What should a petite female carry for self-defense?

Question

should i carry pepper spray, a concealed small knife, or what? should i even carry anything at all? i work late and always have to go in isolated parking lots at work and at home. my home area is pretty safe though. will these things just work against me? and please tell me why.

Answer 1

I wold recommend a small switchblade and can of mace. even though people will say you are being paranoid you are taking a realistic view of people and see that some people are just scum and you are arming yourself against that.

and also a tazer (legal tazer stun gun not an illegal model one authorized for public protection)

Answer 2

You should carry pepper spray and a knife.  You can find both in concealable pen form.  Just google search pepper spray pens and knife pens.

Always use the pepper spray first, and the knife as a last resort.  And get good at running by keeping your cardio up.  I don't know what they're called but there are these little devices that make super loud noises you can carry that will make a potential rapist think twice because of the attention it will call to you.  

Also remember that in America it's legal to buy a gun.  So you might want to get a pocket pistol, or even a full size pistol to carry in your purse.  You will not be in too much trouble for shooting someone who is trying to rape you, and even if you do get in trouble with the law, just ask yourself, would you rather have that happen or get raped?  If you end up shooting someone try to just shoot him in the leg so that you can run away and you won't get charged with intent to kill.  They can't charge you with intent to kill if you shoot a guy in the leg, and even if you shoot his arm or chest or something a good lawyer will be able to defend you because he was trying to rape you after all.  

There are a few stun guns and stuff you might want to keep in your purse.  And of course, take a women's self defense class.

Answer 3

my mom always says pepper spray

Answer 4

You need a distance weapon. Pepper spray and whistle won't work if you caught from behind. You need like a tomahawk or some type of throwing axe, a bow would work. Guns could jam so I wouldn't do that. Nunchuks or swords/spears would serve their purpose as well.

Also, how bout learning to run... it'll help you escape.

Answer 5

1st thing check your local laws pepper spray isn't actually legal in a lot of places. It's a crazy world out there and unfortunately we have entirely too many laws that are better for the criminals than the average citizen.

Always be aware of your surroundings and check shadows, see if they seem right for the object casting them. I know you said you worked late and had isloated parking lots to deal with, but most are fairly well lite. Always check your back seat before you get in the car to be sure you don't have an unwanted occupant. In general try to increase your awareness in these types of situations and I would suggest not being on your cell phone it will distract you from your surroundings. Have your cell phone out and in hand ready most are set up with speed dial for 911 by pressing 9. Even if it gets knocked out of your hand unexpectedly once the call goes through they will call back and if they can't get through they will send a unit by. If you should have your phone knocked away, try to yell details about where you are in case the 911 operator can make out your voice.

From there I would say pepper spray and maybe a kubotan as back up. You can get both that go right on your keychain. Try the pepper spray first and if they are still trying to come after you then go with the kubotan. Kubotans are small but can be very effective and you don't need tons of training with them.

Answer 6

Your name is the main attribute Awareness.

Prevention is always better than cure.

Best wishes :)***

Answer 7

I understand your problem, but pepper sprays and knives are not autorized by the law.

You said a little knife, but with a little blade, you can't injury so much your opponent to have a good oportunity to go away.

I can said you three things about that.:

You can carry a whistle, to blow it if you think that you could be under an agression.

So you can carry a "smilo" or a " kubotan" and use it if it needed.

But the most important thing :NEVER scream " Help me ! " or "rape! " but always scream " FIRE !!!" so everybody around 'll come to help.  

Answer 8

Self-confidence.

First off, carrying a weapon (pepper spray, knife, gun...), you'll 1. focus on that weapon and forget to move, and 2. probably have it taken away and used against you. If the attacker didn't bring a weapon to the scenario, then you've supplied him with one. Further, the use of a weapon carries a stiffer penalty for a criminal, and using a weapon against an unarmed attacker can be considered assault. (Laws are made by men who never needed to defend themselves).

Second, the way you carry yourself says a lot about you. If you clutch your purse/attache/etc. to your chest and hurry, you look frightened and weak: ideal prey. If you walk confidently at a normal-to-brisk pace, you look like someone who can handle herself, and are at less risk. I believe Tao J also said awareness, which I would say is a close second. Being aware is of no help if you don't feel confident of your ability to escape.

If you came to me and asked, "What can you teach me in five minutes that could save my life?" I'd immediately correct your posture and gaze. Eyes should be forward, ears open, back straight, shoulders back. Anything you're carrying should be easily dropped. From here, you'll be able to focus more readily on your surroundings and on keeping your wits about you if something does happen.

Good luck. After all, that's all any of us has until it runs out.

EDIT:

One other suggestion. Buy yourself a copy of the book The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker. With everyone talking about awareness, it's good to have a strong sense of what's genuine fear and what's simply worry or paranoia. I can't honestly say that I've read another book that touches on the subject even half as well.

Answer 9

Awareness is the #1 thing you need.  If you can see an attack coming you have a greater chance of avoiding an incident of whatever nature.If you get bashed in the skull from behind by an attacker you didn't see...what's the pepper spray/knife going to do?

Another excellent and free thing you can do is have someone walk with you.  Then drive them to their car or back to the building.  Or drive in to work with someone so you save gas AND feel a little safer.

If you choose to have a weapon make sure you are trained with it.  Pepper spray is no good if you don't know which way to aim it - or if you have it in your pocketbook while someone is holding your arms.  A knife is no good if you don't know how to use it.  And a gun is useless if you don't know how to shoot.  First and foremost you need to have an awareness of your surroundings - weapons, sprays, or martial arts training are second.

Answer 10

A battle axe.

Some pepper spray works VERY affectively, that's why cops carry it. Also, look up this thing called a "Squawker." its a small pager-looking device that if you pull the string it goes off like a SUPER LOUD siren to attract lots of attention.

Answer 11

I know this sounds totally ridiculous (I live in NJ though, a lot of stuff is ridiculous here...) but some states actually have laws against pepper spray, tazers, or the like. In fact, in NJ, since pepper spray is illegal, if you do harm to someone (even if you're attacked) they can sue you. It's the same thing with firearms here. If someone busted in my house and I shot them, I would go to jail. It's insane. But anyway, my point is to check your local laws before you buy anything and pepper spray comes small enough you can have it in the palm of your hand & no one can tell you have it till you need to use it. Also, I carry a multi-tool around with me. It is great for when my kids' toys need fixing (usually needs new batteries!) when we're out plus it is heavy enough that it could do some damage if I had to use it against someone. And honestly, the knife on it is tiny, I would be more likely to use the needle nose pliers that are part of the tool. That could work for you-and they are cheap-$15 at Walmart.

Answer 12

pepper spray would be nice. A small knife and a little girl don't usually mix well unless you know how to use it... it could backfire and the knife can be taken from you and used against you.  

Answer 13

keys are great you could hold them between you fingers so the stick out so when u punch people it can tear through their skin. also keys on a chain or lanyard thing work you can swing them around and smash them into the neck or face is very painful.

peper spray is good but you normally have you keys in your hand if you are going to the car or from the car so they are better to use than peperspary coz you would have to take the spray out of you bag before you can use it and in that time you opponent could easily remove it from you as you try to use it.

but if you are really scared you should probably learn a martial art.

Answer 14

AWARENESS IS THE KEY

Increasing your personal awareness is an integral part of crime prevention, and perhaps the single most important element of effective self-defense.  When inside of buildings (restaurants, malls, etc.) notice as to where all of the exits are.  BEING AWARE IS NOT BEING PARANOID...IT’S BEING SMART!



TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS

Learn to trust your instincts to what your intuition tells you.  Trust those “little voices” or “your gut” when they tell you that something doesn’t look or feel right.



DEVELOP A SURVIVAL MINDSET

No one has the right to harm you or the ones you love.  If it does happen, and you aren’t mentally prepared to deal with it, you will most likely become frozen in fear.  The best way to avoid this is to develop a survival mindset.



AVOID PRESENTING A VICTIM PROFILE

Crime victims are frequently chosen because they are easy targets.  Criminals prey on the weak or unsuspecting and usually avoid people who are aware of what’s going on and might put up a fight.  When out in public, look people in the eye, keep your head up and walk with confidence.



THE ELEMENT OF SURPRISE

Using the element of surprise to your advantage can give you a devastating edge in a confrontation.  Attack immediately upon an attack or wait for your window of opportunity when he least expects it.



YOU MUST REACT QUICKLY

Acts of violence usually happen very quickly.  Anticipate dangerous situations in advance and prepare yourself to take quick action.  When you are attacked-you must attack back!  Make your attacker worry about his own safety.  Attack the targets and do not hesitate.  Don’t think of what he can do to you; think of what you can do to him.



Be confident, aware and stay safe. Sometimes holding something such as an umbrella or a set of keys actually gives you more confidence, so hold something as you walk. Keys can also be used in a self defence situation. The main thing is to keep your head and your wits about you at all times.

  

Answer 15

Pepper spray doesn't always work. You should get a self-defense stun gun. That will hurt someone and scare the **** out of them, too.

Answer 16

Forget pepper spray. Learn Ninjutsu and carry metsubishi (NOT Mitsubishi). Why not learn a martial art and not have to carry anything? If nothing else then carry either OC spray or a taser. Maybe you can carry a minja (That's minja not ninja).

Answer 17

I'd invest in a blow horn. You could possibly make your attacker deaf and attract some attention as well.

Answer 18

i would say peper spray is always good and either a whistle (sounds corny), but if ur car has an alarm on it, always have ur hands on ur keys and on the panic button and that would scare him off

Answer 19

a gun