One of the reasons I think is because it is still a product reminiscent of the old Flash Gordon days going way, way back or more recently, Capt. Kirk with his phaser. The word taser actually is an acronym for Thomas A Swift Electronic Rifle.

There has to be a reason why over 12,000 law enforcement agencies in the United States and nine foreign countries carry tasers. It is part of their continuum of force that law enforcement officers use to gain compliance to a lawful order.

Law enforcement agency tasers are not available to civilians. But civilians can get several models of tasers. The most popular is the C-2 Taser.The C2 was designed specifically for women. It is smaller than the other tasers but does exactly the same thing-shooting out two darts, that are electrified, up to 15 feet away to disable an assailant.

Check out all of our other Taser Devices.

Stun batons offer a great alternative.

The Mini Nightstick is a good example of powerful stun baton. It is 10 inches long and is 4,000,000 volts-more than enough to get anybody’s attention. It has a lifetime warranty and is fully rechargeable with a recharging cord that’s included.

It has two levels of safety built-in for your protection. A 3 to 5 second application of a stun gun to an assailant will put him out of action for 5 to 10 minutes allowing you time to get away and seek help.

Please look at all of our other Stun Batons. One of them may be perfect for you.

The most effective technique you can employ is not to get attacked at all.  You are most vulnerable when you are on the move, like going to your car.  Stay within sight of people as much as possible.  Your attacker wants you to be alone.  If you are being attacked, don’t let him force you into your car (throw your keys if you have too) or around the corner of the building.  Women will often notice that they are being targeted before an attack.  If so keep an object between you and him weather it is a car or bench or anything that could slow him down.  Just slowing him down might be enough to get him to leave as he only has a small window to work in.

If it appears the attack is imminent then you need to quickly review your options.  Is screaming or making noise going to help?  Often times it is pointless so it is time for a weapon.  Of the personal non-lethal options the stun gun is the most effective as in makes that intimidating crackling. You don’t have something like that?  It is time to improvise.  An ink pen or keys to the eye is devastating.  If you are grabbed from behind and you’re wearing heels you have a great weapon.  Even if the heel is ½ inch square on the bottom your 135 pound weight becomes 540 pounds with all your weight on it.  If the heels are ¼ inch it goes up to 2100 lbs.  Ouch!

You just used one of the 3 strongest part of or body to strike with.  The other two are you elbows and the ball of you palm.  Use them or go after his weakest targets.  You already got one but there is still the groin, harder to hit than it sounds, his trachea, and his face.  Eye gouging is great too.  If he gets his hands around your neck there is one defense move you need to know; turn your head toward your shoulder.  This will stop him from crushing your trachea. Also try to get control of his hands.  Just by holding his wrist you have severely limited what he can do.  He would find it hard to draw and use his weapon, you would limit his ability to hit you, and make it very hard to rape you.  Remember that time is on your side.  He has to work quickly or get caught and your screams will make this time seem like hours to him.

A short article is not a replacement for a good self defense class but it will give you a start and put you in the right mind set.  In the class you have an opportunity to apply what you learn.  Also, look into a non-lethal self defense device. A 135 pound woman armed with pepper spray and 500,000 volts is going to be able to take any man.  Both the stun gun can be the size of a marker.  Big things can come in little packages.

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!

martial arts video image

image credit to sxc.hu

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!

martial arts videos image

image credit to newhousedesign

And how else could you better celebrate this moment than giving yourself the gift of safety learn self defense lessons! There are many ways you could get into it, you can introduce yourself to self defense lessons via this video from Just Yell Fire. And advance your education learning more self defense moves by watching more videos or taking self defense classes.

You can check out the new gym that does not only keep you in shape but also lets you learn self defense; there’s one in El Paso called “Fighter Physique”.

There is also a women’s self defense training for Elkhart, Indiana residents – Resist Aggression Defensively for Women on February 23.

If you want more varieties of self defense and fitness training programs, check out this list: a Fitness Calendar, which includes a free self-defense intro, Tae Kwon Do for kids to adults, and Body Combat, which is actually an aerobic program combining moves from a variety of self-defense disciplines.

Another Health Calendar, that you should take note of which gives you a choice of Tai Chi for Self Defense and other fitness programs.

Have a safe and fun Women’s Self-Empowerment Week!