Self Defense Products for Women

In the United States one woman is raped every three minutes. If a woman has not herself been raped she usually knows women who have been raped or assaulted. All women know that it is not safe out there and many would like to make themselves a bit safer but don't know how to go about it.

Probably the first step is to take a self defense class designed for women that aims to empower women emotionally as well as physically. Make sure the class teaches you to fight dirty-you are not studying the niceties of the martial arts but learning to save your life.

The sales of self defense products for women is a booming business that sells some useful products for reasonable prices but also preys on women's fears. These products fall into five categories: sprays, stun or taser guns and baton type devices, noise alarms, and guns. There is one further product that hasn't yet come onto the market but women are going to love the idea. Check your state and local laws to see if the product is legal where you live.

The most common product is pepper spray. It is also the most recommended by groups such as AWARE (Arming Women Against Rape and Endangerment). Pepper spray is made from and extract of hot peppers and is sometimes known as OC (Oleoresin Capsicum). Sprayed into an attacker's face, it causes pain to the eyes and makes the eyelids spasm so that the attacker can't see. This gives the woman time to run away. It can be bought for about $8.00. Mace spray is not recommended. Women who carry pepper spray should take a class on how to use it so that they can be effective and so they don't end up with the spray being used against them.

A stun gun is a battery operated device that is pressed against the attacker sending a jolt of electricity into him, rendering his muscles useless. The drawback to the stun gun is that it must be held for five to six seconds to be effective. It is also often not fully effective. A better option is the taser gun that has two metal barbs that can travel up to several yards and are attached to the unit by wires. Like the stun gun, the taser disrupts muscle control but it is more effective. A taser gun costs around $50.00. A class on using the taser is recommended.

There is a nice little device called the Kubotan. It is a five and one half-inch cylinder that looks like a key holder but is actually a smaller version of a nightstick that amplifies blows to the body. A woman armed with pepper spray in one hand and a Kubotan in the other would be quite formidable.
It costs around five to ten dollars. This is a martial arts device and a class on its use would be helpful.

AWARE recommends against using noise alarms because they may not summon help and they take away valuable seconds that could be used to fight. The outcome of an attack is decided in the first eight to ten seconds.

Of the products listed so far, only pepper spray and the Kubotan are strongly recommended with the taser bringing up a distant third.

The most serious decision is whether or not to buy a gun. Women should think about it, read about it, and discuss it with other women. If a woman decides to buy a gun, she should try to go to a gun club or gun course before buying to try out different guns. After purchasing a gun, a course on using it is an absolute must. Whatever one's feelings are about the NRA, they offer many excellent courses.

Here's one more product that will soon hit the market. A woman from South Africa, where the rape rate is astronomical, invented it. It is a circular device that the woman places inside herself. The inner circle has lots of little hooks that attach to the skin of the perpetrator when he withdraws. The only way he can get it off is to see a doctor and then face arrest. A woman has, unfortunately, been raped but at least she has the satisfaction of sweet revenge.