Q about: telling your woman to stay safe through use of a weapon...

[RetroGrouch]

I would like to believe the cops and justice system would turn a blind eye to a weapon that was used to prevent a woman's own assault or possible murder. That's the way I see it. I'm for the baton, easily bought. Even in it's retracted position, it still has a good punch when struck against someone's chest or head. An 8" piece of steel pipe can be just as effective. Biggest risk is being disarmed and having the weapon used against yourself.

[knowledge]

I would've suggested one of the alarm things, but then I re-read it and realized that it was a pretty secluded, industrial area.

Would brass knuckles be a bad idea in this situation?
Speaking of brass knuckles, can someone PM me if they know where to get them!? I've been trying to find them for like 2 years.

I think a small knife, and a small high power flash light will work fine...the rapist(s) will be blinded by the flash light for a short time(5-10secs, i jst tried it on myself in a dark room) , and she can either run away and call 911, or take out the knife and stab them in the crotch.

You walked into that one, again.

[CruisnGrrl]

http://www.antirape.co.za/ won't prevent it but it will make the stop quick

[El Zilcho]

a small high power flash light will work fine...the rapist(s) will be blinded by the flash light for a short time(5-10secs, i jst tried it on myself in a dark room)

The attacker would have to look directly into it, which is unlikely in case of an assault.

[Charly]

She must not be the only one getting off work at a certain time. Isnt there anyone else who walks to the bus she coud walk with?

The idea of protecting yourself from these situations involves being aware of your surroundings and listening to your gut. Sad to say but chances are if there's more than one attacker she's not escaping even with a weapon.

[matthew]

I wouldnt suggest anything unless she is fully prepared to use it. Same goes with martial arts, she needs to be pretty proficient in whatever discipline in order to use it in a real situation.

The last thing she would want to deal with is pissing off some guy who is already after her

[Jenerator]

If you're really serious about selling the bike and getting a car that she can use for work, then do it. Nevermind what she says about it.

[uchi]

If you're really serious about selling the bike and getting a car that she can use for work, then do it. Nevermind what she says about it.

i agree. how do you get around in the winter? do you have a car or do you bus it and ride on days that arent crap? or do whats mentioned above and buy a cheap car for her to get around with. hard to sell a toy that you love but sometimes its for a good cause

[fly kid]

hmmmm so can get her the rape-axe....she puts it in, and the rape axe has reverse spikes, so when the rapiest sticks it in, he cant pull out with out ripping his dick apart.

[southpaw_1979]

I'd recommend going to pick her up then she has someone to be with her. I started doing that with my gf when she used to work a late shift I hated her walking home.

[thebutler]

hmmmm so can get her the rape-axe....she puts it in, and the rape axe has reverse spikes, so when the rapiest sticks it in, he cant pull out with out ripping his dick apart.

Yep, that won't scar her for the rest of her life.

The best advice has already been given: get her bear/animal spray and make her take some self defense classes. The BEST protection is for her to always be aware of her surroundings, the spray won't help worth a damn if she's caught off guard.

Being aware of her surroundings is key.

[ASHES]

Jokes. How can anyone suggest she get pepper spray, self defense lessons, and so forth? Do you think rapists ask permission before assaulting their victims?

Rapist don't give women time to do anything. It's the element of surprise first, and then overpowering the victim with physical strenght; most times, aided with a gun or knife.

No amount of defensive knowledge and pepper spray is going to help anybody. Buy the car and get a good sleep already. Jeez.

[El Zilcho]

Jokes. How can anyone suggest she get pepper spray, self defense lessons, and so forth? Do you think rapists ask permission before assaulting their victims?

Good point. Self defense, pepper spray, etc. can help only if you're asked for permission to be assaulted.

[[evo]]

The only thing you can do is get her a car.

[Flashmonkey]

The only thing you can do is get her a car.

Unfortunately, I'm going to have to agree with this opinion. Being a victim begins in a person's mind. All of the weaponry in the world isn't gonna do sh*t if she's not trained to use it...and not just trained as in a 2-hour instructional you-tube video. I'm talking about actual training, where muscle memory with the said weapon(s) trumps natural instinct. Also, training is useless without the right attitude. These "self-defense" classes are useless. Skill without continual practice isn't skill.

Far too many people take on the stance that "violence is wrong" and don't believe in the martial arts because "i'm not a violent person". If this is her particular stance on this, then you're pretty much better off just getting her a car and telling her to run and scream like hell if she's ever attacked.

[SiNNeR]

car

[Guy Fawkes]

Leaning more towards the car now (so sad)...Although I would have to sell the bike first to buy it, so who knows how long that'll take.

Taking a loan for a used car isn't the most ideal option since we're 1 month away from the wedding, I still haven't found a full time job, and we're possibly winning a bid to open a new business around the same time of the wedding.

I know the batons are illegal, but as mentioned, I figured the cops would be willing to make an exception for a woman defending herself. Although I do agree that it wouldn't be too useful for someone that didn't know how to use it. I've seen her swing weapons and she clearly doesn't have the fighter's instinct lol.

Meeting her at work isn't an option, since we have no car and take the bus everywhere in the winter. It takes 1.5 hours to get to her work, and that's on the fast end of the spectrum. I usually meet her at the subway, and yes, I've had some tired mornings as a result, but it's worth it.

We're thinking about self defense. I have some experience with Kempo Karate, so i've tried to show her some stuff...Although she wasn't taking it seriously and her stance looked really bad. Not to be sexist but she looked like a girl, trying to be a fighter...So I said "Just go nuts and use your instincts. Kick to the balls, shins, flail your arms around. It's a lot harder to grab someone who's spazzing out..." Plus I figure it's better to rely on instincts than to try fighting in a style that you're not familiar with.

I think we're gonna try the self defense again, she said she would take it seriously.

Thanks for all the advice guys.

[Flashmonkey]

Try Muay Thai. Aggression is part of the style so that may help.

[oomis]

+1

I have a lot of years as a martial arts instructor under my belt when I was younger, and I taught a lot of self defence classes.

They don't work. It's interesting to see, but without years and years of repetitive practice, it's not instinctive, and that's the key. Even if there IS years and years of training, I've still seen people freeze up. Ever wonder why martial arts "experts" get themselves into trouble with a barfly? Because the world changes when someone smacks you in the noggin. The best practice for fighting is to fight. And that doesn't happen in self-defence classes.

I'm not saying that doing self-defence classes isn't a good idea, I'm just very wary of people coming away from being shown something with a false sense of self-confidence, because THAT'S what gets them in trouble.

There's no quick fix for this situation. Buy her a weapon, and she may hurt herself. She may piss off a potential attacker. She may have a sense of overconfidence and forget to be aware of her surroundings.

Remember that there's a psychology to an attacker. For the most part, they look for easy prey. There really is something to be said for walking tall, feeling strong and being aware of your surroundings.

Unfortunately, I'm going to have to agree with this opinion. Being a victim begins in a person's mind. All of the weaponry in the world isn't gonna do sh*t if she's not trained to use it...and not just trained as in a 2-hour instructional you-tube video. I'm talking about actual training, where muscle memory with the said weapon(s) trumps natural instinct. Also, training is useless without the right attitude. These "self-defense" classes are useless. Skill without continual practice isn't skill.

Far too many people take on the stance that "violence is wrong" and don't believe in the martial arts because "i'm not a violent person". If this is her particular stance on this, then you're pretty much better off just getting her a car and telling her to run and scream like hell if she's ever attacked.

[mat2312]

Bear spray is easy and fast to use.

I don't understand people who suggest not carrying weapons for fear their attacker may use the weapon on them. Why even bother fighting back...the attacker might hurt you some more. Why bother scream? The attacker might slug you in the mouth?

I for one would rather see my girlfriend/mother/sister attempt to use a weapon and defend herself to the limit rather than be unarmed and hope the attacker is kind enough to not hurt them too much after he robs/rapes/assaults/kills them.