in a confrontation and the only thing I had to help equalize the situation was a half full water bottle. Everyday objects, some of which you haven’t thought of yet, can greatly increase your chances of being a victor over a victim.

You may be wondering how you might become proficient in the use of improvised weapons. As with any life choice, first you want to do your research. For example, if you want to learn how to use improvised weapons, it probably won’t do you much good to limit your training to someone who only teaches how to use the katana sword.

I suggest looking for systems that instruct on a variety of different weapons. Some systems that have helped me in my journey of better understanding have included Kali, Silat, and Martial Blade Concepts.

Second, you want to make sure that any instructor you choose knows what they are talking about. Any one can say that they will teach you how to use your car keys to save your life, but unfortunately in the martial arts world, not everyone is what they say they are.

Again, in the interest of your time and money, you want to do your research.

What are their qualifications and certifications and who have they trained under? An instructor’s website should tell you; if not, ask them. Then, research their teacher; their qualifications and who they trained under and their qualifications, etc. Also, look at how long the instructor has trained; in all martial arts and especially in that particular art.

Lastly, you want to keep an open mind when it comes to your training. How is what I am learning with this rubber knife relatable to an ink pen? Is the bamboo stick I use for class really all that different to a broken mop handle I can find in an alley way? Can I use a dish towel the same way I use a sarong? Once you have done all of this, get ready to have some fun.

In conclusion, my opinion is and always has been that sometimes, hand to hand training just isn’t enough. The same way that owning and learning how to shoot a firearm just isn’t enough.

You may find yourself in a self-defense situation without your weapon of choice, where you have to use what is most accessible at that time.

A well versed martial artist should be able to bridge the gap between each area of self defense, and having a decent amount of knowledge in improvised weapons is a great way to do so.

At the end of it all, you will never know when you have to defend yourself or someone you love, and all you have on you are your car keys, a pen, and a credit card. When our health or our lives are in the balance, it’s always best to use all we have available to us.

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