Meier_Link

I was thinking the other day about my habit of carrying around a knife when I go out sometimes. I almost got in a fight with these 2 guys that seemed to be looking for trouble, and I thought to myself, even though there's two of them I still wouldn't want to stab them.

I was thinking maybe I should find some kind of weapon not intended to kill or maim to carry with me if I need the extra protection. I don't much like the idea of carrying around pepper spray or a taser. Brass knuckles aren't completely ruled out. I guess what I'm looking for is something that could fuck somebody up, but not permanently.

BTW, I'm not some asshole that runs around picking fights with people, and I wouldn't consider using any kind of aid in a normal fight under normal circumstances...

cuervo

Check your local law; chances are brass knuckles, along with ASPs, and a whole list of items along those lines, are illegal.

Pepper spray is still considered the most "acceptable" non-lethal means of defense.

MrTuffPaws

yep. pepper spray and mace is your answer.

ggadgit

maybe you need to start carrying a cane?

Memnoch

Get a telescoping billy club. They're handy as hell.

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MSD

Pepper spray and mace aren't worth shit unless you can't legally carry a gun. Even in the best possible situation, you're dealing wtih a blind attacker who still knows where your neck is and will grab it.

Once again, I find myself considering a reenactment on tape (so I can share it with the Internet) of my demonstration for friends in which one with pepper spray and one with a stungun hit me at the same time and I managed to disarm both of them. I've never robbed or mugged anyone, but if I can disarm them, someone who has probably been hit with non-lethal weapons before can do it to you, and he's not going to wash his eyes out and sit down with you to watch TV after he does.

Fire

stun guns suck- however, I have now talked to two law officers, one a sherrif's deputy and another a city cop, both of whom have used the new Air tasers- out of a combined 11 uses, the thing but the bad guy down in one shot- period- both these guys think the thing is the shiznit, better than pepper spray, and unlike stun guns, it really does short your ability to move- its not a pain compliance weapon, ( number 11, btw was running down an alley and disloged the probes because he skidded out of range when he went down- the city cop did'nt blame the weapon) only problem is that they run at least $350.00 and some states don't like em- but still considdering it since I picked up a part time security gig, for when ren fest season is'nt on..... as to the mace thing, I agree with the idea that it enrages someone- the point is not to mace em and then try to kick some ass, as they will tear you limb from limb if they are mean enough, but If you mace em and run however, and while we are at it, use the mace at range, its not a bad thing to have ( I have been maced, while working, in a brawl, and it was not pleasant, and severly hampered my abilities to see what I was doing, as well as hurting like hell, it did not help the guy directly in front of me however....)

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MSD

If you're up against an armed attacker, teh best thign to do is mace and stab/slash. A knife sucks on its own, but if you're in close quarters wtih a pissed off attacker whose eyes are burning wringing your neck, the ability to slash at arms until he lets go makes it a good backup.

cabbit

In russia if you're over 18 years old with a clean police record you get a gas gun.

moosenose

there's a lot of ignorance out there. Stun guns and tasers operate on exactly the same principle....the only difference is that a taser shoots the contacts out, while the stun gun doesnt. A 5 second hit with a stun gun will cause exactly the same result as a 5 second hit from a taser.

Fire

Go to taser international's site- I sell stun guns, (well, not many as they do not work and I advise my customers against them) and I have seen older versions of the "air taser" that do not work- The newer guns from Taser international are different, in that they do not work on "pain compliance" as the older ones do- the new ones, currently only produced by one company (taser internatioal) interupt your ability to move- I have a friend who has had one used on him, and this thing is a whole new ball game- Law enforcement agencies are buying these things despite the fact that they cost as much as a gun because they work- and I have too many people that I have talked to myself that have used the device, in real life, or had it used on them in a training session to doubt it at this point, despite my initial doubts, which were admittedly big ones- the big downside it that this one product by one manufacturer is the only one that actually works, and it is as pricey, or more , than a gun - I am hoping that we see some kind of major price drop soon, or another manufacturer that actually has a taser that works at a more affordable price..... untill then its shell out 400.00+ or buy a piece of junk that hurts a bit but will not stop anyone with a desire to hurt you....

__________________
Thought the harder, Heart the bolder,
Mood the more as our might lessens

moosenose

Fire, the thing about the taser is that once it's discharged, it delivers a five second shock. Stun guns don't, and require at least a four second stun to have any serious effect. Yeah, you can stun yourself with one briefly and not have any serious loss of control, but if they are used correctly, stun guns can indeed be very effective. I've never really sold them, but have actually used them in fights. Jam one into the side of somebody's neck while they're up against the wall with your other forearm between their adam's apple and where their neck meets their chin, and hit them for 10 seconds, and the fight is completely over. Trust me on this.

Fire

just for background info, my primary occupation is running my own company, and I sell knives, swords, and security products- I also hold down a part time job as a security officer, for a local firm- last night my employer, who works one of the company's "questionable safety sites" himself, assisted a local police officer in wrestling an offender with drug warrants out on him to the ground, - this assistance consisted of using a stun gun (the best performing one that i have seen) held to the back of the offender for a count of 10- then the police officer used pepper spray, then there was another 10 count application of the stun gun followed by another pepper spraying- after all of this said offender continued to struggle, and was finnaly subdued pretty much by being sat upon by two 200 lb men- eventually they were able to handfcuff him and get him into the car.... given this evidence, and repeated multisecond self stungunning (including to my forehead and temple) I must respectfully disagree with their effectiveness , and having seen the taser work, its got my vote-

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Thought the harder, Heart the bolder,
Mood the more as our might lessens

Meier_Link

Update... I bought an expandable baton yesterday, just in case. it's about 7 inches closed and 21 open. I hope not to have to use it, but if I do it will certainly get the point across.

BTW, any advice on whats the best place to hit someone with one of those to stop them but not hurt them too badly?

Fire

the external pereneal nerve is a great place to whack someone without much permanant damage- its on the outside of the thigh about 1/3 of the way down from the hip - its easy to hit, hard to defend and causes much pain, and may cause the leg to stop working- note that as with all nerve strikes, results may vary, some people react less than others, and ther are people that anything short of a bone breaking strike may not do much to- I have had this strike done to me at about 50% of full force and while it did not drop me, it hurt like hell and caused me to limp for a while- some people will hit the ground and accuse you of breaking their leg, - you may wish to check with your local law enforcement on whether a baton is a concealed or deadly weapon where you are.......

__________________
Thought the harder, Heart the bolder,
Mood the more as our might lessens

Suave

Hit them in the face!

You have to define "not hurt them too badly" though, because hitting someone hard ANYWHERE is likely to do some damage. The limbs (such as the area Fire suggested) are likely to take least damage, but if you hit their torso, there is a real possibility of internal organ damage.

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Misz

Martial Arts is your best deffence, These days everything is considered a "weapon"

777

I'm with Misz on this one. Either keep it a secret from the cops, or tell the guy your about to beat up that you know a martial art. Since we become consealed weapons too.

And I remember a buddy of mine mentioned this one Thai Boxing match. An old vetern against the young champion. It was youth vs. wisdom. The young guy was faster and stronger, but the old master knew every trick in the book. Young guy was taking an early lead, until the old master did a feint. The kick apear to go for his head, then it dropped on the spot Fire mentioned. Right on the thigh. The young guy could barely stand.

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Roger Zelazny

bettaa

i was in a fist fight with my brother once and he kneed me right in the thigh in the nerve center...drove me to the ground...hurts like hell and makes the leg stop working.

an effective weapon i have seen is thick ass nice speaker wire (the stuff you use in cars) tied off at the ends to make a loop...breaks plactic chairs like a mother fucker.....and leaves welts like you wouldn't believe....

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Misz

I was watching some weird show about how these martial arts people went to a martial arts school and had to do all of these things like you would see on survivor, at the end of the week or watever they had set up they would pick one member from each team (teams where divided by gender) then they had to fight each other, this guy was really good at kicks, he went to kick her in the head so she pulled her upper body back severly exposing her leg that was unprotected, he dropped his leg and smashed her.

curious george

A new pair of running shoes.
Make sure the laces are always tightened, (trap for young players), and exercise the hell outta them when they chase you!
Seriously though, if you are looking for something to do somebody over, you fear something that is yet to happen.
Fight your fear, not the people who you have yet to meet, then you wont need something that could fuck somebody up, but not permanently.

If all of the above doesn't work for you, take up wrestling or karate or something.

Phage

Err... that would be true of a knife as well and I would bet the fight would be over for much longer.