After You Buy Pepper Spray, What Comes Next?

You’ve taken a serious look at your community and priorities and have decided to buy pepper spray. What should you do next? The answer spells the difference between using pepper spray as a prop to build your self confidence and being able to apply it as am effective self defense tool. Don’t just drop it in your pocket and purse; think about how to use it effectively, practice and develop the attitude to prevail.

Where is Your Pepper Spray?

Even if you buy pepper spray, it won’t do you much good unless you can deploy it in an emergency. Fortunately, many types of pepper spray come with holsters or are designed to be attached to your keychain. If your pepper spray doesn’t come with these conveniences you’ll have to rig a solution of your own. You might use a snug pocket in your handbag or use your pants’ change pocket, where it’s easy to get the top of the pepper spray.

Practice

Now that you have picked a location to draw your pepper spray from it’s time to actually practice drawing the pepper spray. Remember that pepper spray comes with a safety to prevent an accidental discharge, so you’ll have to practice switching it off. We recommend that you get multiple refills so that you can practice at least once. If you do, loose the pepper spray outdoors, with the wind blowing in the direction you want to spray, on a target you will place in plastic bags and discard before cleaning the area, wearing gloves. Discard the gloves afterward and wash yourself thoroughly, taking care to keep your hands away from your eyes, nose and mouth. Keep the target area away from heat, and keep humans and animals away.

If you don’t want to go through all of these safety steps, perform everything except discharging the pepper spray. Move your hand as if you’re spray paining a tight circle on the target. In any case, many of the rules of firearms safety apply to pepper spray. Never point it at anything you don’t intend to spray! Pepper spray is agonizing, and can provoke serious reactions in some targets.

Think of Scenarios

You’ve bought, placed and practiced with pepper spray. Now it’s time to think about the situations where you might use it. One of the most important things to consider is how to use pepper spray to stop a successful attack in progress. Many assaults take place by surprise, so expect to be hit, pushed or even knocked down before you get a chance to get your spray out. It’s vitally important that you imagine overcoming the shock of an assault and still do everything you can to survive and escape. Beyond that, imagine situations where you’d use pepper spray to protect yourself and the people you care about, check the laws in your area, and commit to using it as a self defense tool when it’s legal and you think it’s the right thing to do.

Fitness for Self Defense

Whether you buy pepper spray or just rely on your own body to survive a dangerous situation, a healthy, fit physique will help you survive and escape. It’s easy to get discouraged by the challenges of a fitness program, but you can prevail with self-discipline and a realistic look at your personality, lifestyle and goals.

If you’ve been burned by unsuccessful attempts to get fit in the past your first question might be, “If I buy stun guns or other self-defense products, doesn’t that take the place of the muscles I’d need to punch, kick and wrestle with an attacker?” No! A self defense product enhances your physical and mental attributes and can be an “equalizer” when you’re faces with a strong, aggressive attacker, but it doesn’t take the place of your personal attributes. The situation may call for direct body to body contact before you can apply something like a C2 Taser effectively.

Nevertheless, it’s easy to develop unrealistic expectations when it comes to physical fitness. Some of these come from martial arts myths, and others have to do with seeing ripped, powerful mixed martial arts fighters in the media. The worst thing you can do is try a fitness program for a month and give up because you don’t look like a UFC fighter, or you can’t do some fancy jumping kick. Your goal isn’t to be like some guy in the movies, or a professional fighter. It’s to simply improve your physical attributes so that you get a bit more fit every day, and to get used to physical discomfort and develop the mentality to prevail. Any improvement is good, and the healthy discomfort of a proper fitness program helps you develop mental toughness that applies in self-defense situations.

Let’s finish off with five tips for fitness and self-defense:

See a Doctor Before Starting an Exercise Program: Check with your physician before starting a new fitness regimen. Your specific medical condition influences how you should exercise.

Use Something You’ll Stick With as Your Fitness Backbone: Zero in on a physical activity you enjoy doing and can do regularly. For example, I love hiking and it’s a rare week where I don’t get out for a long walk. Even if other fitness programs don’t work out for you, your “backbone” is always there.

Don’t Believe That Strength Doesn’t Matter: One of the worst martial arts myths is that strength doesn’t matter if you know good self defense techniques. Whether you learn from a self defense instructor or buy a stun gun, self defense preparations make the most efficient, effective use of your strength – they don’t make strength irrelevant.

Concentrate on the Three Big Fitness Attributes: That’s physical strength, cardiovascular health and joint health. You need all three for best quality of life. Self defense encounters are usually brief and intense, so explosive, short term physical strength is probably the most important attribute, followed by enough cardio to breathe properly in an emergency and run away. Healthy, flexible joints prevent injury and keep you mobile.

Listen to Your Body: If you feel sharp pain or any “funny” feeling, ease off what you’re doing and talk to your doctor to avoid injury.

Get to Know a C2 Taser

The C2 Taser represents a step forward in personal protection technology. Tasers are well known law enforcement tools and some civilians have purchased police models for personal defense, but the C2 is the first model that is specifically designed as a civilian self defense product.

The C2 is useful because it adjusts well-known Taser capabilities for civilian use and adds additional features to make it an ideal piece of personal protection gear. Let’s break these down:

Probe Mode: Like other Tasers, a C2 will shoot a probe that, when it strikes its target, delivers an incapacitating charge. C2 Tasers maintain the shock for a longer period that police models because their intent is to allow the user to flee while the attacker is incapacitated. Once used in this mode, the C2 releases paper strips containing the Taser’s serial number so that police can easily trace the weapon and understand the chain of events.

Drive Stun: C2 Tasers also feature a Drive Stun mode for close range use. In Drive Stun, the Taser doesn’t incapacitate but it does dissuade attackers by inflicting pain and shock on par with many other stun gun models. Keep in mind that the Taser is larger than many of these, so if you’d like an easier to carry solution it’s a better idea to buy stun guns that are smaller – but remember that you need the Taser for ranged personal defense.

Ergonomic Form Factor: Police Tasers are modeled on firearms because police have extensive training in their use, making it easy to transfer the same accuracy and reflexive response to a less lethal alternative. The civilian model doesn’t require this kind of experience, and is modeled on the basic form of a number of household objects – remote controls, hand vacuums and other objects people handle every day – to make it easy to use. The ergonomic handle also allows for use by people with a variety of hand sizes. Furthermore, as the C2 Taser is designed to be dropped so allow escape, the handle design supports this without requiring further disengagement from a handle or guard.

Free Replacement: If you ever lose a C2 Taser in the course of using it to protect yourself, Taser International will replace the weapon for free as long as you submit a copy of the applicable police report. This policy supports the strategy behind the C2 Taser’s use: Activate it, abandon it, escape and report!

These features are designed to ensure that you’ll have no hesitation about using your C2 Taser in situations for which it’s intended. Used as intended, it can not only be very effective, but work hand in hand with law enforcement efforts. Visit us to find out more or purchase your own.

Five Tips for Self Defense on the Road

As Thanksgiving, Christmas and other seasonal holidays approach, many of you will be on the road to visit your family. Unfortunately, carjacking has become a real crime problem and there are always some dangers in less familiar places – even places you think you know, but don’t live in any more. Here are five suggestions that can help keep you and your family safe on a journey.

Don’t Stop in Isolated Places: Few places in the continental US are so distant from a mall, grocery store or other well-lit, populated location that you can’t go to these instead of stopping at the side of the road. Whenever possible, push on instead of stopping at a place you might not trust. This includes isolated urban areas such as nearly-deserted parking lots. Carjacking attempts often take place when you’re entering or leaving a vehicle some distance from help. In many cases, back country roads are not nearly as isolated as you think. Watch for signs warning you not to stop due to a prison being in close proximity.

Don’t Pick Up Hitchhikers: This is one of those common sense rules that many people still break. Some hitchhikers really are penniless free spirits, but many have their thumbs out because they have significant problems that keep them from owning a car, such as a criminal record that prevents them from getting a loan or drug problems that siphon their money. In some cases, hitchhiking is a tactic used in a carjacking, robbery or other assault.

Drive Awake and Alert: Be realistic about your ability to drive for long distances while fully awake. Don’t rely on coffee or energy drinks to get you through it; you need to be well rested. This doesn’t just help you drive safely, but keeps your judgment from being impaired in the face of a potential assault. Criminals look for fatigue and other impairments when the choose victims. If you buy pepper spray or a C2 Taser you’ll have more success actually using it when you’re alert and energetic.

Keep a Working Emergency Kit: Don’t just rely on your cell phone. Include blankets, warm clothes, blinkers, a flashlight, a first aid kit, food and water, along with a sign that says CALL POLICE to mount on your rear window if your car dies. The sign removes excuses for troublemakers to stop. In a violent confrontation, many of these items will be useful for you after the assault to administer first aid and other assistance. We have a useful 4 in 1 emergency tool that makes a great addition to your kit.

Plan Your Route Ahead of Time: In this age of cheap GPS devices it’s easy to just set out in a general direction and rely on your system to provide directions, but the reality is that not all GPS maps are accurate or complete, and they don’t always find you the safest route. If you’re trapped in a maze of one way streets the system may not let you get lost, but you’ll look lost ambling around and trying to reconcile landmarks with your map. This apparent disorientation makes you more vulnerable both because your attention is occupied and because attackers look for this kind of disorientation.

Self Defense Products and Tips for College Students

For many freshmen, college is their first taste of independence, where they’re living on their own, some distance from home and with significant new responsibilities. It can be more than intimidating – it can be dangerous. Let’s talk about the self-defense issues around college life and some of the self defense products and tips students can use to make their lives safer. Remember to check the laws in your area and your college’s policies.

Drinking and Fighting: Alcohol is far and away the most common source of violence on campus, leading to fights in and around bars between students, and students and locals. In many cases this resembles good old fashioned schoolyard bullying and the best thing to do is to resist being provoked. Travel in a group so that you’re less likely to be attacked on the way home and don’t let your friends provoke fights. You don’t have anything to prove, and it just takes a slip on concrete or a weapon to turn posturing into something life-threatening.

If you’d like extra protection, consider buying pepper spray. It’s easy to carry and can be used against a number of attackers at once, giving you a chance to escape. Just remember that no self defense product can compensate for poor judgment. If you escalate with insults and threats in kind, using any self defense product may look like assault.

Sexual Assault: Unfortunately, sexual assault is a persistent threat on college campuses despite improvements in policy, awareness and activism. Traveling in groups is always smart, but be aware that most perpetrators are known to their victims – they’re partners and acquaintances. Keep a close watch over your drinks – never leave them unattended – because you must account for the danger of date rape drugs – and limit your alcohol consumption. Women have a lower physiological tolerance for alcohol, so they may become unexpectedly and rapidly intoxicated when drinking in a mixed group. Finally, make sure there is always someone to “check in” with, who expects to see you by a certain time unless you specifically call in. (This is actually a great tip for general safety, not just the threat of rape.)

Do yourself a favor and take a self-defense course where they cover the specific issues around sexual assault, including use of force on people known to you. For self-defense purposes, a stun gun can be useful, particularly if you keep it on your person – not just in your purse, which might be some distance away if you find yourself in your dorm or apartment.

Theft: Students often underestimate the danger of on-campus theft. Colleges are heavily trafficked, poorly secured and contain the residences of largely upper and middle-class students, making them ideal for professional thieves. It’s also a sad fact that addiction, alcoholism and mental health issues often strike during college years, leading to students stealing to either support a drug habit or due to impaired impulse control. Personal danger comes into play when you interrupt a burglary in progress or have been targeted for mugging.

Integrating Self Defense with Your Quality of Life

Once you start to seriously consider owning a self defense product or otherwise preparing yourself for self protection it’s easy to get caught by fear. It’s a dangerous world out there, especially in economic times that have left so many people desperate. But the worst thing you can do is be paranoid. I run Self Defense ATL a little differently from other self defense product retailers because I believe self defense should be about improving an average person’s quality of life. According to that philosophy preparedness should help you feel happier, not more fearful. Let’s look at two common pitfalls in self defense attitudes and how you can turn them around into positive opportunities.

Alertness, Not Fear

Awareness of your surroundings and the people near you is a key part of successful self-defense, but many people explore alertness as a kind of constant, low-level fear. That’s not good for your mental health. In fact, getting caught up in asking yourself whether someone you see is a potential mugger or other threat can actually blind you, because you get absorbed in that one person.

Approach alertness with a positive attitude: one where you want to experience more of what surrounds you. When I go hiking I like to look at each sight as it comes, appreciate it and move on, stopping only for something that sets off my interest. You can take the same attitude toward being aware of your surroundings in everyday life. Focus on things which set off alarm bells and don’t look quite right when you see them, but for the most part, just note the things and people around you and move on.

Preparedness, Not Tension

You might respond with this: “I can be aware of my surroundings without being paranoid, but why would you carry a TASER or stun gun without feeling that way?” That’s a good question. The answer? Preparedness is about prudence, not being tensely afraid that something bad will happen to you. You already exercise prudence in your daily life, in a thousand different ways that don’t make you frightened of anything. You lock your car and home; look both ways before crossing the street and keep a flashlight on your keychain in case you have to look for anything in the dark. You carry an umbrella if it looks like it’s going to rain.

Treat your C2 TASER, cell phone stun gun or other self defense product like that umbrella, flashlight or car key: just another precaution you take to reduce your worries, not increase them. Carrying a stun gun may make you feel self-conscious and tense at first. This is only natural, because carrying a TASER, pepper spray or stun gun requires a certain amount of maturity. The secret is to become familiar with your self defense products. Read manuals thoroughly. Practice with them. Learn techniques that help you use them effectively. Once handling them becomes routine, they’ll become normal parts of your daily gear, ready when you need them, but never a burden.

Learn About TASERs on Youtube

We’ve been steadily adding new content to our Self Defense Products Youtube Account. Right now our primary focus is on the TASERs and Stun Guns we sell through our site. Our CEO David Brackman regularly attends gun shows to tell people about how TASERs work, how to use them, the law, and TASER International’s consumer policies.

We’ve combined several of Dave’s segments into a TASER Guide playlist. All of this material is culled from conversations Dave has with ordinary, interested Americans. That’s our core clientele. Dave does talk to security professionals and other people with a career-driven, above average interest in self-protection, but at Self Defense ATL we work hard to cater to regular folks.

We’re not alone, either. That’s why TASER International created the C2 TASER to cater to this growing niche. More and more Americans want less-lethal options for self defense. This need bridges the gap between popular opinions on self-protection and is common to both those who don’t feel comfortable owning a firearm and people who enthusiastically exercise their Second Amendment rights.

Dave’s talks on the C2 emphasize the features that are specifically designed for civilian use – the product isn’t just about style. For example, the unit releases paper with its serial number to ensure easy tracking by police and even uses a different electrical cycle designed to help users escape instead of closing and arresting in the way a police TASER supports.

Dave’s ability to communicate with people from all walks of life is what we think separates him from other presenters and salespeople, particularly online. So come visit!

Do Stun Guns Work? Watch and Learn

I regularly appear at trade shows to demonstrate how Tasers and stun guns work. Back in March a nice young man allowed himself to get a “taste” of what a small civilian model stun gun does. See for yourself via our Youtube channel.

That was just a little jolt to the hand but it was enough to get a healthy looking guy to double over. Aside from proving that stun guns are effective, this video includes a couple of insights about how they work, and how to best apply them.

First of all, notice how I pressed into his hand? You want to do the same whenever you’re called on to defend yourself. A stun gun is an amazing self defense product but it isn’t a ray gun. You want the electrical discharge to penetrate as deeply as possible, through skin and clothing. Thick clothing may impede the discharge but it won’t necessarily stop it. Nevertheless, press hard and aim for exposed areas.

Second, I went for this gentleman’s hand because the extremities are the least serious body parts to target – but the stun gun still works pretty well. In a self-defense situation you might aim for the neck, upper leg or the spot where the hip meets the torso, but if you’re being grabbed you can attack the arms and work your way in to the torso until you’re free to escape. This makes stun guns excellent for smaller individuals who have been grabbed, since an effective shock to the arm can persuade an attacker to let go.

If you want to buy stun guns and have any questions, contact us. We’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Case Study: Woman Uses Her Stun Gun to Protect Atlanta Area Officer

In January, Tanisha Cross of Lithona, GA did a very brave thing (link to news story): She used her stun gun (what the media have called a “taser gun,” though it was a different model, not a C2 Taser Gun) to help a police officer subdue an attacker. I want to highlight this incident because it represents the very best practices when it comes to using self defense products and highlights the specific advantages you have when you buy a Taser gun instead of a more lethal alternative.

Ms. Cross was on her way to Wal-Mart with her mother when she noticed a man attacking a DeKalb County police officer. The assailant had already stolen the officer’s radio and rubbed pepper spray in his eyes. She grabbed her stun gun, used it against the attacker, and protected the officer until he regained is composure. Eventually, the officer and a nearby security guard were able to effectively fight back.

That’s the story. Now read it at the link, and let’s look at what Tanisha Cross did right:

She asked to intervene: She got the officer’s okay before jumping in. This is important. Situations with police can escalate into life and death struggles, and the officer doesn’t necessarily know who you are. Furthermore, his duty to protect you may outweigh any benefit you can provide. Ms. Cross asked to help, making it absolutely clear whose side she was on, and ensuring that the officer really needed help.

Multiple strikes: Tanisha Cross didn’t treat the stun gun like a “magic wand.” She struck the attacker’s limbs multiple times to keep him from closing in, hitting or grappling with either herself or the officer. This highlights one of the main assets of a stun gun: its ability to prevent a stronger person from taking hold of you.

Weapon retention: Weapon retention was a major element in this altercation. At the time of the attack, the officer was trying to keep the perpetrator from grabbing his gun after losing his radio and in all likelihood (reports aren’t clear) having his own pepper spray used against him. Ms. Cross attacked the limbs, keeping the attacker from grappling for the stun gun while protecting the officer’s firearm: the most dangerous element in the conflict.

If you carry any sort of weapon you must always think of the consequences if somebody else gets it. Police need to carry firearms and you might choose to do so yourself, but having the option of a worst case scenario where someone shocks you with your own weapon instead of shooting you is a welcome option when you exercise your rights.

In short, we salute Tanisha Cross for her bravery, but more than that, we congratulate her form being smart. Applied intelligence is the most important self defense tool in anyone’s arsenal.

Four Self Defense Products No Hiker Should Be Without

I love hiking. It’s one of my main hobbies and what I use to keep active. Hiking is pretty safe as long as you’re prepared. That means taking adequate food and water, bringing your cell phone if there’s coverage, planning your route (and taking a compass to navigate if it’s rough terrain) and most important, letting other people know where you’re going. Make sure you always have a “trip buddy” in town who knows where you are and when to expect you back, who can make emergency calls if you don’t return.

Beyond that, it’s a sad fact that you should think of self defense as well. Crime isn’t just an urban phenomenon. Drug dealers pick up shipments in nature areas; addicts go there to use drugs out of sight. Beyond that, there are also human predators that look for unprepared hikers. And leaving aside human threats, don’t underestimate wild animals. During strange weather, many shy predators will come closer to people than normal because their normal prey species have gone elsewhere. Other animals have grown overly accustomed to people. This commonly happens with bears. While wolves almost never target humans, feral dogs might.

Don’t get paranoid – these are only possible threats. Nevertheless, it’s better to be prepared. Here are four essential self defense products to help you protect yourself on a hike.

Bear or Dog Pepper Spray: Keep bear pepper spray and dog pepper spray to repel members of these species when they get too close. Remember that when you encounter a strange animal, the best policy is to calmly leave the area without yelling or making sudden movements. Running may spark an animal’s predator instincts and besides, dangerous animals can run faster than you. And of course, humans don’t particularly like animal repellent either.

Boots: We don’t sell boots, but a proper pair really is an essential self defense product. Many people hike in casual footwear. That’s a big mistake. If you get lost or have to run from a threatening individual, twisting your ankle can be enough to kill you, either through exposure or when an attacker catches up. Ignore style; get a pair that fit you and suit the terrain.

Flashlight: A safety light (scroll down to see one that attaches to your cell phone) is not only important at night to avoid obstacles but in any situation where you might encounter variable lighting conditions, such as heavy foliage and overcast days. Any flashlight can serve as an impact weapon. The best ones for this are steel shot security models, but on a hike they may add extra weight. Pick one you can comfortably use in one hand and store without outing it in your pack – you don’t want to rummage through your gear in an emergency. Nowadays small LED models pack a punch

Knife: A self defense knife can be used to protect yourself when you feel the need to employ potentially lethal force. Besides that, the merits of a knife on the woods are too numerous to mention. You can cut a walking stick or can to help you walk, chop firewood into manageable sizes, cut rope – the potential is only limited by your needs and creativity.