Kubotan is essentially a self-defense keychain that revolutionized the concept of unarmed self-defense. Today it is known and popular in many countries. You can buy it in specialized stores or make it yourself.
The history of kubotan
Kubotan was conceived and developed by Grand Master Soke Kubota Takayuki, 10th Dan holder and creator of the Gosoku Ryu martial arts movement.
The popularity of kubotan dates back to the mid-1970s. During that period of time, the police faced two problems that they constantly faced. First, they had to be delicate when using force. Secondly, women were increasingly becoming police officers, and the issue of inequality of power had to be addressed somehow.
It was then that Soke Kubota proposed a new type of weapon that could detain a criminal without inflicting any physical harm on him - kubotan. He was small in size and fit any police officer, regardless of gender, height, weight or strength.
Kubotan design
By its shape, a kubotan is a hard plastic rod. Its length is approximately 5.5 inches, that is, almost 14 cm, and the diameter is 0.56 inches, that is, 1.5 cm. The weight of the cubotan is small - only 2 ounces.
There are no sharp parts or edges on the rod itself to prevent injury. For the best grip on the palm, 6 grooves are provided on the kubotan, and at one of its ends there is a ring on which keys can be attached.
Today this type of weapon is produced by many companies, but by no means all variations of the kubotan correspond to its original design. You can find models from various alloys, as well as with spikes, blades and even tear gas hidden in them.
How to make a kubotan
To make an original kubotan, you need hard plastic, such as textolite. It is ground on a woodworking machine, and then polished with fine sandpaper. Since a kubotan is a keychain, a through hole must be made at one end of it so that you can attach keys to it. This hole is easy to make with a thin drill. On the rod itself, you need to make notches or round grooves so that later it does not slip into the palm of your hand. After making a kubotan, you can varnish it.
There are many variations of the execution of this simple weapon. If the originality of the product does not play an important role, you can make it from metal, which will increase the force of the blow, or you can lengthen the kubotan, which will improve the punching style of defense.
Perhaps, when making a kubotan yourself, it is important to observe only two rules: it should be slightly longer than the palm and lie comfortably in it.
