Your MIni-mission: DIY "fake blood"
This do-it-yourself project will help you add more realism to all of your close-quarters combat training – from unarmed attacks… to edged weapons… and counter-ambush firearms tactics!
As discussed in your training, close-quarters fights – especially against an armed attacker – can be very bloody. Blood is slippery and it can wreak havoc with the skills you’ve trained by impairing your hand dexterity (and possibly even your vision if you’re cut in and around your face).
While you can purchase either “stage” or “Halloween blood” to use right away, these are often made with red dye and can stain your hands and clothes pretty easily. It’s a lot more fun (and less expensive) to just make it yourself right in your own kitchen!
Below is my favorite recipe for homemade blood (and it’s <virtually> non-staining, so you don’t have to worry about going to work looking like you just auditioned for a slasher movie!)
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Gather all of your ingredients (below) and a very large mixing bowl in your kitchen or work table.
fake blood ingredients
- Karo Light Corn Syrup
- Tip: It’s cheaper to purchase corn syrup powder in bulk and make what you need on-the-fly.
- Tip: It’s cheaper to purchase corn syrup powder in bulk and make what you need on-the-fly.
- Washable Red Poster Paint
- Cocoa Powder (Preferably “dark chocolate”, but not necessary)
- Mix equal parts of the Karo Light Corn Syrup and Red Washable Poster Paint together in a large bowl.
- Add small amounts of the cocoa powder to the mix and stir until the color is crimson “blood” color.
- Store in a sealed jar or bottle in a cool, dry environment until ready to use.
When You’re Ready To Train…
- First, although this formula is non-toxic and “non-staining”, I’m not guaranteeing anything… so please don’t send me your dry-cleaning bill if the ingredients you choose don’t have the same components of ours.
- Also, this recipe is can sometimes more “sticky” than slippery so experiment with thinning it out with more paint as needed until you get a good mix and color. We’ve also found it helpful to keep a small bowl of water nearby when training to quickly dip your hands in to “re-slipperize” the blood for the upcoming training session.
- Ok, one final precaution… if you do get the blood on anything (clothes, curtains, whatever) that you don’t want to trash, be sure to wash it or soak it in water before it dries for the best chance for it to come out of fabric.
Ok, on to the training…
- When ready to train, dip your hands in the bowl of blood or pour it from the bottle over your hands and draw an inert training pistol (no ammo, etc.) and perform your drill as usual.
- Record your observations with your drill performance with the simulated “slipperiness” of the blood on your hands.
- Advanced: When training with a partner, try placing some blood on your attacker’s face as well as your own and then each of you add some to your hands and onto your clothes. This will provide a dramatic visual effect to your training, adding in an even more realistic layer to the drill!