Some situations one can be placed in can be scary to say the least. Avoid those situations if and when possible

Quote from: Virginia Marie on February 24, 2009, 06:06:42 AM
Some situations one can be placed in can be scary to say the least. Avoid those situations if and when possible

Very true

hhmmm yes guns.
What was that scene in pulp fiction - in the car with the kid in the back seat talking about burger king....yeeeah. Not good.

Ok, my turn....just a couple of things:

1.  You fight like you train.  If you've taken a class in self defence, great.  BUT, if you don't practice what you were taught, you won't be able to do it when you need to--no matter how confident you are that you will be able to.  This is why the military, cops and serious fighters are continuously training and drilling until it is truly done without thinking (when necessary).  As in "the training just kicked in..." kind of comment after it's all over.

2.  Owning a gun does NOT make you a marksman.  If you don't practice at the target range at least several times a year, the gun you carry is nothing more than a noisemaker.....which may be good, but if you feel the need to pull the trigger, being able to hit your target is better.

3.  One option I haven't seen is the Tazer.  They are legal in a lot of places and non-lethal, yet very effective---unless there's multiple attackers, in which case you should not have been there in the first place.

4.  Don't overlook the power of high heels.  Stomp your heel down on the top of someone's foot and it'll do some serious damage.  If you've ever walked across a grassy yard in heels you'll remember how easy it is to sink 'em into something.

5.  Hand-to-gland combat, or use the knees (the old fashioned way)--just don't be shy about the amount of force.  If you're going to strike, strike!

6.  If you use pepper spray, and ANY of it gets into your nose, you will be in very bad shape (that stuff is a lot more potent than they make it appear on TV).

7.  Remember: the best way to avoid a confrontation is to not be there.  If you have no choice, be prepared.  Be trained.  Be proficient.  Be safe.

'nuf said.

the Tazer.  They are legal in a lot of places and non-lethal

Lots of people have been killed by those things. 

Quote from: tekla on February 25, 2009, 11:50:52 PM
Lots of people have been killed by those things.

Tekla's right, and often those who are killed are in otherwise good health.  Private citizens don't enjoy the immunity that police do when using them.  Not only that, but they are definitely illegal in some places.  In my state, posession anywhere by a private citizen is a multi-year felony, and there's really no hope of explaining one away as anything but a weapon...

Beyond that, I was under the impression that electroshock weapons such as the Taser only immobilise (and cause excruciating pain to) the target while they're being used; if you aren't carrying cuffs, you're going to have to keep zapping the attacker or run away very, very qickly, and if you're like me and half the size of anyone who'd attack you, the attacker's going to get it away from you and zap you senseless.

At least that was my understanding of them; I may be wrong and I am definitely biased in thinking of them more as portable torture devices than legitimate means of force.

This thread makes me sad.  Why can't everyone just play nicely?

  ~ Burgundy ~

Virginia plays nice. Or at least tries too  Unfortunately in the real would you do have to deal with some real A-holes 

WoW
You American ladies are carrying more firepower than our police force. Who are armed. Carrying a concealed weapon In Aus is illegal. And using any weapon even in selfdefence is problematic.
I carry a very bad sense of humour, martial arts and street fighting training, and I can run fast, after throwing off the heels. But being aware, doing the basics, know your environment, have your keys out and ready to use. Try to keep to public areas. Be ready to take someone's eyes out. Be careful.

Interesting thread to see how the civilised world is developing!

What's Glock? Sorry for being naive - or maybe I'm thankful!
Cindy James

A Glock is most commenly a 17 round 9mm side arm. (Pistol) Very pop with gangs in the US and elsewhere

I suppose the good girls carry them because the bad guys do. So next time you get a bigger glock!

(This is in jest, rare for me). Do any of our Bros want bigger glocks or do you think how you use them is more important?
Cindy James    

I don't glock, but I can grok! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grok

Quote from: CindyJames on February 26, 2009, 01:56:15 AM
WoW
You American ladies are carrying more firepower than our police force. Who are armed. Carrying a concealed weapon In Aus is illegal. And using any weapon even in selfdefence is problematic.

I don't want people to think that all Americans carry weapons.  The majority does not, and most people (the people I know anyway), are rather scared of firearms.

Again, I just want to clarify that you should only ever use a firearm when it is your last option.  I was never advocating using it to go into more dangerous places.  Also, you should only carry a concealed weapon when and where you are legally allowed.

I have a permit that allows me to carry concealed, just to clarify.  I don't want anyone thinking otherwise.

Quote from: tgirljuliewilson on February 25, 2009, 11:42:31 PM
Ok, my turn....just a couple of things:

1.  You fight like you train.  If you've taken a class in self defence, great.  BUT, if you don't practice what you were taught, you won't be able to do it when you need to--no matter how confident you are that you will be able to.  This is why the military, cops and serious fighters are continuously training and drilling until it is truly done without thinking (when necessary).  As in "the training just kicked in..." kind of comment after it's all over.

2.  Owning a gun does NOT make you a marksman.  If you don't practice at the target range at least several times a year, the gun you carry is nothing more than a noisemaker.....which may be good, but if you feel the need to pull the trigger, being able to hit your target is better.

3.  One option I haven't seen is the Tazer.  They are legal in a lot of places and non-lethal, yet very effective---unless there's multiple attackers, in which case you should not have been there in the first place.

4.  Don't overlook the power of high heels.  Stomp your heel down on the top of someone's foot and it'll do some serious damage.  If you've ever walked across a grassy yard in heels you'll remember how easy it is to sink 'em into something.

5.  Hand-to-gland combat, or use the knees (the old fashioned way)--just don't be shy about the amount of force.  If you're going to strike, strike!

6.  If you use pepper spray, and ANY of it gets into your nose, you will be in very bad shape (that stuff is a lot more potent than they make it appear on TV).

7.  Remember: the best way to avoid a confrontation is to not be there.  If you have no choice, be prepared.  Be trained.  Be proficient.  Be safe.

'nuf said.

I agree with everything said here.  I also have to go a little further and say that my ex was trained in aikido, and was rather proficient, but I could (with not much effort) easily defeat her because I had just a little knowledge of the concepts they used, and I had a major strength advantage.  I am not saying that these techniques don't work, I am just saying that you should understand they are not foolproof.

I can't say about pepper spray, but when I was a teenager, I got mace in my eyes (on accident), and it was the worst thing ever.

Training is crucial.  I can tell you, I took multiple classes on land navigation (when I was with the Army ROTC), and even 6 months after I stopped doing it, you forget so much.  The same applies to most things.  If you are not actively doing it, you WILL forget it, or at the very least, not proficient enough for it to matter.

I am a bit paranoid, I know, but I would rather be safe than sorry.

Be safe.

Is that a gun in your pocket, or are you happy to see me? 

Cindy

I was being harrassed by teenagers in gangs. I showed them some Loong choo Kung Fu and they left me alone...And then I found out that some of the people who were harassing me were gay. I felt bad vibes from them but they said they liked my clothes and hair and began to like me. I explained what being TS is and they knew. So now they leave me alone a bit. Because they know I only like straight guys. I told them I have a boyfriend.

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Post Merge: February 27, 2009, 01:48:07 AM

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Having a boyfriend is a bit like having a concealed weapon.

No guns for me. A tazer would be practicle. My only weapon is my big mouth and that usually gets me hurt.

I have a concealed weapons permit, however, I never actually carry my weapon. Perhaps at some point I will, but I just haven't felt the need.  I do go to a shooting range when I'm home, plus my current job requires I carry and I've had very extensive weapons training in the military.  As others have mentioned, some of the items you carry or wear are very effective.  I guess that's why I don't feel the need to carry.

I agree with the "use common sense and stay out of certain places" thinking. That has served me well for many years. Also staying out late at night has its dangers so we're always back home and off the streets around 10pm.

A buddy of mine was on his way home around midnight. He has a convertible. He was cutting through a neighborhood when he suddenly found himself boxed in by two cars. He heard somebody say "lets do this", and then suddenly there were armed people walking up to his car.

What the bad guys didn't know is that my buddy is a US marine, and was packing heat 

He brandished his weapon, and persuaded the bad guys to get back into their cars and leave. No one was hurt. Had he not had a weapon the best case scenario is that his car would have gotten stolen, worst case is that he might have gotten a beating or worse.

With the economy as it is there have been a lot more "home invasion" deals happening. I saw some video from a home surveillance system showing 4 armed thugs getting out of a car with machine guns and storming a house. The homeowner was home, and was armed. The video then showed the thugs leaving in a hurry, being chased by bullets.

The moral? You can do things that make sense to protect yourself, and still find yourself in a bad situation. How you protect yourself is up to you, but some people will choose a firearm. And in some states there is a right to carry given that you have the proper permits. Its not always a bad idea.

Heh. I love it when Brits find one of these jaw-droppingly American threads.

The message? Don't mess with transpeople - we're armed to the teeth, know self-defence, and look amazing while kicking ass.

I can melt people with my thoughts.  I don't need a gun.

3 1/2" blade flip out knife, clipped to my purse, used for attacking tape on parcel post packages.  I also carry a roofer's hatchet in the door panel in my car.  I have a pink (yes pink) purse gun  which shoots 22 Long, but it is a semiautomatic and it is getting harder and harder to chamber a round - so I am thinking about a derrinder revolver instead... but the best defence is stay out of dangerous situations, don't be confrontational, and kick and run.

Lizzy