Kubotan is a simple yet powerful self defense key chain which is also referred to as Kubotan or Kobutan by others. It was developed by Takayuki Kubota as a tool for police officers used to restrain suspects without inflicting permanent injury on them. The popularity of the use of Kobutan began during the early 1970’s when the developer, Kubota brought the weapon to the presence of the LAPD simultaneously with the initial schooling of female officers included in the program. 

Etymology of the Word

The work kubotan came from two terms namely “Kubota”, who is the designer of the instrument and “baton”, from which the design may have been patterned.

Composition and Dimensions of the Kubotan

The traditional kubotan is composed of a high-impact plastic rod which is made from Lexan approximately 5.5 inches long and .56 inch in diameter.  It is further lined with six round groves that are designed to give the handler an additional grip plus a functional screw eye with a split ring at the end where one can attach keys. The tip of the kubotan may either be pointed or flat depending on the manufacturer. 

At present there are other variations and designs being sold in the market. Some are made from aluminum alloy while others even have spikes, blades, hidden darts and even tear gas which are probably patterned from ninja models.  Nevertheless, these types of models cannot be classified as the generic self defense keychain sticks (SDKS). 

Principle and Concept of Use

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.

For others who may not be aware of pressure points, the best moves you can make with a Kubotan are the use of swinging strikes. It does not require any memorization of specific strikes and targets except for the need to remember to poke soft tissues, strike bones and pressure points.

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.