Self-defense nightstand

For those places (for instance home) where a gun is not an option, how about a nightstand you can quickly use to defend yourself and your family/loved ones? Gladiator home safety?

From ixiqi.com/archives/62210

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 :)

Foot stomp defense

Foot stomp - Illustration, from Flickr.com

There are a number of basic and highly effective ways of fighting back - the rather innocent looking foot stomp defense is one of them.

A basic foot stomp is quick and simple to execute, and when you land it properly... Goodbye trouble - hello freedom!

The story below from clickorlando.com is a great example of this "sneaky" self defense tactic - apparently executed flawlessly I might add.

According to Melbourne police, the woman was walking her dog near the racquetball court when she was approached from behind by a man who grabbed her shirt.
The man told the woman to let go of the dog and then said he was going to rape her, according to police.
The woman began talking to the man to distract him and then stomped on his foot, causing him to let go of her, police said.
The woman, who was not injured in the attack, then ran toward her apartment while screaming, Melbourne police said.

Not only is the foot stomp defense move in place - she apparently sets it up with a distraction and then running away screaming.

In my opinion, this is a text book example of a great self-defense action. Kudos!

Killing in self-defense

Killing in self-defense
Public domain illustration image

Shooting and killing a person in his sleep can't possibly be deemed as self-defense? Or can it?

It most definitely can, as the case below from Texas - where a girl is cleared by a jury - clearly indicates. The girl was 12 at the time and shot her own father to death while he was sleeping.

I can remember a similar case here in Norway where a youth shot his abusive father to death with a shotgun, while the father was asleep. He was freed by the court on the grounds of self-defense, just like the girl here.

One of the commentators in the case here also gives a reference to another similar case of someone being cleared of murder.

Jurors Monday decided a teenage Katy girl accused of fatally shooting her father was not guilty of murder because she acted in self-defense. Mark A. Nelson, 38, died in April 2009. His daughter, who was 12 at the time, was accused of shooting Nelson in the back of his head as he lay in bed.

I'm positive you will have some viewpoints about this, right? Is it totally wrong to free someone who have shot and killed a sleeping person, or may it indeed be cases where this will be justifiable self-defense in your opinion.

Media and self-defense

Women's self-defense
Illustration - from Flickr.com

Meg Stone has a precise and very true observation in jamaicaplaingazette.com about how the media seems to ignore - or at least appears to underplay - a very important fact about women and self-defense actions.

Stone has the same experience as yours truly - it is proven countless of times, and beyond a shadow of a doubt how women are capable of defending themselves in situations where the attacker is male and very likely much stronger. In fact there are several thousands (and growing) cases being documented: Women Can.

By failing to focus on the facts of the matter, it may be that men as well as women may think that your only viable option is to get help from the authorities/police, a male companion, or begin carrying a gun for protection. Now, there is probably nothing wrong with being able to trust in outside help, as long as you don't take away the individual's trust in herself and her own abilities before anything else!

A sad but rather obvious fact is that you will often times be alone, and that you will need to stand your own ground. Any help will many times come in after the fact - or in addition to your own self-defense maneuvers.

A closer reading of the article reveals that this woman successfully defended herself by using her voice and shining a flashlight in the would-be assailant's face. In response to her actions, the assailant fled, but not before she got a physical description, which she gave to the police. Most importantly, this woman's bravery and fast thinking kept her from sustaining serious injuries. Unfortunately, this woman's successful self-protective actions are nowhere to be found in the Gazette's headline or the opening paragraph of the article.

In the above article, the author makes a reference to the National Crime Victimization Survey. It's undoubtedly a good idea to read it and make up your own mind.

In any case, the author makes a very good point in my opinion, and you should definitely give it a read. I'm also curious as to what your perspective is on this issue. Feel free to post below, re-tweet or post to Facebook!

Peppers spray - MMA combo

MMA - Illustration, from Flicker.com

OK, so it wasn't the MMA (mixed martial arts) alone that did the trick - a healthy doze of pepper spray was part of the self-defense combo.

Still, it is no doubt that learning martial arts can be of great help when you suddenly find yourself in a dangerous situation like the California based woman here did.

Also, it is definitely a major equalizer to have access to some sort of weapon - here a can of pepper spray.

A Sanger woman used mixed martial arts skills on a man claiming to be a door-to-door salesman.
It was around noon Thursday, when Mayra Villanueva heard the doorbell ring. She looked out and saw it was a man dressed as a Dish Network consultant.
She opened the door and that's when he threw a punch, and tried to get into the house.

Anyone else having good or bad experiences with using martial arts and/or pepper spray for self-defense? Feel free to comment below!

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.

Verbal self-defense

Illustration image - From Flickr.com

At least sort of... Probably more like bi-lingual self-defense.

In any case, this story about a very resourceful bi-lingual young woman is a solid proof as to why language skills can come in handy and save the day when someone attempts to rob you.

The 23-year-old woman managed to keep her wits. She definitely outsmarted and outmaneuvered the attempted robber - that's for sure.

So next time you may begin wondering if spending time to learn more than one language can be beneficial to you - just remember this case... Bi-lingual self-defense :-)

Lame excuses #11

Connecticut -- As a result of injuries he sustained from an assault in Stamford, a 78-year-old man died on February 22, 2009.

The incident which led to the tragedy occurred in a downtown parking lot, according to stamfordadvocate.com.

During the recent (June 2011) manslaughter trial, the defendant accused of punching and knocking out - a 6'2" and 200 pound, 49-year-old man - is claiming he acted in self-defense.

Yeah, right...

One tough old man!

China -- An 81-year-old man fought back in self-defense was reportedly able to send eight young would-be robbers fleeing in Hong Kong, according to monstersandcritics.com.

The man, identified as Mak, had finished his morning exercise when he was pushed to the ground in an underpass.

This has got to be one tough old guy... After all, three of the teenage attackers - between the ages of 15 and 19 - is said to have been given treatment at a hospital for cuts and bruises after the Sunday incident.

I sincerely hope these young punks have learned a lesson. In any case, I salute you, Mr "Mak Attack".

A pen for self-defense

Arizona -- As we all know, a number of everyday items - and things you regularly carry on your person in particular - can come in handy in a self-defense situation. The unassuming pen is definitely on that short list of things you could potentially grab for if you ever found yourself in a tight spot.

So far, so good. Only problem is that most pens really don't stand much of anything before they break. Heck, a lot of them don't even function properly purely as writing tools...

Enter the Tactical Pens and similar special designed self-defense pens. These tools are - in addition to being pens (duh) - made to withstand serious abuse without splitting, bending or breaking.

The end to all your troubles? Well of course not. Like everything else they have their advantages and disadvantages, and you will of course be at least somewhat trained in the application. And also, keeping it in your purse or briefcase - you know the usual hiding place for your pepper spray canister - won't do you any good at all.

Lame excuses #10

Australia -- A 18-year-old amateur boxer from Samoa reportedly tried to convince authorities he acted in "self-defense" when he savagely beat a 41-year-old blind man and knocked down his carer, before robbing the 30-year-old carer while he lay unconscious.

The victims had rushed to the aid a distressed woman in a Brisbane inner-city public toilet block on July 28, 2009, according to couriermail.com.au.

I guess his mother must be really proud of this good-for-nothing P.O.S...

Paramedics safety

South Africa -- Female paramedics in Durban Deep and Johannesburg are scared for their own safety - and it appears more than rightfully so after reading this news article by timeslive.co.za.

The work force has been promised the female paramedics self-defense training for more than a year and some has gone through that. But do they send the ones being out there doing the job...? Oh no - these knuckleheads send the managers. Yeah, you read that right. Smart move... Not.

One female paramedic said the panic buttons that the paramedics carry have never been used because they do not work. Her shift commander said the batteries are flat. Brilliant excuse, playing with people lives like that...

Spendid self-defense

Words are really not necessary - rather than this: "You suddenly don't look quite so tough with your pants around your ankles." :-)

"That'll teach you!"

How about teaching someone self-defense moves ... whether they want it or not :-)

In Louisiana, a university student was arrested for simple battery of another student, according to lsureveille.com.

The alleged victim complained to police that an 18-year-old fellow student, of Metairie, subjecting him to a "series of submission holds without his permission".

The suspect aggressor reportedly told police he was trying to teach the young man self-defense and had no intention of hurting him.

The slap

Here's a video showing why a punch with a closed fist is highly overrated as far as self-defense goes.

You can see that the person doing the slap here clearly knows what he's doing. First, he holds his left hand to his chin in a defensive posture - some times referred to as a "fence".

He then drops his left hand, which draws attention away from his right, and then wham...

Note also that the person who does the slap turns the man on the ground on his side. It may also (hopefully) look like he's going for help. Probably a bouncer.

A rough week

Ohio -- An 80-year-old man have had a rough week. First, he was beaten during a home break-in and then later shot while trying to learn about guns.

When intruders broke into his home, the Columbus area resident was tied up and pistol-whipped. Four days later was shot in the hand during a self-defense lesson.

Paramedics assaulted

Australia -- The Emergency Medical Service Protection Association in Australia, which represents 800 Queensland paramedics and ambulance workers, have said assaults were becoming both more frequent and severe.

As a consequence, the ambulance Service bosses are becoming increasingly criticised for failing to provide adequate self-defense training to paramedics who are reportedly being assaulted at a rate of two a week, according to news.com.au.

Titanium knee

Wow, titanium "I-knee-do" to the groin ... I really do hope this left a lasting and painful impression.

Australia -- A 72-year-old Olympic swimming great reportedly fought off an intruder who threatened to kill her, according to int.iol.co.za.

The 72-year-old Australian swimming legend claimed she might have "lost it" when she confronted two youths who woke her when they entered her daughter's home in Noosaville, Queensland. She said a young male grabbed her around the throat threatened to kill her.

"With that I grabbed him around the ear and hair and kneed him in the groin," she said. "I have got a titanium knee so it must have hurt him," she added.

Teacher self-defense?

There's probably more to this story than what you can read from a media rapport - it usually is. Even so, it seems like this teacher A. has a serious anger management problem, and B. needs to learn some basic conflict management and control techniques.
Yes a 10-year-old child can absolutely do some harm to an adult, but come on... Do you seriously need a neck restraint technique or a choke hold to control a situation like this? Absolutely not if you know what you're doing.
Another discussion is the possible use of force by teachers. In my book there may be situations where such a need may arise. But again, you really must know what you're doing. And of course, any type of force should always be kept as the very last resort. There are no winners in a situation like this!

Story:

New York -- A 58-year-old substitute gym teacher allegedly put a 10-year-old student in a chokehold when the two got in an argument over a game of dodgeball in New Rochelle, according to wten.com.

Police said the teacher apparently called the student 'a big baby' and a 'crybaby' after they began arguing about a call.

The boy reportedly threw a punch but missed. The teacher then grabbed the boy by the back of the neck and dragged him across the gym floor. Police said the boy was held in a chokehold when he tried to break free.

The student was taken to a hospital with neck and back pain. The substitute teacher claimed he acted in self-defense.