[winwun]

I sat in on a self-defence class for women a while back and it was very interesting. There were about as many men there as women. Probably husbands. One of the things the instructor showed was how a can of hair spray sprayed through the flame of a Bic Lighter makes an awesome weapon. Another thing was a baby syringe filled with household ammonia with a strip of masking tape with a tab turned back on the end pasted over the tip to prevent leakage. A faceful of that stuff would change a muggers mind in a heartbeat. I realize we all are supposed to encourage gun ownership, but if we emphasized to the anti's that we are as much interested in seeing them protect themselves by ANY means, then it might help sway a few of them over.

[brownie0486]

Hair spray and a bic lighter?

"Excuse me, can you wait a moment while I get out my trusty can of hair spray, the lighter, and stand still while I spray you with flame?" Somehow I think you need to find another instructor if the ones you are taking classes from recommend this and carrying a syringe around as some form of self defense tactic.

I instruct an 8 hour womans self defense course where you learn to get out of grabs, chokes, etc. Women are not punched but grabbed and yanked mostly. It's hands on, which is the course you should be looking for.

You are grabbing the spray can and you are grabbed. HMMMM!!!, better know some disengagement techniques else you'll never get to the bic lighter.

It amazes me that what people sell to the unsuspecting public out there. And even more surprising that people actually listen to that crap and believe it's a viable self defense option.

Do yourself a favor and find an instructor who knows what you need to learn in putting you at less a disadvantage than more.

I think you are more vulnerable than before the class as you will now walk around thinking you can actually use that crap they taught.

Tell us what your impression of the class was please?

Brownie

[mercop]

Under the stress if being attacked your pulse with be around 200 and climbing. You will loose all tactile feel and fine and complex motor skills as your blood pools to the middle of the body to support life functions. Because of this you can forget about flicking a lighter or pushing the little button on a can of hairspray even if you had them in you hands when the attack started. I too teach SD. First learn awareness. Have something in you hand like a Kubaton to at least flail with. Then as Brownie said leart to escape grabs fast.

[CatsDieNow]

If someone attacks me, they will, if at all possible, be getting a faceful of whatever I happen to be holding in my hand at the time. Maybe the point the guy was trying to make is that many things could be used as weapons if necessary.

When it happened to me, the guy got a shot in the jaw with the mop handle I was holding. He was whining about his two bloody teeth on the floor as I was running out the door.

[hso]

Winwun,

Whoever presented the self defense seminar where you were told that hair spray and a lighter or ammonia in a syringe were useful tools in an attact was an incompetent. These are not effective techniques! They depend on too many conditions (one of which being plenty of time) being just right to have any chance of working.

There are plenty of competent MA and SD instructors in the area around Knoxville and you should have no problem finding one.

Considering that it is legal for Tennesseans to carry a collapsable baton if they receive the training you might look into that as a quick and easy first step.

I'm just across the river so send a PM if you want to get together with me and Tamara and rennaissancemann any time.

Mike