Number one thing is knowing where and when not to be somewhere. If this is more so about a woman and avoiding a sexual abuse then literally having an object visible is a strong deterrent aka like an umbrella. Usually attackers will avoid everyone except for who they think is an easy target.
People already commented about running. Best answer. There are plenty of martial arts that can help too.
Whether it's a gun, a blade, a club, a spray, your own body, an alarm... they all require consistent training to actually function in the crisis moment.
If you haven't been practicing and can't execute the defense without thought, it's not likely to serve you when the time comes.
Pepper spray and training with the pepper spray goes a long way. There are training ones you can buy so you can be aware of how it’ll come out and get practice with it without having to train with the real thing
I’m gonna take from this thread that most people are both heavily armed with random dangerous shit in their pockets including knives and guns, very skiddish and ready to fight, severely untrained, while also being willing to use anything else in your immediate vicinity as a weapon including water bottles and wooden walking sticks fashioned with dangerous sharp spikes on the end.
I am keeping a safe distance from all of you until further notice
Not trying to be a smart ass, but a good pair of running shoes or being in relatively good shape to run.
Even if you do have a firearm, for example, I live in a "duty to retreat" state, and in most cases, if you don't attempt to retreat where reasonable, before using deadly force you can get charged
You won't be doing any Bruce Lee moves with basic training, but even basic training can make a big difference.
One of the first things you learnt in most martial arts is how to balance and move. This, combined with some basic blocks, is often enough to disengage and retreat quickly. It also helps train your brain to drop into defence/combat mode when required. This stops you freezing up for a critical few seconds.
Any weapon is mostly useless without the training to use it in the heat of an encounter. If you're going to train with something, it might as well be a weapon you will always have available.
My preference is Tae Kwon Do, but any general martial art will be hugely beneficial.
Oh, and as a side effect, martial arts often help train a mindset change. You know you can defend yourself, and so subconsciously project confidence. It makes you less of a target to begin with.
@[email protected] , if you’re hoping to get good input from this thread you really gotta elaborate on the situations you’re worried about in order to differentiate between useful and useless advice.
A barky dog is good advice about some types of home security. It’s no use if you’re worried about walking down the street
As a person who volunteered input, I think that’s a great way to hear bad ideas.
You either don’t know that and are going to have no filter between what’s useful input that should be internalized and what shouldn’t, possibly putting you in a dangerous and unnecessary situation or you do know and you are interested in what used to be called pot stirring and is now more often referred to as engagement farming.
But it’s not just a great way for you to hear bad ideas, it’s a great way to give bad ideas somewhere to be heard!
No matter if you know that you’re soliciting bad input or not, since the forum is public, the question by its very nature deals with safety and security and the input is solicited in an unfocused way, the results will not just be heard by you but also by everyone who looks at the thread, which is in the front page of some bigger instances.
Now rather than benignly hearing what people think or creating engagement you’re providing a space for any kind of suggestion to be given equal time, Wolverine claw keyrings get to stand alongside “speak to a lawyer about your local laws” because there is no greater context or detail that can be used to weigh one against the other.
The point of this reply isn’t to make you feel bad or call you out, but to make clear the effect that Just Asking Questions has when applied outside its usual political argument territory.
You in particular could, as the op, take action to change the state of the thread by providing more information, a jurisdiction, some specific details you’re interested in knowing about or just delete the post.
Yeah. You can also, when presented with a decently well laid out explanation of the negative effects of a situation you brought about and have unique power to rectify, take no action. That’s true.
I saw a show about self defense for women in NY city. The instructor said to always carry a sucker. One of those tootsie pops or the like. If in trouble, hold the ball in your hand, turn the stick outward, between your middle and ring finger and punch at something soft and fleshy like stomach or face (eyes, mouth). It's nice because it works everywhere. Even the TSA will let you board a plane with a sucker.
I have a small 4000 lumen flashlight that will blind my attacker if they look at it for too long. Bonus feature, the flashlight will lock itself if the wrong button combo is used.
I disagree with your second comment; I think a slower, easier target would be a better companion in these situations. Preferably someone you don't mind losing.
so here's the thing about self defense: it's only a last resort. Don't try to actually defend yourself unless it's the only thing left to do. Reaching for a self defense tool at the first sign is cop shit.
As for defense tools, they're all good and viable. You just need to know how to use them. There's no such thing as a no-effort defense tool. Buying a pepper spray and sticking it onto your keychain without a second thought does not make it a self defense tool. You need to practice to the point where it's second nature to use it. That means knowing the effective range, knowing the shortfalls and limitations, and continual practice.
Umbrella. No one looks twice at someone carrying an umbrella, but it can still give you a reach advantage or be used as a weapon in extreme circumstances.
Make sure you are aware of how your spray comes out. There’s the traditional type that comes out as an aerosol cone and the recipient can’t really block (it just goes around their hand) but there’s also the kind that comes out as silly string that can be blocked but won’t be affected by a stiff breeze and just blow back into your face.
The nice thing about pepper spray is you and your friends can get together and do jackass routines on each other to figure out how you’ll actually fish it out of your pockets or purse when you need to use it and get comfortable spraying it. You can also subsequently figure out how to counteract the effects so that if it blows back on you or gets smeared on you you’re not experiencing it for the first time in a “I bet you’re wondering how I got here” type freeze frame.
It’s also good to come home to the wife filled with adrenaline smelling like a five pepper curry plate mixed with spoiled milk making your most amorous advances.
Your best non-firearm self defense object though is a gun. I know that sounds crazy, but stay with me. Self defense is staying alive, in most places, legally speaking. When some crap happens and a month later you and the other person are in front of some law authority, that judge is gonna be trying to figure out if one of you claiming self defense can reasonably be considered to be in fear for your life or safety. So it’s not like there’s a legal obligation not to use a gun if you’re allowed to have one and a firearms generally considered status as lethal force acts as support for your claim of life and limb, if you credibly have one.
But didn’t you just fucking say “non firearm”? Yes. Yes you did. At least in the United States, but also in many other jurisdictions, some guns aren’t firearms. In the us, cap and ball revolvers for example, even modern reproductions, are not considered firearms. For the question of viability, see the many YouTube videos of gun influencers dressing up in cosplay and shooting the gel torso man with uberti’s latest product.
So you can generally use a gun in self defense and if for some reason you are barred from carrying a firearm, guns are an option.
Make sure to schedule similar fun time with friends to figure out how to safely carry, draw and reholster your blunderbuss. Do not point guns at people you don’t intend to kill.
Okay here’s the thing to actually read:
If you haven’t been in a situation where you’re scared for your life, don’t go seeking one out. Develop a way to express your emotions and practice everyday saving them up for that release instead of being goaded. Avoid every fight as much as possible. You do not get stronger from fighting, you physically destroy your body and mind. Using a self defense object will cause you to experience deep and lasting trauma whose consequences will have an effect on every relationship you hold.
Retain the services of a lawyer in your area to obtain specific advice for your situation. They will be familiar with the local authorities, laws, training organizations and you will be protected from scrutiny by their client confidentiality.
Again, go directly to your local legal aid agency and locate a lawyer who can advise you. No one knows who or where you are and they will ask questions that are pertinent in your jurisdiction.
Pepper spray notes here: they usually come in a few types. There’s stream, fog, and gel. Gel can be pulled off and flung back at you, fog just hangs in the air and you’ll probably breathe it in, so I suggest a stream. Also there’s water based and oil based. Oil based is much harder to get off. There’s also peppermace, which combines both (though some people have a tolerance to mace and it may be considered a chemical weapon in your area).
Tl;dr oil-based stream pepper spray is the way to go. Practice with it.
Wasp spray. If you're being attacked, 9 times out of 10 it's probably a wasp or a wasp ally. I imagine wasp spray also works pretty well on animals with eyes or other exposed mucus membranes.
Highly illegal lots of places with the argument (much like having a baseball bat in your car and using it on someone - "why do you have a baseball bat with you but no glove, cleats, baseballs, uniform etc?"). So... "why do you have a dangerous liquid made for a specific purpose on you and used in a non-labeled manner?" Mace, pepper spray, even bear spray should not do permanent damage to an attacker. Wasp-type spray can blind someone for life. Malicious wounding is a serious felony almost everywhere.
Agreed. Don't carry wasp spray. Also, don't keep it, or any other aerosol container, in a hot automobile.
Also best to try to avoid any and all situations in which the need to defend yourself could possibly materialize. This life hack has worked well for me for the past 63 years.
Your knees and elbows. Train some kickboxing on how to strike with them.
Most items carried can be taken and used against you.
A portable alarm with a high intensity strobe can give you time to run toward safety.
Or a smart-watch with a duress/emergency feature, to sound alarm and call assistance.
There may not always be the chance to pull out an item though.
Your body size matters, get some expert advice on what will actually work for you, at your current size and fitness.
Confidence, if you prepare and walk tall, your chances of being targeted diminish.
Used to carry a tactical pen disguised as a ballpoint pen.
Like people said, the best answers are the boring ones.
Best defense is being deescalating and avoiding dangerous situations, second is fast legs, third best is going to the gym, fourth best is probably pepper spray, and I would say the fifth best is a knife if legal. But most fights are over in under a second and there are no winners but only survivors with less severe injuries, and then it's almost always weapon > muscles > luck > technique > stamina.
Oh yeah and don't forget fighting is never cool. Everyone looks dumb, everything hurts and you will almost always regret it if you are sane.
Well that plus nobody wants to fuck with a big ass dog. Little one, maybe, the barking and even a little dog nippin at you isn’t pleasant but I can promise you nobody is breaking into a place with a shepherd staring right at em.
Caribiner like brass knuckles, sharpened toothbrush won't show on metal detectors, keys on a ring I between your fingers, anything can be made a weapon in the right situation. Bear spray, taser, knife, anything literally. But assume anything you present in a fight can be took and used on you.
The best advice is always to get out of the situation first and drive or run away. Good cardio serves a purpose in both fight and flight.
The keys as a punchdagger trick does work, the problem is that it hurts you just about as much as it will hurt them too. It should always be used as a last resort where deescalating and running away are not going to work.
Better to go to the hospital for your wounded hand than be dead because you lacked the strength or power to fight them off with regular punches.
I carry a pocket knife mostly for functional purposes, but it also can be used defensively if required. A locking blade mechanism is definitely important. I guess a box cutter could work too.
I have a thick leather lanyard on my keys that I'm sure would suck to take a whack from, but I do feel like I'd be more likely to hurt myself swinging a weighted anything on a strap/chain.
Look up less-lethals. They are like overpowered BB guns for self defense. You can legally carry them anywhere that doesn't have a no weapons sign. My brother got me into them. I still never shot it so I don't know how lethal they are but they look exactly like real guns.
Yea that's the complication that is the reason i don't use it while walking around the streets of my city. It is useful for scaring away someone who might be otherwise unarmed trying to break in though. The police in my city are bogus but if you tell them it is a less lethal and don't reach for it. They will just take it off you before searching you. Obviously, people aren't going to be reaching for them. When I was last frisked they asked me if I had any firearms on me or knives. Most cops have to do it this way. But there are still bad apples out there that might overreact. Cue recent news cases. But in my whole lifetime I was only ever stopped by a cop once while walking. I don't think it will ever happen again unless I act sus or something.
I have one of those for home defense with pepper balls and steel balls, but I will not bring it outside, especially since in the U.S. they are, by my understanding, less protected legally than pistols.
Plus if I actually need it, it is highly unlikely to work.
105 replies
BAC of 0% and situational awareness and a buddy
you carry a person on your person at all times?
Who run Bartertown?
Katana swords worked for a lot of people
Number one thing is knowing where and when not to be somewhere. If this is more so about a woman and avoiding a sexual abuse then literally having an object visible is a strong deterrent aka like an umbrella. Usually attackers will avoid everyone except for who they think is an easy target.
Training.
People already commented about running. Best answer. There are plenty of martial arts that can help too.
Whether it's a gun, a blade, a club, a spray, your own body, an alarm... they all require consistent training to actually function in the crisis moment.
If you haven't been practicing and can't execute the defense without thought, it's not likely to serve you when the time comes.
Pepper spray and training with the pepper spray goes a long way. There are training ones you can buy so you can be aware of how it’ll come out and get practice with it without having to train with the real thing
I’m gonna take from this thread that most people are both heavily armed with random dangerous shit in their pockets including knives and guns, very skiddish and ready to fight, severely untrained, while also being willing to use anything else in your immediate vicinity as a weapon including water bottles and wooden walking sticks fashioned with dangerous sharp spikes on the end.
I am keeping a safe distance from all of you until further notice
Probably the best defense.
I can run real fast.
I can't, but I take my brother with me who's even slower.
Not trying to be a smart ass, but a good pair of running shoes or being in relatively good shape to run.
Even if you do have a firearm, for example, I live in a "duty to retreat" state, and in most cases, if you don't attempt to retreat where reasonable, before using deadly force you can get charged
Yea I second that. Unless you're cornered in a dead end like in the movies, running is bound to help.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=kvlrnc7hlQI
Happy cake day!
Yourself, along with some martial arts training.
You won't be doing any Bruce Lee moves with basic training, but even basic training can make a big difference.
One of the first things you learnt in most martial arts is how to balance and move. This, combined with some basic blocks, is often enough to disengage and retreat quickly. It also helps train your brain to drop into defence/combat mode when required. This stops you freezing up for a critical few seconds.
Any weapon is mostly useless without the training to use it in the heat of an encounter. If you're going to train with something, it might as well be a weapon you will always have available.
My preference is Tae Kwon Do, but any general martial art will be hugely beneficial.
Oh, and as a side effect, martial arts often help train a mindset change. You know you can defend yourself, and so subconsciously project confidence. It makes you less of a target to begin with.
An umbrella built to be a defensive baton, no I am not kidding.
If you aren't in an enclosed narrow space and having an umbrella/parasol this is by far your best option besides pepper spray type options.
Something like this (not recommending this site specifically just using as an example).
https://www.primalsurvivor.net/tactical-umbrella/
Even better: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulgarian_umbrella
Although that might be more of an offensive umbrella...
@[email protected] , if you’re hoping to get good input from this thread you really gotta elaborate on the situations you’re worried about in order to differentiate between useful and useless advice.
A barky dog is good advice about some types of home security. It’s no use if you’re worried about walking down the street
I'm not looking for any particular advice. I like hearing what others think, which is why I left it open ended
As a person who volunteered input, I think that’s a great way to hear bad ideas.
You either don’t know that and are going to have no filter between what’s useful input that should be internalized and what shouldn’t, possibly putting you in a dangerous and unnecessary situation or you do know and you are interested in what used to be called pot stirring and is now more often referred to as engagement farming.
But it’s not just a great way for you to hear bad ideas, it’s a great way to give bad ideas somewhere to be heard!
No matter if you know that you’re soliciting bad input or not, since the forum is public, the question by its very nature deals with safety and security and the input is solicited in an unfocused way, the results will not just be heard by you but also by everyone who looks at the thread, which is in the front page of some bigger instances.
Now rather than benignly hearing what people think or creating engagement you’re providing a space for any kind of suggestion to be given equal time, Wolverine claw keyrings get to stand alongside “speak to a lawyer about your local laws” because there is no greater context or detail that can be used to weigh one against the other.
The point of this reply isn’t to make you feel bad or call you out, but to make clear the effect that Just Asking Questions has when applied outside its usual political argument territory.
You in particular could, as the op, take action to change the state of the thread by providing more information, a jurisdiction, some specific details you’re interested in knowing about or just delete the post.
Or I could, like, not. And you can go about your day all the happier
Yeah. You can also, when presented with a decently well laid out explanation of the negative effects of a situation you brought about and have unique power to rectify, take no action. That’s true.
The best defense is being able to run.
I saw a show about self defense for women in NY city. The instructor said to always carry a sucker. One of those tootsie pops or the like. If in trouble, hold the ball in your hand, turn the stick outward, between your middle and ring finger and punch at something soft and fleshy like stomach or face (eyes, mouth). It's nice because it works everywhere. Even the TSA will let you board a plane with a sucker.
I thought this was a stupid idea, so I punched myself in the tummy with a sucker.
can confirm that it hurts like a motherfucker
A lot better than that horrible "use your keys like Wolverine" idea.
pocket sand
Black hard rubber dildo exceeding 12" in length.
Cyberpunk reference?
why the dildo gotta be black ?
So you won't see it in a dark place.
Why are you questioning the DOCTOR?
"These are a bit shit!" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4P1r9MgilA&t=81
Shoes you can run in.
For the record, carrying a gun for self defense is illegal in most countries.
Most countries treat gun ownership as a privilege, not a right.
Self-defense is rarely accepted as a justification outside the U.S. and a few other exceptions.
That's why I said besides a firearm heh. I didn't want a bunch of 2A happy US people just say "gun"
Sure. Am just saying that a gun is not a 'good, viable' self-defense tool, as the title suggests. That's not true in most places.
What's your threat model?
This is the real question here.
Compact super bright flashlight at nighttime to buy a few seconds head start. Maglite flashlight if you want a makeshift baton
Best defense will always be having a friend with you, so maximize socialization.
Goddammit I'm cooked then
I have a small 4000 lumen flashlight that will blind my attacker if they look at it for too long. Bonus feature, the flashlight will lock itself if the wrong button combo is used.
I disagree with your second comment; I think a slower, easier target would be a better companion in these situations. Preferably someone you don't mind losing.
so here's the thing about self defense: it's only a last resort. Don't try to actually defend yourself unless it's the only thing left to do. Reaching for a self defense tool at the first sign is cop shit.
As for defense tools, they're all good and viable. You just need to know how to use them. There's no such thing as a no-effort defense tool. Buying a pepper spray and sticking it onto your keychain without a second thought does not make it a self defense tool. You need to practice to the point where it's second nature to use it. That means knowing the effective range, knowing the shortfalls and limitations, and continual practice.
Umbrella. No one looks twice at someone carrying an umbrella, but it can still give you a reach advantage or be used as a weapon in extreme circumstances.
Umbrella is spear with other uses
goddamn right
i got your back 😎
Its you! Our defender!
"Manners Maketh Man."
Pepper spray is good. Especially for dogs.
Make sure you are aware of how your spray comes out. There’s the traditional type that comes out as an aerosol cone and the recipient can’t really block (it just goes around their hand) but there’s also the kind that comes out as silly string that can be blocked but won’t be affected by a stiff breeze and just blow back into your face.
The nice thing about pepper spray is you and your friends can get together and do jackass routines on each other to figure out how you’ll actually fish it out of your pockets or purse when you need to use it and get comfortable spraying it. You can also subsequently figure out how to counteract the effects so that if it blows back on you or gets smeared on you you’re not experiencing it for the first time in a “I bet you’re wondering how I got here” type freeze frame.
It’s also good to come home to the wife filled with adrenaline smelling like a five pepper curry plate mixed with spoiled milk making your most amorous advances.
Your best non-firearm self defense object though is a gun. I know that sounds crazy, but stay with me. Self defense is staying alive, in most places, legally speaking. When some crap happens and a month later you and the other person are in front of some law authority, that judge is gonna be trying to figure out if one of you claiming self defense can reasonably be considered to be in fear for your life or safety. So it’s not like there’s a legal obligation not to use a gun if you’re allowed to have one and a firearms generally considered status as lethal force acts as support for your claim of life and limb, if you credibly have one.
But didn’t you just fucking say “non firearm”? Yes. Yes you did. At least in the United States, but also in many other jurisdictions, some guns aren’t firearms. In the us, cap and ball revolvers for example, even modern reproductions, are not considered firearms. For the question of viability, see the many YouTube videos of gun influencers dressing up in cosplay and shooting the gel torso man with uberti’s latest product.
So you can generally use a gun in self defense and if for some reason you are barred from carrying a firearm, guns are an option.
Make sure to schedule similar fun time with friends to figure out how to safely carry, draw and reholster your blunderbuss. Do not point guns at people you don’t intend to kill.
Okay here’s the thing to actually read:
If you haven’t been in a situation where you’re scared for your life, don’t go seeking one out. Develop a way to express your emotions and practice everyday saving them up for that release instead of being goaded. Avoid every fight as much as possible. You do not get stronger from fighting, you physically destroy your body and mind. Using a self defense object will cause you to experience deep and lasting trauma whose consequences will have an effect on every relationship you hold.
Retain the services of a lawyer in your area to obtain specific advice for your situation. They will be familiar with the local authorities, laws, training organizations and you will be protected from scrutiny by their client confidentiality.
Again, go directly to your local legal aid agency and locate a lawyer who can advise you. No one knows who or where you are and they will ask questions that are pertinent in your jurisdiction.
Pepper spray notes here: they usually come in a few types. There’s stream, fog, and gel. Gel can be pulled off and flung back at you, fog just hangs in the air and you’ll probably breathe it in, so I suggest a stream. Also there’s water based and oil based. Oil based is much harder to get off. There’s also peppermace, which combines both (though some people have a tolerance to mace and it may be considered a chemical weapon in your area).
Tl;dr oil-based stream pepper spray is the way to go. Practice with it.
Best weapon is brains; don't put yourself in a dangerous situation.
Any weapon you have to pull out is useless. Either they are already hitting you or will take it from you.
Best weapon is steel toed boots. Can't be pulled out of your hand and your thighs are usually your strongest muscles.
Boring answers are the most correct ones.
Avoid, run, defend, is how I've heard it
https://canemasters.com/collections/the-every-day-walking-canes/products/every-day-cane
Wasp spray. If you're being attacked, 9 times out of 10 it's probably a wasp or a wasp ally. I imagine wasp spray also works pretty well on animals with eyes or other exposed mucus membranes.
Highly illegal lots of places with the argument (much like having a baseball bat in your car and using it on someone - "why do you have a baseball bat with you but no glove, cleats, baseballs, uniform etc?"). So... "why do you have a dangerous liquid made for a specific purpose on you and used in a non-labeled manner?" Mace, pepper spray, even bear spray should not do permanent damage to an attacker. Wasp-type spray can blind someone for life. Malicious wounding is a serious felony almost everywhere.
Agreed. Don't carry wasp spray. Also, don't keep it, or any other aerosol container, in a hot automobile.
Also best to try to avoid any and all situations in which the need to defend yourself could possibly materialize. This life hack has worked well for me for the past 63 years.
Your knees and elbows. Train some kickboxing on how to strike with them.
Most items carried can be taken and used against you.
A portable alarm with a high intensity strobe can give you time to run toward safety. Or a smart-watch with a duress/emergency feature, to sound alarm and call assistance. There may not always be the chance to pull out an item though.
Your body size matters, get some expert advice on what will actually work for you, at your current size and fitness.
Confidence, if you prepare and walk tall, your chances of being targeted diminish.
Roll of nickels.
shovel to dig a trench
Used to carry a tactical pen disguised as a ballpoint pen.
Like people said, the best answers are the boring ones.
Best defense is being deescalating and avoiding dangerous situations, second is fast legs, third best is going to the gym, fourth best is probably pepper spray, and I would say the fifth best is a knife if legal. But most fights are over in under a second and there are no winners but only survivors with less severe injuries, and then it's almost always weapon > muscles > luck > technique > stamina.
Oh yeah and don't forget fighting is never cool. Everyone looks dumb, everything hurts and you will almost always regret it if you are sane.
I've also heard one of the best home defenses is a good dog. Just the act of it barking, I hear, scares people away because the house is now alerted.
Well that plus nobody wants to fuck with a big ass dog. Little one, maybe, the barking and even a little dog nippin at you isn’t pleasant but I can promise you nobody is breaking into a place with a shepherd staring right at em.
Sturdy flashlight.
Steel water bottle with one end narrowed to be a convenient handle –
A fat water bottle can't be gripped. Bad handle = bad weapon –
Here even knives, sprays and batons are illegal, unless definable as tools
Best defence is to run fast with good stamina.
If that's not an option, dog poop bag and round stone size of a golf ball. You can claim it was inspired weapon.
...or a two sided monkey fist with ballbearings that you can claim was a stress toy.
What country?
Finland
Scandinavia fits the bill, probably more.
A good pepper spray. Anything from POM for example.
A ring on your keys, big enough to use them as a type of brass knuckles/ flail. Slide your finger in, make a fist and swing away.
A walking stick, maybe with a steel spike on the bottom for grip. Could be weighted.
A modern day shillelagh
Smart idea, actually.
Plus it looks cool AF
Hardwoods will be heavier than softwoods, better for self defense, but softwood are usually more straight.
Flipper Zero?
Caribiner like brass knuckles, sharpened toothbrush won't show on metal detectors, keys on a ring I between your fingers, anything can be made a weapon in the right situation. Bear spray, taser, knife, anything literally. But assume anything you present in a fight can be took and used on you.
The best advice is always to get out of the situation first and drive or run away. Good cardio serves a purpose in both fight and flight.
If you think this works, try it on a bag and report back.
The keys as a punchdagger trick does work, the problem is that it hurts you just about as much as it will hurt them too. It should always be used as a last resort where deescalating and running away are not going to work.
Better to go to the hospital for your wounded hand than be dead because you lacked the strength or power to fight them off with regular punches.
My point was anything is useful when your life is at stake. Not technique or weapon is perfect. Better than being dead though.
No knifes - but something blunt and small. Like a flashlight or mace. Made of metal, wood or even hard plastic. Could be retractable.
I carry a pocket knife mostly for functional purposes, but it also can be used defensively if required. A locking blade mechanism is definitely important. I guess a box cutter could work too.
Keys on a chain, or a belt with a decent buckle.
I have a thick leather lanyard on my keys that I'm sure would suck to take a whack from, but I do feel like I'd be more likely to hurt myself swinging a weighted anything on a strap/chain.
do you get attacked often?
Yeah. Specifically by toddlers. They like to stab me. I usually boot them like little footballs to save myself.
But I need something more efficient
Have you tried a trebuchet?
Too big to carry.
I could switch to a net, throw the little stabby fuckers into the trebuchet, and then launch them.
Look up less-lethals. They are like overpowered BB guns for self defense. You can legally carry them anywhere that doesn't have a no weapons sign. My brother got me into them. I still never shot it so I don't know how lethal they are but they look exactly like real guns.
oh, I'm sure police are going to verify whether that is a real gun or not before they empty their clips into you.
Yea that's the complication that is the reason i don't use it while walking around the streets of my city. It is useful for scaring away someone who might be otherwise unarmed trying to break in though. The police in my city are bogus but if you tell them it is a less lethal and don't reach for it. They will just take it off you before searching you. Obviously, people aren't going to be reaching for them. When I was last frisked they asked me if I had any firearms on me or knives. Most cops have to do it this way. But there are still bad apples out there that might overreact. Cue recent news cases. But in my whole lifetime I was only ever stopped by a cop once while walking. I don't think it will ever happen again unless I act sus or something.
This looks like a great way to get shot in "self defense"
Yeah it's no match for a real gun, but it'll scare away someone with a knife.
I have one of those for home defense with pepper balls and steel balls, but I will not bring it outside, especially since in the U.S. they are, by my understanding, less protected legally than pistols.
Plus if I actually need it, it is highly unlikely to work.
They are legal in my state.
Flame throwers are legal in every state. Doesn't make it a good idea.
Which state? Please say Nebraska
I looked it up for you. They are generally legal. But you have to check if there are any regs for your municipality.
Champ. Thank you so much
Was there any particular statute or is the lack of one?
Also how did you navigate the mess of words to see? It is really difficult for me.
Lack of one. But it depends on your city. Cities might have tighter restrictions vs the state. Even though it is Legal in both our states.
As far as how I navigate 'messes of words' I am not sure what you mean. I mean I have to wear my glasses, lol.
I apologize, I mean how do you navigate all the jargon you see in laws to get the answers.