Non-Lethal methods

[argyle64]

Yeah, we're not allowed to bring those in with us here unless they're locked in the armory.

 

[TroyF]

I also dont carry my car key on the same set as my house key.

And no garage door opener in the car.

Slightly off topic.

 

[argyle64]

My house keys are seperate from my car key as well. Only thing on my car key is my BOP fob.

 

[McGuire]

So I dont know how many people really have trained with a knife but I trained with FCS Kali, captained by Ray Dionaldo. The knife is not a Non-Lethal weapon, I would say its less lethal than handgun outside maybe 20 feet or so. But a knife is a formidable weapon, even a small knife can cause horrific damage. So Id leave that out. I really really like the kubaton idea, I had one but I cant find it since my move here. I have trained a good bit with small striking weapons like that and they are hard to spot unless the person knows what they are looking at and very effective. I carry a knife, its probably a bit big for most people but I like it. You can look it up, the Cold Steel Spartan, probably my favorite pocket knife besides the Spyderco Civilian G10

 

[jtischauser]

If I can't get naked real quick to scare them off/diffuse the situation I go with A classic Austin Powers style Judo Chop.

 

[Corey]

I also dont carry my car key on the same set as my house key.

Do you carry these keys in separate pockets? I carry smart phone in left pocket by itself and keys & change in right pocket with knife clipped on. Just curious.

 

[Dustin Blanton]

A lot of folks are going to suggest martial arts training, and they're right. The ability to perform breakfalls and rolls, learned in the early portion of most martial arts, will be invaluable as a safety tool independent of self-defense situations and will serve you the rest of your life. Beyond that, your hands and feet generally accompany you everywhere (unless something has gone terribly wrong), so some sort of hand-to-hand skill is the way to go.

Unfortunately, to be an effective hand-to-hand combatant, you generally need a lot of skill and (in some cases) daunting physical conditioning. For many of us, who are older, or disinclined to rolling around on the ground if we can help it, or who spend too much time and money shooting to pick up yet another hobby, self-defense courses are impractical. I do encourage you to go at least until you learn and practice basic blocks and breakfalls.

Now, on to tools, which is the most popular topic of discussion when people ask this question:

I'm certainly no expert on the topic, but I choose OC spray.

It doesn't have some of the shotcomings of a taser, it disables the attacker's ability to see (and possibly breathe well) for some time after it's applied, and it provides an opportunity to escape.

It has its limitations. Wind can blow it away from your attacker or (worse) toward you. If your assailant is wearing glasses or goggles, it may not impede his ability to attack you much at all.

And it's important to understand the effect of OC: It causes intense burning pain around the mucosa (eyes, nose, mouth area, and any other tender tissues) and reflexively shuts the eyes (in many cases). Your attacker can't see you, but he can certainly hear you, and now he's mad.

It's important after spraying someone to quickly get away in 2 or 3 dimensional space. It's a blinding tool and not much more than that.

 

[kdf9511]

Well I've always got a knife or two on me but when at work where and in the company car where I'm not allowed a weapon I keep a three pound linesmans hammer tucked inbetween the front seats. Short squat easy to swing and as I know from experenece don't feel so good to get wacked with or dropped on a foot. I also keep a cheep ole harbor freight hatchet within reach in the truck and when packed up with camping gear on the bike.

 

[michaelclm]

A lot of folks are going to suggest martial arts training, and they're right. The ability to perform breakfalls and rolls, learned in the early portion of most martial arts, will be invaluable as a safety tool independent of self-defense situations and will serve you the rest of your life. Beyond that, your hands and feet generally accompany you everywhere (unless something has gone terribly wrong), so some sort of hand-to-hand skill is the way to go.

Unfortunately, to be an effective hand-to-hand combatant, you generally need a lot of skill and (in some cases) daunting physical conditioning. For many of us, who are older, or disinclined to rolling around on the ground if we can help it, or who spend too much time and money shooting to pick up yet another hobby, self-defense courses are impractical. I do encourage you to go at least until you learn and practice basic blocks and breakfalls.

If you have physical issues that preclude you from participating in many of the "mainstream" martial arts, try to find a Systema school in your area. I think that you will be very surprised.

The self defense basket should contain a diverse group of eggs. They can include irritants and neurological inhibitors (read: OC sprays and Tasers). The Guardian Angels, marketed by Kimber, are my preferred OC units. The Piexon JPX Jet Protector is also an excellent option, depending on your environment, and fire the same chemical solution as the Guardian Angel. The Taser C2 can shock for up to 90 seconds (if you've ever been attached to one, you know that this is a lifetime) and if you ever have to shock someone with it just set it down, drive away, and call 911. Taser will replace the unit free of charge with a copy of the police report. They are designed to shock for a minimum of 30 seconds, by the way. The downside to these is that when the current is removed, so is the effect.

As Troy mentioned previously these tools are intended to distract or slow the attacker, and buy you time. Unass the AO, get to safety, and call the police.

It's semantics but if you haven't already done so, start thinking of these as "less lethal" options. That's a term devised by attorneys but for good reason. Irritants CAN kill a person will severe asthma or a combination of asthma and heart disorders. Tasers can kill those with heart conditions or pacemakers, as well. While the intent of these tools is not to inflict death, they can AND HAVE done so. Obviously these should not be reasons NOT to use them on an attacker because I think we can all agree he's probably earned it. Just be aware that it can happen.