Questions about various methods and tools for self-defense

• Your Brain
• Why is your brain a defensive tool?
• Martial arts
• Are martial arts good for self-defense?
• Where can I learn more about martial arts?
• Unarmed fighting
• What is Unarmed fighting?
• Where can I learn more?
• Dogs
• Will a dog protect me?
• Alarms and whistles
• What are personal alarms?
• Why are personal alarms over-rated?
• Stun Guns and Tasers
• What are Stun guns? Tasers?
• Are they legal?
• Do they work?
• Aerosol sprays
• What kinds of chemical defensive sprays are there?
• What is Oleoresin Capsicum (pepper) spray?
• Is OC spray legal?
• Where can I buy OC spray?
• Why do I need a class to learn to use it?
• Persuader-Kubotan
• What is a Persuader (also called a Kubotan)?
• Where can I buy a Persuader?
• Firearms
• Ugh. I don't like guns!
• Where can I get training?
• How should I decide what kind of gun to get?
• Where can I learn more about firearms?
• Improvised weapons

Your Brain

Why is your brain a defensive tool?

Your brain is your best weapon. It has been optimized by evolution to keep you alive. It is always with you, ready to be used, and you can exercise it without leaving your chair.

Your brain creates your attitude, which is one of the most important survival characteristics you can possess. If you believe, deeply and truly, that you are worth protecting, and if you project that attitude to those around you, most criminals will simply leave you alone.

The best self-protection for most crimes is prevention, and you can easily prevent many crimes just by being aware (using your eyes, your ears, and yes, your brain) of who and what is around you. If prevention fails, and you have to use some of the other tools and techniques here, your brain will automatically bring forth the physical moves you have practiced.

A strong, survival-oriented attitude, coupled with some specific physical training is a devastating combination that will triumph over someone who tries to harm you.

Martial Arts

Are martial arts good for self-defense?

Martial arts are wonderful for exercise and confidence building, but we feel they are overrated for self-defense because they take so much time and work to master and maintain, some are ill-taught, and because police have found that defensive tactics and similar techniques are more effective "on the street." Another problem is having to "pull" strikes and kicks with a partner. You'll do on the street what you do in practice.

Where can I learn more about martial arts?

Check the World Wide Web for the National Women's Martial Arts Federation.

Unarmed fighting

What is Unarmed fighting?

Unarmed, or empty-handed, fighting is that done without any kind of weapon except your body parts. It differs from martial arts in that the best programs are designed specifically for women.

An effective 20 to 25 hour course can teach you how to defend yourself, and render an assailant unconscious.

Where can I learn more?

Look in your local white or yellow pages under self-defense for Model Mugging, Impact, Bamm, or RAD (Rape Aggression Defense). There are also several studios with web pages, so a search engine should be able to turn up some useful hits.

Look for a training program that is taught by women, and that includes "fights" with men wearing special protective gear so that you can hit, punch, and kick full force.

Dogs

Will a dog protect me?

Dogs are wonderful companions, large ones are intimidating (to potential perpetrators) outdoors and in cars, loud ones a deterrent from behind a locked door, and most an excellent early warning system.

Their superior hearing allows them to detect and warn of intruders long before humans might notice (a "furry alarm system").

Dogs can discourage potential attackers merely by their presence. Interviews with career criminals indicate that dogs are a factor in their selection of victims. Several women have reported people actively avoiding them on the street when accompanied by large dogs.

Dogs can actively participate in the defense of their human companions, but not all dogs do this well. This may either be instinctive or trained. Training requires a substantial investment, both for the dog and the owner.

If you have a dog, you should not count on it as your primary, or only, method of defense.

Alarms and whistles

What are personal alarms?

A personal alarm is a noisemaker, usually battery-operated, that makes a loud, piercing noise when it is set off. Lung powered whistles, often called "rape whistles" also fall into this noise-maker category.

Why are personal alarms over-rated?

Believing that someone will come to your rescue when you blow a whistle or set off a siren is a wonderful fairy tale. Don't fall for it. Not only are noise-makers and rape whistles ineffective at deterring crime, they are likely to do more harm than good, for several reasons.

Counting on an alarm to summon aid means that you are depending on someone else to come forth to rescue you. That is, you are betting your life on the hope that someone will hear the alarm, and will respond, and will be capable of stopping the attack. That's a lot of 'ifs' that are out of your control.

The act of activating the alarm or blowing a whistle can take anywhere from 2 to 20 seconds, but the outcome of an attack is usually decided within the first 8 to 10 seconds. So, if the noise doesn't work, you may be out of time, the loser, before you can try other options.

Screaming can sometimes be effective, since the human voice has an impact that is quite different from a mechanical sound. But instead of just making noise, you could be doing much more constructive things that would decrease your likelihood of victimization, such as running away, kicking, striking effective blows, counterattacking with pepper spray, or reaching for a weapon.

Stun guns and Tasers

What are stun guns? Tasers?

Stun guns are hand-held, battery-powered electronic devices designed to deliver an electric shock to an attacker. They are not guns in the traditional sense of the word. A stun gun has two metal contacts which need to be pressed against the attacker.

Tasers (also battery-powered) propel two metal barbs over a distance of several yards. These barbs, connected to the hand-held unit by wires, are intended to attach themselves to the attacker. These wires are then electrified to incapacitate the assailant at a distance.

These devices stop attackers by pain, rapid fatigue of their muscles, and/or overriding the body's neuromuscular system and disrupting voluntary muscle control.

Are stun guns and tasers legal?

It depends on where you live. In the United States, certain states and municipalities have laws which restrict the ownership or use of stun guns or tasers by people other than the police. Given the vast number of jurisdictions in this country, and the rapidity with which laws can change, it is necessary for each individual to research the laws of her own state and municipality. You could check with a lawyer, your police department, your state's attorney general, or perhaps a dealer of self-protection equipment. You should probably check with more than one of these sources, since experience has shown that incorrect and conflicting answers are common. Another option is to read the laws yourself. Copies of your state's statutes can be found on the Internet and in public libraries. Also, courthouses typically have law libraries which are open to the public.

As an example, according to current Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 140, Section 131J, both Stun guns and Tasers are illegal for civilians to possess.

Do they work?

Based on manufacturers' and dealers' claims, one would think that these devices are remarkably powerful defensive tools which unfailingly stop assaults. Reality, however, sometimes falls short of marketing hyperbole.

Several of AWARE's instructors have taken a course which, in part, trains its students to be able to quickly and accurately use a handgun while under stress, in pain, or even if wounded. One of the exercises ran as follows:

Each student faced a target at a distance of about five yards, with his or her handgun fully loaded and holstered. Standing behind the student was an instructor with a 50,000 volt stun gun. The instructor applied the stun gun to the student's arm, leg, or back. The shock of the stun gun was the signal for the student to draw her handgun and to empty it as quickly and as accurately as possible.

Although the reactions of the students varied, all were able to quickly draw their guns and deliver multiple center-zone hits. Hundreds of students have successfully completed this exercise. While the stun gun did hurt, it was not incapacitating. To be effective, the stun gun, a contact weapon, must be held in contact with the assailant for a number of seconds, or he must voluntarily break off the attack.

Various stun gun manufacturers are coming out with new units with ever increasing claimed voltage. They still suffer from the traditional downsides, the principal of which is the necessity of having to hold the unit in contact with your assailant for as much as 5 or 6 seconds, during which time he will not exactly be cooperative. Other factors include battery strength, voltage, and the fact that you must be close to your attacker.

There is a new generation of Tasers that have recently come onto the market. Law enforcement magazines and first person reports have been very positive with respect to the effectiveness of the new higher wattage tasers. While the "older" models had outputs in the 5 to 14 watt range (probably used in the much publicized Rodney King incident), these new devices have outputs up to 26 watts. Note that there are civilian and law enforcement versions. For instance, one Taser manufacturer limits civilians to their 18 watt model having a range of 15 feet, while the LE version's specs are 26 watts and 21 feet.

There are many variables affecting the efficacy of these devices, including model, wattage, contact time, battery strength, and so on. The taser must be aimed at, and hit your attacker. You only have one, or at most two, sets of darts in a taser.

Based on our experiences thus far, we are currently unwilling to entrust our lives to either device.

Aerosol sprays

What kinds of chemical defensive sprays are there?

Older defensive sprays, often generically called tear gas, contained chemical compounds such as CS (Orthochlorobenzalmalononitrile) and CN (Chloroacetophenone). Today, the most popular, the safest and the most effective defensive spray is OC (Oleoresin Capsicum), also known as Pepper Spray.

What is Oleoresin Capsicum (pepper spray)?

Pepper spray is a natural derivative of hot peppers. The essence is extracted, combined with a carrier and propellant, and put into a spray canister. When it is sprayed into the eyes and face on an attacker, it is extremely painful, but it does not rely on pain for its effectiveness. OC causes physical effects even in people who are "feeling no pain."

It makes the eyelids slam shut or spasm, causing hampered vision or even temporary blindness. When even a small amount is inhaled, it constricts the bronchial tubes, causing extreme choking and coughing, though it does not cut off breathing. It is usually effective on most people and animals, including the mentally ill and those under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

Pepper spray comes in various concentrations, and various degrees of heat (measured in Scoville Heat Units, or SHUs). If you're going to get OC, you should purchase a product which has an SHU rating of 1 to 2 million or more. A 1% to 5% concentration is the best range. Sometimes concentrations higher than 5% do not atomize well, and are therefore less effective; also, they lengthen the recovery time beyond the usual 45 minutes or so, and there is no advantage to that in personal defensive situations.

Pepper spray has been used by police and federal law enforcement organizations for decades, and it has an excellent safety and effectiveness record. It is probably the best "general purpose" self-defense tool that you can find, though nothing is 100% effective. The spray may not work on some violent, goal-oriented, people, and may not work fast enough to be effective against someone who is armed.

Is OC spray legal?

That depends on your locality. The legality of these products runs the gamut from anyone can buy it, to, as in Massachusetts, you need a license to purchase and possess it, to some locations where currently it's illegal no matter what. It is illegal under FAA regulations to have in carry-on luggage on any airplane, but it is OK to have it in checked baggage.

For further information about this, please see the FAA Press Release APA 102-98. Since such policies can and do change, you should search the main FAA site to see whether there are any updates.

Also,be sure that it is legal to possess at your destination.
DOT's Office of Hazardous Materials Safety (http://hazmat.dot.gov/)
Transportation of Hazardous Materials; Miscellaneous Amendments; Final Rule HM-166Y 49 CFR Section 171.8 (http://hazmat.dot.gov/hm166y_1.htm)

Where can I buy OC spray?

This depends on the laws in your area. It can vary from the hardware store to a firearms store to a supermarket. Check the Yellow Pages for a firearms, sporting, or police supply store.

Why do I need a class to learn to use it?

Police carry OC spray, but they generally aren't allowed to until they take a class. You should have similar training if possible. Most failures of OC to effectively control a situation stem from the inappropriate application or use: too near, too far, or too much spray used. Training will show you how to avoid these mistakes.

AWARE gives a three hour class (taught by certified instructors) that covers what OC is, what the various differences in concentration, canister size, delivery type, etc. mean in terms of how it should be used, how to carry it (and how not to), how to use it, and what sorts of people/situations it might not be effective for. Proper use of OC is not like hosing a bug down with a can of bug spray! Students also get to practice with inert, mint-scented, sprays against one another and the instructors -- so you can start to develop experience and muscle memory for how to use it effectively.

Persuader-Kubotan

What is a Persuader (also called a Kubotan)?

A 5 1/2" long cylinder made of plastic or metal which you attach your keys to. It can be used for pressure point manipulation, locks, or striking.

Where can I buy a Persuader?

They can be purchased from some hardware and firearms stores, mail-order, online, or at a class. AWARE offers a certified class you should take before carrying it. Just because you have one, doesn't mean it can be used effectively without training.

Firearms

Ugh. I don't like guns!

You are not alone.

Don't let that keep you from learning something about them, however.

Where can I get training?

There are several different kinds of firearms training. There is basic safety and marksmanship training that everyone who has a gun needs, and there is more specialized defensive firearms training that is specifically for those who have guns for self-protection (as opposed to hunting, or sports).

For basic safety and marksmanship, you can usually find good training quite locally. Regardless of what you might think of the NRA, they have created excellent introductory courses. You don't have to join the NRA to take these courses. Two courses that are quite good in theory are Home Firearm Safety, and Basic Pistol. Whether the courses are actually good in practice depends on who teaches them. You can ask the NRA for a list of certified instructors in your area, and try to pick out a woman if that would make you more comfortable, or you can go to a couple of local gun shops and ask what instructors they recommend, or you can call local firearms stores and gun clubs to ask whether they offer instruction.

For defensive firearms training, it is wise to be very, very selective. There are a number of excellent, private gun schools around the country. Several of these that AWARE is acquainted with are (alphabetically): Defense Training International in Laport, CO, Firearms Academy of Seattle in Onalaska, WA, Gunsite Training Center in Paulden,AZ, InSights Training Center in Bellevue, WA, Lethal Force Institute in Concord, NH, and Thunder Ranch in Lakeview, OR. Others are also very good. Additionally, there is a list of gun schools that appears from time to time on the Internet. Please note that AWARE makes no claims about any of these places, and cannot recommend specific schools.

AWARE offers a number of firearms courses, including Home Firearms Safety, Basic Pistol, Responsible Use of Lethal Force, Self Protection with Handguns, Basic Shotgun, Defensive Shotgun, and Handgun Retention.

How should I decide what kind of gun to get?

If you are thinking of getting a gun, get training first. If that isn't possible, get training a soon as you get your gun. Owning a gun without getting the right kind of training is like owning a bathing suit without knowing how to swim -- you may look good, but you won't be able to save your own life in an emergency.

The very best way to figure out what kind of gun is right for you is to go to a club or a course where you have the opportunity to shoot several different types and sizes of guns, so that you can learn about their differences, what they feel like to shoot, how easily you are able to handle them, and how accurate you are with them. Pinpoint accuracy isn't necessary for self-defense, but the better you can shoot in class the more confidence you will have in your ability to shoot under stress.

Most gun magazines run frequent articles on the selection of a self-defense gun and also reviews of individual firearms. Note that not all articles may be completely objective, so get advice from several sources.

Where can I learn more about firearms?

There are several excellent books that tell you a lot about what you need to know if you have a gun. See the AWARE resource list on this web site for recommendations.

There is an excellent magazine called Women&Guns that has many articles about all aspects of firearms and many reviews of particular guns and other equipment. AWARE board members, one of them a lawyer, write some of these articles. Check out the magazine, including some material from back issues, at the Women&Guns website.

Improvised weapons

Once you know how to fight, you can easily improvise a weapon that will assist you. A pen, table knife, or any long thin object can double as a Persuader. An effective impact weapon can be created by dropping something small and dense (a cake of soap, an ashtray) into a sock, pantyhose toe, or shirt sleeve with a knot tied at the wrist. The range of potential improvised weapons is limited only by your imagination, but you should not depend on "found" weapons unless your usual tools are unavailable.