Self Defense

When I was younger I could pretty much hold my own with anyone. I had military training, as well as, the strength, the quickness and the stamina. But now I am weaker, stiffer and I get tired quicker. I like to think I am still tough but in reality I would not want to get into a fight. I now avoid places that I may get into a conflict but that may no longer be possible with our declining economy and flash mobs that invade stores for the purpose of ransacking and mayhem. We could end up as collateral damage as part of the mayhem.

If I were younger, like my grandchildren, my wife and I could learn karate. But we are in our 60's and learning how to fight is not at the top of our priorities. Learning how to defend ourselves and disable someone quickly is a top priority. So, we have two approaches. One approach is with weapons we can buy that may give us an edge in either fighting or escaping. The second approach is to learn how to street fight without complicated moves to disable someone quickly.

Weapons

There are several self defense weapons you can buy for your personal protection.

Pepper Spray - Used to spray into an attackers face to slow them down or to make them retreat.

Stun Gun - Used to knock an attacker out and disable them. These come in a varity of ways from looking like a cell phone or incorporated into a flashlight.

Baton - These are billy clubs that expand with a snap of the wrist and are used to disable an attacker. These can cause a lot of damage so don't crush someone's skull unless you are in a life or death situation.

Neck Knife - My wife has one of these. It hangs around your neck like jewelry but at the end is a small knife with the handle hanging downward. If she is grabbed from behind while going to her car she can easily pull the knife from its sheath and stick the attacker in the arm, neck or face. If the school teacher that was recently attacked and murdered while jogging had had one of these, she would probably still be alive.

Tactical Flashlight - This particular flashlight has an extremely bright light and some come with a strobe function. Shining this flashlight in someones eyes will temporarily blind them long enough for you to escape or to press your attack on them. The one thing an attacker does not expect is for you to go on the attack. It un-nerves them and they do not want to get hurt. The light end of the flashlight has a hardened scalloped edge that can be used as a weapon.

Baseball Bat - Keep this by your front door so it is very accessable.

Concealed Weapon - These are handguns that are meant for the worst case scenario. This requires a permit and constant training in its use so a life changing mistake is not made. My wife had never fired a weapon until her 60's. Even though she was very skeptical the first few times she fired a handgun she is now proficient with a glock 9 mm and has received her concealed weapons license. Regardless of your age, do not be afraid of a handgun. Be sure to get proper training so you know how to handle the weapon. The more familiar you are with a weapon the more comfortable you will be. There is nothing worse than being in a situation where you need a handgun but you do not have one. Prepare for the worse case scenario and hope for the best.

Shotgun - These are good for home defense. Point and shoot to cover an entire hallway.

Rifles - You have choices whether you want one for hunting or self defense. For self defense, many people are buying tactical weapons, such as, AK47's and AR15's. Most come with 30 round clips and are easy to fire with little recoil.

One rifle you may want to look at for your Go Bag is the Henry Survival Rifle (AR7). This rifle easily breaks down into three parts without the use of tools and the receiver and barrel stores in the butt stock. It floats, can be put together in less than a minute, uses 8 -10 22 LR loaded in a clip and does not need a conceal carry permit since it is not a handgun. A big plus with this weapon is that it is cheap to practice with.

Regardless of the weapon you purchase, make sure you get proper training and practice often.

Street Fighting

Street fighting is not about getting into a fight with your neighbor out in your front yard. If you want to still have a neighbor do not use street fighting techniques on them. Street fighting is for when you fear for your life and you are willing to do permanent damage to someone to protect your or a loved ones life. There are a lot of people who will teach you how to street fight but my wife and I learn the techniques taught by www.closecombattraining.com/captainchris.php 

It is best you learn from the experts. This is good stuff to know regardless of your age.

Good luck with your self defense.