While most people would agree that the majority of spontaneous attacks are going to require you to defend yourself open handed, at least initially, I would like to add that you should not over look using whatever you happen to have in your hand to enhance your counter attack. You don’t have to stick with the tool in your hand if you are carrying something else but it may just get you to the first down and allow you to upgrade to a knife or pistol if the situation requires.

I have always recommended carrying a decent pen in your hand your hand during the day and flashlight at night. For me the problem with a pen has always been that when carried in positions where they are readily accessible can ruin a lot of clothes when they leak. Our uniform shirts are gray and I have lost several over the years to the ink monster. That is one thing but losing a good dress shirt or pair of trousers is worse.

Alpha Innovations has just introduced the Stylus. It is a in the shape of a pen and made out of the same polymer as their Kubatons and the Jaw Jacker. The fact that everyone these days seems to carry a Blackberry or another PDA makes this thing a necessity that attracts no undue attention. At first look it appears to be just a pen. As a matter of fact I have seen several people pick one up and try to twist it to make the pen come out.

Don’t get me wrong I love Kubatons but the majority of the world knows exactly what they are. The other problem is that I personally don’t like to carry my keys on one since it lends itself to the tool itself being stuck in the waistband or at the bottom of a purse.

Since receiving my AI Stylus I have made a habit of carrying it in my strong side front pocket as pictured. If I draw it by putting my thumb behind it I get a hammer grip. If my thumb goes in front of it I get the Saber grip which goes right into my favorite grip the lobster claw.

When it comes to hands I am a germaphobe, I have gotten into the habit of drawing my Stylus as soon as I get out of my car and using it to hook doors to open them, use the ATM and even keep it in my hand when doing business with money in my hand. This common use builds neuropath ways that you are not going to be able to achieve with your knife or gun in this fashion. If you stop at 7-11 and walk in with your knife or gun in your hand there are going to be some problems.

The concentration of force on a small surface area of the AI Stylus is massive and hurtful. As soon as I got mine I gave myself a good shot to the back of my hand from about an inch away. It gave me an electrical shock, hurt like hell and made my whole arm go numb.

Recently while teaching a class that included pocket stick / flashlight I took the smallest female in the class and told her that I was going to put her in a very tight rear bear hug and that I wanted her to use the Stylus on the back of my hand and I was going to try not to let go. She did, and made fun of the noise I made when I let her go like I hade been electrocuted.

The AI Stylus should have a place in everyone’s personal protection program. And it should be right after mindset and awareness. Something effective in the hand that does not require strength to be effective. It may very well give you just enough room to get a way or create time and space to employ a more appropriate tool.

Below are pictures of another carry postion in the shirt, the Stylus is easily deployed from the startle response.