Best Non-Lethal SD option Poll

[Dr. Snubnose]

Vote for only one...Doc
Left out the option for other: If you have another good option please post it....Doc

[JaM]

I choose baton. A (walking) stick may be too long (you need room to swing it, or "work" with it) a kubotan doesnt have the reach you want some times.

A baton gives you the option to have some room between you and your attacker(s?), and the short length makes it a nice force-multiplier (a walking stick may break if you use it as a lever).
Up close and perconal you can use hammerblows, and the part that sticks out will dent your opponent nicely.

Mace is illegal here, you also need to know how it works and you cant always use it I think.
Stun guns arent allowed either.
Running shoes,... is not always an option. Besides I can run on my normal shoes good enough.
Chain ? You've got to be kidding me. You need to score a good clean hit, but I dont think it will work. I am fairly certain .

Another option: learn a decent MA ((kick)boxing, (B)JJ,...). Train like you fight, fight like you train (or the other way around, not sure sometimes .

[Evil D]

Bendy straw, hands down.


Seriously though, i always wanted one of those tactical unbreakable umbrellas. The surprise factor when beating down an attacker with an umbrella that hits like the spine of a single edge sword would be priceless.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bO8G5...eature=related

[Dr. Snubnose]

I like a lot of the choices here and do indeed carry many of them...but I'll choose a cane or sturdy walking stick every time for defense against man or beast. Self defense is not about killing. Sometimes death is an unavoidable byproduct of using force to stop an assailant but it is not the goal. Smashing an attacker's hand who is holding a weapon in that hand or delivering a heavy disabling blow to the knee will render him unable to fight long enough for you to get away. A stick will allow you to do this from way out of range of most weapons. I can poke/thrust with the tip, I can choke up on the stick for close range and use the butt of the stick at even closer range. I can hook with the butt end, do disarms and take downs if needed, as well as place my opponent in a restraining hold. You do lose a little advantage in close, in a grappling situation but in order to grapple the attacker must pass through the optimum striking range of my stick first. Plus the walking stick is still legal for everyone and anyone who wants to carry it anyplace....Doc

[Dr. Snubnose]

Bendy straw, hands down.


Seriously though, i always wanted one of those tactical unbreakable umbrellas. The surprise factor when beating down an attacker with an umbrella that hits like the spine of a single edge sword would be priceless.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bO8G5...eature=related

I would consider the Umbrella in the same category as the walking stick or cane...the Bendy Straw is in a class unto itself.....Doc

[SQSAR]

A walking stick/cane is both legal pretty much everywhere, and it can be applied in a myriad of ways against a would-be assailant. It no only extends one's reach, but provides a mechanical advantage in delivering strikes, and has equally numerous defensive options. Another, less obvious, advantage it offers is that many assailants would see someone with a cane and make the false assumption that this person is weak and/or physically challenged. Now arguably this may present as an attractive target, but it also serves as the basis of a dramatic paradigm shift in the attacker's mind when the person they presumed was weak, turns out to be very well equipped/prepared to defend themselves as they leverage all the defensive benefits this type of 'impromptu' weapon affords. That paradigm shift is very valuable in a confrontation and one subtle, yet important, factor that can lead to a positive outcome.

[chuck_roxas45]

I can't really get away with using a cane/walking stick. So it's almost a tie with collapsible baton and pepper spray for me. I like the baton more since I find it more versatile but the convenience of carrying the pepper spray has me carrying it more often. Early morning walks do find me with the collapsible baton in hand and of course, the fanny pack.

[psychophipps]

I picked a tactical flashlight because of the extra utility. Chances are the attack will come from ambush and in the dark. Using the light to light up likely danger areas can easily forestall an eminent assault. Flashing it at their eyes will ruin their night vision so it's more dangerous for them to chase you. You can use the light to strobe check your path as you make your escape. Besides, a light source is just a really handy thing to have around in general.

While running shoes are a great choice, I don't advise running blind in the dark when the bulk of violent attacks happen.

Canes take up too much space, are a hassle to deal with once you sit down, and a younger guy with a cane and no limp just says, "Not that one" so it's pretty much a moot point.

Batons are really nice, but they are illegal just about everywhere unless you're a cop or armed security guard.

[The Deacon]

I don't carry it, but pepper spray would be the only realistic option for me against a human attacker. A stun gun would be illegal here and everything else, whether legal or not, requires a degree of strength or stamina I no longer possess. In truth, my first line of defense, staying out of bad neighborhoods and bars, has worked well for many years.

[Donut]

My vote went for a good pair of running shoes.

I will need to watch some nutnfancy so I can find some good tactical running shoes.

[Michael Cook]

My Mook Jong hardened fist.

[angusW]

If we take illegal out of the picture, I think stun gun is good as it gives the largest gap between the predator and yourself. When I get called out at night I'm in some pretty rough neighbourhoods so I always have my bonding hammer (ball-peen) with me. I frequently interact with the police so they don't give it a second look.

[psychophipps]

My Mook Jong hardened fist.

Man, my sensei used to break those square gray cement stepping stones with a freakin' Crane Fist after simply lying them flat on his patio. No baking, no spacer for leverage, no nothin'! Don't even joke about that stuff!

[.357 mag]

None. You just need to be able to trip the guy next to you and run.

[jackburton9807]

I chose flashlight due to utility. I can carry mine anywhere and not only does it light stuff up, it seriously enhances strikes. I've used them to great effect when I was on the street and am convinced that they're a great option.
In a perfect world I would pick a baton I think. However, I can't carry it everywhere I go. Same goes for the cane. I've seen people absorb stun gun hits and pepper spray with little or no effect, so those are straight out for me.

Jeff

[Michael Cook]

Man, my sensei used to break those square gray cement stepping stones with a freakin' Crane Fist after simply lying them flat on his patio. No baking, no spacer for leverage, no nothin'! Don't even joke about that stuff!

Yeesh, I can't do that but I won't hurt my hand no matter how hard I hit. that's hard enough for me.

[Brad S.]

To me... Non lethal, means doesnt look like a weapon in court. Sure, a knife can be non lethal, but in court it still construd as a weapon.

So in a non lethal situation, I'll use whatever I have to give me enough advantage to get away, or end the action of the attacker. Keys... Pen, watch (trust me, get hit with a big watch, it can do some serious damage.) I'm most likely to go for my pen, cause its always in the same pocket, in the same place and I can deploy it fast.

In a non lethal choice though... Its always a hit and get to safety kinda thing.

Stun gun is a great option... but If I have a stun gun with me and not my Smith and Wesson, you caught me on an odd day.

course if I have a batton, or stick, you better believe I'll go for something that gives me reach first.

[Dr. Snubnose]

Man, my sensei used to break those square gray cement stepping stones with a freakin' Crane Fist after simply lying them flat on his patio. No baking, no spacer for leverage, no nothin'! Don't even joke about that stuff!

Funny on the timing of your post....Not to outdo your sensei but I break 4" slabs of concrete the same way. My Grandmaster who recently pasted away was fond of punching holes in cadaver skulls with just his fingertips...Crane Beak...This month I am teaching a workshop for my students in Iron Palm, (better to describe it as Iron Hand) The conditioning take a long time and effort on those willing to participate to achieve the results, but a word of warning proper medicinal liniments like a good Dit Da Jow (medicated striking Wine) must be used to prevent injury and deformation during the conditioning process. I possess both Iron Palm and Iron Forearm skills and condition....Doc

[Blerv]

Nice thread Doc

I went with cane as my first. Anything clubby with range is good in my book. I think something like a Comtech Stinger would be second. If the situation was perfect a can of OC *might* be the ticket against a crowd but i think preemptive situations also mean you could prob get out of dodge!

In all realism though my limbs are my most available tools. Far from weapons as you listed they are always drawn and I'm fairly sucker-punch capable. Beware the manly unsuspecting slap! Lol

Ps: at my age a good umbrella like linked above would make more sense than cane. I'm sure a quick sternum poke would end most confrontations.

[psychophipps]

Funny on the timing of your post....Not to outdo your sensei but I break 4" slabs of concrete the same way. My Grandmaster who recently pasted away was fond of punching holes in cadaver skulls with just his fingertips...Crane Beak...This month I am teaching a workshop for my students in Iron Palm, (better to describe it as Iron Hand) The conditioning take a long time and effort on those willing to participate to achieve the results, but a word of warning proper medicinal liniments like a good Dit Da Jow (medicated striking Wine) must be used to prevent injury and deformation during the conditioning process. I possess both Iron Palm and Iron Forearm skills and condition....Doc

I wasn't sure how other styles called it, but the strike I was talking about is also called a Crane Beak in my system. No set-up, no meditation...he would just slap the stones down, give it a good whack with those fingertips, and sweep off the chunks with his off-hand before slapping a new one down.