After a few conversations about striking bezels and the like from a few different sources someone will eventually mention 'options.' Options sound like a good thing, but only if they are relevant. If they are not relevant then they are clutter. They are choices that have to be evaluated, found wanting, and discarded. I am especially weary of 'options' that don't clearly fall in to spot on the law enforcement use of force spectrum.

(You might want to open this for reference.)

Police Officers hitting people with flashlights isn't normally part of a departments use-of-force policy. That is why they are issued batons. Yes, a police officer can hit you with a flashlight to defend his life in a pinch, but generally they should be using their batons in situations where an impact weapon is called for. I may very well be wrong, but I have never in my experience seen where kubotan/yawara sticks/small flashlights fall into the use of force spectrum. That is an unknown. A weaponized flashlight with a striking bezel is another unknown.

Since I am not a police officer why do I care about police use of force? Because if my actions are inline with what a trained police officer would do in the same situation that should make my legal defense much less complicated. I don't think private citizens can be held to the same standard, but meeting or exceeding that standard can't be a bad thing.

Again, you have to do whatever you have to win the physical fight, but if I am going to add a tool to my repertoire I want to know what it is going to do for me. The assets have to exceed the liabilities. I do not carry an ASP baton in the private citizen role not because it isn't effective, but because occupies the same use of force slot as my firearm does.