Age is never a strong deterrent to hardened crooks and other criminals. That’s why it’s never too late for any woman to learn how to properly defend herself from all kinds of threat.

Self-Defense for All Generations
In Lawrence Parks and Recreations, a three-hour self-defense class on the afternoon was attended by a family of three-generations: Christine Winters, her daughter Lori Howard, and her young granddaughter Tanner.

The instructor herself proved that not even size could be a hindrance to learning self-defense; Mandana Hurt was forty-five years old and petite at five-foot-one. Also helping her teach her female students was not just her husband but her pre-teen daughter Natasha as well.

Each class began with a warning: no flashy moves would be taught and pain was sure to follow. Students were then summarily taught how to pinch, choke, stomp, bunch, block, and kick their attackers.

Hurt, who also taught science at Central Junior High School during the day, also imparted other important self-defense prevention tactics to her students. She taught them to be aware of their surroundings, remember locking the door, and even why it was best to stand at the side of a tree when they were loading stuff in the trunk of their cars.

Having taught self-defense lessons for eighteen years, Hurt had noticed how attendance rose and fell, usually hitting the highest point when local attacks were also on the rise.

Other Self-Defense Tips for Women
Attacks will most often catch you by surprise and unarmed as well. But if you have the will to survive then there are many ways when you can still defend yourself.

Practice makes perfect
If you’ve got self-defense skills, don’t let them become rusty. Practice regularly so that if you do end up in danger, you won’t suffer even a second of doubt or confusion as to what you should do next.

Look for substitute weapons
You may be out of pepper spray, your Taser is still charging, but that doesn’t mean you have to fight weaponless. Perfume, hair brushes, and lipsticks can all be excellent weapons when used properly.

Hit strategically
Don’t waste time and effort with wild strikes. If you are going to fight, make sure that you target vulnerable areas like eyes, throats, and groin. Decide which angle it’s best for you to strike.

Be prepared
Never underestimate your attacker. Do not hesitate when you strike and never show your fear. Once you let your fears get to you, your attacker will immediately have the upper hand!

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image credit to sxc.hu

In today’s dangerous times, it is no longer a choice but more of a necessity for a woman to know how to properly defense herself. But besides self-defense skills, presence of mind is just as important: when you are unarmed and trapped, being aware of your situation is your best weapon for saving your life.

It Pays to be Late ¦ Sometimes
Take, for instance, the true story of a young woman who was running late for her exams and about to be mugged. A man had suddenly come up to her, demanding money, to which she replied without missing a beat, Ask me later! I’m running late for my test. And lucky for her, she had been let go without trouble either because the mugger was sympathetic or, and this is more likely, she had just happened to take her attacker by surprise.

Learn the Magic Words to Save Your Life
Words, they say, are more powerful than swords. There are cases in which women had used mere words to scare their attackers off by bluffing about having a stun gun with them or knowing martial arts.

Words of wisdom from your father may also come in handy; one father advises his daughter about learning how to hold her liquor: this, he says, will save her from unsavory people who would try to get her drunk before having their wicked way with her. Another father has an even more sage and eloquent device to his daughter: don’t be stupid. Blunt, but true!

What Else You Can Do to Save Your Life
Of course, there are also times when words are just not enough to hold your attacker off. In such cases, here are a few more things you could do.

Arm yourself
Why bluff when you don’t have to? Stun guns, pepper sprays, and even pocket knives are perfect because they’re compact and often come in deceptive shapes and forms for you to surprise your attacker.

Pay attention
Let your instincts be your guide. If you sense something wrong, leave. Be aware of your situation. Know what’s happening around you. It might help you notice signs of trouble early enough to save yourself.

Don’t let them know you’re scared
Many a female has saved herself just by acting tough and maintaining eye contact with their would-be attacker.

Be resourceful
There’s never a chance an attacker could catch you unarmed if you’re resourceful. Your belt, scarf, or even your jacket can double as a whip. Coins and other small objects can be thrown on your attacker’s face to render him temporarily blind. Even if it’s not pepper, spraying perfume or any other liquid besides water directly at a person’s eyes would still hurt. Anything and everything could be of use to you as long as you don’t panic.

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image credit to mememeandme

Anyone can be a victim. As such, it doesn’t matter how old a person is or what race he belongs to. A person is always better off knowing how to defend himself if calling 911 proves to be impossible.

Who Says Old People are Pushovers?
In Charlotte, North Carolina, seniors are learning a new use for their canes. At the Atria Merry Wood senior living center, the elderly are benefiting from a self-defense class that’s specially designed for their age – and their use of canes. Combat Cane classes teach the art of cane-fu, a self-defense tactic that would not only save them from the bad guys but are great for exercising and their self-confidence, too!

Although students of the recently introduced cane-fu classes were still somewhat reticent about using their newly acquired skills with the cane, experts have noted the positive effects of the workout on the seniors’ mental acuity as well as heart and lung activity.

Combat cane classes focused on hitting target areas like eyes, throat, and groin. Afterwards, voluntary pairs were selected for mock battles. Euphemisms like dot the eyes, which referred to eye-poking, were used in respect of their students’ advanced age.

Other self-defense tips were also imparted. The seniors were particularly delighted at learning non-physical tactics to avoid trouble and deter attackers. They were advised not to reveal their fear, shout and use foul language, if necessary, just to show they weren’t an easy victim.

Westerns Learn the Eastern Way of Self-Defense
A West Scope center teaches young students how to defend their selves with a little-known Indonesian martial art called “poekoelan tjimindie tulen”. Besides teaching self-defense maneuvers, it also taught kids important values like respect for one’s self and others.

Kids in the center were barefoot, wore white shirts, loose-fitting white pants, and belts of different colors. They learned jabs and kicks, which altogether helped build their physical and emotional confidence.

The same Indonesian martial art style is also taught in public schools in Portland and Beaverton as well as in free clinics. Pronounced as pu-ku-lan chi-min-dee tu-len, the martial art focused on instilling “compassionate balanced action” in the kids.

Prior to the physical lessons, kids were also taught basic self-defense techniques like trusting their gut in order to identify potentially “bad”situations and do what they can to avoid trouble. They were also taught how to defend themselves verbally at first and to use physical force only as a last resort.

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Don’t get me wrong. Using a pepper spray isn’t like rocket science but when you’re panicking, under threat, and you’re not the most graceful person in the world, a lot of things could go wrong. You could end up disarming yourself instead of your attacker.

Here are a few tips to ensure that it’s your attacker “and not yourself” that will be in danger from your pepper spray.

Understand How Your Pepper Spray Works
Different types of pepper spray work differently; if you want to disarm your attacker in just one shot, the first thing you have to do is to familiarize yourself with how your pepper spray works. Then you can start practice your aim!

Broken-Stream Pepper Spray
The main disadvantage of broken-stream pepper sprays is its comparatively short lifespan. Each squeeze or press will release a strong jet of pepper spray solution, which means you’ll run out of “ammunition” more quickly than usual.

The good news: you don’t need to be an accurate shooter when using this type of pepper spray. Think water guns. With a broken-stream pepper spray, one shot may be all it takes to completely disarm your attacker. But if you’re still worried about your aim, you can always use the “fan”shooting technique and spray from left to right, ensuring that wherever your attacker will come from, you’ll get him good.

Foam Pepper Spray
Now, we get to foam pepper sprays. Windy days make it generally hard for people to use pepper sprays because there’s always a chance that your weapon will backfire on you. But that’s not going to happen if you’re using foam pepper sprays. More importantly, it’s sticky and if your attacker tries to wipe it away, he’ll only end up spreading the foam and causing himself greater pain!

Fogger Pepper Spray
Unlike foam pepper sprays, there’s a slight chance your spray could be blown back and hit you instead during strong winds. But unlike foam pepper sprays, it can be used against multiple attackers; just use the “fan” technique!

Forced Cone Pepper Spray
For general purposes, a forced cone pepper spray is the best for your needs. Its spray pattern can work up to a distance of eight to twelve feet and 2 feet in terms of width. Because forced cone pepper sprays emit a fine spray, they are less likely to blow back and hurt you during strong winds. Fine sprays, however, also means you have to work with a limited margin of error. So work on your aim and remember: practice makes perfect!

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There are numerous ways for a woman to defend herself from all kinds of attack. In some situations, however, such ways could end up with the attacker’s death. If you don’t want that on your conscience, here are a few tips to protect yourself without taking another person’s life.

Focus on Escaping
The only time there’d actually be a viable possibility for you to kill your offender is when both of you are involved in a direct confrontation. But why would you want to do that in the first place? Consider only getting in a tussle with your offender as a last resort. What you should focus instead is finding a way to safety and escaping as physically intact as possible.

Give a Warning
If you are confident about your self-defense skills but are loathe to use it unless necessary, give a warning to your offender! Now, this doesn’t mean laying all your cards down the table but suffice to say, just let him know that you are capable of defending yourself and that you don’t want to hurt him but if he forces you to then you would not hesitate.

If you are under attack against a bully, these words may be more than enough to make him hesitate. Bullies, after all, prefer fighting those who are weak. But if you show yourself to be strong, you won’t appeal to them as a victim. Those precious seconds of hesitation could be more than enough to save your life!

Target Vulnerable but not Life-threatening Areas
If direct confrontation is inevitable and you are worried about ending up killing your offender, the next thing to focus on are areas which will effectively weaken or disarm him but will not cost him his life.

For male attackers, the genital area is of course the most vulnerable. A strong, well-aimed kick could effectively put a stop to his attack. Make sure, however, that you really have the element of surprise working for you because most attackers are prepared against such tactics.

Aim to make him unconscious. Use hard blunt objects to hit your attacker on the head; aim well, strike hard, and you can render your attacker unconscious. Do not use pointed objects; your panic and confusion could make you inadvertently hit him using the pointed side and this could cause greater damage and, in worst case scenario, the death of your attacker.

And of course, don’t forget to scream and do what you can to call for help. This could make your offender panic and leave you alone!

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image credit to newhousedesign

Probably one of the topmost concerns of shooters in terms of technical issues is aerodynamics.  No pistol, shotgun or rifle has yet been invented that can propel ammunition with enough force to allow it to travel a straight line.  Eventually, air friction and gravity take over (albeit gradually), causing the bullet to travel a slightly curved path until it finally reaches the target.  This is why, without aerodynamic ammo, a shooter will have to make considerable adjustments during sighting in order to hit the target more accurately.

This is especially true if the target is some distance away from the shooter.  Shorter distances do not pose the same challenges, allowing the shooter to accurately hit the mark.  Longer distances, on the other hand, will require more careful thought.

Understanding aerodynamics
Aerodynamics is what governs nearly anything that is propelled with insufficient force within the planet’s atmosphere. It’s also referred to as ‘drag’, the force that produces a retarding effect on an object that is propelled through the air, such as a bullet or some other form of ammunition.  The bullet will travel as a projectile and if there are no obstacles in its path, it will simply, at some point, hit the ground.

For most objects including bullets, it is a combination of innate properties that cause the laws of aerodynamics to eventually take over.  These properties include size, mass and shape.  The challenge in the past was to create ammo that was more efficient, capable of traveling through the air and maintaining its height and direction longer.

With research and highly improved manufacturing practices, however, better ammunition designs have emerged, resulting in highly efficient products that were more reliable and precise.  After all, ammunition that stays true to its target makes you a better shooter.  Fortunately, we can now rely on aerodynamic ammo to do half the job for us.

What makes an aerodynamic ammo?
A good example of understanding what aerodynamic ammo is and how it performs is a comparative look at BBs or BB shots and pellets.  BBs, usually manufactured with steel, are spherical. As a result, they have low aerodynamic properties which in turn make them a little on the inaccurate side.  This is probably part of the reason why nobody does target practice with BB shots.

Pellets, on the other hand, have taken a different shape.  They now boast of pointed, flat, round or hollow tips that taper gradually and flare out to its fullest diameter size.  As a result of their design, pellets are centered, keeping friction to a minimum.

The same principle also applies to aerodynamic ammo used in rifles, hand guns and high-powered pistols.  The goal of the ammunition’s shape, form and weight is to optimize firepower while ensuring the accuracy of the shot.

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As a means to release all your aggression in just under an hour, nothing beats a game of paint ball.  It works out not just your muscles but also your brain.  It’s an excellent game for adults and teens and can be a fun way to spend time with your family and friends.  It’s also a proven technique to help you release stress and is becoming a popular tool used for team building with your co-workers.

Paint ball, the game
Paint ball is a type of sport where participants play in two opposing groups.  The goal of the game is usually to use a paint ball gun to hit opponents on allowed parts of the body in order to eliminate them. Whichever team successfully eliminates all its opponents wins.

In some games, the goal may require players to retrieve an object or to eliminate only a particular player.  Game objectives can also be changed, depending on the preferences of the players.

Most games of paint ball are played in level fields with inflatable bunkers used as obstructions or hiding places.  Bunkers positioned end to end can also function as team bases, where opposing teams stay at starting point.

One round of paint ball can last anywhere from 10 minutes (or shorter for more skilled players) to about 30 minutes.

Paint balls themselves are made with gelatin casings, shaped as spheres.  Each ball contains a water-soluble, non-toxic dye mixture. Teams are color-coded, so it would be easy to identify and confirm the shots that hit a player.

Paint balls are harmless and although they explode upon contact, they are generally painless. They could, however, cause temporary discomfort, which is why aiming at the opponent’s face is often not allowed.

Gear to wear for a fun game of paint ball
Paint ball is not a dangerous game but it is a physical game.  It will require you to strategize and plan your attacks and defense.  It will also require you to move, duck, hide, run and shoot.

To keep players safe and allow the fun to continue, paint ball games require certain safety gear.  These include a pair of goggles or a face mask and a helmet. Players can also choose to wear gloves, forearm and shin protectors and knee pads.  Light, comfortable shoes must be worn, allowing the player to move across the field as fast as he/she can.  For especially sensitive individuals, protective chest pads can also be worn to help prevent bruising.

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Animal control can be quite challenging, particularly in areas where wildlife populations are largely unrestricted.  If marauding animals are gradually taking over and destroying your property, there are certain animal control gadgets you can use.  Here are several types you might want to consider:

Blow guns
Blow guns are very simple weapons used for animal control.  They are widely used for hunting and are also often used in zoos and wildlife parks to shoot tranquilizer darts at larger animals.

Blow guns are primitive in design but they are quite effective for use if you intend to restrict the presence of animals in your backyard. They’re legal to use in the U.S., although certain restrictions apply in other countries.

Sling shots
Generations of young boys (and even girls) will swear at the efficacy of sling shots when it comes to scaring away small to medium-sized animals.  Sling shots are inexpensive and can easily be built using simple materials.

Sling shots function as catapults, with a pellet, steel ball or pebble loaded as the projectile.  The sling shot, when used with enough force at a sufficient distance, can be a deadly weapon, especially when used with birds and small animals.  When used skillfully, sling shots can be very efficient gadgets for animal control.

Bear spray
An encounter with a bear can be deadly, particularly if you’re unprepared.  An effective animal control gadget to use is the bear spray.  Bear spray contains a chemical substance called oleoresin capsicum which is extracted from pepper or chilli.  When sprayed directly on the bear’s face, eyes or nose, the oily liquid can cause extreme discomfort, nausea, choking, runny nose and tearing up.

A bottle of bear spray is a very effective animal control gadget.  It should be used carefully, though because the user is definitely not immune to its effects.

Dog repeller
A dog repeller is a type of animal control gadget that can come in several forms.  The most popular of these is the electronic dog repellant.  It’s a compact gadget that uses ultrasonic waves to stop an attacking dog in its tracks.  These sounds are easily picked up by dogs, which are capable of hearing sounds at higher frequencies.  It’s harmless to dogs, although it will cause some discomfort to them due to the high frequency sounds.  The sounds are inaudible to human ears and will not hurt or harm the user or any person within proximity.

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image credit to sxc.hu

Many young, active boys have considered the sling shot as a favorite childhood toy.  It’s compact, light, easy to carry and, if you knew exactly how to wield it, quite accurate and effective.  Today, sling shots are still in use although they’ve gone beyond their main function as a toy, becoming quite efficient for vermin control.

What is a sling shot?
A sling shot consists of a Y-shaped handle usually made of wood, aluminum or plastic with a rubber band attached to its two prongs. The rubber band forms a continuous line, the middle part of which is attached with a patch that will hold the pellet.

Most sling shots manufactured today are designed to be compact and can easily fit into a back pocket. They also boast of sufficient propelling power, with some models capable of covering a range of a hundred to 150 yards.

How to use the sling shot
To use, load a pellet, a steel shot or a pebble onto the patch.  Holding the handle steady with one hand and the patch around the pellet securely, stretch the band by pulling the patch towards you.  Aim at your target, making sure it is sighted in the middle of the two prongs.  Once you’re ready, simply release the patch so it will in turn release the pellet.

How effective are sling shots for vermin control?
A sling shot is a tried and tested weapon for vermin control.  In most cases, the sling shot is usually not a lethal weapon, although with sufficient force, it can do real damage. It can be very effective for surprising or scaring an animal and driving it away.

However, using a sling shot does require some level of skill.  Remember that its main function is target shooting.  If you’re not familiar with this tool, you will have to practice wielding it first.  It doesn’t have a steep learning curve, however.  It’s quite easy to use and you should be able to hit your target after just a few tries.

Be careful when using sling shots on little animals, particularly birds and young animals.  That is, if you don’t intend to kill them.  Rubber pellets, steel shots and pebbles can hurt small animals severely.  If you want to use a sling shot effectively, be aware of what it can do from a specific distance.

For vermin control, sling shots can be a good alternative to other tools.  Learn to use the sling shot carefully, especially if you will be using it around solid or hard objects and surfaces.  Wear safety glasses or any type of eye protection.  Pellets could bounce off a hard surface and hit you.

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Although many people appreciate wildlife and in fact, encourage it in many regions, there are areas where certain animals can be considered nuisance.  They could be harming vegetation, destroying property, threatening pets and/or livestock or are simply overrunning your area.  In these cases, controlling wildlife might be required, usually with the use of blow guns.  But how effective are these weapons and are they safe for use?

What is a blow gun?
A blow gun is a weapon made from a long but narrow tube.  It is loaded with darts, pellets or light projectiles and is fired by blowing through one end.  It’s a very simple tool and may often be fashioned from available materials, although there are many models that are manufactured professionally.

The blow gun actually has a long history.  The first blow guns appeared in the regions of Southeast Asia and South America, where many tribes used them efficiently, primarily to hunt.  Blow guns were also used as assault weapons, employed for self-defense or for attacks.

Today, blow guns are still being used, often for hunting, wildlife control and for sport.

Uses of blow guns
Blow guns are widely utilized for wildlife control.  Propulsions are usually sufficient to hit a target from several feet away.  Most of the time, harmless plastic pellets are used to stun and scare away wildlife and discourage them from entering or grazing a specific area.  Used in this manner, blowguns can effectively control wildlife without killing, maiming or physically harming them.

Blow guns can also be deadly to wildlife.  Used with poisoned darts, they can hurt or even kill.  In some cases, though, you can choose to simply stun or use tranquilizer darts in order to stop an animal and allow you to transfer it to a safer place.

Legal issues
There are certain countries where the use of the blow gun is either regulated or restricted.  In the U.S., however, blow guns are considered legal, which means you could own one, keep it or use it.  In Canada, blow guns are considered as ‘prohibited weapons’.

There are also certain restrictions in place when using blow guns to control wildlife.  It’s important to try to determine the type of wildlife you want to drive away.  If the animal is a protected specie or worse, endangered, you will be violating certain environmental conservation laws and could be fined or prosecuted for it.

When using blow guns to control wildlife, be aware of any possibilities that protected or endangered wildlife may be present.  Some regions may also even require a license, such as an NWCO or nuisance wildlife control license.

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