practical women's self defense ideas

[chalambok]

hello ladies, just some personal thoughts about your situations: Firstly, pepper spray is very worthwhile but have you ever priced it? Certainly it is too expensive to buy three or four cans and practice spraying them around so you can actually aim the stuff. My advice is buy several of those small fire extinguishers, the ones about the size of a roll of quarters. Practice with a couple, then carry the others, believe me, if you spray some into a guy's face he will have a hard time breathing. Another good idea told me by Terry Tippie years ago is to carry a highway flare when you are walking. Just take the cap off, you can strike it on the pavement of a sidewalk if you need it. Some good ones (about $1.69 apiece) will actually put out a 23-inch flame for about 17 minutes, long enough for you to run to a house or a phone or a police station. My take on this is if someone in a car is hassling you just light the baby up and point it at them, if they continue harassing you, toss it under the car. They better move the car at least or they will be burning shortly. If they still keep giving you a hard time just toss it in the car and take off like your life is on the line, because it probably is. I always say after this that they may then kill you, but you will have some satisfaction knowing their car can be traced from the burnt hulk that will be sitting on the road. And if you have good friends they will find whoever killed you and see justice is done

[Green Magoon]

I read somewhere most guys that attack women are looking to rape. But they rarely ever kill. And only 2 percent of the time they carry a weapon, because if they are caught with a weapon that have to stay in prision much longer then without a weapon. And if you try to resist(physically and verbally) the chance of being raped reduces to 14 percent because most people are looking for easy targets.

[fleetgunz]

good idea about the flair i did not think of it...an umbella is good if you cant get the others also if you carry a knife, chemical agent (though foam is better than spray...) flair or firearm (untimate equilizer) fire extingisher ect. the umbrella can buy you the time and distance you need to deploy other weapons..A word to the wise on electrical and chemical weapons...they haveenviormental restictions ...rain is bad if you use electrical and a breeze in your face turns the chemicalweapon against you..When deploying a chemical agent...practice thrownig your elbow (oposite of your weapon hand) to sheild your eyes...or wear glasses. (shatter resistant) what ever you use train with it...alot

[treelizard]

You can get OC/CS for $5.99 around these parts, with an invisible UV dye to help the cops catch the bad guy. Buy two, practice with one, and yes it will get on you if you use it and the range is limited and it doesn't work on all people and doesn't work well in the rain.

As far as flares, can you get away in the amount of time it takes to pull out and light and toss a flare? What kind of "hassling" justifies that kind of action? Just some things to think about so you don't end up accidentally killing someone who is "giving you a hard time."

[fleetgunz]

a flair can be seployed in a few seconds and it was not the intent that you throw it but that you hold it and use it like a torch i beleive I saw that in a previous post and though it was a neet idea. As i have instructed "use of deadly force" as a range master/ small arms instructor this is akin to a firearm or knife. you have to be in a situation where a reasonable person would conside to be immanant danger. ie the person has the ability to cause death or serious bodily harm to you or others ..ie someone approaches you with a weapon or physicaly assalts you...you get the idea...

[fleetgunz]

i do plan on trying it out to see if it is feezable to use in a self defence senario.

[treelizard]

Oh my god, someone in a car is pointing a weapon at me, let me just reach in my handbag and grab a flare!

[treelizard]

i do plan on trying it out to see if it is feezable to use in a self defence senario.

That would be called premeditation.

[fleetgunz]

read the previos posts it was kind of an unusual idea though the idea of using pyro in a car is not what i think the originatior of the idea had in mind..by the logic that to practice is premeditaion so is training in sd or at the range....i was just saying that it was an intersting idea first and secon i am not the one who came up with it

[Tom Yum]

a flair can be seployed in a few seconds and it was not the intent that you throw it but that you hold it and use it like a torch i beleive I saw that in a previous post and though it was a neet idea. As i have instructed "use of deadly force" as a range master/ small arms instructor this is akin to a firearm or knife. you have to be in a situation where a reasonable person would conside to be immanant danger. ie the person has the ability to cause death or serious bodily harm to you or others ..ie someone approaches you with a weapon or physicaly assalts you...you get the idea...

Cool. Do you teach small arms to the navy or marines?

That's gotta be a cool job. Our own Mike B is a trainer for the US Army. Y'all should talk shop!

[fleetgunz]

i was certified as a navy small arms instructor while i was active duty i have done some instruction since on the private side.

[Laura]

I've carried pepper spray but being in Boston - it rains a lot here and is quite windy so it becomes fairly useless - especially if the attacker is wearing shades. I prefer a gun. Keep something small, handy and reliable. The best self defense is avoiding those situations that put you at risk and practice martial arts daily to stay sharp.

[fleetgunz]

good plan...though i would not use anything smaller than a .380 on the street walking or what ever tocarry an umbrella something you can use to give u distance to deploy your firearm...martial arts are great and they will keep you fit. also since you have chosen tocarry a firearm take a stressshooting coarse at least once regular range is ok for familiarization ..ie noise recoil draw..ect i stress and primarily teach point shooting at less than 10 m. you can get a soft air and foam cups to work on accuracy 10min a day consider it an extention of your ma practice then head to the range or gunclub at least one a month...

[Tant01]

It is a violation of federal law to use road flares for anything other than the labeled purpose...

Charges of arson come to mind. Hot slag catching your own clothes on fire and self inflicted third degree burns do not reflect good self protection or even good reasoning IMO... Too many better tools for the job... Road flares Sheeesh... What's next?

Bad advise can be found everywhere!

[treelizard]

Also trying to figure out if I could use a road flare with no fine motor skills...