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Samurai swords for home defense

Posted by Christopher S Penn on Sep 17, 2009 in Ninjutsu | 25 comments

Much has been made of a Johns Hopkins student protecting himself with a samurai sword against a home intruder in the local Maryland media (including this story at the Washington Post).

I’d like to take a few moments to say that while the student certainly made effective use of his katana that a katana isn’t exactly the ideal home defense weapon. Here’s why: it’s a really big weapon indoors. Outdoors (where, according to some accounts the confrontation took place, others putting it in the house or in a garage), a katana is a fine weapon. Its length, edge, and relatively lightness (compared to heavier European swords or even older Japanese tachi swords) make it a formidable amplifier, and against a skilled practitioner, it’s extremely hard to overcome.

Indoors…

You see the general problem. Unless you’ve had a great deal of practice using a sword indoors, chances are your home, apartment, or office will be working against you with a weapon designed for use on a battlefield.

Please accept these bits of unsolicited advice from a guy who’s practiced with swords a lot and studied self defense a lot:

1. If someone’s in your home and you have the option to do so, run like hell and call the police. No piece of property is worth risking your life for, and virtually everything except maybe sentimental items can be replaced.

2. If running like hell isn’t an option, get yourself and anyone else you care about together inside, lock and bar an interior room, and call the police.

3. If you have no other choice, meaning that either someone you love or you are directly in harm’s way with no other resort, then and only then should you attempt confrontation, and probably not with a sword unless you’ve got nothing else or you’ve got an awful lot of training under your belt. That can of fake lavender air freshener or toilet cleaner under your sink will probably work better to confuse and disorient a home invader long enough to let you escape, rather than a sword.

Other views will differ, of course, but at least in what we teach at the Boston Martial Arts Center, your very best bet is always self preservation, escape and evasion, then defensive tactics, then as a last resort, offensive tactics. Not only does this order of priorities give you the best chance of coming out of a self defense situation safely, but it also is most likely to protect you legally if the case goes to court. If, in your testimonial, you explain to the authorities, the judge and jury, and legal counsel that you made every effort to escape and evade, to defend, and only when you were given no other choice and you believed serious or mortal harm was imminent did you take a life, you are likely to be cleared of any charges of excessive force.

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http://twitter.com/msanford Michael Sanford

Sage advice, Sensei.

I suspect that your last paragraph's addition of legal advice will probably cause more people to think twice than the photographs will.
Hittman

A can of air freshener might work. A can of Easy Off Oven Cleaner *will* work.
http://twitter.com/msanford Michael Sanford

Sage advice, Sensei.

I suspect that your last paragraph's addition of legal advice will probably cause more people to think twice than the photographs will.
Hittman

A can of air freshener might work. A can of Easy Off Oven Cleaner *will* work.
chrisgriffith

What about self defense with a nail file?
http://www.ChristopherSPenn.com Christopher S. Penn

You have the right and obligation to defend yourself with whatever you can. I'm not saying NOT to defend yourself, just that a katana is probably not the most ideal tool. For the average untrained person, getting to minimal competent proficiency with a firearm will likely take less time than with a sword, especially if you use a shotgun loaded with non-wall-penetrating ammunition, like birdshot.

I would encourage anyone and EVERYONE to learn at least the basics of self defense, both armed and unarmed. It's a good thing to know, and at the very, very least, at least you'll probably get a few decent workouts out of it.
chrisgriffith

I now feel compelled to buy a katana, just to say I have one.
http://www.ChristopherSPenn.com Christopher S. Penn

If you seriously want one, I recommend the Hanwei/Paul Chen Practical Katana line. They're made to be actually used, rather than for decoration. I'd also strongly, strongly recommend enrolling in a school that can teach you how to safely use it.
http://socialbutterflyguy.com/ DJ Waldow

Chris – I'm going to make the leap to Social Media on this one. Basically, your Samurai sword home defense example got me thinking…

Maybe it *is* about the (SM) tools we use. Hmmm.

Wonderful post. Juices flowing.

DJ Waldow
Director of Community, Blue Sky Factory
@djwaldow
http://www.ChristopherSPenn.com Christopher S. Penn

It is about the tools to a lesser degree. It is about skill to a greater degree. The right tool for the right job, yes. The right training to make the tool effective in the job, more so.
chrisgriffith

What about self defense with a nail file?
http://www.ChristopherSPenn.com Christopher S. Penn

You have the right and obligation to defend yourself with whatever you can. I'm not saying NOT to defend yourself, just that a katana is probably not the most ideal tool. For the average untrained person, getting to minimal competent proficiency with a firearm will likely take less time than with a sword, especially if you use a shotgun loaded with non-wall-penetrating ammunition, like birdshot.

I would encourage anyone and EVERYONE to learn at least the basics of self defense, both armed and unarmed. It's a good thing to know, and at the very, very least, at least you'll probably get a few decent workouts out of it.
chrisgriffith

I now feel compelled to buy a katana, just to say I have one.
http://www.ChristopherSPenn.com Christopher S. Penn

If you seriously want one, I recommend the Hanwei/Paul Chen Practical Katana line. They're made to be actually used, rather than for decoration. I'd also strongly, strongly recommend enrolling in a school that can teach you how to safely use it.
http://socialbutterflyguy.com/ DJ Waldow

Chris – I'm going to make the leap to Social Media on this one. Basically, your Samurai sword home defense example got me thinking…

Maybe it *is* about the (SM) tools we use. Hmmm.

Wonderful post. Juices flowing.

DJ Waldow
Director of Community, Blue Sky Factory
@djwaldow
http://www.ChristopherSPenn.com Christopher S. Penn

It is about the tools to a lesser degree. It is about skill to a greater degree. The right tool for the right job, yes. The right training to make the tool effective in the job, more so.
http://thebrandbuilder.wordpress.com olivierBlanchard

Great illustrations, Chris. You could just thrust though. A smooth quick extension to the throat or groin, and your troubles are over. But… then you would have a really big mess to mop up. That means new carpet or flooring, having to repaint the walls and the ceiling… And then there's the risk of contamination if any of your assailant's blood gets on you. None of these things are very nice.

So I have a better solution:

Chihuahuas are very compact, completely self-powered, 100% motivated, and capable of coordinating attacks on their own. I highly recommend keeping 2-3 of them around the house as a) an early warning system and b) the centerpiece of your home defense system. They can distract an intruder and even trip them up, and I have seen some chihuahua bites actually break the surface of the skin (almost painful on the ankle bone).

Just a thought.
http://thebrandbuilder.wordpress.com olivierBlanchard

Great illustrations, Chris. You could just thrust though. A smooth quick extension to the throat or groin, and your troubles are over. But… then you would have a really big mess to mop up. That means new carpet or flooring, having to repaint the walls and the ceiling… And then there's the risk of contamination if any of your assailant's blood gets on you. None of these things are very nice.

So I have a better solution:

Chihuahuas are very compact, completely self-powered, 100% motivated, and capable of coordinating attacks on their own. I highly recommend keeping 2-3 of them around the house as a) an early warning system and b) the centerpiece of your home defense system. They can distract an intruder and even trip them up, and I have seen some chihuahua bites actually break the surface of the skin (almost painful on the ankle bone).

Just a thought.
http://www.ChristopherSPenn.com Christopher S. Penn

The question is, will Yum Brands be a subsidiary income source from them?
http://www.ChristopherSPenn.com Christopher S. Penn

The question is, will Yum Brands be a subsidiary income source from them?
http://www.kravmaga.ph/ James

Great sword for home self defense. Its great to learn some form of self-defense especially if you are living with all girls house.
http://www.kravmaga.ph/ James

Great sword for home self defense. Its great to learn some form of self-defense especially if you are living with all girls house.
http://www.kravmaga.ph/ James

Great sword for home self defense. Its great to learn some form of self-defense especially if you are living with all girls house.
Rich

My personal preferences: a wakizashi with a 21″ blade and a katana-sized tsuka (handle) – possible to use 2-handed, but easier blade length to use in tight quarters – and a tanto with an 11″ blade, razor edge, and needle-sharp point. I use these when my kids are here (I share custody of them every other week with my ex), as the walls of my house are so thin (1×2 studs and thin wallboard, rather than 2×4′s and drywall – older, cheap kit house) that even “non penetrating” ammo could blast right through them. My state has a “castle doctrine” law – I am under no duty to retreat from a criminal, ANYPLACE I have any business being (not just my home), and further laws preventing the criminal or the criminals family from suing me if the crook is injured or killed.
Shadowcompany

My preference is a firearm and a cellphone first if I am unable to flee, preferably a 12 gauge shotgun while sequestered in the “safe room” with the wife and kiddies calling the police on the cell. However, a short sword like a Naval Dirk, Wakazashi, Gladius, Kopis or a Castile would be a good backup weapon. The shorter blades being better indoors and maneuverable and a sword also would have an intimidation factor, especially if the assailant(s) are not armed with firearms which is quite common, In fact many robbers/burglars are either armed with blunt weapons like car jacks, clubs of various types or small edged weapons like pocket knives. Many times when a confrontation with a homeowner takes place the homeowner or assailant end up wounded or killed by items lying around the house or kitchen like kitchen knives or bludgeoned with a lamp or some other household item? So if the homeowner is armed with and knows how to use a weapon designed for defending one’s self then your already a step ahead of some of the bad guys! I prefer a sword with the ability to thrust with as well as slash. I also prefer a double edge to a single one simply because I feel the additional sharp edge gives one more of a chance at wounding the assailant and prevents a grab at the weapon, though I wouldn’t grab a katana or wakazashi either unless you want to lose your fingers? In a self defense scenario, skill from practice and repetition as well as the ability to maintain your wits about you with adrenalin surging through your system are things which will help you survive. Thats why you want to practice and rehearse as much as possible so that your actions become automatic under stress because when under the stress of a home invasion or an assailant attacking you it becomes impossible to form higher thought because of fear and adrenalin and thats when training kicks in. It’s hard to imagine the feeling unless you have been assaulted or faced an adversary with a weapon either shooting at you or threatening to kill you? Hopefully you live in a state with a strong “castle doctrine” which allows one to defend their person and property with deadly force if necessary without having to retreat? Otherwise in addition to being assaulted by some no good scumbag intent on harming yourself and your family you are assaulted by the law again after rightfully defending yourself! Anyway I hope you never have to worry about defending yourself from some miscreants, however if you do then maybe some of these tips will be of use to you? God Bless!