A Kubotan is designed to strike bony surfaces, nerve points and tissue. Thus, the effectiveness of this simple self defense instrument lies in the knowledge and skill of the person who will use it. If done effectively, it has the ability to temporarily paralyze or cause extreme pain to the attacker allowing the individual more time to escape.

The best places to attack when using the kubotan are the stomach, the groin, the solar plexus, the arm, the hip bone, the shin, the collarbone, the kneecap, the ankle and the throat.  An accurate attack on one of these body parts will certainly keep your assailant immobile for quite some time but a more increased power strike may even lead to broken bones on the part of the assailant.

You can never go wrong with any strike using the kubotan. You simply need to hit as hard as you can because the material used in creating the kubotan is sufficient to aid your every blow. Furthermore, if you have attached keys at one end of the kubotan then you can also swing it to the face of the opponent which can scrape into his flesh resulting in extreme pain.