It’s imperative that you consider various ways to protect yourself.

Walking around in fear or trying to avoid dangerous areas will never be the best solution for your survival. This is why acquiring the best tools should be an essential part of your defense against an attacker.

One of the ways to protect yourself is using non-lethal weapons. I want to provide you with a full understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of the weapons you need to have at your disposal so that you can best recognize the tools that make sense in any situation.

Defense Sprays

Defense sprays are chemical sprays that have the power to disable an assailant via irritant or inflammatory effect. You should know that on most sites, the sprays contain an extract of hot pepper plants for their effectiveness. Oleoresin Capsicum or OC is an inflammatory agent that has an immediate effect when sprayed into the eyes and face of an assaulter.

The heat from pepper plants is measured in Scoville Heat Units. Let’s take an example: Remember the last time you rubbed your eyes after touching a jalapeno pepper? Now, multiply that feeling by eight hundred times. A jalapeno pepper rates at about 2,400 Scoville Heat Units and the sprays reach a rate as high as 2 million units.

Spray range: several feet

Spray effect: 20-30 minutes to wear off

If you want to purchase a defense spray, ensure you choose a good brand like Mace. You don’t want to face an attacker and after spraying him to find out that the effect is not the one you imagined it would be. Also, remember to buy another one every six months.

Things to take into account

• Several feet is a small distance.  An attacker can close that distance without being sprayed, and once he’s near you, there is a possibility that you will suffer some damage. Whether you get away unharmed or injured is a matter of odds.
• Close range assaults make it difficult to spray the assailant without you getting sprayed yourself. Worst case scenarios show the victim hit to the point of blindness and the attacker unaffected, leaving the victim in a helpless situation.
• There are people that have a natural resistance to defense sprays. One of the cases is when people are on drugs (which is an often dealt with case when it comes to criminals) and they don’t register pain fast enough to stop them from attacking you.
• Don’t forget to check with the legal sources before purchasing a spray. The legal terms vary from state to state depending on the contents of the defense spray.
• As it is with all weapons, a defense spray can be used against you. So treat it like a knife or a gun and commit to some practicing before using it.

Stun Guns

A stun gun is a device based on a pulsed electrical current to weaken an attacker. They are highly effective weapons at blocking an assailant, and the loud crunching noise that they make when you hit the “on” button will be very intimidating for the attacker. The best moment to use it is behind someone’s back (e.g. when intervening for someone else who has the complete attention of the attacker).

Things to take into account

• Actual physical contact is required for you to use a stun gun. It has to touch the assailant’s body for it to exert the wanted effect. You will have very little time to make your move so it is best to have it in your hand from the reaction standpoint.
• Many layers of clothing can weaken the effect of the stun gun. I advise you not to use this device in winter-time because it can prove to be highly ineffective.
• As mentioned with pepper sprays, you need to treat a stun gun like any other weapon and practice drawing and using it.

Tasers

Tasers are very similar to stun guns and work by firing a barbed dart into the attacker’s body from a distance. The dart is connected to the handheld unit by two wires that transfer the electrical impulses and disable the assailant.  The majorities of tasers have a fifteen-foot range and come in two designs:

1. The first system is like an electric razor and costs less. It’s also easier to aim if you have never fired a pistol. It’s as simple to use as it is to change the channels on your TV with a remote control.
2. The second design resembles a pistol, and works in much the same manner, but it is alike to the typical taser in all other respects.

Things to take into account

• The main objective is to hit the target. You might have experience playing video games or changing TV channels, but hitting a moving target is not a piece of cake and every gun owner will confirm this.

• You’ve got only one chance to succeed. Tasers fire one shot and if you miss, your attacker will probably be angry since you’ve just tried to shoot him. If failed, this attempt could get you killed.

• Tasers require contact with the skin. So be aware of thicker clothing or moving that stops the barb from reaching the skin. It won’t work otherwise.

• Like with any weapon, commit to practicing before trying to protect yourself from an aggressor with a taser.

Kubotans (pocket sticks)

A kubotan is a handheld device you normally attach to a keychain.  I would compare it to a baseball bat in a format easier to carry. A hit to the groin, face, neck, ribs has the potential to give you enough time to escape.

Things to take into account

• A close-quarters combat is never easy to handle. Any errors might get you severely injured or even killed.

• Its effectiveness is based on the hours of training you’re planning to engage in. You can’t just wield a stick and expect to get out of it injury-free.

Rubber Bullets

By purchasing a standard firearm or riot gear, rubber bullets are constructed to provide non-lethal force. They hurt like hell, especially when used from a short distance.

Things to take into account

• You are undergoing the exact steps as any firearm purchaser since the gun is capable of firing regular ammunition as well.
• There are still people who think firing a gun is easy. It’s not, especially when talking about street conditions. Conditions are unpredictable; you can find yourself facing an attacker on a dark rainy night where sudden movements are bound to happen. So do take some time to train properly for any situation.
• As harsh as it might sound, you need to be prepared to kill another human being and accept all responsibility that will fall upon you. As you are shooting from a close range, rubber bullets can be lethal.

One last thing – if you are about to be attacked by a gang, then please reconsider using non-lethal defense. There are two elements that come with a gang’s actions: multiple people and a higher probability of more weapons that might even include firearms. Stay as far away from this situation as you possibly can.

I hope these tips will come to your aid if the circumstances ask for it, if not, remember that the best non-lethal action is not to find yourself in the middle of a violent event.

Did you ever have to deal with an aggressor? Share your experience in the comments section below.