A Video I’d Buy

It seems everyone and his brother is making a tactical pen even though TSA says you can’t bring them on planes. I know I have a couple including my tactical fountain pen which actually writes fairly smoothly. What we haven’t had, for the most part, is any real training on how to effectively use the tactical pen for self-defense. This may be changing with a new video featuring Michael Janich.

From the press release:

PHOENIX, AZ (May 2013) –  Tuff-Writerâ„¢ Inc., makers of the world’s toughest American made pens, have
partnered with renowned edged-weapons trainer Mike Janich and Stay Safe
Media to produce a groundbreaking new self-defense video. “Focused
Impact” is the first real practical course covering the selection,
carry, deployment and application of tactical pens in a self-defense
situation.




A tactical pen is
nothing more than a durable, high-quality pen that provides all of the
same attributes as a purpose-designed “fist load” weapon like a Kubotan
or yawara stick, but in the form of an ordinary-looking pen that can be
carried virtually anywhere. But what really makes a tactical pen
“tactical” is the user’s ability to power it with a sound set of
physical skills.



In this groundbreaking
video, acclaimed self-defense instructor Michael Janich gives you those
skills and dispels the many myths that surround the use of pens in
self-defense. His step-by-step program includes everything you need to
know to actually use a pen as an effective personal-defense weapon,
including: considerations for pen selection, proper grip, carry options
and draws, striking methods, and pressure-point tactics. More
importantly, it teaches you how to integrate the pen into a complete set
of combative mechanics, making it a force multiplier that works in
concert with empty-hand parries and strikes, elbows, knees, kicks, and
foot traps.

Without the skills and
confidence to power it, even the finest, best built pen in the world
like a Tuff-Writer tactical pen is still just a pen. This video will
help you realize its true potential and teach you what you need to know
to make it a viable defensive tool.




The video is available through Tuff-Writer by visiting their website
or wherever Stay Safe Media training videos are sold. It can also be
previewed at the 2013 BLADE Show by stopping by the Tuff Writer booth.

According to the Tuff-Writer website, the DVD retails for $29.95 which seems reasonable enough.

Back From Baltimore

Sorry for the light blogging for the last couple of days. I had to attend a company regional meeting in Baltimore.

With Maryland’s uber-restrictive carry laws, I knew concealed carry was out. Moreover because I only had carry-on luggage, the next level of protection – a knife – was out as well. Thus, I was restricted to a tactical pen that I thought I could get past the oh so vigilant eyes of TSA.

I went with one of the new Sharpie stainless steel bodied pens. They are a bit slimmer than their markers but still seem substantial enough without screaming tactical. I have a couple of pens marketed as tactical but wasn’t sure they would get past TSA. I’d rather lose a $4.57 pen to them than one that cost $25 or more.

The Sharpie pen actually writes fairly well and is comfortable for writing. Some tactical pens in my opinion are just too heavy for constant use.

As to TSA, they were actually easier to deal with in Baltimore than in Asheville. In Asheville, I had to go through the screener 3 times stripping off my belt and then my watch before I didn’t set it off. I guess I should be thankful that I wasn’t groped. The one thing that did creep my out a bit was seeing Big Sis Janet Napolitano playing on a video over the “security” check-point in Baltimore. A little bigger screen and it would have been right out of Apple’s 1984 Superbowl ad.