Belt for self-defense

Belt for self-defense - From Flickr.com

Here's a quick note about using a belt for self-defense. And we're not referring to the karate black belt either.

As you may or may not know - many every day items are easy to utilize for self-defense purposes.

In order for these items to be of ant real effect, they need to be readily available and also to provide a certain degree of threat or damage if needed.

One such item is undoubtedly the regular belt worn around your waist. If you can easily remove it (without your pants falling down) and it has a rather large and heavy buckle, you've got a nice self-defense tool at your disposal!

A friend of mine once used his belt to fight off two guys at a bar who wanted to "teach him a lesson" and below is a recent story from southcoasttoday.com in Massachusetts.

The victim parked his car in the area of County and Thompson streets shortly before 11 p.m. and was walking to his apartment when he was approached by a man with a knife who demanded his money, according to police.
The victim took off his belt and swung it at the suspect, Detective Sgt. Victor Mendes said. He chased the robber around a parked car and swung his belt at him a second time.
Mendes said the man with the knife ran to a second suspect, who was on a bicycle about a half a block away, and the two fled on the bike.

So there you have it - a good incentive to always wear a belt (not only while driving :)

Gun to a knife fight

Illustration image - From Flickr.com

Really hard to say what went through the mind of the gun-toting maniac from this article at blog.al.com... Trying to prove a point that you can't stop bullets with a knife?

"Florida -- A 67-year-old Pensacola man is charged with murder for allegedly gunning down a 53-year-old man who was trying to show how he could defend himself using a knife, according to Escambia County deputies."

"Escambia deputies responded to the shooting at about 10:51 p.m. Thursday night at the Moorings Apartments (...). When they arrived, they found Alvin Merriwell Lewis Jr. dead inside the suspect's apartment. Lewis had succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds."

So, apart from repeating the old adage of not bringing a knife to a gun fight, one could also add: Don't demonstrate knife self-defense moves to a lunatic with a gun.

Anything to add? Feel free to do so in the comments field below.

'Aero-solved'

Illinois -- Without pepper spray to defend himself, a cabdriver was forced to improvise when he was attacked by a knife-wielding passenger early Thursday morning in Elgin. He sprayed the would-be robber in the face with an aerosol deodorant, according to foxnews.com.

Police said said the 51-year-old driver felt something was wrong when the passenger changed his destination. Consequently, he discreetly placed the small canister between his legs.

When the passenger held a large knife to the driver's neck, he sprayed the robber in the eyes, causing him to drop the knife. The passenger then punched the driver, but did not seriously injure him. He took off on foot, leaving the knife behind.

"Candy man"

California -- On Thanksgiving, a 49-year-old intoxicated man reportedly went uninvited to a neighbor's home in Sacramento. He then started waving a kitchen knife towards people gathered on the lawn, according to usatoday.com.

When the drunken intruder cut several peoples' clothing - one of them decided it was time to fight back. The man grabbed a two-foot-tall plastic candy cane lawn ornament to subdue the attacker until police arrived at the scene.

According to reports, the man with the knife was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. But here's a kicker: The guest who took up the candy cane was not arrested because it was determined by police he acted in self-defense.

Well, that was a surprise. I mean, he could have killed the poor knife-wielding dude with that horrible lawn ornament for crying out loud!

He was "bagged"

Australia -- A 24-year-old Hornsby (Sydney) woman was threatened with a sexual assault while going to work at a nursing home Monday, according to smh.com.au.

A man reportedly approached her as she was walking along the street. The 22-year-old man - who was later arrested - started talking to her and she walked up a pathway, according to police.

The man then took out a knife, held it to the woman's throat from behind - threatening to kill her. However, the young woman pushed the attackers knife away, turned around and hit him with her bag. She then allegedly kicked him and ran away.

Realtors assaulted

There has been a couple of assaults on female Realtors (real estate agents) lately. In New Zealand, a 41-year-old agent was lured to a remote Wairarapa property -- a house east of Carterton -- by a 38-year-old man Saturday morning.

The woman fought for her life and stabbed her attacker who allegedly assaulted, bound and tried to kidnap her. As the would-be kidnapper attempted to force her into the boot of his car, she made her escape by grabbing a screwdriver and stabbing him in the head.

In South Bend, Indiana (US), police said a man attacked a local Realtor as she was showing him a house for sale Friday afternoon.

As he was shown the basement, the man reportedly produced a knife, demanded money and grabbed the Realtor. The woman fought him off, and he took off while she called police.

With the current housing crisis, police now begin to worry real estate agents may be less cautious.

Quick thinking

On June 26, at about 8:30 p.m., a 35-year-old man is reported to lure his way into a woman's vehicle in Dale City (San Mateo), California by asking if he could borrow jumper cables to start his car.

The offender proceeded to jumped into the woman's vehicle, where he took out a knife and told the woman to drive down a side street.

When the man demanded sex, the quick-thinking woman managed convince the would-be rapist to remove a child car seat from her back seat to "give them more room for sex."

While the offender did as suggested, the intended victim jumped from the car and ran off. The suspect was reportedly arrested later in the stolen vehicle.

Door-to-door dangers

During a period of eight months houstonpress.com have investigated door-to-door magazine sales across the country.

They say the industry has seen at least three murders and one attempted murder; one stabbing, one rape and two attempted rapes; one vehicle fatality and one attempted abduction of a 13-year-old girl.

My suggestion is that you take the time to read this article in full, it's shocking to say the least.

In shape

It is without a doubt of great help to be in shape -- both in a physical, as well as mental sense -- if you ever end up in a self-defense situation.

A case in point is this story about a 41-year-old woman from New York City. The intended victim was assaulted by a knife-wielding intruder in her basement apartment.

The woman says her furious, and successful, self-defense response, is due to the fact that she works out at the gym 7 days a week.

When she fought back, by screaming, pushing the intruder and then knocking him in the groin, the man went scurrying out.

Blind man fights intruder

This man got my utmost respect. Way to go! It also proves how old wrestling skills can come in handy any day.

Story:
Indiana -- Wthr.com reported about a 49-year-old blind man who fought off an intruder Monday morning in Indianapolis.

Allan Kieta was reportedly having a day off and sleeping in when his dog Bella woke him up, letting him know something was wrong.

The home owner said the dog told him about a stranger in the house. And as he walked out of his bedroom, he ran right into the suspected burglar.

The men began fighting. "We fought maybe for 30 to 40 minutes - a long time," Mr Kieta said.

As the two men fought on the floor, Mr Kieta grabbed the intruder's belt, dragging him down the hall. According to reports he kept banging him against the walls to keep him disoriented and maintaining control.

"I was afraid if I let him up, he was going to kill me," Mr Kieta later told media. He used all his high school wrestling training to get the suspect to the kitchen.

Once in the kitchen, the home owner grabbed for the knife. He fumbled with the phone, trying to dial 911.

"He was begging, like, 'Don't kill me. I'll dial it for you!'," Mr Kieta said. "I was, like, 'You are not touching the phone'!"

Police arrived to the home quickly to arrest the intruder, who was hospitalized following the incident.

Carjackers killed woman

In Texas, a woman -- a mother of five -- was brutally stabbed to death when she fought back during a carjacking in northeast Harris County (Houston). Now, one of the suspects have been arrested, according to khou.com.

The woman was walking into a mobile phone store when a man, attempting to steal her car, grabbed her car keys. It is believed that the woman fought the would-be carjacker because her 4-month-old daughter was still in the car.

The 24-year-old assailant, which authorities say are an illegal immigrant, stabbed the woman several times. He then got into a waiting car driven by an accomplice. The store's security cameras captured the brutal attack.

Not long before the deadly attack, the assailant was caught in security video stealing beer from a convenience store, police said.

The carjackers -- using knives and targeting women -- reportedly began their crime spree at convenience store Tuesday in Northeast Harris County.

A surveillance video shows the passenger of a car getting out of the vehicle and walking into the store. On of the carjackers then approached the driver, waiting in the vehicle.

Using a knife, he forced her out and she hurried inside, uninjured, police said. Then the second carjacker jumped into the vehicle, hopping in the driver's seat. The stolen car then takes off.

The next day, the same men targeted another woman, police said. Again, the carjacked victim was unharmed. The third woman targeted Wednesday night fought back, and was tragically killed.

Ruined robber's day

Robber's day ... is that something akin to St. Patricks Day, or Remembrance Day? It seems only fair that the robber's get their own day...
My bad jokes and similar bad taste aside, this 84-year-old guy really made my day. Sweet!

California -- A teenager may have been fooled by his intended victim's appearance. The would-be robber threatened an 84-year-old Santa Rosa man with a knife Wednesday afternoon, saying he wanted the man's wallet, according to pressdemocrat.com.

The elderly target put his grocery bags down. He then informed the young man he had been threatened by knives and bayonets before -- having fought in three wars as a U.S. Marine. He made it quite clear that the teen would be sorry if he came too close.

When the would-be robber stepped toward him, he proved his point by kicked the young criminal in the groin, according to police.

The teenager, who was estimated to be 15 or 16 years old, was reportedly left doubled over on the sidewalk around 1:15 p.m.

"Twist and shout"

Yes - that's what it is called - the ball squeeze... You, grab and twist - he'll most likely shout (you get the picture)!
And this is by no means a "ladies only" technique. If you've got the balls for it (sorry, bad pun...) also guys have used this attention grabber (another bad pun...).

Anyway, here are a couple of practical applications:

South Africa -- A woman told police he had attacked at about 4:30 p.m. Monday in her field between two villages near the Swaziland border in Mpumalanga.

The 53-year-old villager was busy weeding her field when a man appeared and allegedly ordered her to go undress under a nearby tree.

The woman refused and the man threatened to stone her and then physically dragged her to the tree. The two fell to the ground and struggled, until the woman was able to get on top of him and grab his testicles.

When the man surrendered, she ran for help.

Ohio -- Police in Warren said a man kidnapped a 32-year-old woman at 6:15 p.m. Thursday - then attempted to sexually assault her.

According to police reports, the woman parked toward the rear of the parking lot at the main library to drop off books. She told police her van was left unlocked while she ran inside the library (great idea...).

When she got back into the van, a man placed a knife to the woman's side and forced her to drive to Packard Park. The perpetrator forced the woman to the floor of the van and began cutting off her clothes and undressing himself.

The woman was reportedly cut on her shoulder, arms and leg. She managed to escape the would-be rapist by grabbing his groin and twisting until he ran off.

More quick thinking

I seriously wonder what goes to these guys head? Do they think that flashing a knife, and attempting to rape someone is romance?

Story:
Philippines -- Police said a driver allegedly tried to rape a 27-year-old woman in his taxi on Saturday night in Quezon City (Manila).

The woman told investigators how she boarded the taxi at around 8 p.m. Saturday. Soon, all the passengers, except for her, got off at the Metro Rail Transit station in Kamuning.

"The woman was sitting in the back seat, and the driver asked her to sit beside him in the front," a police spokesman said.

When she did so, the woman said the driver showed a knife, and started to touch her breasts.

The woman said she told the man that she would go with him to a hotel if they could eat first at a fast food diner nearby.

Inside the restaurant, the woman promptly asked the security guard for help. The driver managed to run back to his van and escaped. Police believe that the driver also had victimized other female passengers.

A fight for life

It is worth repeating; someone who believe they are fighting for their life has a tremendous amount of strength. The same goes if you decide you will not be taken down.
Is it always possible to fight back, or is it always wise to fight back? Of course not. Still, stories like this one here is a reminder of our possibilities in what may be called a worst case scenario.

Story
Canada.com reported about a 53-year-old convicted robber and rapist who attempted to rob a convenience store in Windsor, Ontario. Using a fake gun, plus a rather odd disguise made up of wig, heart-shaped shades, cowboy hat and fake beard - he lost what was referred to as a violent struggle with the 34-year-old diminutive female clerk.

A superior court judge told how the clerk thought she was going to be raped and perhaps killed. Lacerated and bloody, she believed she was fighting for both her sexual integrity and her life, the court heard.

The case prosecutor said the woman "fought valiantly" against the man. He struck the woman and held her down. But she fought back, scratching and biting the assailant, leaving "telltale marks" that police saw when he was later arrested.

The attempted robbery and rape failed because the female clerk got the better of a much larger, heavier and stronger man, the judge said.

The man walked into the store in September 2005 and demanded the keys to the place from the clerk, so that he could lock them both inside. The court was told how the man, in addition to his disguise and weapon, had a bag filled with duct tape, a knife and fake bomb.

A police report explained how the woman struggled the fake gun away from the attacker and actually hit him with it.The man fled the store after the fight, leaving his bag behind.

Typical escalation

This is a very typical - and tragic - episode of escalating violence.

Story:
Texas -- In Conroe, a 23-year-old man was stabbed to death and two others were injured in a disturbance outside a pub, according to chron.com.

The 23-year-old victim was stabbed with a knife late Thursday, police officials said. He was transported to a medical center, where he was pronounced dead.

Three men had just left the local pub and were walking to their car when they were confronted by three men in a pickup about 10:45 p.m.

An argument allegedly broke out and one of the men from the pickup began hitting the car with a small sledge hammer. A passenger from the car then reportedly stabbed the victim.

On the phone...

I can't help but wonder if people are at all aware of how they may set themself up as a victim. And no, this is NOT the same as blaming the victim.

Story:
Maryland -- Nbc4.com reports about a 44-year-old woman who was walking and talking on a cell phone at about 11:30 p.m. in Montgomery Village on Sunday.

A man with a knife reportedly pulled her into a lower stairwell landing in an apartment building and raped her.

The attacker fled on foot after the woman fought back, police said. The attacker is allegedly "known slightly" by the victim.

Hazards at work, 46

There have been several cases of violence towards real estate agents lately. Here is one of them.

Story:
In Corona, California police have arrested a 33-year-old man according to pe.com. Authorities claim the man made an appointment to see a house for sale Friday morning, then assaulted the real estate agent who came to show it.

Acting like a prospective buyer, the man allegedly arranged a meeting. When the agent showed up to the home, the man took the female agent by knifepoint into the home, according to police.

The man raped the agent after which he began stabbing her with a knife. The woman fought back and was able to get away and ran to a neighboring home.

When police arrived at about 10:45 a.m., they found the real estate agent bleeding from multiple stab wounds. The woman was taken to hospital.

A good Samaritan killed

I'm sure you've read or heard about the 39-year-old New York City subway conductor, Maurice Parks, who just recently fought off three muggers? The man allegedly trained martial arts at a Harlem 'elite dojo', and he used a knife to defend himself.

It is believed the robbery victim inadvertently may have killed Flonarza Byas, a young man who tried to help him during the incident. As nydailynews.com writes: "(...) a good Samaritan who waded into the bloody fight, was fatally stabbed - and investigators say it's likely that Parks delivered the fatal wound not knowing that Byas was trying to help."

Now, this is a tragic incident for all involved. I am really sorry for the young man who was killed while trying to help, and I really hope that the three young muggers will be tried as adults and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

What I would like to draw some attention to is how terribly wrong things can go if you just "wade into" an incident without knowing how it is perceived by the one (or ones) you are trying to help.

It is virtually impossible to distinguish who is who in the middle of a fight like this! Why do you think police uses verbal commands during their interventions?

So if you decide to intervene (which I really hope you will do), please make sure you state up front who you are and what you are doing - in a loud and clear voice. Of course it is always (if there's time) your best bet to call police first, and then try to help in other ways. You may also want to state loudly that you have called police, and that they are on their way (this goes even if you haven't called police...).

If you can not see who the attackers are - you can not distinguish the victim (or victims) from the attacker (or attackers) - it is not very wise to intervene directly/in a physical sense. If, on the other hand, you do know who you are in fact trying to help - make yourself known to that person (or those persons) - visually as well as verbally!

The weapons myth

Hop over to my Squidoo women's self defense lense and have a look at the latest article.
It's about things to think about if you consider utilising a weapon (such as kubotan, spray, keys, taser, knife or gun).
I'd love to get your feedback on this topic!