Kubatons are Trash and People Who Carry Them Can't Fight 

After testing five of these things the only one so far that is halfway decent is the Cold Steel Mini Koga SD2 (affiliate link): amzn.to/2PzV9G9

My mom has one of those too but her's had a cool vibrating feature...

Since I take down my opponents with a trident and net I have much lesser interactions with muggers but more with police and mental hospital personel.

I was infantry combat Nam, Close Quarter Combat Instructor Iraq War, and MMA Instructor 10 years. I really like your channel and generally agree with what you say. However, I just wanted to let you know that we had several women who were instructors or students in our women's self defense classes knock down and get away from attackers by striking them across the face with their keys dangling from their kubaton key chains.

I used one of these in a fight in high-school. I used it as an equalizer when I threw punches and hit the guy in the side of the neck with it. It worked pretty good to say the least. Better than nothing. I also smashed a full coke can into a guy's face once too. Also worked pretty well. I'm no fighting expert but i would rather have anything in my hands than be empty handed. Sure there are better weapons to have.

I know my comment will go no where, but I thought I would try. Kubotans were developed by a guy named Kubota, a Japanese guy, to help cops leverage people out of cars with pressure point stuff. As is the case a lot of times, what cops use and their force continuum is not 1-for-1 with civilians. The one that you liked best from Cold Steel isn't' based on the kubotan, it's based on the "dulo-dulo" from Filipino Martial arts. The best guy I know that does dulo stuff is Rick Faye in Minnesota. The dulo-dulo (which means "point-point") is meant to be squarely between empty hand and knife skills - which means that you need to know something to make it work. I know only a handful of people in the U.S. that I would trust to teach someone the dulo - which means there's a lot of derp out there about this. If you want to train it, get 1" PVC pipe with rounded ends and glue that up. You only want half-inch to three-quarter inches out either side of your hand (which means you'll need different size dulos for different sized people). But everything you said was right to a point: if you don't have empty-hand skills, the dulo (or the kubotan if you're using it ballisticly) won't work. It's not magic. If you have some knife skills, you can just target different places with it. I'm sure this won't change your mind, but i thought i would comment anyway. It's a force-multiplier. In the Philippines, they give dulos to school kids because men and women carry knives. Love you channel, even when we disagree.. Love how you pressure test and try to keep things real.

No weapon works well for a person who doesn't know how to fight or use weapons. That's what knowledge and practice is for.

"With this flashlight, I can find my kubotan when I drop it." Pepsi thru nose laughing!!! :D

I like how the bald guy always seems to get a little too close when swinging or demonstrating the weapons and the other guy always looks a little uncomfortable with it.

“...something with a little more girth on it, that I can hold onto.” You sound like my ex girlfriend.

As someone who's done some Judo, Jiu-Jitsu and now Kickboxing (all together about 10 years), I do like Kubotans. We've messed around with them a little bit, and we found two practical usages: 1) If you have a lot of space, as some sort of "extended long guard". Be 100% defensive, target the opponents hands and knuckles (or even shins against certain kicks) and keep your distance. Try "sparring" this way with a blunt wooden stick and you'll see how much it sucks to be the attacker. 2) If the opponent is close enough, hits to the scull. I've allowed my partner to hit me with less then 10% power... You won't believe how painful this is. A Kubotan *should not* be attached to a key. I just carry one loosely in my Jacket (aware that I'm never going to use it). The reason why I chose a Kubotan over other self defense gadgets: - Legal in Germany. - Very small, light and cheap. - I could still Kickbox when I hold a Kubotan. I once even visited a course on how to use Kubotans, which included pressure points, but I think that this would be *completely unreliable* under stress. And as you said correctly: If you can't fight, it is practically useless.

Man, you really do yourself a disservice by speaking with such great authority and generalizations about something you apparently know little about. ANY defensive tool takes competent training, tactics and common sense. A kubotan is not just an impact tool…

"My problem isn't the band Korn it's the people who like them" Me: I like Korn....

I'm honestly just waiting for the next buckler shield video.

0:37 that's a great korn impression honestly...

Every weapon has a specific application, some the application window can be very small. And all weapons require training/practice to use competently.

I'm glad you touched on the fundamental flaw with any weapon application and that is user error or neglect of open hands skills. Love your content .

“The guy wearing 5.11 pants, who spends too much time in the gun store.” I feel personally attacked! Even though I didn’t know what a kubaton was either.

bottom line: if you do not know how to use weapons, you can't do shit with them. That's why I always carry a chair with me. More practical, too.😋

When I started out in law enforcement in the early 80's I went to a 3 day training seminar hosted by Master Kubota. When I finished 3 days later, my wrist hurt like it had been broken. A kubotan isn't meant for striking, it was designed for control holds, most of which are on the wrist and hands. For years, I used it quite a bit for car extractions.

I've always thought of a Kubotan as a training weapon. Like you'd use it to assist learning a wristlock, for the extra leverage. It helps identify exactly where to apply pressure, so that you can do it better in a real situation unarmed. Your main point, that someone needs to know how to fight, is spot on. It's a lever and striking surface, it's to assist your unarmed techniques. It's not a "weapon" in its own right that just anyone can pick up and use.

I think alot of people carry kubatons and other selfdefencestuff as protective amulets rather than actual weapons "ohh I have my kubaton on my keychain so Im okey", "ohh I have a taser somewhere in my bag so nothing can happen to me"

There is an additional problem in Canada, where we don't have the right to self defense: you can be charged just for carrying an object as a weapon. A kubaton is a weapon and only a weapon, but flashlights and tactical pens have plausible deniability.

Huge drawback of weapons like these ( also techniques self defence courses teach) is how people underestimate the amount of psychological power and will you need to have in order to pick someone eye or crush persons face with an item

The weapon is called a yawara . The weapon is for soft tissue areas. And to push your knuckles forward to make your punch strong in close combat conditions. The information can be used for many over forms of weapons.

Honestly the only reason I have a kubaton (I guess, technically, a wooden yawara) at all is because I can't carry a knife or firearm at my workplace, but otherwise it stays at home because of the usefulness of other implements. It's not the best self defense tool, but it is one. Still needs to be practiced with, of course!

Let me see if I got this right I give the kubaton to the attacker they hurt themselves using it I win the fight Ok got it thanks lol

At the begining of the video i was afraid about be angry with you, because i use a kubaton as self defense weapon...but in the end you show the same things that i've tought...this video will bring light for all the kubaton "users" that dont train any other self defense techniques.

I found this channel after I got a cold steel buckler. It's dope to see he still has them around and still has uses for it. Pretty cool.

theres a similar weapon in FMA called a dulo-dulo. Prerequisite is that you already know your footwork, long weapons, knives, and empty hands. Mike makes a great point that in this close a range, knowing grappling is more important. our instructor was very clear that you can really use anything as a weapon ONCE you put the time in actually knowing how to fight.

This isn't a striking or piercing weapon, its used to magnify leverage in holds. Like the nunchaku, this requires way more skill than a standard weapon to use effectively. This weapon is great for breaking joints, if you know how to use it!

I saw this thing for sale i though it was a fancy glass breaker 😆

Mike your camera work and just all around film making has gotten so entertaining. I love to see you getting better at just making videos and I find myself laughing and being sucked in more often with each new video. Keep it up my man, thank you for the amazing free content

it would be interesting to see a video on brass knuckles...they actually have quite a rich history but I never practiced with one

I think a longer object like a mid sized or longer flashlight might be useful because not only can you strike with it, but they are also effective joint lockers if someone tries to grab the weapon or your arm/wrist.

Same concept as guns, it's never the tool, but always the person using it. Practice, discipline, and actually respecting the tools one swears by is more important.

I have one on my keyring; I tuck it in my waist band after training as I have no pockets on my shorts. Also use to misplace my keys a lot. 10/10 would recommend for a keyring and nothing else.

If you were fighting a gerbil, that thing would be like smacking them with a telephone pole though.

People who say “never go to the ground in a street fight” have never been in a street fight because 90 percent of the time it starts with the dude charging you trying to take you to the ground 😂😂😂

I wanted to hear your take on the Kubaton. My take is that the Kubaton was originally intended to get around weapon bans, and it's obsolete for that now. I trained with the original (no key ring, just a small plastic dowel) so that I could improvise a Kubaton from whatever was at hand if necessary. Thirty years ago while working as an unarmed security guard in a large city, a group of six teens were giving me a hard time; I used my Mini Maglite to reinforce a pressure point hold and escorted the leader out of the mall. It was a one-hand technique that was subtle, with the Mini Maglite pressing against that nerve bundle on the side of the elbow joint--I needed my other hand free in case the technique failed, in case the situation continued to escalate. With that flashlight reinforced hold, using minimum pressure, I was able to remove a troublemaker without injuring him. He was larger than I, he had five friends, but that show-off trick short-circuited the situation. Compared to a yawara, the Kubaton had control hold options. Yawara were classified as concealed weapons in California and Hawaii and many places ban the Kubaton, but I found Kubaton training useful for limited situations. As for the spikey novelty items, the keys on the Kubaton, and that Cold Steel revised yawara, they no longer have the original advantage of a Kubaton--it's no longer legal to carry in places banning "all weapons or other dangerous objects." Training is still useful. Can I fight? I'm 65 and out of shape. In a boxing ring, just run around in circles until I get dizzy and fall down. Wrestling--I might have the advantage for 30 seconds--if there are only one or two, if they're not human tanks, if they don't really know what they're doing.

Trying to prove it doesn't work while showing that it works.

I mean, I carry this on duty and it works great. I get someone who’s giving me troubles while I’m trying to get them into my car, I stick this in between their wrist and the cuff and boom, they stop resisting😂I would never use this thing to fight, but it has good uses for some people

My father was a police officer who was extensively trained with a baton, he carries a kubaton, amongst other tools. He basically uses it as a fist pack and, once in a dominant position, as a small joint manipulator.

The Chad Flashlight: +Blinds people +Can be used as a blunt weapon +Can help find your stuff +Lets you be on guard even in the dark +Easy to carry around while looking normal The Virgin Kubaton: -Looks like a toy -Looks weird no matter what you do -It's literally just a blunt pen -Doesn't do anything really useful except ok self defense but seriously just punch or kick you have to get really close to use this thing it's a detriment if you're an actual competent fighter

Dude, I like your videos. I really like the way you test things out, and break down how things will work in different situations. It definitely comes down to your training. If you put a kubotan in the hands of someone that has good fundamentals in Striking, and Grappling, like Muay Thai and Jiu Jitsu, they would probably be pretty effective with it. If you suck at fighting, you’re going to suck with a kubotan. I think some people think it’s going to give them some sort of magical powers or something. I carry a tactical pen, and a knife on a fairly regular basis and still wonder if it’s worth carrying. I think it is because easy to carry, convenient, it has some practical use, and I’ve been training for about 15 years, and have a solid understanding of basic striking and grappling skills under my belt.

0:39 Confirmed, Mike listened to nu metal while playing Marvel vs Capcom in the 90's

When I was in the Military, I had one of these on my Keychain that I bought at a Swap Meet and a Gate Guard tried to confiscated it because it was a "Deadly Weapon". I pulled out my all metal Cross Pen and said "I guess this is a Deadly Weapon too?" There was complete silence and they let me go. After that I stopped carrying it because I realized my pen was actually just as effective and it did not attract negative attention.

I agree, any weapon in untrained hands is nearly useless, or at best inaccurate. That being said, I would rather have one of these than nothing at all. Even a small advantage during an altercation can make a big difference. Hell, John Wick only needed a pencil!

To be honest... i have one, attached to my hey ring. Does a lot of noise when it hits the ground. Useful by that. In self-defense situation... pressure points - atemi - are like kung-fu... nice in films, good on paper... worthless in day to day situation. Got to use kubotan once, hit the guy to the head and to some other places - fast semi-blind strikes - he did let go after few hits, but to be honest it would be useless against someone with a knife or a batton. Well... in the age of global disease you can use it to push buttons in elevator. Good for that.

The real question is, when do we get the streetbeefs where Icy Mike gets to fight a kubaton expert that says he doesn't know anything in the RU-vid comments section?

I'll take this pepsi challenge. Bouncing for 10 years this my favorite tool. I'll show u

NOW I know why I never felt like spending $20 on a 6" x 1/2" piece of aluminum. Been happily carrying pocketknives since the early 70's. Never had to use one on people, but I've murdered a hella lot of cheese and apples.

Also really great breakdown of tactics :D my favorite part of training is breaking down the application and how something could work or fail

I used to have one that looked like the double ended one and it got confiscated by airport security. Obviously you need to learn how to fight first to use a weapon that small weapon effectively, that can really be said about any self-defense weapon.

I got my mother one with a ridged grip and one point years ago. Very narrow tip. Just better than nothing for a small woman who won't use a gun or anything bladed or more weapon-like.

The one with the spikes between the fingers is called tecchu and is often taught in Okinawan Karate and Kobudo. I can see where that particular style could be painful, one wrong strike and the narrow spike drive into the webs of your fingers. I have a lovely wooden set I carry when I jog with one thicker center spike, they're quite comfortable to punch with, even when striking solid objects. But as you said, I have actual fight training and training in Kobudo weapons.

A lot of things are "the worst" when people don't know how to use them. Funny how that works...

Cops: "why are you carrying around a deadly weapon?". Simple dowel, palm-sized, or a roll of coins. Much better less involving you as a possible aggressor.

I have the tacti-cool pen. Yes the thought of it being a weapon is there, but it's WAAAYY down the list of why I carry it. 1. Pen 2. Windlass for improvised tourniquet 3. Glass breaker 4. Any number or random things And as a weapon it's way down my list of weapons. I'd likely find something in the room to use before using the pen if time permits it.

I have the thick Cold Steel ones you're showing. I've trained with them. They are a force multiplier, but like you said you need to know how to fight. You can use a can of corn as a weapon, but you have to know how to fight with it and when u lose it.

The larger one (koga) is probably classified as a Yawara, the implement that the kubotan was based on... . ;)

Thats almost like if one took the grip of a knife and thought "ehhhhh, I'm good".

As a 18 yr golden gloves boxer with 2 yrs on the us navy boxing team i was trained in the use of my kubotan. Now I've haven't practiced with it in years but what I've done is added a couple of key circle links to my key chain and my very heavy metal Kubotan makes a nice small nunchaku. So the Kubotan i use in my fist is also use as a striking weapon for tearing on the side of the face or neck. Outside of the boxing ring with its referee and rules i was taught to win. My father was a us deputy marshal from 1920-60. It was a rougher and more deadlier world back then. Knives weren't the only sharp things being used to cut you. Straight razors, Gillette shaving razors taped to a person's fingers to slap with. So distance can be vital in a fight. I was born in 1960 myself. Fighting bullies was something I had to do because I was small. However, I enjoyed beating them up. The Wolverine is my totem animal.

I want to pick up the though that bluedogguy already pointed out. Tak Kobota worked this out his kubotan as a come along tool for officers. I've carried one for decades both in uniform and in plain clothes. I've moved folks who didn't want to move, and removed folks while they hung onto objects that I needed to get them to let go of. It worked as advertised. It worked as we were trained to apply it. And I never had a excessive force complaint. All that is one officers experience. Yours, Michael de Bethencourt

2:45 All I could think about is if you're trying to smuggle that is Officer: Sir is this a weapon Me: No that's my bug pug

Hahaha omg. At 2:35. The other guy trying not to laugh at "thicker, fatter with more girth"

Why was Mike's Korn impression so good 🤣🤣

I do carry a a kubaton on my Keychain. And I am also a 3rd dan in TKD. I don't swear by it. But it is useful for not losing your keys

Kubatons have saved my life more than once.

I have the new S&W pen version I honestly only use it for a pen because I like the weight of it that's about it.

man. you make laugh so much. just found your channel andre days ago. so happy.

I heard someone say that using a kubaton could also hurt you legally. If you use it for self defense, in court, the other person could say that you were carrying it around with the purpose of hurting someone because that’s really the only purpose of a kubaton. Like a flashlight, that’s used for illumination, and in court you could say that that is what you were using it for, and you ended up using it for self defense. Just a thought.

I don't usually comment on these videos... but in this case I will. I've supplemented my training with the yawara stick, which the kubotan is a variant of. No hate as there is a lot in the video I agree with, just a different point of view. The yawara stick was originally developed by an aging martial artist. I believe he was in his 70's at the time (could be wrong on that) but he no longer had the strength or toughness to defend himself. He developed the yawara stick as something he could always carry with him, got attacked in a parking garage by several younger men and successfully defended himself with it. It was then marketed to the public, but specifically to police officers to assist with takedowns. The kobutan is a variant that was developed in the 1970's when the L.A. police began accepting female recruits. Again, used as a force multiplier when you expect that the people you will be facing are bigger/stronger than you. The tactical pens and flashlights are also variants of the yawara stick. I agree 100% with two points in this video. First, a lot of those variants are ridiculous. Second, if you are going to use a yawara stick, you should already know how to fight. It will do little to help an untrained person and should not be marketed to the average person as a self defense option. Ideally the user will fight with a takedown-based style as there are better options if you want to strike. I practice Japanese Ju Jitsu myself to aid with my police training, with previous experience in kickboxing and similar styles. And while (in all honesty) I don't carry one with me, it does make takedowns against much larger people considerably easier, and I can transfer the techniques when someone starts something while I'm holding my pen or using my (unextended) baton.

Mike we all know that a trident is the best self defense weapon

The one I was looking to buy isn't shaped like any of the ones shown in this video but you confirmed my original thoughts surrounding why I was hesitant to buy one. Thank you

That _Freak On A Leash_ impression tho. 💁 PURE GOLD

Can you and Jason do a video addressing the various methods by which one may smuggle a kubaton? ;)

LOVE this video! And as I usually try to explain my students, the kubotan was "invented" (by Soke Kubota Takayuki) to be a TRAINING TOOL, to simulate similar (and more useful) items everyone has at hand, like pens, flashlights, keys, and pieces of wood or metal found on the ground... But of course, as almost always happens, martial artists misunderstand the meaning of everything, and voilà! We have the kubotan keychain as a self defense tool! -___-

I honestly thought the kubaton was put on a keychain as an emergency way to break windows. I personally prefer the dual seat belt cutter and window breaker for my keychain.

I love how people trash something they don't know how to use.

As a general rule a combatant is at advantage when armed vs unarmed. Period.

It’s like “get away from me I have a small stick! You don’t even know man”

I'm 52 years old I've tried to figure those things out since I was 19. Nobody's ever given me a straight answer except pressure points. Thank you for explaining

"The pen is mightier than the sword." - Jerry Kubaton, the inventor of the flashlightbulbplug, on Cuba, 1963³

I train with Knives and Kubatons since years. It's a good tool to defend yourself and I used it already on duty, you will hurt your opponent really bad. Your thinking is really black and white, don't you think?

I've never seen a modern martial arts gym where some guy pulls out a training Buckler shield used in HEMA. Why does he have that?

I still like to have a few things on me that I can inflict severe pain (and more) on someone. Instead of hitting someone in the back of the head trying to stop them from doing..... I've always got a knife (2-3), flashlight, and some other kind of striking implement on me. I agree that the Kubaton isn't a great weapon..... I've always thought the most important thing you can have is training. I've got to say though.....the background music of Bugs Bunny tracks....is awesome.

Kubaton enhances your hammer strikes and adds weight to your punches but from experience, unless you are already carrying the kubaton in your hand when someone attacks it is pretty useless, pretty much like any self-defense gadget. Nothing is a substitute for some decent hand-to-hand skills. One good thing about the Kubaton is that you can apply the principles to any small stick-like object like a flashlight or a pen.

"nEveR gO to THE GrOounD in a Street fight". 🤣 Where most fights end up at tho. Hahaha

Hey mike i cycle to work and almost everywhere i go , maybe you could make a video on self defence whilst riding a bike.

Something also tells me that those are not legal in all jurisdictions. I've seen what Mace OC spray did to these guys and decided that since I'm neither buff or tough it would be my best option to daily carry as a self defense tool.

6:15 "What sound do you make when you're having sex?" "ah"

"hard to hurt" and the guy gets hurt hundred times with the dumbest self defense weapon hahaha

"If you plan to carry this...never practice with it" the life philosophy of all who carry a kubaton...

This was a very useful and informative video. Thank you. I will continue to work on my running shoe technique.

Just started hand carving some wooden kubotans and was looking up videos on them, this was the first that popped up, and I’m suddenly getting roasted! Love it Am making some fatter ones like the one you said you like more so that made me happy.

The more simple of defense tool the more training you need to be effective with it

2:45 it is a butt plug mike, you just changed the shoppings and tried to do a excuse

i always thought you held that and swung the keys like a small ball and chain mace, then i was told they were for grabbing or attacking pressure points, i tried to carry one once but it was way to bulky so i traded it for a 3 inch bearing scraper it has a nice comfortable wood handle its made by nicholson and leaves a perfect little 3 inch deep triangle wherever you stick it into

the ultimate self defense is the one you can bring anywhere, if an officer askes why you have a weapon on you, "no it's a butt plug officer" :)))