I don’t need self-defense…I have a ______  (gun, pepper spray, knife, baton, or some other personal protective device).

Many people would be surprised at how many times I have heard this statement (or something similar) over the past 24 years. Some people often have this delusion that as long as they own some kind of personal protective tool or device that they will be safe from crime and violence. They think that just because they own a gun that it will miraculously appear in their hand the very moment they find themselves facing a lethal threat. Unfortunately reality is another story. When I hear such statements my initial knee-jerk response is to blurt out “So, where is the tool at this very moment?”. While not necessarily the most courteous response, it often serves to prove the point rather well. The three most common responses to this question- 1) It’s in my purse, 2) It’s in my car, and 3) It’s at home. Upon answers like this I obviously feel the need to further prove my point by asking “So, how is this life-saving tool going to protect you right here and right now when you don’t have immediate access to it?” Generally, people don’t know what to say in response. Why not? Because they have never seriously considered such a scenario. Apparently, for some people just the fact of owning some kind of protective tool or device provides them with some fulfilling sense of security, even if the tool in question is not within their immediate reach. Obviously this kind of false sense of security is extremely dangerous and actually increases the probability that a person will become a victim of crime or assault.

The tool must be easily accessible-

To be clear, for any protective tool or device to be effective, it must be within immediate reach of the intended victim.  So, what exactly do I mean by “immediate”? Ideally, this would mean having the tool in the hand and ready to go. However, if that is a little impractical then the next best solution would be for the tool to be accessible within a single second. In other words, it must be positioned on the person or within reach so that the intended victim can grab it, draw it, and use it in less than a second. While I agree that there may be some situations that provide more time to deploy a protective tool, it’s those worst-case scenarios we need to worry about.  If you can’t get the tool out quickly when needed, it does absolutely no good to have it.

You must be properly trained-

So, you have gone to all of the trouble to make sure the tool is within immediate reach. As an attacker bears down on you with fists or weapons, you are now able to successfully grab the tool and bring it in play. Now what? Do you know how to properly use the tool? Do you understand the legal, moral, and ethical ramifications of using this tool? Are you prepared to face criminal charges should this person be injured or killed during your defense? Do you know how to prevent the attacker from disarming you and then turning that tool against you?

The reality is that just owning the tool and having immediate access to it, is not enough. You must be properly trained to use the tool in defense of your life or that of your loved-ones. You must fully understand the physical, emotional, and legal ramifications of being forced to physically protect yourself. Most importantly, you need to make sure you understand how to avoid having your tool taken from you and then turned against you.

You must have other skills-

Unfortunately, even if you are properly trained with the tool in question and you have immediate access to it during a violent situation, there are not guarantees that you will prevail. This is especially true if you have no back-up skills to support the use of the tool. In other words, what happens if the tool fails to work or if it get’s knocked from your grasp during a chaotic struggle? Do you have immediate access to another back-up tool? Will you have the time or opportunity to deploy it? Will you be required to resort to empty-hand defensive skills in order access the back-up tool or to simply escape the altercation? Have you been properly training in empty-hand skills?

Unfortunately real-world violence involves many unpredictable variables. Even if you successfully deploy your protective tool of choice, there is no guarantee it will slow or stop the attacker. Real attackers have been known to endure multiple gunshot wounds while they continued their attack, some fatally wounding their intended victim. This being the case, it’s always a good idea to have a back-up plan and even a back-up tool in place for when things don’t go as you envisioned.

You need mental preparation-

While there are many percentages thrown around regarding the physical and mental aspects of self-defense, the majority of instructors agree that the ability to survive violence is more dependent on mental preparation than physical skills. In order to successfully escape a violent altercation you must be willing to use the tools and tactics at your disposal. Just having the tool and the knowledge to use it is of little help if you are not mentally prepared to deal with the ramifications that may follow.

Don’t be lured into the false sense of security that often comes with the ownership of a gun or some other protective tool. Personal protection and self-defense is more than just owning a gun or learning a few physical skills. It’s about understanding proper and effective responses to violent situations with and without weapons. It’s about learning to avoid bad situations and having a plan for those worst-case scenarios just in case, and also having a back-up for when that initial plan fails. It’s about empowering you with real knowledge and skills to effectively keep yourself and your loved-ones safe from crime and assault. 

Take care and stay safe,

Steve Zorn, ICPS

www.personalsafetyunlimited.net