self defense

ASP Key Defender – second impressions

/ hsoi / 13 Comments

Last month I revisited the notion of carrying pepper spray. I settled on the ASP Key Defender system, made my purchase, and a couple weeks ago did my first spray tests with some disappointing results.

But maybe it was a fluke. I mean, it couldn’t have been on the market this long if it was a dud product, right? All duds eventually get weeded out so…. I wasn’t willing to give up.

I bought a few more inserts, both “heat” and “test” inserts. They just came in a few days ago.

Today I was speaking with some folks at work on the topic, so I took a quick break and gave a spray test of another test insert and another heat insert.

Results were much better!

The test insert did have a little sputter, but overall it worked well enough.

The heat insert worked pretty well. In fact, I got a snoot-full of spray because the wind suddenly shifted. That was mighty uncomfortable.

Once I recovered, I finished out the insert. When I did that, I had positioned myself relative to the wind which also happened to position my view of the spray cloud against the sun just right so that I really saw the spray pattern. It’s actually a pretty impressive pattern.

So I’m feeling better about things now.

One thing I wondered. The spray hole in the end cap is small. Could it have been clogged? After the first tests I washed the tube and endcaps to ensure all residue was removed. Maybe there was something in there that was flushed out? I wonder because the way the thing sputtered and “sprayed” was like a clog or other failure. I mean, it’s just aerosol, and if you’ve worked aerosol cans in your life you basically know how things will work or how they will malfunction. It was very akin to that. I obviously cannot say for certain, but it makes me wonder. My recommendation at this point is for people using this system to check the endcap hole – even as periodic maintenance – to ensure it’s clear.

And get this. Reader/commenter gteague made mention about expiration dates on the inserts. I didn’t see any. The remaining test insert I have doesn’t have any either. But the 3 remaining heat inserts? They all have a stamp of “Aug 18”. So… not sure what to make of the fact some inserts don’t have stamps – too old?

Anyways, I’m feeling more positive about the system. Sure, it’s still limited. Sure my confidence isn’t 100% still, but I am feeling better about it.

Frankly, I’m kinda curious to buy a ASP Street Defender (the “large” model) and see how it carries in my pocket.

If you think education is expensive…

/ hsoi

Seth Godin wrote about Training and the infinite return on investment

Imagine a customer service rep. Fully costed out, it might cost $5 for this person to service a single customer by phone. An untrained rep doesn’t understand the product, or how to engage, or hasn’t been brought up to speed on your systems. As a result, the value delivered in the call is precisely zero (in fact it’s negative, because you’ve disappointed your customer).

On the other hand, the trained rep easily delivers $30 of brand value to the customer, at a cost, as stated, of $5. So, instead of zero value, there’s a profit to the brand of $25. A comparative ROI of infinity.

And of course, the untrained person doesn’t fall into this trap once. Instead, it happens over and over, many times a day.

The short-sighted organization decides it’s ‘saving money’ by cutting back training. After all, the short-term thinking goes, what’s the point of training people if they’re only going to leave. (I’d point out the converse of this–what’s the danger of not training the people who stay?)

Granted, Seth speaks in the context of marketing, sales, and business – his “lane”. But really, training – education – is relevant to any and every facet of life.

The more training you have, the more education you have, the more knowledge you have, the more it pays off.

Because to Seth’s last point: you stay in your life, so what’s the danger of going through life untrained and  ignorant?

Seth concludes:

What’s not so easy is to take responsibility for our own training.

We’ve long passed the point where society and our organization are taking responsibility for what we know and how we approach problems. We need to own it for ourselves.

If I apply this to one of my “lanes” – self defense – I actually am pretty astounded at how much people don’t take on responsibility for what they know and how they approach problems, which is odd because these are the same people that espouse how they have/carry a gun because they accept responsibility for their own personal safety. Often times there’s belief they are “good enough” and will be able to handle themselves if the flag flies, yet they’re unable to quantify what “good enough” should be – but whatever it is, I’m it (apparently).

Grant Cunningham writes about “shooting well”:

Any shooting you do — whether in competition, for hunting, or in self defense — is a balance of speed (how quickly you shoot) and precision (the size of the area into which you can shoot)….

Most people evaluate their shooting skill level under only one of those two factors. Either they focus on how precisely they can shoot, or they focus on how quickly they’re shooting. Either one in isolation gives an incomplete view, and the same is true when evaluating a gun; if you shoot slowly enough, so that each shot is a completely separate event unaffected by what came before or what will come after, then most guns can be shot “well”.

In other words, just about anyone can shoot just about any handgun (or rifle) “well” for one shot. It’s when you need to fire more than one shot, or when time becomes a factor, do you discover how things like recoil, weight, hand fit, and more affect your ability to shoot well. It’s not just about tight groups!

Granted, Grant’s writing was alluding to issues of caliber and recoil, but the whole of his article touches on the fact that most people believe they can “shoot well”, yet aren’t fully considering the complete context under which they may have to shoot.

That complete context, in terms of self-defense, is likely to go beyond these issues of caliber, recoil, and marksmanship. If you are in a self-defense incident, there’s going to be chaos, adrenaline, and intense high-pressure split-second decision making. Can you “shoot well” in that context? Remember: doing “well” in that context may actually require you to not shoot at all.

Some people are proud to seek out the least amount of training possible. They want the cheapest, least-hassle solution. As few dollars spent, as few hours in the classroom or on the range. It’s as if they are proudly seeking ignorance. I grant, if you can spend $50 or $500 and get precisely the same results, I’d go for the $50 option as well. But like most things in life, you do get what you pay for – and you get more spending $500 on a weekend training with Tom Givens or Massad Ayoob.

Especially if you contrast that $500 against the potential $50,000 or $500,000 or more you could wind up spending on a lawyer. Because ignorance of the law can be mighty costly.

You may not be training to be a customer service rep answering phone calls about a product. But aren’t you trying to bring value into your own life? You’re going to be staying in your life, hopefully for a long time, so take the time to invest in yourself. Don’t expect the state or others to provide “adequate” training, because it usually is not. Take the time, the money, the responsibility to invest in yourself. The education will pay dividends.

ASP Key Defender – first impressions

/ hsoi / 13 Comments

Earlier this month I started thinking again about pepper spray. It’s been an issue of finding an option I can carry (given the totality of my circumstance), that also won’t have issues of accidental discharge — don’t need it going off in my pocket. Many “traditional” pocket/keychain sprays have too much likelihood of discharge, so I went looking for alternatives.

I settled on the ASP Key Defender

ASP has 3 “Defender” versions: Palm (small), Key (medium), Street (large). I settled on the Key as a place to start. Slightly bigger, more capacity, possible other uses (e.g. kubaton), but not too big to fit in a pocket.

I picked up a couple “fire” inserts but also a couple “test” inserts.

True First Impressions

It was a little larger than I expected, but not too big. It certainly fits inside my pants pockets just fine. Fits in my hands, all things generally fine.

It has a mechanical safety that prevents the button/plunger from being depressed. Deactivating the safety is pretty natural, but it’s a little hard to do — you really have to have the thing positioned “just right” in your hand. Basically, it’s hard to get purchase on it. In a way, that’s good because it should mean chances of accidental discharge in a pocket or bag is almost impossible. But it’s bad because when you need it, you may not be able to deactivate it.

The fix is simple: put some skateboard tape over it. I read it somewhere on the Internet (apologies to the guy that originally posted it: can’t find the post now to give credit). But that little modification was perfect. Even in a position of least mechanical advantage, like right at the hinge point of the safety, you can get it deactivated with that skateboard tape on there. A little grip is all you need.

Another suggestion that same posting had was to put a little bit of cotton inside the case to keep the brass button/plunger from rattling around. I tried this (and you need VERY little cotton), and while it does keep it from rattling it also keeps it from turning freely. With keys and other things attached, the ability for the button to freely rotate is useful. I wound up taking the cotton out; besides, the keys rattle enough so there’s really nothing gained from the noise abatement.

General feeling tho is positive. I’m very used to the position from flashlight work (neck index). It feels good in the hand (not too big, not too small, so it’s got good “fit”). No problems carrying it in my pockets or say the front pocket of my hoodie when walking in cooler weather. The construction is sturdy enough that using it say as a kubaton should be workable.

All in all, I was feeling good about the purchase.

Was.

Spray Test

Then it was time to do a spray test.

I put one of the inert test canisters in.

Went to spray.

And was sorely disappointed.

Take a look at reader gteague’s comments on my first post:

i was extremely impressed and not favorably! this was like erectile dysfunction. a stream of liquid emerged, split into about 5 separate smaller streams,and fell limply to the floor about 5′ away from me at most. i suspect some of the liquid fell on my feet. the book had said to spray in 1/2 second bursts and that’s about how long it lasted. if it had been a person 5′ away from me, i estimate maybe a dozen drops would have hit his/her actual eyes as the other streams spread out and would have missed the head.

so i figured, well, this was the first spray and now the pipes are cleared and it’ll do better for the other (at least two more) promised sprays. wrong. the next two sprays didn’t make it more than 18″ away from the device and basically just dribbled on my toes. and that was it–anticlimactic at best.

My experience was fairly similar. 😦

My first thought was maybe something was blocked? I mean, it’s a little tube from the insert that then has to spray out the end cap hole… maybe it wasn’t lined up? I found if I moved the Defender around a little bit, pointed downwards, I could get a pretty good spray out of it.

When I did get a good cloud, it was a good cloud — something you’d expect from a pocket-sized spray. I wasn’t disappointed – when it worked.

But that’s the thing. When it worked.

Sometimes I got a cloud.

Sometimes I got spittle and drip.

The test can ran out quickly. I’m sure I was spraying a little longer than the quick bursts they recommend, mostly because I was dumbfounded and hopeful it would work. Keep spraying! Maybe it’s clogged! Maybe it’s something else… who knows.

I then put in a “heat” insert and tried that. I mean, maybe the test inserts just suck, right?

Nope.

Same basic performance out of the heat insert too.

Well, this sucks.

I mean, when it works I’d be happy with it. But, the fact I can’t be sure if it’s going to work or not, that lack of confidence is not something I feel like entrusting my life to.

What Next?

Well, I’m not going to give up on it yet.

Maybe there was something. I mean, it’s in my pocket, maybe some lint got in the nozzle and caused the problem? Fair enough, but on the same token that doesn’t help much either because lint will then happen, and geez… same problems.

I’m not sure what to make of it yet. I’m going to order a few more canisters and keep testing.

 

Making Good Decisions

/ hsoi

Recently, there have been stories in the news about private citizens using guns to stop petty crime (e.g. shoplifting, theft of goods).

A Michigan woman trying to stop shoplifters at a Home Depot.

A man  in Indiana trying to stop shoplifters at a farm supply store.

A woman in Bellmead, Texas trying to hold a purse-snatcher at gunpoint until the police arrive.

In all of these cases, the people had good intentions. They saw something bad happening and – given the popular outcry to “do something” when bad things happen – they did something.

Unfortunately, their choice of something to do wound up doing themselves more harm than good.

On Wednesday, a Michigan judge sentenced Duva-Rodriguez to 18 months of probation and stripped the 46-year-old of her concealed gun permit.

 

If convicted – Reynolds is charged with criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon and pointing a firearm – Reynolds could face up to five years in jail and up to $10,000 in fines.

 

A McLennan County grand jury indicted Emma Cotten, 28, on a deadly conduct charge in a Nov. 20 incident in the parking lot of a Bellmead Wal-Mart, sources familiar with the case said Wednesday.

[…]

Deadly conduct can be a Class A misdemeanor or a third-degree felony, depending on how it is alleged. That was unclear Wednesday, because the indictment remains sealed.

Is this right?

Certainly some people would say it isn’t, because they were just trying to help.

Others would say it is right, because they broke the law.

Let’s consider the actions themselves.

Maximize Enjoyment of Beer & TV

What was the context of the crime? Generally petty: theft, shoplifting, purse snatching. Certainly things society deems unacceptable, but it’s small property crimes.

Was anyone’s life in danger? Nothing in the news reports indicate the crimes put lives in danger.

Was deadly force – because that’s what these people all used – justified in these cases? I cannot speak to Michigan or Indiana law, but in Texas there are situations where yes you can use force or deadly force to protect property (see Texas Penal Code, Title 2, Chapter 9, Subchapter D, §9.41 – §9.44). But just because you can, does that mean you should?

Let’s get back to the maxim of “making choices that maximize your enjoyment of beer & TV“.

Did the choices these 3 people make enable them to maximize their enjoyment of beer & TV? I would say no. The fact they are now facing criminal charges means lawyers, court appearances, lots of money spent, perhaps loss of job and/or wages, not to mention the mental and emotional anguish and pain this will cause them, not just for the months it will take to resolve the situation but likely it will loom over them for the rest of their lives. To me, that doesn’t enable maximum enjoyment of beer & TV.

Yes I know it’s terrible to see crimes unfold around you, but your response needs to be in accordance. Could you have gotten pictures of the car? Maybe a good description, the license plate number? These are responses that can help abate the crime, but don’t put your life or other lives in danger. And then, you can proceed to beer & TV.

C.Y.A. – Can You Articulate?

What was troubling to me as well is the interviews with the first two citizens and what they said about their choices and actions:

“I made a decision in a split second,” she told judge Julie Nicholson on Wednesday, according to WJBK. “Maybe it was not the right one, but I was trying to help.”

[…]

“She’s there to help; saw something happening; thought it was serious; pulled her gun,” added Schwartz, her attorney. “She didn’t want to hurt anybody. We didn’t know that there were any people in the parking lot, other than this person that was driving away this vehicle. She didn’t shoot it in the air; she didn’t shoot it at the window, at the windshield. She fired at the tires.”

She made a choice. She needs to be able to articulate why she made that choice.

What did she understand about the situation? about it that made it serious enough to warrant the use of deadly force? That if she didn’t want to hurt anyone, why would she resort to an option that has the potential to cause hurt?

As two shoplifting suspects got into a truck in the parking lot of the Big R in October, Reynolds said he fired one shot in an attempt to stop the suspects from getting away.

“I wanted them to stay there [in the parking lot] until the police arrived,” Reynolds said.

[…]

Reynolds said he fired one shot at the truck just behind the passenger seat because he felt threatened.

“I figured if [the suspect] had a weapon, he wasn’t gonna use it then,” Reynolds said.

[…]

Reynolds said he never intended to shoot anyone; he just wanted to scare the suspects into waiting for the police, which is why he placed his shot where he did on the truck.

So which is it? Did you shoot to have them stay in the parking lot? Did you shoot to scare them? Did you shoot because you thought the guy had a gun and going to hurt you? But if you thought he wasn’t going to hurt you, how did you feel threatened? Or did you never intend to shoot anyone?

There’s a lot going on here, and his intentions don’t seem to be well-articulated.

(I also wonder if it was wise for him to try to articulate to a news reporter, before first articulating to the judge and jury).

As for the Bellmead case, I wrote about that last month under the same notion: Can you articulate?

It’s not just the ability to articulate your choices after the fact, to the police, to the judge, to the jury. It’s important to be able to articulate your choices to yourself BEFOREHAND.

Training – More than Marksmanship

If you choose to carry a gun, you take on a great responsibility. There are clear times to use it, and clear times not to use it. But there are a lot of times that aren’t so clear. Thus it is important for you to clearly articulate to yourself – before you find yourself in a situation – to know where your lines are drawn.

Will you insert yourself into a crime unfolding between two strangers? Maybe you are in the 7-11 when the place gets robbed. Will you try to stop it? Should you?  Maybe you see a man atop another giving him the ground & pound. Do you know what’s going on? Just because the guy on top is punching, does that mean he’s the criminal (maybe he’s the Good Samaritan beating some dude that just attempted to kidnap a child). Should you insert yourself?

What if you get involved, and then you get injured. Will those people pay your medical bills?

What if you get involved, and you injure someone else? Will you pay those medical bills? Will you pay for the property damage? Will you be prepared for potential lawsuits that could drag on for years and throw you into bankruptcy?

I’m not saying these things will happen, but they could happen. It is important for you to consider these things, and how they pertain to your situation and how you should react. The answers are different for everyone, and even the same person might change their answers when their life changes (e.g. you might respond different if you are single with no kids vs. married with small children).

Know your lines, where they are drawn, and what responsiblity and consequences you are willing to accept. Figure this out beforehand. I’m not sure any of these three people did:

“I thought, ‘Really? A felony charge?’” Reynolds said. “I’m very well trained.”

Maybe in marksmanship, but there’s a lot more to self-defense than marksmanship.

He still supports people arming themselves for protection, but urges people to get some kind of training.

Indeed. Learn from their mistakes. Get training – before you need to put it into practice.

The woman in Bellmead? Seems she didn’t have a handgun license. In Texas, the handgun license program really is about learning the law. I wonder if she had taken the class and learned something about the law, if she might have made different (better) choices that day.

And realize: training is more than marksmanship. There’s learning the law. There’s learning how to handle pressure situations (e.g. scenario training, force-on-force training). These sorts of classes aren’t as fun as burning through 1000 rounds of ammo in a weekend, but I’d say they’re a lot more fun and educational than being charged with a felony and being dragged through the court system.

So…

There’s a great deal to be learned from these 3 cases.

First, we must work to make good decisions. While “maximize enjoyment of beer & TV” sounds silly, it really works towards helping you determine what is a good decision (at least in this context).

Second, making good decisions comes from prior thought. To know ahead of time where your capabilities lie, where your lines are drawn. The ability to articulate those lines will be important in your decision making, and in your post-action explanations.

Third, making good decisions is empowered by knowledge. Ignorance rarely leads to good outcomes. The more you know, the better off you’ll be.

Finally, we have good people in this world. People that still care. People that are tired of seeing bad things happening and want to try to help. Really, we cannot lose sight of that, and we ought to encourage more of it. In encouraging it, we must direct and enable people to make wise decisions, and we ourselves must endeavor to ensure our decisions and actions will be the best they can be.

Thinking about Pepper Spray

/ hsoi / 17 Comments

Why haven’t I carried pepper spray? Because I couldn’t find a suitable carry option.

But I’m working to change that.

I have long wanted to carry pepper spray. Why? Because it’s useful, and because sometimes it’s the better – only (?), right (?) – option.

For example, I’ve had more than enough times when 4-legged critters were more the issue, and spray would certainly be more appropriate for the situation. Just the other day I was crossing the street and a drunk homeless guy started yelling at me. I politely and firmly dened him, he didn’t like it, started cussing me out; should he have opted to escalate, pepper spray likely would have been an appropriate option.

But I haven’t carried any? Why? Because I can’t find an option that works for me.

I carry enough stuff on my belt. I really don’t have room for more stuff.

In my pocket?  The main worry I have is accidental discharge.

I looked at the Sabre Spitfire upon recommendation from Claude Werner, but that was just asking to go off in my pocket. Plus I didn’t like the discharge (distance/reach, spray pattern, etc.).

We do have a lot of Fox Labs products around the house. The Mrs. and Daughter have keychain sprays. We have some larger canisters for use and carry at other times (e.g. walking to the mailbox).

But the Fox Labs keychain model (or any of those types, as most keychain sprays are the same style) just never felt good in my pocket. Last week I was on vacation and the only things I was able to carry were my Spyderco Delicas and a Fox Labs keychain spray. The spray was in my pocket, and too many times the tab was flipped around. I kept fearing a discharge in my pocket.

That said, carrying the spray for a week finally made me get off my butt. The trip made me think a lot about sprays, including learning that yes you can bring pepper spray on an airplane in your checked luggage (there are limits and restrictions, but ultimately you can). So the whole trip I spent a lot of brain cycles thinking about spray. This is as opposed to “normal” where I think about it, struggle to come up with a suitable option, then put it back on the backburner until it comes up again; lather, rinse, repeat, remain unsatisfied.

Well, I’m hoping my luck will change.

I just purchased an ASP Key Defender. It looks like it will have a good chance of being something I could carry, that should have minimal chance of accidental discharge, and could be effective and useful. Plus it should be sturdy enough to be a striking implement too. Yes, I avoided this in the past because I just wasn’t sure about deployment under pressure. I’m still not, but I do hope to put it through some paces. The indications I’ve seen from people’s whose opinions I trust seem that the ASP Defender should be workable; not ideal, but workable.

The Palm Defender seems too small (capacity, distance, and size in the hand for striking). The Street Defender is probably going to be a little too big. Some videos of the Key Defender in action seem reasonable so…. it’s what I’m going to try. I picked up a couple refills of the OC spray, as well as a couple inert cans too.

We’ll see.

 

At close range? You need different options

/ hsoi

Creating distance between you and an attacker is generally a good and desirable thing. Trouble is, creating it in an effective manner – and knowing WHEN to create it.

Leslie Buck of Tactical Arts Academy participated in a study with Texas State Troopers. Leslie played the bad guy, and the Trooper knew Leslie was going to draw on him. They performed this experiment repeatedly at different distances between the participants.

I pulled my training gun on the troopers nearly 200 times and every single time, they died. Why? They knew it was coming, but they clearly lost over and over again. The problem was that they were trying to out-draw me. Though I would love to say it was because of my awesome draw stroke, it was simply because action is faster than reaction. I start first, and they were trying to catch up.

Emphasis added.

Yes, our monkey brain tells us to “get away” or to bash head with rock (these days, that translates to draw our own gun and shoot). However, that’s obviously not the effective strategy. What is?

Lt. Ballarta suggested they consider trying to grab or trap the hands of the bad guy before trying to draw their own gun. The difference was huge. At close range, the majority of participants were able to stop or redirect my draw and get their own gun out to get shots on me.

The results of the study clearly indicated that when already close, coming even closer was safer.

But again, we’ve got “monkey brain” to overcome, and that requires training and practice. And this sort of skill comes from scenario training and “force-on-force” (you don’t get this sort of thing on the square range, flinging lead at cardboard targets).

There’s a lot more to it, and I suggest you give Leslie’s full article a read.

Useful stuff there.

I have an earnest question

/ hsoi / 15 Comments

CINCINNATI — A Colerain Township man is accused of ambushing a woman outside of her home, slashing her with a knife and threatening to set her on fire.

[…]

According to court records, Ingram waited outside the woman’s Mount Auburn home Thursday. Once she came out, Ingram grabbed her, cut her face, cheek and chest, choked her, and said he’d pour gasoline on her and set her ablaze, court records state.

[…]

The woman had a temporary protection order against Ingram, according to court records.

Full story (h/t TDI)

My earnest question.

What could have been done to keep this woman safe?

I’m not trying to fish for or lead towards the answer of “guns!”. Honestly, while the article is very short on details, it appears the woman was ambushed and simply “having a gun” may not have been sufficient.

So I’m earnestly curious.

She had a restraining order. That didn’t keep her safe; in fact, I’d say it was pretty useless.

That restraining order effectively created a portable “gun/weapon/criminal/killer free zone” around her. Obviously ineffective.

I’m not sure “teaching men not to knife, choke, and burn women” would have been all that effective at keeping her safe. I mean, you’re taught not to exceed the speed limit while driving, yet you do it. “Teaching” isn’t sufficient to keep people from doing (or to get people to do) things; so it certainly isn’t sufficient to keep you safe from other people. That also puts your well-being in the hands of other people, and if a barista can’t get your Starbucks order correct, if that jackass texting while driving runs you off the road, what makes you think some sicko is going to give a damn about your life and dignity?

Good luck trying to pee or vomit on someone while under such an attack.

While I have my thoughts on what could have been done (and please don’t assume you know what I’m thinking; but if you can read minds, I’d like to talk with you about taking a trip to Las Vegas), I’m earnestly asking:

What could have been done to keep this woman safe?

Corollary question: if these other, oft-suggested solutions, are ineffective, why do they continue to be pushed as viable solutions?

Don’t do the dumb

/ hsoi

Why is is so many people in the self-defense world are fixated on surviving a situation they’ve put themselves into by doing stupid things instead of learning how not to do the dumb?

– Marc MacYoung

And it really goes beyond just people in the self-defense world.

There’s a mentality going around today that “I can do whatever I want”. I can act how I want, talk how I want, dress like I want. Well sure, but then you also should be prepared to reap the consequences of your actions; or at least not be surprised when bad things happen to you. More so, you should be honest with yourself that your actions and choices may well have consequences that you may not want. If you’re willing to live with that risk and can be a grown-up, accepting and rolling with the bad things when they happen, then OK. But if you are going to just blame someone else for the consequences of your (poor) choices, then maybe you should try to make better choices (or accept the world doesn’t revolve around you).

Yes, other people should work to be better behaved. Yes it would be great if we truly could do “whatever we wanted”. But there are people in this world that are not well-behaved; in fact, there are people in this world with evil intent — and to them you look like dinner.

The best self-defense is to never have to. Avoidance is a HUGE part of self-defense, and really one of the first and most important things you can do to stay safe. I’ve covered this before:

Always remember John Farnam’s famous quip: “Don’t go to stupid places; don’t associate with stupid people; don’t do stupid things. We will add to that, be in bed by 10 o’clock.” That’s pretty much awareness, avoidance, deterrence, de-escalation, and it’s what helps you live a safer, better life.

In the end, it’s your life. Remember that you are in control of a lot of it, and your choices directly affect the quality of your life. Make a habit of learning and practicing “how not to do the dumb”, and just watch how your quality of life goes up.

Austin women, and self-defense

/ hsoi

Local TV station KEYE did a good report in response to a couple sexual assaults that happened on the south side of town.

In the report, they interviewed Tina Maldonado, part of A Girl and A Gun woman’s shooting league, and graduate of numerous KR Training courses (disclosure: I’m an instructor at KR Training)

“We’re all responsible for our own self-defense,” said Maldonado. AGAG Club helps teach women safe and accurate shooting but also support, self-reliance and friendship. You can find a local chapter or learn more at www.agirlandagun.org.

Maldonado says they may be ready to use a gun, but are taught to stay alert and avoid danger first. “You’re your best protection,” said Maldonado.

Another good snippet from the article:

Moy Yat Kung Fu Academy teaches free self-defense. It is different than martial arts. It is a class based on intelligent movement and intelligent choices. “Once you have to attack, once you feel you have to attack, there are no good options. You have to attack with as much aggression as you can in order to survive,” said Vyvial.

Indeed. People view the word “aggression” as a bad thing, but when you’re in a fight for your life (and sexual assault is just that), you want as much aggression as possible.

APD also shares these tips on protecting yourself:

  • Carry items that you can use if you need to call attention to your situation (examples: whistles and personal alarms)
  • Consider taking a self-defense class.
  • If someone tries to assault you, scream loudly or blow a whistle.
  • If you are walking or jogging, stay out of secluded or isolated areas. Arrange to do the activity with at least one other friend, rather than alone. It is best to do these kinds of activities during daylight hours.
  • Do not cover both of your ears with music headphones.
  • Avoid getting isolated with people you do not know or do not trust.
  • Be aware of where you are and what is around you.
  • Keep your cell phone charged and with you.
  • Stay away from deserted areas.
  • Try to appear strong, confident, aware and secure in your surroundings.

A good list of personal protection tips, for women and men. But I’d change a few things about it.

Don’t consider taking a self-defense class. Take one. “Considering” isn’t going to do you any good; you have to actually take classes and get knowledge, training, and skill.

Don’t try to appear strong, confident, aware, and secure, be strong, confident, aware, and secure. If you lack these, work on improving yourself and acquiring strength, confidence, awareness, and security. If you’re not sure where to start, drop me a line, or check out groups like A Girl and A Gun. This is your life; it’s not a time to “feel-good” and lie to yourself, it’s a time to take action and “be good”.

 

On witnesses

/ hsoi / 4 Comments

Recently a knife-wielding person was shot by a police officer. I’m not here to comment on the incident itself or other things people tend to comment on regarding such incidents these days.

I want to focus on what was reported from the witnesses.

Here’s the story. From that article:

In interviews with the Washington Post, two witnesses said that when encountered by police, the woman had a knife, which they described as relatively small.

The knife was “relatively small”. When you hear that, what comes to mind? Probably not some sort of Crocodile Dundee type knife, right?

One man, Gerald McBrayer, said the woman was holding “a little steak knife,” and received no warning.

Another saying it was “little”

Another man, Nathan Strickland, said she had a steak knife with what he described as a skinny” 6 to 8 inch blade.

6-8″ is pretty specific, and that’s not all that little. Or if you want to put it in context, get a ruler, measure out 6-8″, now hold that “through” your body and see just how deep 6-8″ goes — or rather, see how shallow your body is, relative to a “small knife”.

The witnesses see the same basic thing – a woman with a knife – but they assess the knife differently. Why would they assess the knife differently? Proximity? Perception? Level of life experiences? Ulterior motive? Ignorance? Misspeaking?

Note as well Mr. McBrayer said the woman received no warning.

When officers responded they found a woman who was holding at least one knife, he said. Officers told her to drop the weapon but she did not respond to their command and as the woman continued to advance, she was shot once in the upper body Taylor said.

You can also watch the video and listen:

Urgent cries are heard, apparently from bystanders. “Put the knife down,” one person shouts. “Put it down.”

A man in a T-shirt stands between the two, a little to the side, waving his arms downward, apparently calling for her to drop what she carried

Some heard no warnings, others heard warnings.

Does any of this mean the witnesses are lying? No. Could they be? Maybe. And again, I’m not commenting directly on this incident or the witnesses — I’m just using this article, as reported, as an illustration. What it does mean is witness testimony is only so valid. As I’ve touched on before, even video can only tell you so much.

You’ve probably seen this video:

Selective Attention is a real thing, and it affects witness testimony.

Again, this isn’t evaluative as a good or bad thing, that people are being bad or wrong or intentionally trying to skew things (always possible, but not always the case). It’s just something worth knowing and understanding, so witness testimony can be taken for what it is.