this topic triggers people. i don’t understand what compels them to comment if they find the subject irksome. i feel like a light has a lot of augment factor wrt defense. just don’t understand why this subreddit disagrees so vehemently. i always get downvoted when i say this but i feel like this topic brings out a lot of naysayers so it’s important to have *some* voices that disagree with the zeitgeist
the anti-flashlight-as-self-defense-coven will tell you that you can turbo someone’s retinas with a three quarters of a million candela and it won’t even effect their ability to see for more than a pico second and will only make them a more aggressive combatant.
my experience is that i can’t see for nearly a minute afterwards (and yes, i’ve actually done it; my bb8’ed w3 pro tac straight to the ocular orbs). the idea that a high candela flashlight is only a means to a more motivated assailant just does not track with my, apparently fragile, vision.
¯\(°_o)/¯
but all kidding aside, the attacker will recover enough, quickly, so just be aware of that
————
not that i am advocating using a flashlight as your primary/only means of legal/lawful/moral/ethical self defense
but two things:
1. you want lots of candela not necessarily lumens (ideally both). your goal is to get a lot of light in a smallish area
2. so i’ve thought about how to explain this to someone who doubts that there is any efficacy, at all, of a high candela light in an encounter. grab the flashlight with the highest candela in your collection. put a chair in the middle of a room and turn off all the lights. when your eyes have completely adjusted to the dark take your light and turbo your wide open eyes, and then, without a pause or hesitation, run out of the room as fast as you can.
again, not that i am advocating for using a flashlight as your primary/only means of legal/lawful/moral/ethical self defense
a flashlight for self-defense has its limitations. it can disorient, but it’s not a comprehensive solution. it might be useful as a -supplementary- tool, but it shouldn’t replace other self-defense measures and it’s absolutely not my first pick if other options are available in you region
also keep in mind that it’s a secondary self defense item. training/conditioning would be primary. if you cannot strike effectively with your hands, elbows, legs, knees, and head, or can’t for more than a few seconds, then i’d wager a bludgeon of any kind—even with the potential few seconds a blast of light might provide and the blunt object it represents—isn’t gonna win the day
but it’s still better than nothing.
and as another commenter on this tangent said in another thread, a good light demonstrates a modicum of situational awareness that might reduce the likelihood of an attack to begin with, and it provides the ability to remove the element of surprise in some situations.
that’s a great start for sure and is the primary reason why i always have a “tactical” light on me when i’m out and about, in addition to my edc/admin light.
but wrt my first point; you’d be shocked at how much even a little bit of training and conditioning would exponentially improve your chances; it will definitely enhance your ability to come out the other side without mortal damage in a myriad of scenarios. add a sufficient “tactical” light to the mix and now we’re talking
i carry the bb8’ed w3 pro tac from weltool. i can tell you i *do not* want to get hit in my open eyes with that beast, *again* (i was testing and i had major regrets, lol)
– – – –
eta: also, there are many giant threads about this here and someone posted a yt video of a bouncer making efficient use of a light. every time the dude they were bouncing would start to come at the bouncer the bouncer would keep the light in place and move aside and the dude was postering for a light and not a person.
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this topic triggers people. i don’t understand what compels them to comment if they find the subject irksome. i feel like a light has a lot of augment factor wrt defense. just don’t understand why this subreddit disagrees so vehemently. i always get downvoted when i say this but i feel like this topic brings out a lot of naysayers so it’s important to have *some* voices that disagree with the zeitgeist
the anti-flashlight-as-self-defense-coven will tell you that you can turbo someone’s retinas with a three quarters of a million candela and it won’t even effect their ability to see for more than a pico second and will only make them a more aggressive combatant.
my experience is that i can’t see for nearly a minute afterwards (and yes, i’ve actually done it; my bb8’ed w3 pro tac straight to the ocular orbs). the idea that a high candela flashlight is only a means to a more motivated assailant just does not track with my, apparently fragile, vision.
¯\(°_o)/¯
but all kidding aside, the attacker will recover enough, quickly, so just be aware of that
————
not that i am advocating using a flashlight as your primary/only means of legal/lawful/moral/ethical self defense
but two things:
1. you want lots of candela not necessarily lumens (ideally both). your goal is to get a lot of light in a smallish area
2. so i’ve thought about how to explain this to someone who doubts that there is any efficacy, at all, of a high candela light in an encounter. grab the flashlight with the highest candela in your collection. put a chair in the middle of a room and turn off all the lights. when your eyes have completely adjusted to the dark take your light and turbo your wide open eyes, and then, without a pause or hesitation, run out of the room as fast as you can.
again, not that i am advocating for using a flashlight as your primary/only means of legal/lawful/moral/ethical self defense
a flashlight for self-defense has its limitations. it can disorient, but it’s not a comprehensive solution. it might be useful as a -supplementary- tool, but it shouldn’t replace other self-defense measures and it’s absolutely not my first pick if other options are available in you region
also keep in mind that it’s a secondary self defense item. training/conditioning would be primary. if you cannot strike effectively with your hands, elbows, legs, knees, and head, or can’t for more than a few seconds, then i’d wager a bludgeon of any kind—even with the potential few seconds a blast of light might provide and the blunt object it represents—isn’t gonna win the day
but it’s still better than nothing.
and as another commenter on this tangent said in another thread, a good light demonstrates a modicum of situational awareness that might reduce the likelihood of an attack to begin with, and it provides the ability to remove the element of surprise in some situations.
that’s a great start for sure and is the primary reason why i always have a “tactical” light on me when i’m out and about, in addition to my edc/admin light.
but wrt my first point; you’d be shocked at how much even a little bit of training and conditioning would exponentially improve your chances; it will definitely enhance your ability to come out the other side without mortal damage in a myriad of scenarios. add a sufficient “tactical” light to the mix and now we’re talking
i carry the bb8’ed w3 pro tac from weltool. i can tell you i *do not* want to get hit in my open eyes with that beast, *again* (i was testing and i had major regrets, lol)
– – – –
eta: also, there are many giant threads about this here and someone posted a yt video of a bouncer making efficient use of a light. every time the dude they were bouncing would start to come at the bouncer the bouncer would keep the light in place and move aside and the dude was postering for a light and not a person.
here it is ↦ https://www.reddit.com/r/fightporn/s/DvqD0DmL0r