Self-defense, what do you recommend?

[Celista]

Well is not living in USA an option? how bad is it in USA that u need gun to feel safe while you walk your dog !!!

Man don't turn this into a nation-bashing thread and get it locked. I don't NEED a gun to feel safe while I walk my dog. I listed several forms of self-protection, and even used the words "just in case" in the OP. In case you missed all the other posts I made in this thread.

[shadowmouse]

A can with a weighted end

You're thinking prison and that's "if you look dapper you'll get fucked" thus the can of fish in a sock. [I know, typo, but it had to be said.]

@Celista If there is a style you prefer (like your second pick) go with it.

I don't know if it's due to the adrenaline rush in scenarios like that, but I've never experienced anything quite like it before or since. It's like you have all the time in the world to do what you need to do.

That's the adrenaline, that's exactly what it is there to do. Still, it is one thing to have the clarity to feel that way and another to make the most out of it. Krav Maga is widely taught and has some good material. It isn't necessarily the only way to do things. Um, Beetljui... wait, I mean @Megitsune @Polyxo and if I recall @Fencers

[Katie N]

I recommend a knife. I carry one on me all the time if someone would attack me.

[Super Kami Dende]

Depends where you live really. Depends of the demographic of people around you. If you are in outlying areas, Mace would probably be enough.

If you are in the Inner City. Well why are you in the Inner City. Maybe a 9mm or a Tank?

[Nathreim]

Quarter pound of plastic explosives.

[Katie N]

Congrats, you're now a murderer who killed someone trying to take your wallet.

No, you kill someone. Doesn't always make you a murderer to kill someone.

[announced]

just get a gun and a concealed carry permit. pick one out and find one that best fits your hands and take some courses with it. knives/tasers/stun guns/ pepper spray might work but they can miss. and if they miss your attacker has a free chance to knock you out and mug/rape you. The difference with a gun is even if you miss the noise will often scare the shit out of the perp or it will at least make a lot of noise therefore making an attack less likely.

[Moralgy]

I like daggers and swords. Given anyone that might jump me would be too close quarters to really make use of a gun, I'll take the close range defense any day. I'm kinda fucked if someone has a gun anyways, since I wouldn't be able to get it out and pull the trigger before they would notice what I'm doing. So I feel a pokey object is my best option. Dagger goes out with me, usually, and is attached to my purse in some way or another, and my house has various swords around the place for easy access if needed.

[Aggrophobic]

Moving to a better neighbourhood or even country would be my suggestion.
If people are out to hurt you a gun will hardly help.

[Celista]

Depends where you live really. Depends of the demographic of people around you. If you are in outlying areas, Mace would probably be enough.

If you are in the Inner City. Well why are you in the Inner City. Maybe a 9mm or a Tank?

Since this keeps coming up....I live in close-in Portland. It is probably one of the safest large cities in the US. My neighborhood is mostly young professionals, I know of at least one other lawyer and two physicians on my block. It is safe. Crime can happen anywhere. I am just looking for something for precautionary measures, although the goal of the thread was to discuss various types of self protection abd their pros and cons, was not looking for advice for my situation per se. Although people were nice enough to offer it.

Btw, I carried pepper spray in Chicago and walked alone late at night very often as a young female college student, nothing happened. I also went running along the lakefront at night. I was fine. I never felt compelled to use it, even if I carried it in my hand late at night.

I get the sense that some people think the US is a literal warzone. It is not.

Basically just using your post as a jumping off point to address this, even if it was meant as more of a general poat towards everyone. I agree that context matters.

[shadowmouse]

I like daggers and swords.

Nothing wrong with them, but if you get the chance -- even if it might feel weird -- be sure to get some cutting practice. You may have that, for example I'm assuming that @Katie N may have spent enough time in her kitchen to know what it takes to get through a chicken/duck leg or a side of ribs, but not everyone has really taken a knife and used it to slice/chop/hack stuff apart.

[Naiattavain]

learning ninjitsu has helped me greatly, what ever i could get my hands on to defend myself is good also concealed carry with training is very effective.

[Schattenlied]

Well, I don't live in the US but the answer should be obvious if you do. Get something with plenty of stopping power like a colt .45 M1911.

9mm is more than adequate, the only reason .45 is preferred by the military for stopping power is because they aren't allowed to use hollow or soft point bullets, only FMJ, which doesn't expand on impact, this person would (hopefully) be using a proper self defense load with hollowpoints. Shot placement matters far more than caliber anyways, and 9mm is easier for people to handle, and quickly make followup shots with.

1911s can end up being unreliable unless you drop 2x the cost on them (at least) than something with a design that isn't over 100 years old.... They were not designed for the kind of mass production the reasonably priced 1911s are made with... They require tight tolerances, which means hand fitted parts, which means you're spending $1,000+. You could get lucky and get a $500 1911 that isn't a POS, but why risk it when you can get a Glock or a CZ for $400 and know it will work 99.99% of the time?

1911s are nice to look at and fun to target shoot with, but I wouldn't trust my life to one that cost less than $1,000.

[Lochton]

I realized the other day that I haven't carried any sort of self-defense since I lived in Chicago, and that I really should start carrying something to protect myself and my very wimpy 70-lb Golden Retriever when we are on walks. Just in case.

What sort of self defense weapon do you recommend overall, and why?

https://www.range365.com/best-self-defense-handgun
http://www.selfdefenseninja.com/
https://www.asecurelife.com/self-defense-without-a-gun/

I'd like to take some classes on how to shoot one day (I grew up in AK and it's a bit shameful that I don't know how to shoot), but if I do it would likely be for rifle use for hunting game rather than self-defense.

Self-defense course if anything. Or personal alarm hotkey. Anything else on the list will get you in as much trouble here as if you were an attacker.

[Moralgy]

Nothing wrong with them, but if you get the chance -- even if it might feel weird -- be sure to get some cutting practice. You may have that, for example I'm assuming that @Katie N may have spent enough time in her kitchen to know what it takes to get through a chicken/duck leg or a side of ribs, but not everyone has really taken a knife and used it to slice/chop/hack stuff apart.

I'm pretty accustomed to what I need to cause damage with them :3. I also won't hold back if someone is threatening me, and while I'm not the strongest girl in the world, I am in pretty good shape from sports, exercise, etc throughout my life.

[Witchblade77]

on "move some place safer" advice. we did. we currently live in an extremely low crime area. and yet.. i still lock my doors and car. just in case. we also happen to live in a relatively low populated area, so the cars going down the off road we are on are few and far in between. I still exercise caution when crossing the road. I have never in my life had to administer cpr and I hope to never have to. I still know how to do it. not out of fear. out of pragmatism. its generally a good idea to keep good safety habits. you may be traveling to a less safe area temporarily. someone transient may came to your area and commit crimes. shit happens. "it won't happen to me, cause i live in a safe area and not in fear" is not a good defense.

being ready to defend yourself, being ready for eventualities, being alert is the opposite of living in fear. its living in knowledge that you can take care of yourself. its actualy comforting as long as you don't get complacent.

[ParanoiD84]

If you can get a gun get a gun there is nothing better, Israeli krav maga is also great.

[Deleted]

arm yourself with common sense.

[shadowmouse]

@Algy No intention to belittle you. There are, however, whole systems of martial arts that go into refinements on things like cutting, even though the average person in the day that art originated might well have cut, pierced and beaten the hell out of stuff as part of their day. I trained with a degree of obsession for thirty years, multiple styles, multiple weapons.

[Schattenlied]

Are you being serious? You act as though getting a katana is as simple as walking into a store, paying and then walking out. Nobody here is ever going to acquire an authentic katana. It's really not that simple.

Ok uhh...

You can get a katana that would serve adequately in self defense for like $130 online, they are the most mass produced, cheapest swords on the planet, and as such the entry level for something functional is very cheap, you can get something much, much higher quality for around $350-$400... It doesn't need to be "authentic" (it's actually better if they aren't, with modern production methods and materials), it just needs to be functional, as long as it's made from high carbon steel it will be fine cutting flesh, so unless you actually get into a swordfight with it, it won't matter if you spend $130 or $1,000... So, yeah, it is just as simple as walking into a store, paying and then walking out (or getting on a website, entering your credit card number, and hitting ship).

But seriously don't get a katana for self defense, it's seriously stupid, carrying a sword in public is just silly.


Get a knife and a handgun and a concealed carry license.