Gideon33w
Well-known member
I wanted to make this post because I understand that not everyone is like me.
As an Army Vet (5 years active duty in our most recent conflicts) I'm very familiar with what it takes to defend oneself and I'm not afraid to do so. While I do not wish harm upon people, and have a substantially different perspective on things compared to my younger years, I am willing and able to defend myself and others at the drop of a dime.
However, I understand that most people are of a more delicate mindset. Do not think for a moment that I oppose a more gentle approach. It is simply a difference of personality, experience, and personal choice. Sadly, in our world we must ALL accept that the possibility of using force to protect yourself and others is very real ... even if you find the thought distasteful.
So, how do we go about defending ourselves responsibly and within the law?
There are a few items and methods to use that are simple, reliable, and universally legal (helpful for those of us who travel) and THAT is what this thread is intended to concentrate on. We will also address some simple "Don'ts".
The items you will need and how to use them.
A "Tire Checker" is a club like device used by truckers to smack their tires and ensure they aren't low. Practically, this tool can double as an effective weapon in an emergency. The club should be 18-20" long, 6" of textured grip tape at the handle, and some form of blunt weight on the business end. A hard wood club is best and the weights can be drilled or screwed into the end. Avoid a design which includes a loop or lanyard on the handle end. You will be tempted to place your wrist in the loop and that is the exact WRONG way to use it. When swinging the tire checker in defense of yourself or others you want to keep it in constant motion. A one handed grip is best and allows you to keep your other arm up for additional defense. Attempt to form a 3-4 foot "round" figure 8 with the business end. The downward angled swings are where you want your force and speed. This simple defense is hard to penetrate. While swinging the club it is very important that you scream like a maniac. Remember, you don't WANT to hurt people you simply want to keep yourself and others safe. A screaming maniac with a club is an intimidating sight and will likely dissuade your attacker as bad guys prefer soft targets. This goes double for females. While you will typically be less intimidating than a male in such a situation you actually have biology on your side. Male brains are hardwired to respond to a female in distress. The louder you scream and yell the more likely someone will come to your aid. Lastly, remember that such a tool can only help you if it is on hand. Stashed away under the bed is NOT an acceptable location.
A high powered military grade flashlight makes for a surprisingly effective tool. First, I don't mean those $10 Walmart flashlights that LOOK tactical. I mean real military grade equipment. Expect to pay $60-300. The big advantage of these compact tactical lights is that they are small enough to be carried in your hand invisibly and therefor can be kept at the ready anytime and anywhere. You will notice that these flashlights come with a "strike bezel". This is a carefully ground cap on the end designed to deliver a highly traumatic blow to hard areas of the body (the skull, sternum, and knees). The typical scenario here would be walking to your van at night through a dark area. The proper grip for the flashlight places the lens and strike bezel opposite your thumb. This allows you to strike in the typical reverse grip plunge/stab method while keeping your thumb free to actuate the button. Here is where we get to the reason you need an expensive flashlight. High end tactical lights produce several times the lumens (light output) of cheap models and focus the beam very well. Even in daylight, a quick flash of the beam to someones face at close range will cause pain and temporary blindness. At night you will find this technique effective up to 30 feet. A blinded attacker is an impotent attacker so long as you have some distance. This means that you SHOULD NOT try to follow up with an attack. Take the time you have bought yourself (at night this will be a full minute) and get someplace safe. This technique has one other MASSIVE perk ... If you flash someone who actually wasnt intending you harm they will be fine in a few minutes, haha.
That is the end of the universally legal equipment. You may wonder why certain items weren't added and hopefully I will address those further along.
Now, onto hand-to-hand combat.
Sometimes, hand-to-hand combat is going to be unavoidable. Remember that your desire is to protect yourself and not to hurt people. The best result will come from a method that allows you to disable your attacker and get to safety.
The rules are simple - Bend the knees and waist slightly, keep your arms up but not crossed, avoid responding to attacks as this will simply open you up to harsher attacks (adrenaline will keep you from noticing minor damage/pain anyway), and attack only the 4 main spots.
The four main spots are: Groin, throat, eyes, and ears.
This is especially important for females as you are typically less well equipped to inflict damage and simultaneously more prone to take damage. A male can typically fully recover from a females punch to his face within 30 seconds. A female is typically rendered unconscious to the opposite.
Anyways, back to the 4 main spots. The groin needs to be attacked with you knees and not your feet. Kicking will typically take you off balance and a followup rush attack from your opposition will result in a ground fight (avoid this). All areas of the neck are vulnerable and it takes very little trauma to have large effects. Strike anywhere on the neck that is open however you can. Additionally, grabbing some neck meat between your finger tips and thumbs followed by a quick yank is VERY painful. The eyes should be gone after with your thumbs. It takes very little pressure against the eye to cause severe pain and induce temporary blindness. Ears are often overlooked as a point to attack. Reach up, grab your own ear, and give it a tug. You will notice that it doesn't take much force to cause a good deal of pain as this tissue is connected to several nerve bundles.
Disregard your opponents knife. This sounds crazy but the reality is that most people (including the bad guys in question) don't know how to use a knife against a person effectively. Stab wounds don't hurt when you are pumped up on adrenaline (ask me how I know) and the likelihood of receiving enough trauma to be in mortal danger is actually pretty low. If your attacker is allowed to continue to strike you with a knife you're in trouble. However, if he happens to strike you a few times with the blade before you fight him off (something you will actually be able to do if you just ignore the knife) you will be able to seek medical attention and be doing so with fewer and less severe wounds. Without training you can disregard all concepts of taking the knife away from the bad guy. You are probably not Jason Bourne and are not trained in an effective method of doing so anyway.
Legality of the above.
Your tire checker is a tire checker ... You used it as a club because you were scared and had no choice. You flashlight is a flashlight ... Same deal. Hand-to-hand self defense is always legal so long as you don't go overboard and keep attacking the bad guy when he is down. Remember, your goal is to dissuade your attacker and get away safely. If you are forced to fight your new goal is to disable your attacker so you can get to safety. Don't go out and start bashing peoples heads in because they cut you off in traffic.
Ok, we've covered the Do's but how about those Dont's ...
Pepperspray and bearspray are not your friends. You are just as likely to get yourself as the bad guy. Use these tools on attacking animals but leave using it on humans to police officers who receive extensive training on how to use it properly.
Knives are not legal everywhere. They are also crap weapons when you dont know what you are doing. Effectively attacking and killing someone with a knife takes years of training. Furthermore, at night and in the dark you typically lose the intimidation factor associated with a knife as they simply go unnoticed (this does give you the element of surprise though). The intimidation factor is what keeps you from needing to fight in the first place.
Guns are fine if you know how to use them and are in a place where having one isn't an issue. I wont go into detail here because travel, not-gun-friendly static locations, and personal choice all prevent many of us from having them.
Avoid BS self defense tools. The ninjas of the internet will call many of these items amazing but the real world isn't like the movies. If you have a question about a specific item go ahead and link it and I will followup with my opinions on it.
----
Lastly ... I'm sure there are a few people on here who think they are Billy-Bad-Arse and think I'm full of it. That's fine ... Nobody is going to change your mind ... But please realize there is a huge difference between a 220 lb grizzly guy who thinks he's a human tank with his experience in a couple bar fights and my 150 lbs smiling face with glasses who grew up poor in NY and was later paid to kill people for a living ... I'm just saying ... Practical experience counts for a lot ...
----
Well, I hope this little article was as informative as it was long, haha. Please don't misconstrue my comments about the differences between males and females as anything negative. They are simply generalization that have proven true and are pretty universally taught in self defense courses. There is nothing "wrong" about the biology of either sex. We are just designed differently and in order to protect ourselves we must understand our own limitations.
Let me know if you have any questions
As an Army Vet (5 years active duty in our most recent conflicts) I'm very familiar with what it takes to defend oneself and I'm not afraid to do so. While I do not wish harm upon people, and have a substantially different perspective on things compared to my younger years, I am willing and able to defend myself and others at the drop of a dime.
However, I understand that most people are of a more delicate mindset. Do not think for a moment that I oppose a more gentle approach. It is simply a difference of personality, experience, and personal choice. Sadly, in our world we must ALL accept that the possibility of using force to protect yourself and others is very real ... even if you find the thought distasteful.
So, how do we go about defending ourselves responsibly and within the law?
There are a few items and methods to use that are simple, reliable, and universally legal (helpful for those of us who travel) and THAT is what this thread is intended to concentrate on. We will also address some simple "Don'ts".
The items you will need and how to use them.
A "Tire Checker" is a club like device used by truckers to smack their tires and ensure they aren't low. Practically, this tool can double as an effective weapon in an emergency. The club should be 18-20" long, 6" of textured grip tape at the handle, and some form of blunt weight on the business end. A hard wood club is best and the weights can be drilled or screwed into the end. Avoid a design which includes a loop or lanyard on the handle end. You will be tempted to place your wrist in the loop and that is the exact WRONG way to use it. When swinging the tire checker in defense of yourself or others you want to keep it in constant motion. A one handed grip is best and allows you to keep your other arm up for additional defense. Attempt to form a 3-4 foot "round" figure 8 with the business end. The downward angled swings are where you want your force and speed. This simple defense is hard to penetrate. While swinging the club it is very important that you scream like a maniac. Remember, you don't WANT to hurt people you simply want to keep yourself and others safe. A screaming maniac with a club is an intimidating sight and will likely dissuade your attacker as bad guys prefer soft targets. This goes double for females. While you will typically be less intimidating than a male in such a situation you actually have biology on your side. Male brains are hardwired to respond to a female in distress. The louder you scream and yell the more likely someone will come to your aid. Lastly, remember that such a tool can only help you if it is on hand. Stashed away under the bed is NOT an acceptable location.
A high powered military grade flashlight makes for a surprisingly effective tool. First, I don't mean those $10 Walmart flashlights that LOOK tactical. I mean real military grade equipment. Expect to pay $60-300. The big advantage of these compact tactical lights is that they are small enough to be carried in your hand invisibly and therefor can be kept at the ready anytime and anywhere. You will notice that these flashlights come with a "strike bezel". This is a carefully ground cap on the end designed to deliver a highly traumatic blow to hard areas of the body (the skull, sternum, and knees). The typical scenario here would be walking to your van at night through a dark area. The proper grip for the flashlight places the lens and strike bezel opposite your thumb. This allows you to strike in the typical reverse grip plunge/stab method while keeping your thumb free to actuate the button. Here is where we get to the reason you need an expensive flashlight. High end tactical lights produce several times the lumens (light output) of cheap models and focus the beam very well. Even in daylight, a quick flash of the beam to someones face at close range will cause pain and temporary blindness. At night you will find this technique effective up to 30 feet. A blinded attacker is an impotent attacker so long as you have some distance. This means that you SHOULD NOT try to follow up with an attack. Take the time you have bought yourself (at night this will be a full minute) and get someplace safe. This technique has one other MASSIVE perk ... If you flash someone who actually wasnt intending you harm they will be fine in a few minutes, haha.
That is the end of the universally legal equipment. You may wonder why certain items weren't added and hopefully I will address those further along.
Now, onto hand-to-hand combat.
Sometimes, hand-to-hand combat is going to be unavoidable. Remember that your desire is to protect yourself and not to hurt people. The best result will come from a method that allows you to disable your attacker and get to safety.
The rules are simple - Bend the knees and waist slightly, keep your arms up but not crossed, avoid responding to attacks as this will simply open you up to harsher attacks (adrenaline will keep you from noticing minor damage/pain anyway), and attack only the 4 main spots.
The four main spots are: Groin, throat, eyes, and ears.
This is especially important for females as you are typically less well equipped to inflict damage and simultaneously more prone to take damage. A male can typically fully recover from a females punch to his face within 30 seconds. A female is typically rendered unconscious to the opposite.
Anyways, back to the 4 main spots. The groin needs to be attacked with you knees and not your feet. Kicking will typically take you off balance and a followup rush attack from your opposition will result in a ground fight (avoid this). All areas of the neck are vulnerable and it takes very little trauma to have large effects. Strike anywhere on the neck that is open however you can. Additionally, grabbing some neck meat between your finger tips and thumbs followed by a quick yank is VERY painful. The eyes should be gone after with your thumbs. It takes very little pressure against the eye to cause severe pain and induce temporary blindness. Ears are often overlooked as a point to attack. Reach up, grab your own ear, and give it a tug. You will notice that it doesn't take much force to cause a good deal of pain as this tissue is connected to several nerve bundles.
Disregard your opponents knife. This sounds crazy but the reality is that most people (including the bad guys in question) don't know how to use a knife against a person effectively. Stab wounds don't hurt when you are pumped up on adrenaline (ask me how I know) and the likelihood of receiving enough trauma to be in mortal danger is actually pretty low. If your attacker is allowed to continue to strike you with a knife you're in trouble. However, if he happens to strike you a few times with the blade before you fight him off (something you will actually be able to do if you just ignore the knife) you will be able to seek medical attention and be doing so with fewer and less severe wounds. Without training you can disregard all concepts of taking the knife away from the bad guy. You are probably not Jason Bourne and are not trained in an effective method of doing so anyway.
Legality of the above.
Your tire checker is a tire checker ... You used it as a club because you were scared and had no choice. You flashlight is a flashlight ... Same deal. Hand-to-hand self defense is always legal so long as you don't go overboard and keep attacking the bad guy when he is down. Remember, your goal is to dissuade your attacker and get away safely. If you are forced to fight your new goal is to disable your attacker so you can get to safety. Don't go out and start bashing peoples heads in because they cut you off in traffic.
Ok, we've covered the Do's but how about those Dont's ...
Pepperspray and bearspray are not your friends. You are just as likely to get yourself as the bad guy. Use these tools on attacking animals but leave using it on humans to police officers who receive extensive training on how to use it properly.
Knives are not legal everywhere. They are also crap weapons when you dont know what you are doing. Effectively attacking and killing someone with a knife takes years of training. Furthermore, at night and in the dark you typically lose the intimidation factor associated with a knife as they simply go unnoticed (this does give you the element of surprise though). The intimidation factor is what keeps you from needing to fight in the first place.
Guns are fine if you know how to use them and are in a place where having one isn't an issue. I wont go into detail here because travel, not-gun-friendly static locations, and personal choice all prevent many of us from having them.
Avoid BS self defense tools. The ninjas of the internet will call many of these items amazing but the real world isn't like the movies. If you have a question about a specific item go ahead and link it and I will followup with my opinions on it.
----
Lastly ... I'm sure there are a few people on here who think they are Billy-Bad-Arse and think I'm full of it. That's fine ... Nobody is going to change your mind ... But please realize there is a huge difference between a 220 lb grizzly guy who thinks he's a human tank with his experience in a couple bar fights and my 150 lbs smiling face with glasses who grew up poor in NY and was later paid to kill people for a living ... I'm just saying ... Practical experience counts for a lot ...
----
Well, I hope this little article was as informative as it was long, haha. Please don't misconstrue my comments about the differences between males and females as anything negative. They are simply generalization that have proven true and are pretty universally taught in self defense courses. There is nothing "wrong" about the biology of either sex. We are just designed differently and in order to protect ourselves we must understand our own limitations.
Let me know if you have any questions
