What Do You Think Are The Best Self Defense Weapons?

[aaradia]

I have a purple sash in Choy Li Fut Kung Fu and a blue sash in Tai Chi Chuan Yang. .

At the risk of being too off topic............

You do realize that this means nothing outside of your school, right? I mean, every school has their own sash system and a purple sash in one school might mean intermediate level, while a purple sash in another school - even a CLF school may mean Advanced or beginnning level?
For others to understand your frame of reference, it might be more useful to mention beginning, intermediate, or advanced. Or maybe years of training instead.

With regards you your statistic on FMAists carrying knives, I respectfully have to ask. How many Filipino martial artists do you personally know? How can you speak for what percentage of all FMAists do what? What do you base this statistic off of? I am curious.

 

[Carol]

A principle in ultralight backpacking is to make sure your base weight (meaning: your non-consumables - things other than food, water, fuel, etc) consists of items which have more than one use.

For self-defense, a similar principle applies. The more use one can get out of an item, the more likely one is to carry it on an every day basis.

 

[zilverkakashi]

and oh i forgot to mention that i also bring an long umbrella during rainy days as a possible self defense weapon just in case along with a pen

 

[RTKDCMB]

3 things off the top of my head in no particular order.

1) Your mind.
2) Common sense.
3) A good pair of legs for running away.

Also keep in mind that any weapon you use can potentially be used against you.

 

[GaryR]

Some of these others have said. Of course check your local laws, and aside from your head, shoes, and a firearm;

1) A shooting taser is a good non-lethal option.

2) An expandable baton, they can give a reach advantage, and unlike say ....a stick, or a baseball bat, can actually be carried unnoticed and not be so cumbersome.

3) Tactical Flashlight

4) Pepperspray

5) A Benchmade combat blade.

What you carry, can of course depend where you are going, and what you are wearing. Keeping all of the above in your vehicle could be a good idea (law permitting of course). But like others have said, whatever you carry, the training of it's deployment, use, and retention should be extensive.

G

 

[jks9199]

Some of these others have said. Of course check your local laws, and aside from your head, shoes, and a firearm;

1) A shooting taser is a good non-lethal option.

The only currently available stun gun I'd even begin to consider advising for a civilian is the Taser C2. Currently, only Taser's products have the Neuromuscular Incapacitation effect of their shaped pulse. The C2 was designed as a throwaway; deploy it, and while the attacker is incapacitated, you run away. Even then, it requires an effective deployment and two probe hit under pressure with limited practice. A Taser isn't a bad thing to have -- but not something I'd heavily encourage, either.

2) An expandable baton, they can give a reach advantage, and unlike say ....a stick, or a baseball bat, can actually be carried unnoticed and not be so cumbersome.

Again, we have problems of deploying it under pressure, as well as requiring sufficient room to use it effectively. And it can VERY easily be lethal force. It's a freakin' metal pipe, certainly capable of doing "serious bodily harm."

3) Tactical Flashlight

Lights are something I strongly encourage. They're useful in dark places, they may blind an attacker (if you can lay hands on it, in a functional manner under pressure), and a few are even designed to have some enhancements for self defense.

4) Pepperspray

"Piss off juice" is the best name I've heard for OC. Unreliable, and easily beaten by a determined assailant. That's if you can even find, grab, and functionally deploy it in the first place. If I could, I'd take it off my duty gear...

5) A Benchmade combat blade.

Knives are useful. Benchmade are decent, at a good price point -- but far from the only brand worth recommending. (I'm personally partial to Spyderco, and also their Byrd line. But that's just my own preferences.) And I'd encourage a knife that can be easily opened with one hand -- but also is useful as a tool, not merely a weapon. Also worth mentioning or recalling that a knife automatically means lethal force.

What you carry, can of course depend where you are going, and what you are wearing. Keeping all of the above in your vehicle could be a good idea (law permitting of course). But like others have said, whatever you carry, the training of it's deployment, use, and retention should be extensive.

G

Practice and training in the use is important. It's also very important to couple carrying any sort of weapon with training and education on the use of force, and how to articulate your use of force.

 

[Instructor]

I think the best weapon is well trained and disciplined mind and body. Everything else that you might pick up or carry are merely extensions.

 

[Cyriacus]

I dont know if ive ever replied to this thread, but, one way or another, ill answer again, with this as a revision if need be.

The best weapons for self defense are the ones youve got with you at the time.

 

[Janina]

If you had to carry any weapon for self defense besides a gun, what would you use?

If I would choose one, Tonfa could be my choice for weapon. My favourite weapon is obviously Iaito and also Bo, but those are both quite heavy weapons to carry with you on the street. Tonfa however would be catchy to carry and quick to use as self defence weapon.

Still, when we talk about real life situations they rarely are situations where you carry the weapon you are trained to use. For that reason I would say, like few others have already stated, that the best weapons are those you can find for the situation, and the best trained mind with sharp awareness and capability to use whatever it takes (including your hands and feet) to defence oneself, is the best possible weapon..

 

[Cirdan]

Captain America`s Shield

Anyway I don`t carry a weapon unless you count my tiny multi tool with a 5cm blade. More importantly I always wear clothing, especially pants and shoes, that does not restrict my movement. Jacket, belt and cell phone can be used as weapons depending on the situation. The most important thing is the will to do whatever is neccecary to get home in one piece, should a threat present itself.

 

[Cyriacus]

Captain America`s Shield

Anyway I don`t carry a weapon unless you count my tiny multi tool with a 5cm blade. More importantly I always wear clothing, especially pants and shoes, that does not restrict my movement. Jacket, belt and cell phone can be used as weapons depending on the situation. The most important thing is the will to do whatever is neccecary to get home in one piece, should a threat present itself.

To be fair, a multitool is pretty much one big weapon. If you use it that way

 

[rframe]

LOL'ing reading some of this...

Who walks around with a staff? What are you, Moses or a shepherd?
Nunchaku tucked in your leather jacket? Yep, good call whenever riding your hoverboard to the local arcade while carrying your boombox, but only if your headband is color coordinated with the nunchaku handles.
Is that a tonfa in your pants or are you just happy to see me?
Walk around with a "tactical" (aka "black) flashlight is a good idea, too bad probably permanently duct taped to your uber realistic airsoft toy gun and that's harder to conceal.

 

[Janina]

LOL'ing reading some of this...

Who walks around with a staff? What are you, Moses or a shepherd?
Nunchaku tucked in your leather jacket? Yep, good call whenever riding your hoverboard to the local arcade while carrying your boombox, but only if your headband is color coordinated with the nunchaku handles.
Is that a tonfa in your pants or are you just happy to see me?
Walk around with a "tactical" (aka "black) flashlight is a good idea, too bad probably permanently duct taped to your uber realistic airsoft toy gun and that's harder to conceal.

I don´t know if you were writing response to my earlier post where I, by change, mentioned bo and tonfa by saying:

My favourite weapon is obviously Iaito and also Bo, but those are both quite heavy weapons to carry with you on the street. Tonfa however would be catchy to carry and quick to use as self defence weapon.

But like I later on the same post mentioned:

when we talk about real life situations they rarely are situations where you carry the weapon you are trained to use. For that reason I would say, like few others have already stated, that the best weapons are those you can find for the situation, and the best trained mind with sharp awareness and capability to use whatever it takes (including your hands and feet) to defence oneself, is the best possible weapon..

I am a practitioner of Iaido and Kobudo, but also a practitioner of Karate and Boxing and do not believe in carrying any weapon. Actually I believe that trained mind can avoid unnecessary fiughts itself (except when one has more ego than mind control).

In real situation I would probably use hairspray or something else which I would carry anyway. So even if the weapon choice to me would be flaslight there should be function to that. I would not carry light just because I may end up fighting..

 

[GaryR]

The only currently available stun gun I'd even begin to consider advising for a civilian is the Taser C2. Currently, only Taser's products have the Neuromuscular Incapacitation effect of their shaped pulse. The C2 was designed as a throwaway; deploy it, and while the attacker is incapacitated, you run away. Even then, it requires an effective deployment and two probe hit under pressure with limited practice. A Taser isn't a bad thing to have -- but not something I'd heavily encourage, either.

I'm curious as to why you think the recommendation for a civilian is more limited? With proper training, I think a civilian could do just fine with the same equipment an LEO uses. I know a lot of prison guards who swear by them. Have you had bad experiences with stun guns?

Again, we have problems of deploying it under pressure, as well as requiring sufficient room to use it effectively. And it can VERY easily be lethal force. It's a freakin' metal pipe, certainly capable of doing "serious bodily harm."

Sans a spike ring, or chest mounted sensor operated machine gun, deploying a weapon under pressure is a universal problem. Also using ones own material under pressure is even a problem for most. I mentioned reach advantage here for a reason... Can definitely do serious bodily harm, most weapons worth using fit in this category.

Lights are something I strongly encourage. They're useful in dark places, they may blind an attacker (if you can lay hands on it, in a functional manner under pressure), and a few are even designed to have some enhancements for self defense.

Glad you like one thing on my list, lol.

"Piss off juice" is the best name I've heard for OC. Unreliable, and easily beaten by a determined assailant. That's if you can even find, grab, and functionally deploy it in the first place. If I could, I'd take it off my duty gear...

It's on your duty gear for a reason, it's been known to have a good use on certain occasions. Pepper spray is not usually a one shot solution, it's a window opener. Again, functional deployment is a universal issue. Agree to disagree I guess.

Knives are useful. Benchmade are decent, at a good price point -- but far from the only brand worth recommending. (I'm personally partial to Spyderco, and also their Byrd line. But that's just my own preferences.) And I'd encourage a knife that can be easily opened with one hand -- but also is useful as a tool, not merely a weapon. Also worth mentioning or recalling that a knife automatically means lethal force.

No, benchmades are the only brand worth buying...kidding. Of course there are others, I didn't think anyone would take me so literal as to think that is the only knife brand worth buying! I'm not a big fan of Spyderco, but to each his own. I'm also a lefty, and the axis lock is handy.

Practice and training in the use is important. It's also very important to couple carrying any sort of weapon with training and education on the use of force, and how to articulate your use of force.

Another thing we agree on. All too often people carry weapons they do not know how to use/deploy/retain, or are aware of the legal implications on presenting/using such a weapon. Articulating boundaries, etc. to a would-be assailant can be a great idea, especially loudly, so as to alert others it is not in fact a mutual combat situation. No matter how nice the Police Officer (i.e. friendly interrogator) seems, I would let your Attorney do any articulating re your use of force after the fact. Very explicitly invoke your right to counsel, then questions must cease ("I think I need an attorney" doesn't cut it).

So anyhow Jim, I know what you think of my list, what is your list? Just blade, light...firearm?

best,

G

 

[jks9199]

Why the Taser C2 versus the X2 (which is what I carry on duty) or one of their other models? It's designed for civilian purposes. The 5 second cycle of the X2 and other "pro" models is designed to allow us to move in and cuff the subject while their under power. The C2 is designed as a "fire & forget", kind of like a LAW rocket. It's got a 30 second cycle to give a civilian time to escape. And Taser is advertising a lifetime replacement policy, if you make a police report.

Why Taser vs any other contact stun gun -- or even the handful of others that use some sort of projectile? Because all of the others are simple pain compliance. The Taser products aren't -- if properly deployed, and if you get both darts to hit the subject. Their proprietary technology uses a cycle that really does incapacitate. The little video I've seen of someone "defeating" it typically does it by breaking the contact, and every one of them I've seen actually starts the action before the hit and before the power cycle engages.

Why don't I like pepper spray? Because it is, at best, unreliable. The response is very individual; I've seen it range from "oh, gee... ow since you want me to be in pain..." to "OH MY GOD THE WORLD IS ENDING!!!!" A determined individual can reliably fight past it; look at all the video of people during training exposures. Sure, it's got it's place. But I'd rather take it off my belt, and carry the fire extinguisher size model in my trunk for crowd dispersal. Ask a group of cops; almost none would mind losing OC from their belt.

 

[GaryR]

Why the Taser C2 versus the X2 (which is what I carry on duty) or one of their other models? It's designed for civilian purposes. The 5 second cycle of the X2 and other "pro" models is designed to allow us to move in and cuff the subject while their under power. The C2 is designed as a "fire & forget", kind of like a LAW rocket. It's got a 30 second cycle to give a civilian time to escape. And Taser is advertising a lifetime replacement policy, if you make a police report.

Why Taser vs any other contact stun gun -- or even the handful of others that use some sort of projectile? Because all of the others are simple pain compliance. The Taser products aren't -- if properly deployed, and if you get both darts to hit the subject. Their proprietary technology uses a cycle that really does incapacitate. The little video I've seen of someone "defeating" it typically does it by breaking the contact, and every one of them I've seen actually starts the action before the hit and before the power cycle engages.

Gotcha, makes sense. Thanks for the info.

Why don't I like pepper spray? Because it is, at best, unreliable. The response is very individual; I've seen it range from "oh, gee... ow since you want me to be in pain..." to "OH MY GOD THE WORLD IS ENDING!!!!" A determined individual can reliably fight past it; look at all the video of people during training exposures. Sure, it's got it's place. But I'd rather take it off my belt, and carry the fire extinguisher size model in my trunk for crowd dispersal. Ask a group of cops; almost none would mind losing OC from their belt.

I agree, a determined individual can certainly fight past it. But I do think it's something that a civilian can easily keep on their key chain just in case. It's a an option that can be deployed without escalating the force to lethal, and can create an opening for something else.

What is your list? Oh, and what is your preferred firearm?

Best,

Gary

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

I'll give you an idea of what I think you should carry to have balance. 1)handgun: this really is a no brainer as it is the preeminent personal self defense tool. (ie over a rifle because you can conceal it otherwise a rifle would be first) 2)Knife: find you favorite mine is benchmade but there are lots of good ones. 3)small flashlight designed for law enforcement as they typically are crenulated and also have a high lumens. 4)A good pen. Does not have to have tactical on it. My favorite is: http://www.riteintherain.com/inventory.asp?CatId={07D475E2-B68D-4D45-B646-B82223E119DE}. They have a lot of good pens and they write in any weather! Now the best thing about everything above is that all of it together is not that heavy and gives you both lethal and non lethal options.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

Okay the pen link is not working and I cannot edit it so try this: www.riteintherain.com

 

[jks9199]

For civilians... It's an individual answer. What's the person willing to deal with? Carrying a gun requires some clothing planning, and can become a challenge, even if you have a CCW, since there are places you can't go, and things you can't do while carrying. I have the ultimate CCW, my badge & creds, which pretty much let me ignore "no gun" signs, even off duty. Worst case, I'll leave. But a civilian can't carry in a number of places that I can; they only recently changed the laws in Virginia to allow carrying a concealed firearm (with CCW, of course) in any establishment that serves alcohol, for example. Didn't matter if you drank or not. Looking at other things -- options that work fine for my wife may not be acceptable for someone else. The few universal items I suggest are cell phones, and flashlights. And -- honestly, the flashlight is discretionary, too. If I'm working with someone on how to defend themselves, I'm going to assess what they're willing and able to carry, and employ, and work from there, rather than hand them a cookie cutter shopping list.

The reality is that tools aren't going to make you safe. They're there for when things get totally fubar because you should have avoided the situation as much as possible. I could carry enough crap that I clink as bad as I do on duty. And I might be tempted to get into a stupid situation or go somewhere I shouldn't. Lot of people already said it, as I recall this thread: the best weapon for self defense is knowledge coupled with simply staying out of places where violence is likely.

 

[chinto]

Whatever I have on my person or within reach is the best self-defense weapon. That said, I am a fan of edged weapons for potential lethal force situations and the use of pens / felt-tip markers for less-than-lethal situations.

Steve

I agree with you, but in some places using a blade will have you in more trouble then if you used a gun!! also in a lot of foreign country's, UK for example a blade is a serious offense I understand! just having it, let alone using it, self defense or not I am told!!