Self-Defense is Not Only Physical But Mental

I had never been afraid to live on my own, even at the age of 21, until someone tried to break into my single wide mobile home at 3:00 in the morning. Not having any self-defense weapons in the house, nor any self-defense training, I could not believe this was happening to me. After he had tried and failed to open any windows, he blatantly knocked on my front door, demanding I let him in. Not knowing who it was, I refused to open the door, at which he became ballistic and pulled up on one of the roll out windows on the door, breaking it. I had just received the operator after dialing 911, but I panicked after hearing the window break, dropping the phone. My German Shepherd was chained up several feet away from the back of the house. I ran out the back door, flew across the gravel and let her loose. She had already been barking, so she knew he was in the front and she ran around the house towards him. The intruder yelled something as he jumped off the front porch, ran to his car in the vacant lot next door and took off.

I did not even have a self-defense mentality. I merely acted out of panic and hope that my people friendly dog would actually protect me. I was lucky in this case.

I experienced a period of shock afterward, shaking uncontrollably. It left me angry and bitter towards men who choose to use their brawn to terrify and try to control women and intrude on their private refuge. I didn't realize at the time that a preplanned out strategy of self-dense could have given me the upper hand. It could have saved me years of being afraid to live alone again.

As it was, I was totally helpless mentally because I had not prepared myself for any self-defense situation coming my way. I did not see the possible assailant's face, causing me to look at every man for many weeks afterward as the potential perpetrator. The vicious sound of his voice demanding "LET ME IN" stayed in my head for several years. It was a long time before I started trusting men again.

There were actions I could have taken to possibly insure a positive outcome in this situation that I was not even aware of at the time. Instead, I did several things wrong:

1. Thinking anyone would ever want to break into my house and do me bodily damage had never entered my mind before this incident. I was really simple minded at that age to believe this, considering myself rather plain and tomboyish, and believing that only "beautiful" women were singled out for such an attack. The self-defense action here would have been to have a previous plan in place if this were ever to happen so I would be mentally prepared.

2. I didn't finish the call to 911. I didn't realize that to get through the door, the intruder would have also had to break through the screen, reach in and unlock the door, giving me plenty of time to make sure the police were on their way. The self-defense action here would have been to stay on the line with the operator until help arrived. Also, I should have known how secure my doors and windows were.

3. Although I trusted my German Shepherd to protect me, she was really not a protection dog and I should not have gone out the back door in case someone else was waiting out there. It was a bit of a run to the safety of the dog. The self-defense action here would have been to stay in the house and again stay on the phone until help arrived.

4. The only self-defense weapon in the house was a knife. It may have stopped him if he had gotten in, but chances are he would have over powered me, taken it away and possibly used it on me. A stun gun or pepper spray would have been a better self-defense weapon, causing an immediate debilitating effect on any intruder. Having some kind of non-lethal weapon or alarm system on hand or in place would have been the self-defense action that was missing. That action alone could have given me the confidence to know that if the intruder actually did get in my house, he would have regretted it.

I could have had a personal alarm system in place on the windows, a motion alert alarm or a door guard alarm set to scare off anyone touching the door knob. Any of these self-defenses could have saved me years of fear, given me confidence and security and might possibly have helped catch the perpetrator.

Today we have these means of protection. They are affordable and pepper sprays and stun guns are legal in most cities and states. However, be sure to check your local and state laws before buying. If a woman wants to live alone, she should and can feel safe and secure without the need to own a lethal gun. Some of the keys to self-defense are:

a. Plan ahead and even have back-up plans.

b. Have a non-lethal self-defense weapon easily accessible and know how to use it.

c. Have your dog in the house with you at night, and

d. Practice, practice, practice. Come up with possible scenarios and practice how to use your self-defense weapon until it becomes second nature. Know that IF a perpetrator WERE to invade your home and sanctuary while you are home alone, HE would regret it and wind up being the victim, not you.

Karleen Lindsey is a proponent for women's safety without the use of deadly weapons. To receive 20% off of your first purchase over $10, check out her products to protect women and particularly home safety, using coupon code 3254

Tags: defending self, home security, keep women safe, non lethal self defense products, non-lethal self defense weapons, non-lethal weapons, pepper spray, safety products, self defense, self defense products, self-defense actions, stun guns, women's safety

March 01 2010 | home security | No Comments »

Own Pepper Spray And Stay Protected

Pepper spray is still the top choice for many who want personal safety products. This is strong enough to stop an attacker yet won't kill or permanently disable. This takes away a lot of the fear some people may have about defending their selves to find the attacker was actually an innocent person. It is also easy to carry and use no matter where you are.

A lot of people view guns as being unsafe and are intimidated by them. They may be afraid of the gun being used against them or of their children getting the gun by mistake and hurting themselves or another innocent person. Laws have also made it more difficult to buy and carry a gun and you must have a permit to carry it with you. For these reasons more people are going with alternatives.

Stun guns have come a long way. If you want something stronger than pepper spray then this would be the way to go. They have some that are small enough to fit in your pocket and still strong enough to stop an attacker. You also don't have the same worries as with a hand gun. Plus you can carry these without a permit.

Pepper spray is the choice of more women than the other options available. This simply disables the attacker long enough for you to get way and get help. Some of this also comes with dye to help identify the attacker once the police arrive. This may come in a container small enough to fit in your shirt pocket. They have a pen that is filled with this peppery substance so no one even needs to know you have it.

Using any personal safety product for a purpose in which it was not designed can lead to assault charges. Some people have been known to have allergic reactions to this substance but those are rare occurrences. As long as the product is used in self defense then you will have no worries of any type of repercussions.

Even if a child were to get their hands on this then there is very little if any chance at all that they could be seriously injured. This spray cause temporary blindness, chocking, coughing, and nausea. While these are not pleasant symptoms they are also not life threatening. This is enough to ensure your safety and the safety of those around you.

This may even be carried by teenagers. We always worry about our children, this can help them to stay safe and let us know we are doing our part as parents. We can't always be with our children so we need to teach them to defend themselves if the need should arise.

Some states may restrict or prohibit the purchase of this product. You should be aware of all state laws before making a purchase. You can usually find this information at your local police department. You should also be aware that some companies may not allow this product to be carried by employees.

You never know when a situation may arise when you need to be able to defend yourself or even a loved one from danger. Check for this product at a store near you or online.

When it comes to personal protection against bad guys, you will find it takes everything to keep them away. You can acquire pepper spray to stop them for the time being to run away. Most Internet websites allow you to buy pepper spray.

Tags: crime, defense, family defense, family security, home security, pepper, pepper spray, pepper spray for women, security, self defense, spray

February 08 2010 | home security | No Comments »