Page 17 - American Survival Guide - October 2017

TASERS
The Taser is another electroshock tool that is similar to the stun gun, but it is designed
for use primarily in a stand-off mode, allowing you to keep distance between you and
your attacker. Commercial versions have a range of approximately 15 feet. It propels two
electrodes that are connected to a battery via two thin wires. The electrodes have barbs
on them so that they will stay in the person’s skin or in their clothing. They have the same
strengths and weaknesses as the stun gun, in terms of clothing getting in the way, but
SIMPLE BUT
modern Tasers are more effective than stun guns when heavier clothing is encountered.
PEPPER SPRAY EFFECTIVE
“Pepper spray” is the generic name for a number of formulations of Oleoresin capsicum in
the form of powder, spray, mist or foam. Its active ingredient is capsaicin—the same thing that
makes chili peppers hot. Pepper spray is delivered to the attacker’s mucous membrane areas, A female friend of mine recently used a wrist
such as the eyes, nose and mouth. It irritates the membranes, causing pain and infl ammation. lock technique I taught her several years ago
It also makes it di cult to breathe if it gets into the lungs. Swelling of the eyes can also cause to drop a man who was bothering her. She
temporary blindness, because the person cannot open their eyes. was also carrying at the time, but she chose
This makes it easy to get away or counterattack if necessary. Depending on its form, you can not to use the threat of a gun to handle the
purchase it in a pen, in spray cans of various sizes or in a pistol-like dispenser. It is intended for situation. Although the guy was much stronger
use as a non-lethal product, but there have been cases in which it did cause deaths, likely due and larger than she was, the one-handed
to overuse or pre-existing medical conditions. technique brought him to his knees instantly.
As with any aerosol, caution must be used when employing it, because even a slight breeze can (She said the look on his face was priceless!)
blow it back at you instead of at your opponent. It is also best not to use it indoors, because it can The most signifi cant part of the story, from
be blown from room to room by ceiling fans and air conditioning, and it can also stick to the walls.
my perspective, is that she had not used the
technique in all the years between when I
A GUN IS NOT ALWAYS THE APPROPRI- taught it to her and this instance. Simplicity
and e ectiveness are the keys for most people
ATE TOOL TO USE: NOT EVERY SITUATION who want to include martial art skills in their
CALLS FOR DEADLY FORCE. bag of tricks.

‹ A palm strike OPEN-HAND TECHNIQUES
is another good
close-quarters Now that we have covered the tools you
defensive can use to defend yourself, let’s talk about
technique
that does not some techniques you can use.
require a lot of
strength—just The first thing to keep in mind is that
determination depending on your strength, skill level and
and the
opportunity to luck, any martial technique can be non-
use it. (Photo: lethal, less-lethal or even lethal.
Media.Defense.
gov) The downside of using martial arts
is that when they are needed, you are
probably close to your attacker. For that
reason, grappling techniques such as
Kenpo karate, judo and Jiu-jitsu, which
employ joint locks and pressure point
strikes, are good choices to study. They
allow you to control your attacker when
you are close to each other and can also
infl ict pain to make them stop their attack.
Styles such as Krav Maga that don’t
depend on kicks and full-length strikes
or punches are also good choices when
it comes to picking a style to learn and
practice. “Krav Maga,” or “contact combat”
in Hebrew, is all about fast and violent
action that is intended to stop a fight
quickly. For that reason, it is a good choice
for those who are not big and strong and
don’t have time to develop expertise in
a number of techniques. Learning a few
effective techniques that work for your

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