self defense for senor citizen / armchair commandos

[nagarifle]

Having read all the post etc on the forum in regrades to self defense etc, i have noticed the following trends etc.

knife against gun,
this system is best
or that system is best.
do this or do that.

all these or most of this line of thinking is regarded by someone who is young and fit, or having trained in this art or that art.

going through the post i was remined of what i was told very long ago. find a system/method where an old lady can defeat a full able fit and armed man. use that system/method.

so what about the people who are weak in strength?
what about the people who are not able to attack like bruse lee
what about your grandma? or grand-dad?
what should or how should they take care of them selves?
what about young kids, do they or are they not under threat?

[Safarigent]

I aint no Bruise lee either!!!
So thats one chip down for me.
The right to self defence and life can be protected and exercisec by a lot of things:
Knowing where there might be obvious danger and making yourself absent from there.
Running away, if you happen to be there.
Giving in,
Learning martial arts,(bare handed, blade,sticks etc, all types)
Carrying a blunt instrument along
Having a guard,
Carrying pepperspray, tasers or other tools of such ilk
Carrying a fire arms
Etc etc

Now as the right is same for all and the only variance factor is the power of execution,
Execution also means having the means to execute with you at all times.
In this case, the only things which an old lady in a wheel chair can do is fistly avoid the situation and if she cant, carry a pepper spray in her hand bag or on her person.
Tasers or firearms will be a second choice as they are not allowed in a lot of controlled access public areas like pubs/malls/ places where there is checking.
This is what i did in my mind when i got a small cute pink bada*s pepperspray for mother dearest.
She feels safe, i feel happy, the idiot criminal has no idea.

[dr.jayakumar]

guns should be the choice for old people living alone or,may be pepper spray or similiar.
well if the old are week to handle a gun,that gives them no choice than to go down meekly.
in india most people live as a united family(parents and children)so they are more safe than those who live alone.
regards
dr.jk

[Skyman]

Naga,

A ranged taser is an option.Pet hawk is another.

As mentioned above, getting trained to respond to aggression is the most practical solution.Mace/stun guns/pets come next.

And i should say, good thing you brought this up.

[essdee1972]

My measures for my Mom (she's 76, got a limp, had an angioplasty 2 years back) and Aunt (she's 75, got Alzheimers'):

1. Double door, with grill on the outer. All couriers, letters through the grill only. All packages are delivered at my office address. (got myself a reputation at the office for being a "terrorist", i.e. a guy who buys knives and airgun pellets!!)
2. No gas guy, repair guy except on Saturdays.
3. Pepper sprays at strategic locations (both of them forget the strategy, anyway) - practically useless, any criminal can use a knife faster than most old ladies can get the cap off.
4. My little Rottie. He's actually quite cute, but that's the second impression he gives. The first impression - black, 48 kilo, sharp, white teeth, suspicious stare - would be enough for most criminals.

For my wife, I have given her a pepper spray, again useless, as no criminal will wait for her to dig the thing out of the Appalachian Trail solo-ing rucksack (sorry, I meant little handbag) she carries! Seriously, and meaning no offense, how can ladies fit so much into so little volume? In a critical situation, this can be do-or-die!

Me, I have a Stinger on my keychain. Practice hitting the pillars of the building with that. The essential thing for an amateur is to get over the "fear of hitting hard". You'll notice most first-timers pulling back (decelerating) a punch at the last moment, as if they are sparring with a small kid. The knuckles are quite strong, actually. Once I had a serious argument with my dad, lost my temper, and punched a steel wardrobe, hard, bare knuckles.....no damage to knuckles. Caused a dent in the steel. It was an old-fashioned Godrej wardrobe. Peoples' noses are usually more fragile than that!

Plus I have a pepper spray in the magazine compartment on the car door, in case of road rage cases. And a heavy foot on the accelerator!

My kid is learning Tae-kwon-do at school. Till he learns properly, I hope he'll not run off alone!!

The main thing is to be alert and avoid trouble, especially with ladies / family around. Even in the movies, Bruce Lee didn't walk into dangerous situations for the heck of it! You don't really need to picnic near that group of drunks. Movies are the same in the afternoon show as in the night show. Leave that late night New Year's party alone - stay at home! Make some sacrifices. You cannot stop crime or criminals. Some people might take objection to curtailing of their "freedom". Is your safety less important that freedom? (someone please make the youth of today - especially the young ladies - understand this part!!).

[vivekpeter]

But mace / tasers are available easily?

[nagarifle]

yes we are also forgetting the weak eys, limbs etc, all these are physical limitations. Which will be a major factor in defense,

Avoidance, should always be the main goal here. those with physical limitations. and increased awareness,Physical limitations will bound to have a direct effect on the ability to defend one self.

[Katana]

The most powerful weapon that a human possesses is his brain. Everything else emanates from that.

Secondly, all strategy and tactics should be kept to oneself only. If any body is effected or in involved in it, then only that part of the strategy/ tactic that is to be carried out by that person is to be revealed to him.

Elementary my dear Chandragupt! - Kautilya

[nagarifle]

not easy for an eldlry lady/gent to focus under attack if one is not lived/ or practiced it. even fully grown man can freeze under fear.

[dr.jayakumar]

abroad they have this 911as most of us know,which help lot of people in trouble.
we all know about our country,we have no one to call in distress.if you are having a argument on the road,the cops will just pass by then to interfere.lucky goons....
regards
dr.jk

[bennedose]

Old or young, guns are not what you should be thinking of first for home security in the city. I cannot coment about multi-acre rural estates.

Cardinal rules for home security
1. Extra metal grilled doors/windows
2. Keep a pet dog if possible
3. Do not allow in strangers
4. The police nowadays advise a police background check on all domestic helps
5. Secrecy: By this I mean do not allow servants to see jewellery lying about. Do not tell all and sundry about the holiday you are going for. Keep an eye on vendors and other "regulars" who hang about in your neighborhoood. they may be honest people but they often have friends who are not that clean. Teach children these things. Leave lights on. Use a type of lock that cannot be seen as locked from the outside.
6. Keep a phone handy to call for help.
7. Keep a heavy stick/golf club handy if you want to feel more secure

I think a gun only makes you feel more secure. it does not actually offer more security. Even air guns can kill and you will soon find yourself in jail, or in a great deal of trouble if you simply shoot someone. In India shooting enthusiasts need to be grateful that air guns are not banned. We have a responsibility to ensure that we do not allow Holywood and western movies to make us think that guns are trivial.