Help! Ideas needed for non-lethal home/personal protection...

a reply to: Boadicea
I fell for the first one. Doh!!! But I caught on by the second post. Been too long since I saw that movie.

originally posted by: Klassified
I fell for the first one. Doh!!! But I caught on by the second post. Been too long since I saw that movie.

Feel free to exact your revenge on me by having me step on glass Christmas ornaments.

I deserve it.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: Klassified
I fell for the first one. Doh!!! But I caught on by the second post. Been too long since I saw that movie.

Feel free to exact your revenge on me by having me step on glass Christmas ornaments.

I deserve it.

I have a better idea...

originally posted by: Boadicea
Help! Ideas needed for non-lethal home/personal protection...

I guess that it depends on how frightened you are, to know what would give you the imaginary 'feeling' of 'safety' that you crave?

For any women in your area who are smaller in stature, I would advise against trying to arm yourselves with a baseball bat. I'm a smaller woman myself, and I know for a fact that almost any man larger than me could come at me and be too close to hit with the bat in little to no time. When an attacker gets that close what will a woman do? She might struggle to hold on to her weapon, forgetting that at this point her best chance to stave off an attacker is by using her hands to gouge at eyes, the nose, etc. Furthermore, a baseball bat is a pretty good starter weapon for type of burglar who came unarmed, but having been spooked by a homeowner, might turn to violence.

A better option for a small woman is good defense training; easily accessible mace, bear, or hornet spray; a gun that she absolutely knows how, and is willing, to use; or a safe escape route.

quite simple just follow these simple instructions

a reply to: Boadicea

perhaps a flashing light or sired such as a hand held one so that the neighbours know that its not accidental or frovlous.

Perhaps air horns (which are very loud) that come in a pressure pack. Need to use hearing protection if used indoors.

beg, steal or buy tazers.

originally posted by: ParanormalGuy
Make yourself a stun-gun using these cheap high voltage modules (free shipping):
www.banggood.com...

Together with a 18650 battery or two in series it will kick serious ass!
Trust me, I have tried.

Could you please add more instructions (all links to) on how to do this. We don't have guns here as a rule.

thanks

a reply to: namelesss

...imaginary 'feeling' of 'safety' that you crave...

Wow. The dangers are obviously real and present and everywhere. Being prepared, being equipped, being aware... none of that is an "imaginary 'feeling' of 'safety'...

Mock if you will. I will continue to look for -- and share -- reasonable and practical precautions for real threats.

a reply to: Atsbhct

For any women in your area who are smaller in stature, I would advise against trying to arm yourselves with a baseball bat. I'm a smaller woman myself, and I know for a fact that almost any man larger than me could come at me and be too close to hit with the bat in little to no time.

Thank you! Makes sense, but I sure wouldn't have thought about it. It's important that whatever weapon one chooses to have at the ready, that one is comfortable with it, and able to use it competently..... if not, it may very well become the perp's weapon.

Escape may also be the best option in some cases, and for some people.

a reply to: Maxatoria

I love it!!! That would work for me!

It may (or may not) be in jest, but there is some practical wisdom in there. It sure couldn't hurt for the single women (of all ages) to make it appear that a man lives there... and the bigger the better... and he might as well be a badass too...

Thank you!

originally posted by: Azureblue
a reply to: Boadicea

perhaps a flashing light or sired such as a hand held one so that the neighbours know that its not accidental or frovlous.

I did think about that problem of it may or may not be a real emergency... good suggestion.

beg, steal or buy tazers.

The one neighbor we have all been most concerned about now has a tazer. We are all breathing a (small) sigh of relief!

I read somewhere that a nice sharp hand saw for close up defense is good. It is difficult to take off you as the offender can not grip it very well and the handle allows you to grip it tight. If they do try to grab it they get ripped to shreds. You can thrust, pull and swing it with gay abandon. And doesnt require any talent or skill. Just go ape with it.

Kia Kaha

originally posted by: Ngatikiwi
I read somewhere that a nice sharp hand saw for close up defense is good. It is difficult to take off you as the offender can not grip it very well and the handle allows you to grip it tight. If they do try to grab it they get ripped to shreds. You can thrust, pull and swing it with gay abandon. And doesnt require any talent or skill. Just go ape with it.

Kia Kaha

What an excellent idea!!! Thank you!

In fact, my hubby has a little saw that would be perfect for that purpose... I think it's called a fish saw or a fishtail saw. (But I can't find a pic so I may be wrong about the name) Lightweight, long and thin with a blunt point and could be easily wielded by even a small woman.

Another thing that would be hard to wrest from someone's grasp is a knuckle-duster although I don't know how effective they are as a weapon.

I remember once a friend of mine's girlfriend had a large bag of very small change. He was advising her how to protect it from robbers - "never mind the expense" he said "hit 'em with it"

The serious point being that you could swing a bag or sock full of loose change at someone and if they tried to grapple it from you, just let it go to empty over the floor where it will be harmless.

a reply to: berenike

Again -- excellent! And I thank you!!!

This reminded me of another trick. When I used to work nights, I would hold my keys in a way that the individual keys protruded from between my fingers... does that make sense? And if I needed to punch someone, I had a little extra advantage. Never had to though!

originally posted by: Boadicea
a reply to: namelesss

...imaginary 'feeling' of 'safety' that you crave...

Wow. The dangers are obviously real and present and everywhere. Being prepared, being equipped, being aware... none of that is an "imaginary 'feeling' of 'safety'...

I repeat, it depends how much fear you have bought into!
All 'feelings of security' are imaginary!
You have no security from death or any of the myriad of crap that can happen.
You can have a gun in every drawer in the house, carry on in your pocket with your samurai swords slung over your back, but you will still not be 'safe' from what we all experience at one time or another.
The moment in your life that you exhale for the final time cannot be put off, nor can it be hastened!
It already 'is'!
All your weaponry is to give you some 'feelings' of safety', of 'control' in a life and world where you do not have 'control'.
All your 'fear' is in your imagination!
People sell 'fear' because it is lucrative, and makes you easy to manipulate!
Never 'believe' your thoughts/imagination!
You'll probably end up 'shooting' yourself with your own 'defensive weapon'! It happens all the time. Talk about irony!
The statistics, the real stats, say that you'll never need to use a weapon against another person!
Your 'fear' is induced!
How terribly stressful your life must be with all that unrequited fear!

Mock if you will.

Not at all!
But your 'stress' and Hellish imagination is not 'yours' alone...

I will continue to look for -- and share -- reasonable and practical precautions for real threats.

Yes, dear. *__-
But better, find unconditional Love, and, thus 'Faith'.
There is no fear in Love; no 'enemies', no 'evil', no 'judgment', no 'anger', no 'hate'...

True, unconditional Love is ALWAYS recognized by It's unconditional Virtues; Compassion, Empathy, Sympathy, Gratitude, Humility, Charity (charity is never taking more than your share of anything, ever!), Honesty, Happiness, Faith...
ALWAYS!

a reply to: namelesss

Thank you. I think I may have misread you before, and if so, I apologize. I don't doubt that you are speaking from your heart, and I know the wisdom and value of not jumping at shadows, and that safety and security is never assured.

But there is a time and a season for everything under the sun. You're right, people cannot live in fear. Nor can people live in paralysis. Nor can people live in submission to evil. There is no virtue in letting bad people do bad things.

It's a matter of balance. If you read through, this thread has gotten many really great ideas -- as many for avoiding and evading trouble as for fighting back against a threat. In this specific case, about a very real known threat... not an imagined or possible threat. All have their virtues. And you'll note I specifically requested non-lethal means for defense and protection. It's not about causing trouble or looking for trouble, simply about being prepared to deal with it when it comes your way... and knowing that you can deal with it.

originally posted by: Boadicea
a reply to: namelesss
Thank you. I think I may have misread you before, and if so, I apologize. I don't doubt that you are speaking from your heart, and I know the wisdom and value of not jumping at shadows, and that safety and security is never assured.

But there is a time and a season for everything under the sun. You're right, people cannot live in fear.

And there's that 'but'! *__-
People not only 'can' live in fear, but they do, a vast majority of people!
It is relatively easy to inculcate fear in the population, exceedingly easy!!

"A frightened population is easily controlled!" - Niccolo Machiavelli

Nor can people live in paralysis.

Yet, again, many do!

"Most people lead lives of quiet desperation!" - Henry David Thoreau

Nor can people live in submission to evil. There is no virtue in letting bad people do bad things.

If you speak of 'Virtue', Virtue is a component of unconditional Love!
The eye of Love NEVER sees 'evil' and 'good' and 'bad' people, there is no 'judgment' in Love!
The Loving eye only sees the Beloved!
People do 'things', legal, illegal... acceptable to society, unacceptable...
There is responsibility placed in a court.
Someone breaking in my window is no less worthy of Love than my baby!
To a Loving person.
That, in itself, has 'defused' many, many situations!
Meeting fire with gas just gets everyone burned!
Love will suffocate the flames!

It's a matter of balance. If you read through, this thread has gotten many really great ideas -- as many for avoiding and evading trouble as for fighting back against a threat. In this specific case, about a very real known threat... not an imagined or possible threat. All have their virtues. And you'll note I specifically requested non-lethal means for defense and protection. It's not about causing trouble or looking for trouble, simply about being prepared to deal with it when it comes your way... and knowing that you can deal with it.

I very much know what you are saying!
Not only have I been a student of the martial arts for about 1/2 a century, but I have also been a monk, so taking blood, mayhem, lethality have been an integral feature of my past, I have specialized in 'non-lethality', only enough force to neutralize the threat... perhaps sufficient that it will last for generations!
Confidence in my training was probably overinflated, but none of it eliminated that moment of my death.
None of it pushed that moment back one femto-second, or brought it any 'closer'.
The ultimate in any martial art (any art) is when all that you have learned must be left behind, all your skills, all your 'confidence', in order to 'proceed'.
That point is when 'mastery' is achieved, and one 'flows' in harmony with the Universe, becoming Universal!
And that is Love!

It is said that the very moment when one is assured victory, is the moment that we Love them!
The 'accepting'/Loving/deadly embrace of the white cell...
Where two become One, and who sets out to harm Self?

I have forged and hammered and carved and constructed all sorts of 'less than lethal, but potentially lethal, weaponry all my life.
It is an art.
But I cannot ever see me actually using something like that to actually harm another.
I got something better.

I wrote something once;

"If it cannot be thought with Love,
it doesn't need to be thought!
Don't think it!
If it cannot be spoken with Love,
it doesn't need to be said!
Don't say it!
If it cannot be done with Love,
it doesn't need to be done!
Don't do it!
If the day cannot be Saved by Love,
the day isn't worth saving,
offer it up with Love!!"

Wage Love! Practice Compassion!

tat tvam asi (en.wikipedia.org...)

a reply to: namelesss

Beautiful poem... so let me ask you... when someone is firing into your living room as you sit with your children while watching TV, what is the appropriate course of action?

When you're asleep in the middle of the night, and someone breaks into your home, what is the appropriate course of action?

When you see a man accost and rape your daughter, what is the appropriate course of action?

I am not being facetious. I sincerely want to know. When one person is perpetuating violence upon another, what is the appropriate course of action? At some point, you apparently felt physical force was the appropriate action... what changed your mind? What did you find to be a better option?