Don’t You Dare Touch My Asp!

By Kellene Bishop

When I tell women in my self-defense class about my 2^nd favorite weapon, my Asp, inevitably they wonder what crass thing I’ve just said.  Nope.  I’m not talking about one of my body parts.  But I am talking about a weapon that serves as a great appendage.  As such, I strongly advise you don’t touch my Asp. 🙂

While an Asp requires a closer encounter than firearm, it is not easily seen by an attacker as it’s coming against their skull—especially in the dark.  (I strongly recommend that you obtain a black one, and not one of the silver ones that I’ve seen.)  And if it does come into contact with any of their body parts in the name of self-defense, they’ll truly be sorry that you messed with the holder thereof.  

In the event that one of my self-defense firearms is unavailable, I will indeed go for my Asp.  In some instances, I even carry the Asp in a baton holder on my gun belt, though I usually carry it concealed in my purse.  Even though it does add more weight to my handbag, I simply can’t leave home without it.  I truly do value it second only to my firearms for self-defense.  

An Asp is a metal telescoping baton.  It starts out only about 6 inches long, usually with a moisture resistant (foam) grip, and when flicked deliberately it extends to about 16 inches long (sizes vary depending on the model and can go as long as 31 inches long when extended).  One deliberate strike of the extended Asp to the head, the wrist, the knee cap, or the nose will indeed cause excruciating pain and typically broken bones.  In some instances it can be a deadly weapon. 

Even without the telescoping feature, a firmly gripped Asp in the palm of your hand will emphasize any strike to the face or throat in a self-defense scenario—kind of like the impact of brass knuckles—only much cooler and less gaudy.  🙂  

Ideal strike zones for the Asp are the head (front, side or back), nose, collar bone, wrist, knee cap, and forearm.  Just as the use of a firearm for self-defense requires the threat of imminent death or serious physical damage, so does the use of an Asp.  In other words, you don’t bring it out just to threaten someone with it.  You bring it out to defend your life or someone else’s.

The most effective way to strike with an Asp is using short, deliberate strike movements.  Don’t bring it wide towards your target.  You won’t need that much power, and wide strikes only give more warning to your attacker.  Contrary to foolish instructions on other blogs, you don’t want to strike with an Asp from over your head, beyond the back of your shoulders, or from your side.  If you poise yourself much like a boxer, with one hand protecting your face and the other holding the Asp at about a eleven o’ clock to 1 o’clock position, simply bring the Asp forward in a circular, vertical movement.  Not in a baseball bat movement.

The manufacturers of the Asp offer extensive training classes and there are several certified instructors through out the U.S.  You must be at least 18 years of age to purchase an Asp.  I prefer the foam grip in the event that my palms are sweaty or that there’s blood involved.  I don’t want my grip control compromised.  

It’s important to note that possession of an Asp is not legal in all states.  Some states require a concealed handgun/weapon permit in order to carry an Asp.  You’ll need to check with the laws in your state.  

So now that you are well aware of the power of this weapon, don’t you dare touch my asp! 

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved.  You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.