You are never truly unarmed if you know how to look at the world through the lens of a survivalist.

An improvised club is one of the most accessible tools in a crisis, yet few people know how to wield one effectively.

In the Survival Fitness Plan, an improvised club is essentially any object that is too long to be used as a knife but light enough to be gripped and swung with one hand.

While I use a wooden spoon for demonstration, better options in the real world include a chair leg, a heavy flashlight, or even a sturdy stick found on the ground.

The goal is to find an object that extends your reach and adds significant impact force to your strikes without being so heavy that it slows you down.

The most effective way to use a club is the Number 1 Strike, also known as the "King Strike" in Survival Fitness Self-Defense.

This is a powerful, overhead vertical strike aimed directly at the target's head or shoulders.

• Speed: It is the fastest path from point A to point B.

• Power: It utilizes gravity and the full extension of your arm.

• Efficiency: It beats "fancy" movements because it is direct and difficult to intercept.

If a solid club isn't available, you can create a "sap." This is a weighted, flexible weapon used by old-school security and law enforcement.

To make one, take a heavy object (like a bottle of pills, a roll of coins, or a pool ball) and place it inside a flexible container like a sock, a glasses case, or a small towel.

By swinging this weighted end, you can generate immense centrifugal force that deals significant damage upon impact.

Keep your strong side to the rear when holding a weapon. This makes it much harder for an attacker to grab the weapon out of your hand.

Always keep your non-weapon hand up near your face. This serves as your primary shield, ready to parry or block incoming attacks while you prepare your counter-strike.

Ready to take your self-defense skills to the next level? Join the Survival Fitness Challenge: www.SurvivalFitnessPlan.com/challenge.