How to Hold Your Keys for Self Defense

Co-authored by Adrian Tandez

Last Updated: February 3, 2021 References

Self-defense is something that most people hope they never need to resort to. It’s also something that everyone should know how to use if it comes down to it. When you’re walking alone to your car or your home and you start to feel uneasy, your keys can be used as a self-defense weapon if necessary. You can hold a key like a knife and use it to stab and slash at an assailant’s weak points or grip them with a hammer fist and smash a key into an attacker’s face and head to fend them off. Remember not to rely only on your keys if you find yourself in a bad situation. Punch, elbow, kick, scream, and do anything else you can to get away and get safe.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Using a Key Like a Knife

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Hold a key as you normally would to unlock a door. Grip the key with your index finger curled underneath it and your thumb pressing down firmly on top of it. Curl your bottom 3 fingers around any other keys or objects on your keychain.^{[1]
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- Since this grip is the same way you would normally hold a key to open your car door or the door to your home, you can just walk while holding onto your key like this. You’ll be ready for self-defense if necessary and can unlock your door quickly when you arrive.
Warning: Never hold your keys between your knuckles and try to punch with them. This is an ineffective way to hold your keys for self-defense that can even end up injuring your hand.^{[2]
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Stab your key at an assailant’s eyes, throat, and groin if you are attacked.^{[3]
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Expert Source

Adrian Tandez
Self Defense Trainer
Expert Interview. 24 July 2019.} Hold onto your key firmly and stab it forcefully at any of these vulnerable areas that you can reach on someone who is attacking you as a first defensive move. Don’t let go of your keys and don’t stop defending yourself until you get away.^{[4]
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- You can combine this with other self-defense moves, such as a front kick. For example, you can stab your assailant in the eye with your key, then kick them in the groin and run away.
- If someone grabs you from behind, you can use your key to stab at their arms and hands to get them to let go.
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Slice the key back and forth across an attacker’s face as a secondary move. Move your key back and forth all across your attacker’s face in long slicing motions. Try to slice their eyes to stun them.^{[5]
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- If you can’t reach an assailant’s face, you could also slice your key across other vulnerable areas like the backs of their hands.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Defending Yourself with a Hammer Grip

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Hold a key in your fist so that it’s sticking out the bottom. Place your keys in your palm so that 1 key is sticking out at a 90-degree angle to your pinky finger. Close your fingers in a tight fist around your keys and press your thumb down firmly on top of your index finger.^{[6]
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- This is known as a hammer grip. You can also use this grip to turn other items like pens or pencils into effective self-defense weapons.
- You can stack 2-3 keys on top of each other in a hammer grip if you want, so there are more points sticking out from the bottom of your fist.
Tip: You can combine this technique with the knife grip method. Position 1 key inside your palm so that it sticks out from the bottom of your closed fist and pinch another key between your index finger and thumb. That way, you have keys that you can strike an attacker with at 2 different angles.
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Smash an assailant in the head using the key if they attack you. Hammer your attacker in vulnerable spots like the face and eyes with the bottom of your fist. The key sticking out from the bottom of your fist will stab them wherever you smash your fist into their head.^{[7]
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- Places like the eye and the face are the most vulnerable, but you can go for other spots on their head if you can’t reach their face. For example, hitting them in the ears or the back of the neck can also be effective.
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Slash across an attacker’s face in an “X” pattern for another defensive move. Scrape the bottom of your fist with the key sticking out of it across your assailant’s face like you’re drawing an “X.” The key will slice and hurt them to stun them and help you get away.^{[8]
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- You can also use your fist to punch your assailant after slashing them with your key. For example, drag the bottom of your fist with the key from top left to bottom right across their face, then smash them in the nose with your fist.

Warnings

Don’t put your keys between your knuckles for self-defense. They can cut or otherwise hurt your hand in this position, which can cause you to drop them and make your strikes weaker because of the pain.^{[12]
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Don’t keep your car keys with the keys to your home. That way, if a criminal gets your car keys, they won’t have the keys to your home as well.^{[13]
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