Dear Black Bag Confidential Reader,
On a quiet summer night in Clearwater, Florida, Mr. and Mrs. Steve and Heather Aiosa awoke at 2:10 a.m. to find an intruder standing in the doorway of their bedroom.
The intruder, later identified as Robert James Alcalde, began ransacking the bedroom while the frightened couple called 911.
Then Steve Aiosa retrieved his .22 rifle from underneath the bed and went outside to load it — but the rifle malfunctioned and wouldn’t fire. At this point, Heather Aiosa ran from the home to join her husband, the intruder following closely behind.
There Will Be Blood
The criminal tackled Mrs. Aiosa and a struggle ensued. Mr. Aiosa ran into the house to grab his machete, also from underneath the bed, and rushed back outside. The intruder was still on the ground fighting with Mrs. Aiosa. Mr. Aiosa hacked his legs repeatedly with the machete, causing large, gaping wounds. Per Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, “It was a very, very bloody scene.”
When the police arrived, homeowner and intruder were fighting over the rifle, so the responding officers stunned the suspect with a Taser. Mr. Alcalde was transported to the hospital, but due to the severity of the wounds on his legs, he was pronounced dead upon arrival.
As extreme as it sounds, Mr. Aiosa did the right thing. He used the necessary means to protect himself, his wife and his property. Who knows what the intruder would have done had Mr. Aiosa not struck him with the machete?
Obviously, this is a great lesson in preparation. Mr. Aiosa retrieved his gun, which malfunctioned, but thankfully, he had another weapon readily available. I’m a firm believer that a gun is the best tool for self-defense, but for this very reason, it’s always wise to have a backup weapon.
I strongly urge you to consider what other tools you could keep on hand that might save your life. Perhaps a baseball bat, a golf club, a knife or yes, even a machete.
Now, I’m sure when most people think about a machete, they picture someone clearing a path through the jungle, slicing away at the undergrowth. It’s true that in many tropical countries, the machete is used as an agricultural tool to clear brush, chop sugar cane, split wood and butcher animals for food. But the machete also makes a deadly improvised fighting tool. In fact, today the machete is still widely used in many parts of the world, both for agricultural purposes as well as for fighting.
Clearly, the machete has many uses, but is it realistic or necessary for you to own one?
Obviously, it’s not practical to carry one on you for daily self-defense, but should you keep one in your car or your home as a backup weapon? If you were in a situation such as the Aiosa couple, what would you use as a second weapon? Would a knife, for example, be a better option?
Maybe not. The biggest advantage of a machete is that it allows you to attack from farther away. For a knife to be effective, you have to be very close to the threat. A machete, on the other hand, can cause damage from a greater distance.
Not only that, but a machete’s size makes it very intimidating. An attacker would probably think twice if they saw you wielding such a large blade. A machete would also be a better weapon to defend against wild animals. And finally, it can still be used for agricultural and other nonviolent uses.
Chop Shopping
If you’re interested in adding a machete to your gear, make sure you purchase a quality tool that will last — like the SEAL Saber XL.
This multipurpose survival tool is a custom-made, kukri-style knife with a double-bladed saw in the back of the 13-inch stainless steel blade. It comes with a serrated handle and hammer that can be used for blunt force operations or breaking glass in an emergency.
It’s an absolutely indispensable survival and bushcraft tool. The curved blade design increases your striking power and the black oxide 751 coating prevents it from reflecting light, giving you a unique advantage in the field. Click here to get one for yourself at a great price.
And just like I recommend always keeping your home-defense gun loaded, always keep your machete sharp. You never know when you may need this versatile blade to defend your home.
Stay safe,
Jason Hanson
