Posts Tagged ‘self defense’

Electronic Restraining Devices, Which Self-Defense Weapon is for You?

Having a nifty self-defense weapon in your pocket or handbag can help you gain the upper hand in unexpected attacks. It’s going to be even more effective if you’ve chosen the ideal electronic restraining device for your use.

Static Charge Electronic Restraining Device
Stun batons and stun guns emit static charge when used. They are effective in restraining an attacker without being lethal.

Not all states permit civilians to carry such self-defense weapons with them so do be aware of laws regarding use of stun guns when traveling away from home. Stun guns are more preferable than stun batons because they’re more compact and therefore easier to conceal.

Stun guns can produce a range of voltage. The weakest could release only 80,000 volts while the most powerful stun guns could discharge as high as 625,000 volts on your attacker. Low-voltage stun guns can operate with just one 9-volt battery while higher voltage stun guns may have to use two or three 9-volt batteries.

Upon using a stun gun on your assailant, he will undergo shock for the first second, which could cause him to experience muscle spasms and mental daze. Longer contact would cause even greater mental disorientation and loss of balance.

Even if your assailant were to touch you while you’re using a stun gun on him, you need not be afraid as electrical charges won’t be able to travel from his body to yours.

Phase Induction
Stun guns that discharge electricity through phase induction are slightly more advanced than those using static deployment. As such, this next type of electronic restraining device is more effective, allowing for a more efficient knock-down rate and longer-lasting shock.

Because of phase induction, a stun gun with 300,000 voltage power can discharge electricity that would amount to as much as 400,000 volts. Voltage power for stun guns of this type ranges from 100,000 to 625,000 volts.

T-Wave
This type of electronic restraining device employs the greatest wattage, ranging from 18-26 watts and causing electro-muscular disruption (EMD). A phase induction stun gun only utilizes 7-15 watts while a static charge stun gun uses 9-20 watts.

When a T-wave stun gun is used on an assailant, his entire central nervous system is affected and his skeletal muscles are virtually rendered useless. Besides being immensely powerful, such stun guns can also work in as far as 21 feet in distance. Advanced models can even penetrate thick clothing.

Air cartridges for advanced Taser guns are, however, not reusable, making them the most expensive option, albeit possibly the most effective as well, of all self-defense weapons.

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Understanding the Different Types of Pepper Sprays

Contrary to popular belief, pepper sprays have been around for a long time. They also come in various forms and kinds, allowing an individual choose the most suitable type of self-defense weapon for his use.

There are basically three kinds of chemical compounds used for making pepper sprays.

Oleoresin Capsicum
It works more as an inflammatory agent than an irritant and your best strategy for using pepper sprays using OC compounds will be to target your attacker’s face. Capillaries in your attacker’s eyes will dilate, forcing the eyelids to close, and resulting to temporary blindness. OC also renders your attacker choking and coughing while causing affected areas to burn and sting.

Orthochlorobenzalmalonitrile (CS) and Alphachloroacotaphenone (CN)
Both these compounds, as opposed to how OC incapacitates attackers, work more as irritants. They target membrane tissues in particular and are also especially effective if you’re able to target your attacker’s eyes. Besides creating a stinging sensation on the affected area, it can also cause a person to feel disoriented and his eyes to tear profusely.

CS and CN are not, however, as instantaneously effective as OC. It will take approximately five seconds to half a minute before it comes into effect and as such, it’s important that you’re well-prepared for a counterattack from your opponent the moment you make use of your pepper spray.

Studies also show that the effects of these two compounds are somewhat lessened when used against people who are intoxicated, psychotic, on drugs, or incapable to feel pain for some reason.

Types of Forms for Pepper Sprays
Not all pepper sprays merely spray out its content. Some pepper sprays release pepper foams. The substance contains 10% pepper. When sprayed on an attacker’s face, his first instinct will be to wipe the foam away and in so doing, he will end up grounding pepper into his face and eyes, which will then create a burning sensation.

A UV marking dye is a self-defense weapon spray that is commonly used together with pepper sprays. When sprayed on an attacker, it will create a distinctive mark that will be invisible to the human eye but visible to UV tools. Such marks are highly helpful in identifying and capturing assailants.

Pepper sprays can also differ according to spray patterns, nozzle types, sizes, and concentrations. A bigger device may have greater content but it’s also more difficult to hide. Spray pattern is also important as some are effective with accurate aim while others work best in close range.

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What Self-Defense Weapon to Use?

Self-defense is made easier if you have a weapon handy. If you wish to afford yourself maximum protection, it’s important to choose the ideal self-defense weapon, one that’s portable, readily accessible, and you have the knowledge and skills to use.

Energy or Self-Defense Sprays

Pepper sprays and tear gases are the best examples of this type of self-defense weapon. They are easy to use and terribly effective when used at the right time. They are also affordable, easy to hide, and will not generally place innocent bystanders or even the attacker himself at life-threatening risk.

Nothing in this world is, however, flawless, and this type of self-defense weapon comes with its own risks. For one thing, the effects don’t occur immediately and vary in strength. If you’re unlucky, its effects might not afford you enough time to escape unscathed.

Stun Weapons

Stun guns and Tasers are definitely more powerful than self-defense sprays, enough to not just incapacitate an attacker but cost him his life as well. As such, it’s important for a person to be well aware of his responsibilities for carrying such a weapon with him.

It is also important to know that stun guns cannot completely guarantee your safety. Some people are born with or have developed a high threshold for electrical stimulation, enough to make them bear, if not immune to, the effects of stun guns.

Having good aim is crucial. Stun guns affect muscles and nerves and while these are something present throughout the body, you do still need to ascertain that the probes located at the business end of your stun gun make contact with the body.

UV Marking Dyes

A UV marking dye may not incapacitate your attacker, but it can however leave your assailant with a mark that’s distinctive and difficult to erase. It is best to use UV marking dyes only if you are supremely confident in your self-defense skills and you only desire something that could help apprehend your attacker.

Level of Lethalness

A self-defense weapon may be designed to be lethal, semi-lethal, or non-lethal. Regardless of which category your weapon falls into, what will ultimately matter are your presence of mind and your ability to use it for defending yourself.

Practical Everyday Self-Defense Weapons

There may come a time that the self-defense weapon you’ve purchased and relied on using will not be available and it is in those instances you have to be prepared. You need to be resourceful and be creative in turning ordinary objects like nail files and umbrellas into extraordinary self-defense weapons.

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Tips on How to Use a Stun Gun Properly

Supporters say it’s better than pepper spray and is more efficient to use. However, if you have no idea on how to use a stun gun the right way, it may either fail to protect you or cause unnecessary damage. If you have one of these weapons or are planning to buy one, here are tips on how to use a stun gun properly:

Know your type.
There are different types of stun guns with varying levels of stopping power. Know what type yours is. Having sufficient knowledge on what your stun gun can do will go a long way to guide you on how to use it properly.

Ask for the brochure or user’s manual and study it carefully. Know how much its stopping power is. Most stun guns have a minimum of 80,000 volts while others can go as high as 1,000,000 volts.

Familiarize yourself.
If you will be handling your stun gun only in an emergency, you might not have enough confidence to use it. Don’t wait for something to happen before handling your stun gun. Familiarize yourself with the shape, form, weight and function.

Use the safety switch.
Every stun gun has its own safety switch. If it’s switched on, the gun will not work. This is to prevent the user from accidentally firing it. Switch the safety off if you feel you are in imminent danger so you’re ready to use it.

Learn to aim.
A stun gun only works if it hits the target. In this case, it has to be any area between the base of the neck and the waist. This area as a whole is the largest part of the body and easily targeted. Practice on your stun gun so your muscles can memorize the movements.

In case the emergency situation makes it difficult for you to aim at these areas, use the stun gun on parts of the body that you can hit, such as the shoulder, thighs or legs. Don’t worry. Even if you come in contact with the person you just hit with a stun gun, you won’t be affected.

Fire it properly.
A stun gun is supposed to disable your attacker, not kill him. Fire the gun and hold the trigger for at least 3 seconds for high voltage units or about 5 seconds for lower voltage units. Make sure no part of your body gets in contact with the prongs.

Keep batteries fresh.
Your stun gun won’t work if the batteries are dead. Periodically check if your stun gun still has sufficient power and replace the batteries. Don’t wait for an emergency to occur before you do. Otherwise, it might be too late.

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When is Self Defense Not Self Defense?

When in the court of law, many people who have been accused of assault or manslaughter will often say that they were acting in self defense. Of course, this is understandable if the person who was killed was about to kill them or rape them, then the accused may well claim self defense. But when is self defense not self defense, and when is the line crossed?

In general, the law will allow for the “use of necessary and proportionate, non-deadly force in self-defense anytime the victim reasonably believes that unlawful force is about to be used on him,” in the case of a non-lethal force (such as assault); and it will also allow for the use of deadly force any time a faultless victim reasonably believes that unlawful force will cause death or grievous bodily harm is to be used on him,” as in the case of a lethal force (including manslaughter).

The wording on such laws can be tricky, and it can all depend on how the trial will proceed and how the defendant is able to prove that he or she reasonably believed that he or she was under threat. This can be difficult to prove, and it may require a psychiatrist or an eyewitness, the latter of which can be difficult to procure. Moreover, the use unlawful force is debatable: there are idiosyncrasies of laws that can permit certain actions to be understood as lawful even if they seem logically frightening. How faultless the victim is can be a point of contention. In many cases, prosecutors will do what they can to make a victim appear to be at fault.

Another point of contention might be the extent to which the victim acted in purported self-defense. Was it necessary and proportionate to the coming threat, if any? This necessity and proportionality can often be a matter of opinion. For instance, would mauling a would-be rapist be a proportional punishment? Would murdering a man because of a sexual slur be “overdoing” it? Moreover, what “punishment,” if any, should the defendant be given? Should there be rehabilitation involved, psychiatric help, or time served in prison?

As with many other aspects of the law, self-defense is tricky and can be redefined depending on the prosecutors, defendants, and how the case proceeds. If you are interested in finding out more about this aspect of the law, then you may need to do more research, talk to a criminal lawyer, and ask about how self-defense cases are resolved.

image credits to meredithfarmer

How to Keep Bears Away

Many are encouraged to carry around mace or pepper spray with them for protection. Although you hope that you will never use it, you may simply need to have mace just in case you will need it. However, according to a spokesman for the Colorado Division of Wildlife, the spray is only as effective as its user is wise. In other words, some people can indiscriminately spray the pepper spray into the air without a full understanding of what the impacts of the spray are, and what its effects are on people. When the wind turns in the wrong direction, the people who spray it are affected as well.

Pepper sprays are often called bear sprays since they can also keep away bears. Campers are sometimes advised to bring it, but camp rangers also recommend that making noise may also be a good form of prevention. Bears may often avoid humans because of the noise that humans make. However, pepper spray or not, it will never be advisable to approach a bear or put oneself at risk. Experts also warn people with pepper sprays never to take risks with bears simply because one has the spray to potentially protect oneself. Any approach by humans is seen by bears as aggression, and they will respond accordingly.

Moreover, bears will usually approach humans and other animals when they are looking for food. It is in these moments of foraging that humans and bears may be placed at their closest proximity, and it is these moments where people must be extra careful and exercise preventive measures. For instance, campers are cautioned to keep their camping spot free from trash and food in order to keep bears from wandering in. If a bear is found already going through food stores, ice chests, and other places where food is stored, campers are always advised never to approach the bear or try to save the food – food, after all, can be replaced.

As mentioned earlier, noise is a good way to keep out bears, and campers are advised to make noise whenever they go out of their tents or trailers. This can also be applicable especially where bears hide behind trees, waiting to get food. Bear spray may find its use in a sudden attack, or when a bear is suddenly in the area and the camper is unable to find anything in sight that may help him or her.

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50 Ways to Keep Yourself Safe from Sexual Assault

In these frightening days and times, with US having the highest rate of rape, everyone can be a victim of anyone else’s desperation. You, as a woman, need to take care of yourself. Your car can be stolen, your house can be broken into, your apartment can be burned down, and you, yourself, can be the victim. Protect yourself from sexual assault! There are many ways that you can avoid sexual assault, and many ways that you can keep yourself and your dignity intact. All you need to do is to be prepared and vigilant, to never waver in your confidence, and to be aware of your surroundings without losing your zest for life. After all, paranoia can only go so far: you need to make it work for you.

Here is a list of fifty tips that you may want to remember so that you can keep yourself protected from sexual predators.

1. Avoid hanging out alone in any isolated location, whether it’s bright as day or dark as night. Sure, there are security cameras and the occasional kind stranger, but don’t court danger all the same. When you are alone, you are as good as prey, and you do not want to fall into the trap that nature sets for anyone who’s alone. If you do find yourself alone, bring protection: a mace spray may be your best
friend.

2. Walk where it’s brightly-lit, and where there are lots of people hanging out. The chances of you being sexually assaulted in broad daylight in full view of a bunch of people will be high only if you work on the set of a porn film. Otherwise, use the magic of lighting and community to elude your would-be predators.

3. Change your route to and from work every day. Some sexual predators track their victims for weeks, looking for habits and patterns. Break your own patterns – after all, you can still make your life exciting. Just don’t be reckless.

4. Don’t hang around your parking lot. Just get into your car and drive! This is especially true if you have to travel late at night. Parking lots are lonesome, dimly-lit areas that are good breeding grounds for stalkers and attackers.

5. Budget your time: Avoid working late hours. You may think that the evenings are quiet and conducive to work. They’re conducive to sexual assaulters too.

6. Practice controlling your voice: don’t tremble, be firm. If you do encounter someone who wants to grope or touch you, you can shoo them away. How? By showing that you are not willing to be a victim. A predator is only as strong as its prey is weak. Turn the tables and talk in a firm voice.

7. Rearrange your hand bag so that everything you need is where you can grab it easily. Reaching for that mace spray? Make sure you don’t pull out that can of hair spray instead. Looking for that pocket knife? Make sure you don’t pull out your pen by mistake, unless it’s a pen knife. Keep your weapons in a location that you can reach so that you don’t fiddle with your bag in the process.

8. Train yourself to use your weapon of choice to your advantage. You may have a weapon to bludgeon your attacker with, and something good for stabbing, but weapons are only as good as their users. Take a class, read online, do research, and practice your moves so that you are prepared to use your weapons right when the time comes.

9. Carry weapons as often as you can so that you can protect yourself.

10. Know your body’s weak points. Do you have weak knees? You could be brought to your knees with the slightest kick, so start doing a workout. Are your arms out of shape? You need elbows to knock your attacker over if he comes up from behind. Learn what your body needs in order to function well.

11. Learn to be vigilant – recognize something suspicious, and allow yourself to be paranoid. When in doubt, change your route or run in the opposite direction. This means that you need to keep your eyes peeled all the time. If you think you’re too sleepy to notice something, either have a cup of coffee or drink orange juice to keep yourself alert.

12. Think on your toes and always be prepared to defend yourself. You may have all the karate skills in the world, and all the weapons that your body can carry, but if you don’t respond quickly and have quick reflexes, you can end up hurt. As you are taught to drive defensively, teach and train yourself to walk and stroll and enjoy the world with some health amount of defensiveness.

13. Stash all your jewelry away when you walk on the streets. Anything conspicuous can make you fodder for predators. True, robbery and sexual assault might be too separate things, but then again, why court danger?

14. Do not hitchhike! This may be the most common-sense advice that anyone can give you, but in desperation for a ride home, you might think that going on the highway and asking for a ride can be safe. Find another way to get home. Better yet, avoid any situation that might put you on a highway and get you into danger that you shouldn’t be in!

15. Look confident and do not look like a target that’s easy to spot and weaken. Walk with your head held high. Don’t look fearful or paranoid. Look like you know where you’re going. Build your confidence! The world may be a dangerous place, but it isn’t a place for weakening paranoia.

16. Practice eye contact. This not only builds confidence, but it can weaken would be attackers who do not want to be identified.

17. Wait in a lighted and peopled area if you’re waiting for your transportation to arrive. A common mistake that many women make is to wait in a certain area even if it is dark, if only to get transportation to a place they need to be in. Find a nearby place where you can hang out, where you are still in reach of people and within sight.

18. Sit behind the driver or near the door when on the bus. This will keep anyone from sneaking up on you.

19. If you can’t get a seat near the driver or the door, get an aisle seat so that you don’t get pushed into the window. Sexual predators aim to weaken you and literally push you into a corner. Don’t give them that chance!

20. Get the train compartment that has the most passengers when you are traveling by train late at night. Again, you want to be around people, and you don’t want to be presenting yourself as a most welcome bait.

21. On the other hand, get a moderately occupied train when you are commuting during rush hours or peak hours. You don’t want to get groped or fondled without you getting the chance to find out who is doing the groping or fondling.

22. Have your keys ready as you are going to your car, whether you are parked in the parking lot or on the street. You don’t want to be fiddling with your bag while waiting in front of your car door. Don’t keep yourself vulnerable.

23. Keep your doors locked and your windows closed when you are driving. This is especially true when you reach intersections and you have to stop.

24. Always look in the back seat of your car, and under it, very quickly before you enter. Your car is a pretty good hiding place for people, but don’t linger on looking at it. Just take quick peeks, and then launch yourself in and drive away.

25. Never leave your car unlocked! You may go into the store for just a minute, or off to your library to return your book for just a second. Don’t take your absence for granted. If you think you’re quick, sexual predators are quicker.

26. See someone in your car threatening you? Run away from your car and start screaming - and loudly. You want to make noise, not cooperate with your would-be captor in hiding what he is about to do.

27. See someone pointing at your tires on the road, or signaling that you should pull over? Unless it’s a cop – and even then, you should be cautious – keep driving. You can be pulled over for the express purpose of someone charging into your car while you’re distracted, and then holding you hostage.

28. Don’t ALWAYS stop to help. It may not be the Good Samaritan way of doing things, but if you see someone pulled over to the side of the road, think robbery and assault scheme. You can’t really tell in these troubled times.

29. Don’t be afraid to ask someone for help, say for going to your car or escorting you across a parking lot. Make sure you can trust this someone to help you, though, or you may be leading yourself into a trap.

30. Be alert when walking in your parking lot. Not only should you not hang around, but if circumstances do force you to hang around, be alert and watchful. Avoid using your cellular phone and calling someone first while you are in your car. Remember, do not be distracted, and do not render yourself vulnerable.

31. Getting a taxi cab? Always look at the ID tag of your taxi driver, and ask a friend to note down his or her plate number. Check that the ID tag of your taxi driver matches that of the driver.

32. Be extremely vigilant if your taxi has central locking. You may be locked in without your express permission, or the taxi driver may have friends waiting to sandwich you in and take your elsewhere.

33. Call for taxis as much as possible instead of hailing them on the street. This way, the driver can be better traced.

34. When walking on the street, walk against the traffic so that you can see if cars are coming. Not only is this safer for you in terms of not getting hit by a car, but it will allow you to see if someone is coming toward you. Just be sure not to get blinded by headlights.

35. If you are being shadowed, or followed close by a car, run in the opposite direction. This can make it difficult for your follower to continue tracking you.

36. Avoid using an IPod or plugging anything into your ears that might make you less vigilant. This is especially true if you are walking home alone late at night. The music may make you feel powerful and strong, but having a big bass banging against your eardrums can also keep out sounds that may put you on the alert.

37. Make friends with the people who live along your route going to and from work so that you have a place to run to just in case you do get into trouble. This way, they know that if there is frantic knocking on their doors in the middle of the night, and they find you, they know that they can trust you and take you into their protection.

38. Never take anything for granted: even if you have roving police in your area, and even if you haven’t experienced any assault in the last five years, anything can happen within moments.

39. When dialing for help from a telephone box, dial the number immediately, and then turn around, so that you can be more alert for anything that is coming in your direction.

40. Use the telephone box as a weapon. You can use the phone itself to whack your attacker, and if your telephone box has a door, you can use it to wedge your attacker in.

41. Avoid wearing restrictive clothing that will keep you from running or moving. This includes fitting skirts, extremely high and uncomfortable heels, and jackets that may keep your hands to your sides. You need room to move, and you need to keep your attacker at a good enough distance for a good kick.

42. Avoid wearing provocative clothing. This may seem to be even more restrictive, but in these desperate times, you need to know how not to court danger. Sure, that neckline reaching down to your ankles can make you feel sexy, but do you really want to attract the wrong crowd and put yourself in even more danger?

43. Avoid doing anything that will hamper your senses, especially if you are coming from a party. This means not drinking or taking a large amount of sugar (which may lead to a sugar crash later on). This makes you extremely vulnerable, not to mention insensate.

44. Watch your drinks closely! Buy your own drinks as much as possible, as someone may slip you a pill just to get you into bed. You want to be awake and living when you get home, not hammered, plastered, and probably raped.

45. If you do get attacked, use your strongest joint: your elbow. If you can’t use your elbow, try kicking. The groin and the knees are weakest in your opponent. When your opponent is down, don’t take a look at him. Look fast enough to identify him later. Just run away.

46. Never take anything for granted: lock all the windows and doors of your home whether you are in or out of it.

47. Find people to attend events with and avoid going alone. Agree to look at for one another and make sure to contact each other when you get home, just so you know that all of you are safe. Sure, you may want to be alone, but reserve those times for when you are going out in broad daylight, or staying at home, locked safely in.

48. Know the emergency numbers in your area. You need to know, by heart, who to call.

49. Listen to your intuitions and obey your gut. Sometimes, your senses are trying to tell you something, and your stress can block your intuition. That said, try to make your life as stress-free as possible so that you are lucid and alert.

50. Take self-defense classes and practice!

Most of these only require common sense. Do you have any other suggestions on how you can prevent being a victim of sexual assault?

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image credits: 2, 3, 4, 5