The Martialist: The Magazine For Those Who Fight Unfairly

“Stay ‘unreasonable.’  If you
don’t like the solutions [available to you], come up with your
own.” 
Dan Webre

The Martialist does not
constitute legal advice.  It is for ENTERTAINMENT
PURPOSES ONLY.

Copyright © 2003-2004 Phil Elmore, all rights
reserved.

DEFENSEBAND

A Product Review by Phil Elmore

I asked Norm if I could choke him with my watch. 
“Sure,” he said.

Greg Thompson’s
DEFENSEBAND struck me
as a little bit… well, James Bond, when I first heard of it.  Without
checking too deeply into the item I thought it was some sort of garotte that
extended from a watch.  I pictured sneaking up behind my enemies, quiet
as a ninja, and strangling them to death with a metal cord attached to the
winder of my wristwatch, then reporting into headquarters on my shoe phone.

As it
turns out, the DEFENSEBAND is not
nearly so silly.  It is, in fact, a fairly straightforward piece of
equipment.  It is used to apply a vascular choke when you’re already
clinched up with someone.  It is a simple piece of Nylon with appropriate
patches of Velcro.  It can be threaded onto the back of any watch (I
found this easy to do and the item ships with complete instructions). 
The band obviously mates best with “sport” style watches.  My sport Timex
looks perfectly at home with the
DEFENSEBAND mounted on it.

Interestingly, the item could also be viewed as a little too covert a
weapon.  A quick search of the Internet turned up a reference to Greg’s
DEFENSEBAND in a Homeland Security

PDF file hosted at the
National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism.  There’s
no doubt that the average street thug, armed with a knowledge of grappling and
a hidden choking tool around his wrist, represents at least marginally more of
a threat than does one without the same tool.

The DEFENSEBAND looks right at home on my sport
watch.

The basic DEFENSEBAND
concept is that it’s easier to apply a vascular choke with some sort of
artificial leverage than it is to do so with only your limbs.  The
DEFENSEBAND does this by providing a
Velcro-secured loop of fabric that you can peel free and use to your advantage
while clinched up with an opponent.

Peeling the band free in the clinch requires some
manual dexterity.

That’s all there is too it.  It’s a simple concept and
should work fairly well, provided you have the time an the manual dexterity to
pull the band free in the clinch.  If you’ve spent any time grappling you
know that there are those moments when neither of you seems to be moving all
that much, but I’ll leave it to you to decide if you have the fine motor
skills you’ll need to pull the band free while fighting.

The DEFENSEBAND ready for action, minus opponent.

The DEFENSEBAND
ships with a fairly comprehensive instruction booklet.  A video is also
available, featuring Greg applying chokes with the product in a variety of
different scenarios.  He speaks with an easy drawl and comes across as
friendly and pleasant.  If the printed instructions leave you feeling a
little confused as to how to apply his product, the video should leave you
feeling confident in your purchase.

Greg Thompson applies a vascular choke in his
instructional video.

This is an inexpensive tool that anyone can keep at hand at all
times.  If you wear a watch, I see no reason you should not wear a
DEFENSEBAND.  Check your local laws,
don’t try to take the band through security checkpoints, and be aware that
attempting any vascular restraint could cause physical injury or even death.

I think this is one of those items that you’re better off
having and not needing than needing and not having.