Non-Lethal Self Defense; When just a little bit of pain is enough

 During a recent preparedness presentation on 72 hour bags I gave to the IT dept. at my work one of the questions that popped up at the end was, "What about guns and firearms?" This was a loaded question (no pun intended) if I ever heard one considering today's environment, but I provided a sufficiently, politically correct answer in my opinion. Explaining that I am firearms enthusiast and a "2nd Amendment proponent", I also clarified that "guns are not for everybody", regardless of the opinions of some folks out there. I then recommended some less-than-lethal alternatives for affective self defense without the need to put a (preferred) 3" hole in an attackers chest. 

However, non-or-less-than-lethal measures come with a training and proficiency requirement which, in some ways, is just as important as training and proficiency with a firearm. It's a shock to many people when I advise that just buying pepper spray or a stun gun and tossing it in your purse or vehicle's glove box is not sufficient. You need to intimately familiarize yourself with these items for them to be truly affective in a self defense scenario. Below I'll break down some of the pros and cons of the more common less-than/non-lethal self defense implements and strategies.

Disclaimer: Before pursuing any of these options, check local laws and regulations to ensure you remain within legal bounds when purchasing or carrying these items.

Also, please note that I'm not addressing the "bringing a knife to a gun fight" concept here. It's assumed that there is a power discrepancy between attacker and victim in which the protective tools and strategies listed below provide an equalizer for the victim's defense.

Pepper Spray

How can personal chemical warfare not be fun for the whole family? Pepper spray is one of the most common and readily accessible non-lethal options of self defense out there. It's relatively inexpensive and easy to find, even at your local Wal-mart or typical sporting goods store. Pepper spray comes in a wide variety of options. These include disabling compounds such as (literally) chili pepper extracts, and deployment methods such as an aerosol spray or gel stream.

Pros

Pepper spray canisters are very compact and can easily be attached to keychains or staged in purses. They're very easy to use with a small locking lever that's easily shifted into active status, and a simple push-button and aim process. Potency can vary, and some self defense instructors recommend upgrading to actual bear spray for maximum effectiveness against burly human beings.

Many versions of pepper spray also contain a dye that's visible only in ultraviolet light. This allows for quick identification of the attacker by law enforcement during their investigation after an assault. 

Cons

Dispersal, especially the aerosol kind, can be hazardous. Discharging pepper spray into the wind can easily blow back into the face of the victim rendering both them and the attacker helpless to the point it becomes a race to see who recovers faster and either escapes or continues the assault. 

Less expensive pepper sprays can be less affective and not adequately stop an attacker.

Stun Guns and Tasers

A good friend of mine was considering buying a stun gun for his petite, real-estate broker wife while we were at a prepper show one time. The vendor offered him 10% off if he but-briefly shocked himself with the gun. My friend (I'll call him "Larry"), who's an adventurous as well as frugal sort, started seriously considering it, pacing back and forth and asking me what I thought. Now I'm too old for such nonsense myself, so I tossed my hands up with a grin and stepped out of the situation to go shop for freeze-dried food. A few minutes later from across the vendor hall my son and I heard the easily recognizable pop pop of the stun gun along with Larry's yell of surprise. It wasn't long after when Larry was walking up to us with a slight limp and a self-satisfied smile at having saved 10% off his purchase.

Stun guns and tasers both provide an electric current through the body of an attacker, rendering said-attacker temporarily disabled so the victim can make their escape. 

Pros

I've seen 280lbs ex-cons go down instantly after getting stunned in the buttocks. Their explanation later was that they'd never felt such pain. Tasers and stun guns are also readily available in most States. Tasers come in a variety of deployment configurations, from wand-like devices so you can feel like Harry Potter (yelling Expecto Patronum! just adds to the satisfaction of sending your attacker to the floor in a writhing, quivering ball of flesh), to gun-type devices which work just like a firearm in a point-and-shoot feel.

Cons

Stun guns deliver their charge on-contact meaning you have to be up close and personal with your attacker to deploy. If you're that close to your attacker you're already losing, in my opinion. 

Tasers, which deliver their charge through two projected prongs, can avoid this, but those prongs must make contact with the attacker's skin to be affective. Heavy clothing such as a parka or even a heavy hoodie, or a mis-fire where one prong doesn't make contact with the attacker, voids the counter attack completely.

I've also heard of attackers who are in an altered state (read: drugged out and trippin'), can be completely unaffected by either tase or stunning. I've seen video of this where a very high woman was tased by police officers no less than four times in a McDonalds where she'd gone on a French Fry rampage. The tasing offered little to no affect in stopping the meth'ed out Karen.

Batons, Baseball Bats, and Bludgeoning Implements

Beating the ever-living shit out of someone who'd been trying to attack you a few minutes prior can be pretty satisfactory, but doing so can be harder and more dangerous than most people consider. This class of self protection weaponry considers anything from a fancy stick to improvised items. 

Pros

There's almost no end to what can be improvised into a self-defense bludgeoning weapon. I've seen modified pipe wrenches, legs of broken tables, and souvenir baseball bats and everything in between. Extendable batons are easily concealed on one's person or in a vehicle, and come in a variety of size options to suit the defender's needs. It's also hard to not look totally cool flicking one of those baton's into action and taking a ready posture which may very well intimidate your way out of a confrontation. Of course this image is quickly ruined when you have to find a slab of concrete to bang the tip against to retract the baton afterwards.

Cons

Again, using a bludgeoning weapon to protect one's self means your attacker has already gotten dangerous close to you. You run the risk of the weapon being taken from you and used against you at that point. On that note using a baton or other bludgeoning implement, frankly, requires training to be affective. Wildly swinging to try to just keep someone away from you, again, runs the risk of having the weapon taken from you. Get trained! Most martial arts studios will help you with this (for a fee of course).

The expandable baton's are illegal in several states and municipalities so, again, check local laws and regulations before purchasing or training with one.

Martial Arts

Pros

As the saying goes, training trumps gear. The three types of weapons above to provide a physical advantage in a self-defense scenario, however they fail or be taken from you. Being able to affectively fight with your physical body grants you access to self defense at all times including those times when any other weapon is simply not allowed such as a court house or Federal building or such. Additonally most martial arts programs offer training with weapons as well, making you even more affective with the bludgeoning class of weapons above.

Cons

Being an affective martial artist is a non-stop endeavor. It requires constant practice and at least a modicum of physical agility and strength. It's very unrealistic, even dangerous, to take an 8 hour rape-prevention class and believe you're "ready" for if that time comes. I would argue that the choice to become a martial artist is more of a life-style commitment more than a brief practice.

Health issues and even age can seriously and quickly diminish one's ability to utilize martial arts as a self defense option as well.

Final Thoughts

There are other options regarding non/less-than lethal self defense but in my experience these are the most common, often times because they're the most affective. Training and familiarity of usage cannot be over emphasized. I've been known to buy two containers of pepper spray and discharge one to see how it's going to disperse. There many good videos on YouTube regarding using the different kinds of pepper spray and tasers. Watch, read, and learn and, in the end, you may opt for more than one or even all of these options. Diversity is a very good thing.

In the end walking around city streets with an AR-15 strapped to your back or even a .45 on your hip isn't always practical or, to some, ethical, however this doesn't mean you have to be a victim by any means. There are many other extremely effective options to protect ones self, your family, and your preparations, and with just a little research and education the right choice can be made for your personal situation and goals.

Peace. 

Prepping Styles; Military vs. Civilian

There are several different ways of categorizing preparedness styles and methods, but for this post I thought I'd break down the differences between a military-based vs a civilian-based style of prepping. So what do I mean by military-based and civilian-based prepping? In short it's emphasis on several factors I go into below. Also, please keep in mind that military-based does not necessarily mean it will be followed strictly by ex or current members of our great military. There are plenty of preppers out there with little-to-no actual military experience or service but who are like-minded in military methods or enthusiasts in the military ways. There's nothing at all wrong with this, it's just a particular approach to address preparedness.

The Civilian-based Approach

Disasters; What Are You Preparing For?

Typical civilian folks tend to prepare for weather events or limited man-made disasters such as chemical spills or nuclear reactor melt downs. Weather events are somewhat consistent or seasonal, however chemical or nuclear reactor-based events are more regional concerns. This type of approach targets short-term disruptions, anywhere from 24 hours to a few weeks.

Logistical Considerations

Families and location of sheltering tend to be high on the list of priorities for civilian-oriented preppers. Preparing food, water, and medical stores for sheltering in place is the common strategy, and friends, family members, and neighbors are taken into consideration when planning is initiated. 

Security Operations and Communications

There's an openness of communication and sharing of preparedness plans within communities that could be affected by disasters in the typical civilian mentality. The sense of community awareness allows for ensuring other members of the local population are prepared for disasters as well.

The Military-based Approach

Disasters; What Are You Preparing For?

Current and ex-military members as well as preppers with more of a military mind tend to prepare against war-type activities and attacks against our country. EMPs or straight up military invasion, or acts of terrorism, either domestic or foreign, are among the events such military-minded preppers get ready for. The timeframes of disruption for these events tend to last into the years or decades so sustainability or pushing for a 'new normal' after the event is projected.

Logistic Considerations

Military oriented preppers trend more towards the lone-wolf psychology or toward militia-type organizations with other like-minded preppers. There's a sense of BYOA (bring your own ammo) among this approach with members only accepted if they add some tangible value to the group.

Gear, tools, and the idea of bugging out are given more emphasis under the idea of staying mobile and evasive from enemy forces. If a safe location is setup, it's done so with tactical, military advantage in mind.

Security Operations and Communications

Defense and strong communication are emphasized, more so than food and even sometimes water. Weaponry and load-outs are discussed and held most important for the more military minded, and secrecy and obscurification are key elements regarding one's preps or bugout locations.

Which One is Right For You?

Odds are....both. Blending both is not just common but necessary in my strong opinion. I've never been one to limit my options because it's critical to remain flexible and adaptable in any given disaster situation. When your life and the lives of those you care about are on the line there's no room for dogma. Bugging in is typically the most appropriate approach (civilian mentality) however when your home or shelter become unsafe you must be prepared to bug out to a safer location. In short, prepare for generalized disasters and watch the news (fairly and with strong filters) for any local events that could affect you.

Rarely are people truly alone any more. We have families and friends that are likely local, and, at times, we develop good relationships with our neighbors. We neither want these people to perish during a disaster, nor do we want them knocking on our door empty handed looking for handouts. Encouraging those we care about to prepare for disruptions before they strike while not tipping our hand at the same time is a fair balance.

Another blending example? Security operations. It's a personal choice of course, but I'm a proponent of firearms and having them at the ready should the need arise. Even a civilian-minded prepper should have a military-ish plan of protection should disaster strike and you need to defend your home and hearth...and family and pets.

Final Thoughts

Being prepared for a regionally realistic disruptive event is the goal, and the approach taken should factor in a variety of considerations. As such being too 'civilian' or being to 'militarialistic' can lead to severe gaps in your preparedness plan. Good preparedness includes appropriate levels of food, water, and medical supplies, realistic consideration regarding local friends, family, and neighbors, and an appropriate level of martial training to protect and defend against the less-savory people who are interested in your preps. There's no need to go all G.I. Joe cosplay for protection (though there's something to be said about the intimidation factor), and there's no need to starve or get dysentery by not considering bug-in options. Balance and adaptability are key in surviving any disaster.

Peace.

Swing and a Miss. When Disaster DOESN'T Strike

 Throughout the early part of the week of Monday 04/11/2022, the threat of severe weather was predicted for my area.. We started getting notifications though our CERT communication channels and through all of our early-warning weather apps that on Wednesday the 13th we were under a slight then enhanced chance of major weather including high winds, flood-capable rains, and a good chance of tornados. With an air of excitement and disaster-lust I went into full preparedness mode, charging batteries and even moving some critical electronics to our basement. Packs were checked and my CERT team notified of my schedule in case of deployment needs. 

Wednesday the 13th arrived with the timing of the severe weather being around the 1700 hour...and then at 0900 I received a text saying something to the effect that the severe weather chance had been down graded. The front powering the storms was 1.Farther south than anticipated and 2.Moving much faster than expected. A good friend of mine used to call this type of situation "Apocalypse Not". The weather petered out to nothing more than a few rain showers and we observed only a single lightening flash with no discernable thunder at that.

Suffice it to say it can be very frustrating and discouraging when you prepare for an event and it doesn't pan out. Time, money, and effort are put into the preparedness and it feels like all such things are wasted when there is not so much as a good thunderstorm. The feeling is contradictory in nature; on one hand we're waiting for, expecting, maybe even (disturbingly) looking forward to a severe, disruptive event, while on the other hand no one really wishes destruction of property or, more-so-still, loss of life. Based on those factors we should be happy and relieved if an anticipated disaster fails to manifest, but the emotional response is disappointment that at times can lead to some dangerous ways of thinking.

Most commonly when emergency management and weather services notify the public of impending events that do not occur, it erodes trust in those services in the whole Boy Who Cried Wolf mentality. The next time severe weather threatens, those same people won't take watches or even warnings as seriously as they should. That's a tough row to hoe, and steps typically need to be taken to mend that trust. In the case of the 13th, the local emergency management services actually put out an apology and an explanation of what happened to the predictive models. Communication like that helps to restore a bit of trust.

Steps should also be taken to level-set and add a dose of reality. Like I said, sometimes it just pays to remind people that a severe weather event always has the potential to take lives, damage property, and disrupt routines for days, weeks, even months. People should be grateful if weather tones down to be softer than expected. As the saying in finance goes, "past performance is not an indicator of future results."