In a previous post, I discussed why a tactical flashlight is a good choice for an all-around flashlight. In this post, I’ll discuss the specific use of a flashlight in combat.
The first use of a tactical flashlight in combat is simply to provide illumination. Many self-defense situations occur at night, and if you can’t see something, you can’t respond to it. This application is fairly obvious.
The second use of a tactical flashlight in combat is to blind and disorient an opponent. Tactical flashlights are designed to be powerful enough to consistently blind a person whose eyes are adjusted to darkness at the short distances where self-defense situations often occur. Depending on the specifics of the situation, the burst of light may cause the person to see spots even after the flashlight is no longer applied. This use of the flashlight has the additional advantage of being completely non-lethal. Frankly, you can’t even be charged with a crime for flashing someone in the eyes, as you might be with other less-lethal defense tools like mace or a stun gun.
Finally, tactical flashlights can be used as direct hand-to-hand weapons. When held in the fist, similar to the old “roll of pennies,” they increase the effect of punches. Although the flashlight doesn’t add much weight to the fist, even a light-weight cylindrical object increases the effect of the punch by causing the fist to be more rigid and deform less on contact. Additionally, some flashlights have what’s called a “strike bezel,” in which the bezel of the flashlight has a scalloped edge. This presents some edges to concentrate the force if a person is struck by the bezel itself.
Of the three uses, I find the second one to be the most interesting and the least obvious. At first, a flash in the eyes from a bright light might not sound like much of a combat advantage, but the effect should not be underestimated. When the flash is unexpected, it can stall an aggressor. The blinding effect further degrades the aggressor’s ability to act effectively. A flashlight, by itself, will probably not end a fight, but it can provide just enough of an advantage, just enough of a window of response to do something else, like subdue the person with hand-to-hand techniques, or make a run for it.
The real beauty of a tactical flashlight is its fundamental innocuousness. In a dark environment, nobody will even think twice about a person carrying a flashlight. You won’t draw attention from the cops like you might with some other weapon, and flashlights are legal to carry pretty much everywhere. While rangering at Alchemy this year, I regularly had my flashlight in my hand during interactions with un-ticketed people who I was ejecting from the event. I doubt that it drew much suspicion. It’s night-time! Of course you’ve got a flashlight! Because relatively few people are aware of tactical flashlights, I was probably the only one who knew that the flashlight was one defensive option if a situation turned violent.
And let’s not forget that, unlike some single-purpose defensive tools like guns, a flashlight is useful all the other 99.9% of the time when you’re not defending yourself.
