What do housewives and criminals have in common?
According to weapons expert Ray Floro, an assailant can use almost any household item to achieve their end but, unlike the dedicated homemaker, this has nothing to do with removing mould from bathroom walls.
Coins and credits cards, socks and pillow cases, pens and newspapers… pretty much anything can be turned into a weapon of attack or self-defence – as long as we know how to use it. What great fodder for a writer!
Ray was one of many presenters to inform and entertain writers at this year’s Bundaberg WriteFest. He showed us how a toothbrush can be turned into a sharpened weapon, how coins can become a sledgehammer punch, even how mags and newspapers can be used as batons.
He said the key to wielding weapons was Concealment and Speed/Method of Deployment. Check out some of Ray’s fascinating clips on YouTube, including:
Wish I’d been there. Sounds intriguing. Makes you a bit scared what can be done with something simple like a pen or credit card. How can coins be used as a weapon, though?
Wrap them in a sock or a pillow (or fill the pillow with other heavy objects) – becomes a mace. Or wrap a series of coins together (like a coin roll in the 1950s) and hide them in your fist – adds weight to your punch. CD
PS: That’s not self-defence advice, just demonstrating what our characters might be able to utilise in our work-in-progress!
Wow, amazing stuff! Thanks fr sharing!
It was great not only for improving action scenes in our writing but also for self-defence tips. He showed us how using little force with simple movements (and basic weapons) can be deadly. Learning about choke holds was interesting 😉 His personal anecdotes were both humorous and shocking – an ideal presenter.
Ray was awesome! Learnt a lot about what happens in real combat and will most definitely make writing a fight scene a lot more credible. I have a lot more respect for a rolled up magazine.
Ray was quite a character, but his teachings were quite invaluable. A good insight, overall, into the world of conflict.
Note to self: Don’t mess with this chap.
It’s really helped me!