The prospect of having to defend yourself against any type of physical attack is harrowing, to say the least. In an ideal world, we would all be safe and never have to think of this, but, as we all know, physical assaults can happen, and often do.

As law-abiding citizens, most of us would not want to carry a large knife with us or keep a loaded firearm in our house, although, as I know from first-hand experience, in some parts of certain countries, this is a daily necessity.

So, what have I got at home that might help me to defend myself, in the event of someone breaking into my property and threatening my safety? What can I legally and safely use or carry when I am out? Here are a few ideas which might help to keep you just that little bit safer and still within the law in most places.

Never underestimate the potential of a broom. It can create distance between yourself and an assailant, the bristles can be used to attack the eyes, causing intense pain, the tip of the handle can be used to strike nerve points or soft tissues, buying you time to call for help or make an escape.

An extension cord comes with a handy plug on one end, in some countries the plug is quite heavy and can inflict some damage when swung with force. The pins can be thrust into nerve points or soft tissue and the cord can be used to tie up limbs or deflect blows.

A hairbrush, raked across the eyes, can cause sufficient discomfort to give you time to follow up with a more effective strike, before making to escape.

A magazine, rolled tightly, can function as a highly effective weapon if the base is jabbed with vigour into an assailant’s vital points.

The edges or corners of your cell phone, wielded correctly, can cause considerable damage. It’s worth risking damage to your favourite device if it could save your life!

Hairspray or deodorant spray, perhaps a fire extinguisher? These can all temporarily blind or at least disorientate an attacker.

This video demonstrates the use of pepper spray. Although deodorant is not as powerful, it can still be effective enough to give you the seconds you need to run away.

Carrying a miniature baton (such as a Kubotan) is illegal in some countries, but if it takes the form of a solid aluminium cylinder, or even a tube, drilled to become a keyring, and it is no more than six inches long, it’s probably hard for authorities to argue that it is a weapon. It can be amazingly effective if used to strike sensitive parts of the body, or nerve points. Curled up in the ball of your fist, it can make an effective knuckle duster by supporting the fingers when punching.

Get your Kubotan here.

Although it is not something that people tend to use much, until they reach a certain stage in life, a hooked walking stick can be a great self-defence tool. The art of Barritsu is worth investigating if you want some ideas in this regard. Escrima, a system from the Philippines, is also worth investigating in this regard as some of the principles would apply.

And what about an umbrella? The more expensive types with a hooked handle and a metal tipped point come to mind. Aside from the uses they both might present in a self-defense situation, opening an umbrella in an attacker’s face can be a great distraction and a prelude to a pre-emptive, defence strike.

As a final thought, I’m not proud to admit that I had a friend many years ago who liked to test his advanced Karate knowledge and street fighting skills by picking fights, often with more than one person at a time. He typically won, and he had a secret weapon, he could remove his leather belt very rapidly and use the heavy buckle to deliver debilitating blows. He could use it to party punches, tangle up an opponent’s limbs and ward off broken bottles and knives by wrapping it around his forearm.