On 20 July 2025, a self-defence course entitled ‘Tactical Pen 1’ took place in the sports hall of the Carl Bosch School in Limburgerhof. This tool, similar to a ballpoint pen, is a self-defence device that can be carried with you every day and can also be used as a glass breaker, for example. The seminar was fully booked and the group was a wonderful mix of TRB students and external participants. As with all reality-based seminars, the course created by Timo Gartner began with the safety rules and the doors closed. Anyone who thought that the pen would be used right away was in for a surprise; a large part of the course consisted of building up pressure as an attacker and dealing with this pressure as a defender. Participants learned to move forward and backward under pressure without losing structure and balance, and to deal with the attacker’s pressure and force in exercises similar to clinching. Only then did we move on to drawing the pen under pressure and later using it, but always with the utmost safety in mind, of course. Considering the heat and humidity, a big compliment to all participants!