Flash blind self defense effectiveness?

OK, I’ve just gone along and tested this on myself with my Manker U11 in strobe. I’m barely able to make out the keys I’m hitting right now due to after image. Are we able to agree that even 1000 lumens is a hell of a lot of light, especially if blasted in your face from 1 meter away. I can imagine it would be quite disorientating, but not incapacitating. It’ll buy you a second or two to make an escape or reach for a better weapon.

No idea why Nitecore would make such a video. It’ll never have such a reaction on an assailant.

Take on multiple enemies. Tackle and grapple!

And should that fail, bust out your BJJ

Humor aside, there is this: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?356772-Police-Study-of-tactical-use-of-Strobe

Wait, those videos are actually from Nitecore?
Man I thought they were satirical LOL

A Convoy S series makes a great fist load or kubotan .

About the best to expect is 1/2 to 2 seconds of stunning with a temporary loss of decent night vision if it’s dark. A good camera flash does just as well if they’re not blinking. A strobe can trigger a seizure if they have epilepsy but that’s variable and unlikely in an attacker. Real knife fights ain’t like that vid- the overhead plunge only works in showers at the Bates Motel :smiling_imp:

Phil

SCS, that’s a good article.

BTW, don’t ever hit anyone in the head with a heavy light. I’m thinking Maglight here. That can be fatal and probably not why you used a light instead of lethal force. Instead, to inflict pain there are the shins, elbows and above, and such. For more severe blows there is the sternum and solar plexus, impacted with the narrow end of the light to concentrate the force. To take someone out of the action for a month or so break the collarbone. If they don’t get the message by breaking one there is a 2nd one. That renders both arms useless. At that point you probably have their attention. If not there are other body parts, knee caps and such. But not the head; never the head, you probably don’t want a potential murder charge, it can get very expensive to defend against that. Of course you’re on your own with doing any of what I suggest. You need to obey the laws where you live and take any of the consequences for anything that you do.

+ 1

If you have a plan for stopping him, and the weapon to do it, then blinding/disorienting an attacker for 2 or 4 seconds makes sense, other than that, then no.

A rough guy will flinch and then recover, to go back to finishing his crime, unless you use those seconds to end the crime.

It wouldn’t be very clever of car manufacturer’s if that was possible.

Car headlights are dipped and you don’t get close enough in the direct beam of the light.

A strong light pointed directly in the eye would temporarily make it difficult to see objects clearly,but do you want to hang around to give it a go or just simply get out of there as quick as possible?

It’s just a theory - personally I think that blinding attacker with let’s say 500lumens should give a second to kick his balls or perform other type of defense. While blinded it’s much more difficult to see and block what’s incoming.
Blinding and running away - I can’t imagine how it could work.

A green or blue laser, in the range of a couple of watts? :smiley:

i got 3 of those lol- though i dont wanna do that unless i have too

Yes , a correctly powered 445nm flashing in someones’ eyes would really be blinding !
With the violet/blue spots swirling around even in their closed eyes after a jolt from it.
Really either the 532nm greens or 445nm blues with the right amount of m/W’s or Watts
can do the job. It would take someones’ eyes a while to recover. That’s depending on the
amount they got caught with.

Do things like this really work in situations like these?

Interesting i think a strobe could help you get away by distracting the attackers they may not be able to see for a few seconds maybe even 10-15 seconds i have many times shinned the light in my own eyes. it does work! it is hard to see. But then what? If you have a gun its great it gives you enough time to aim and shoot if need be. If you are unarmed you may have a head start of running or if you want to risk it you could attack them back. But not a major advantage. In a situation where you light up an Alleyway and see some one from a few hundred meters away then it is handy you know not to go there.

A flashlight by itself is useless. The defender must back it up with a sufficient level of aggression and coordinated counterattacks to have any success in defending himself or herself against a committed barehanded attacker. Against a committed knife wielding attacker, especially one that has gotten a jump on you, even a gun may be useless. Get training, stay alert, carry a knife and/or gun if you can; use the flashlight as a last resort, but don’t make a plan of it.

Earlier this morning, for no reason at all, I watched a bunch of bear and tiger attack videos on Youtube, and now I can’t stop thinking about “What would a bear or a tiger do?” Pull a knife on either one in the parking lot and see what happens…They don’t need a gun or a flashlight to hold their own…Kinda humbling.