Dale Gribble May Have Been Onto Something With His ‘Pocket Sand’ Self-Defense Technique, Self-Defense Expert Says

Is a can of pepper spray weighing down your handbag? Do your fingers ache from placing your house keys between your knuckles? Is your voice hoarse from yelling, “That’s my purse!” and “I don’t know you!” while kicking would-be assailants in the nuts? 

Fortunately for you — and for Bobby Hill — there may be another way to stay safe from attackers, bullies and angry dudes at the bus station attempting to stop you from stealing their briefcases: Pocket sand.

Disarmed Dale Gribble just might have been onto something with his grainy weapon of choice in King of the Hill’s iconic “Soldier of Misfortune” episode, according to Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and personal safety influencer Stephan Kesting.

Back in 2017, the Self-Defense Tutorials host headed to YouTube with a video explaining how “improvised weapons” — ranging from a paint roller, to a discarded pillow, to a fistful of gravel plucked fresh from an alleyway — could serve as self-defense tools in a pinch. 

Despite Kesting admitting that a “handful of gravel” wasn’t a great option, when wielded like Gribble’s pocket sand, it can actually aid in making a getaway — so long as the miniature stones are adequately hurled at the attacker’s ugly mug.  

“Use that, throw it in somebody’s face, then run,” explained the combat submission wrestling instructor. “Use that, throw it in somebody’s face, kick them. Use that, throw it in somebody’s face, it gets in their eyes, come right down the middle,” he concluded, pantomiming a punch. 

I wasn’t the only one to notice the parallels between Kesting’s video and the classic King of the Hill episode. Beyond garnering a handful of comments reiterating Gribble’s “pocket sand!” catchphrase, one fan dropped by the animated series’ subreddit to share Kesting’s endorsement of the DIY defense mechanism. 

“Anybody who is in the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu community probably knows who Stephan Kesting is. In this video about self-defense (around the 1:50 mark), he basically recommends pocket sand,” wrote Redditor HiImFarab. “So there you have it, folks. Dale Grib... I mean, Rusty Shackleford knows his self defense!”

I’m no self-defense expert, but I can say that both Gribble and Kesting sure have a whole lot of grit.