One thing that worries me about being trans is my personal safety. I'm only 5ft 3 and slight. Unfortunately, it is illegal to carry weapons in the UK. Otherwise, I definitely would do. Does anyone have any tips for defending yourself in a legal way? Obviously I wouldn't deliberately put myself in danger. That's one thing that being female has taught me. Don't walk out alone at night and don't take secluded pathways etc. But what about at work? If you're out as trans and some one has a gripe against you, attacks could easily happen in the bathrooms or if you're left alone with someone. How can I protect myself?
What about a little pocket-knife? Or a sharp letter opener? Or, well, ANYTHING sharp that you could use to stab a hypothetical attacker?
Are concealed weapons in general banned in the UK, such a pocket knives or tasers? If yes, is pepper spray or mace on that list as well? If you aren't sure, I'd recommend asking your local police department to check. It's better to be safe than sorry. If something like pepper spray or mace is legal for you to carry, I'm sure they could direct you to a place in which you can get it. Here in my part of PA, I've seen pepper spray at the registers of a certain pharmacy I go to--and my cousin carries it at all times; especially when she was in college and I still think she carried it when she worked as a court reporter. I also second what wexy said about martial arts or self defense classes, if that's possible and within your budget (unless you can find free classes). If all else fails, there are instructional videos on Youtube that you can look over. If I find the one video I remember seeing, I'll let you know. I think it covered pressure points and area to aim for when confronted by an attacker and how to disarm them if they have a weapon. I'll see where that is in a few. One thing I saw a year ago was someone saying to carry lollypops on you, as you can use it to jab your attacker; even in the eyes if you need to as a defense mechanism or a last resort.
From what I was able to find on uk government websites, you can't have a knife of any real effectiveness, and even traditional pepper spray is out. There are UK legal personal defense spray options that appear to be your best bet. Situational awareness like you've mentioned can help sometimes avoid the fight, which is the best resolution. That said, not every fight is avoidable. I'd learn the crap out of martial arts since you can't have any real defense device. Here in Michigan I can carry my pistol or knife with a permit and I need nothing for pepper spray. And not just to purchase but to carry concealed.
Martial Arts though expensive at times, Are extremely valuable throughout an entire life, teaching you Skills like: Stress Reduction, Anxiety control, Self control and Self Esteem Effects such as, Improved physical condition, Improved Circulation, Increase in Endorphins, Increase in mood, And of course teaches you self defense. Tai Chi is a great one, looks like dancing but is very effective.
Unfortunately, I can't afford a martial arts class at the moment but it looks like my only option. What do you think to personal alarms? Are they even effective?
Pepper Spray, Red Pepper Sprays, Stun Guns, Self Defense They have some nice pepper sprays. No. Do you have any idea how hard it is to actually stab someone, imagine doing it with a small knife that you can barely get a good grip on... How long would it take you to get out the knife, to take a stance and actually do some damage, not to mention you need to calculate very carefully where you make said "stabbing". No. In conclusion... You don't need martial arts lessons. People are fragile, if you know what to do. Shoving someone in the solar plexus has quite a "fun" effect on them, getting someone off balance is also quite easy, as long as you don't lose focus due to the circumstances. Most attackers don't even expect you to fight back, they aren't prepared to face and deal with someone who will make a stance.
Most weapons are illegal in the UK, including mace and tasers, but you can get police issued pepper spray if they think their really is a need for it. If you smoke then a lit cigarette in the face can destract them long enough for you to get away, same for a lighter, which you can carry even if you don't smoke. Swiss army knives are legal as are some small knives, also a face and throat full of deodorant hurts like hell, and you won't get in trouble for that. I know it doesn't always help, but most attackers are idiots who got caught in the moment and want to impress their friends, so carrying a rape whistle and bringing people to the scene can get them to run off. If the attack is VERY serious and you actually think they might kill you, then shove a pen or pencil in their eye. But this will blind them at best and kill them at worst, so only do this if you seriously think your life is at risk.
About self defence if you don't have a weapon: 1) Don't punch or kick, you're scared and under pressure, chance are that a) if you move one leg to kick, the other one won't be enough to support you and you'll fall and b) you probably won't manage to hit them hard enough to stop them and that's if you don't miss. 2) Headbutt them, seriously, ram the middle of you forehead into their nose, you don't even have to be very accurate. Trust me, it'll hurt them more than you. 3) Go for the throat and eyes with your thumbs, they actually pretty good weapons. Even a light blow to the windpipe will hurt and wind them, and no matter how strong the rest of them is, their eyelids aren't getting any thicker. 4) As a last resort try going for their ears with your nails and teeth, losing a bit of your ear is supposed to be really nasty that's why they had ear guards on helmets.
I have a kubotan on my keys, but I would also like to have some sort of spray if things got bad. The problem is it still feels like a gamble, but in a 1v1 I think I could handle myself. I mean, I'm a 5'11" German Scottish Irish mesomorph, so get rekt~ But I'm really meek so that's only if it's super bad. In public I don't fear since it's.. public, and anything else more private I'll be with friends so it has not been an issue thus far ^^
Thanks for the suggestions. I will definitely use some of them. I know this is kind of prejudice but I assume that men are the most likely attackers. Would a blow to the crotch be enough to disable them while I make a getaway? Would it cause too much damage? I mean I don't much care for potential attackers but I wouldn't want to get in trouble myself.
While really painfull (as any male friends will tell you), you're actually pretty unlikely to do serious damage to someone by hitting them in the balls, most guys have been smashed in balls at least once in their lifetime and their still alive. On wether it would disable them... that really depends. Depending on how hard you hit them, some men would collapse to the floor while others would just get more angry. Also, this website has some really useful info: Self Defence Weapons UK - UK legal weapons - pepper spray UK Hope this helps!
Thanks, I'll check it out. The law really is stupid here. I'm not saying I agree with shooting sprees in the street but you should be allowed to carry something to defend yourself if you find yourself in grave danger.
You're right, I think america is too loose with weapon control, but the uk is too tight. I understant why the rules exist, but they can't seriously expect me to believe that pepper spray or a knuckleduster are dangerous weapons :bang:. Come on, anybody who can go on a murder spree armed with only a can of pepper spray can probably do so with or without!
Hey OP, I found that Youtube channel on self defense I mentioned before. The best part is that they still make videos! I recommend that everyone checks out their channel and tells their friends about it because it could be life saving. https://www.youtube.com/user/FinalRoundTraining/videos
