help for a canadian

[bowman]

hi everyone, im new so please bear with me. i live in canada and have been thinking alot about issues such as self defence and home protection and such. now being in canada, gun ownership isnt really a solution to anything due to the storage and transportation laws we have. so what would you suggest in terms of alternatives for self defence? what kinds of martial arts are better than others? any that focus on issues such as knife disarmament, etc.? ive been reading lots of forums and knives dont seem like an ideal method of self defence, but is there training available for knives to give you an advantage should you ever absolutly need it?
i had an experience a few yrs ago at my previous workplace which had changed me, it was robbery at a restaurant, i was only 17 at the time, i just gave him the money. recently ive been going over it in my head thinking what i should have or could have done differently. now there was a counter in beween us so i was relatively safe and out of reach. but i always think "what if" and "what would i do?"

i realize my questions may be difficult but bear with me, ill improve!

thanks alot and i cant wait to hear some responses

 

[Lupinus]

you sound like a smart fellow, move to a gun friendly state here in the US

 

[chopinbloc]

while i agree that you should pick freedom and personal responsibility given the chance, i understand that may not be practical. with that in mind there are a few very effective tools that one can use to defend one's self. two that come to mind are the asp expandable baton (pay the extra money for the brand name, the off brands are usually crap) and the air taser m18 or x26 (not stun guns - stun guns are worthless) while expensive, the air taser is very effective. i'm not sure about laws on this sort of thing so you'll have to check for yourself. i can't think of any place that bans posession or transport of sporting equipment so an aluminum t-ball bat in the car is a good option too. lastly, i don't consider pepper spray to be a particularly effective defensive tool but others will disagree.

most martial arts are highly stylized and there is alot of debate as to their usefulness from a defensive standpoint. however, i've heard that the israeli krav maga techniques are very down to earth and easy for anyone to learn while being extremely brutal and real world oriented. i intend to enroll in a krav maga course when i get back home. i don't believe a knife is a very good defensive weapon for a variety of reasons. on the legal side, use of a knife is deadly physical force, no matter where or how you cut someone. on the practical side, one has to train alot to get any kind of proficiency with a knife and you're still likely to get hurt or killed using it in defense. remember, everyone gets cut in a knife fight.

btw, you did the right thing. i carry all the time. everywhere. if i were in your position i probably would have done the same thing. that is, assuming the perp was using a firearm, anything else and he'd be a stain.

 

[Boss Spearman]

What are the Canadian laws in general concerning archery?

 

[Kacerdias]

Check your local laws but given that you can't legally possess firearms -

Get a 1lb Fox Labs pistol grip pepper spray fogger, a Surefire flashlight and a baseball bat. If someone is intruding in your house, hose them down with the spray then light them up with the flashlight. This puts you at a significant advantage over the assailant. The baseball bat is in case the intruder decides to fight or is armed. Just hope that if he has a gun that the pepper spray is enough to blind him.....

Stupid Canadian laws....



http://www.foxlabs.com/Products.html

 

[El Tejon]

bowman, you may find FMA up your alley. Arnis, Escrima, EyD, inter alia all widely taught in Canada. Stick and knife may be a good alternative for you.

Let me know the city and I think I can make recommendations or send you in the right direction.

If you are in B.C. I can get you hooked up with my sigung.

 

[SDC]

Unfortunately, tasers/stun guns/pepper spray and all of the other things normally considered "second line" self-defence tools are ALSO prohibited up here (except for the big fire-extinguisher-sized containers of bear spray). I would move to the US in a heartbeat if a similar position in my line of work opened up there. If nothing else, I'd suggest having a baseball bat (with a glove and ball of course, since a bat is considered a "weapon" otherwise) handy.

 

[Imaginos]

Take a Step Back in Time

Small battle axes date back to the stone age, and one of the most common back up weapons carried by the original Euro settlers to North America was the tomahawk. Common claw hammers like carpenters use are also very effective. Get the variety with the long straign claw. I think it is called a "rip hammer"

A small hatchet is still legal on 99.9% of the planet, and it will make a complete mess out of anyone hit with it. It is my first choice for home/hotel room defence when firearms are not a possibility.

You might also check the local laws on black powder cap and ball revolvers. The US government does not even classify them as firearms in the criminal and regulatory sense. We can still buy them through the mail unless the local bureau-rats have set up some law against it. These guns have been quite effective since the first Colt's produced in the 1830's.

 

[bowman]

thanks alot for the insight lads,
ive been lookin through the yellow pages for martial arts and such, but all i can find are things such as karate, taekwondo, or akido. do any of these serve much for practicality in real world situations?

the bat idea is a great one - thanks for that
black powder guns, im pretty sure theyre covered like any other type of firearm
oc spray, batons and tasers are out of the question too unfortunately as theyre not permitted


"move to the US" although i must say i expected it, its not really a viable solution for me, im still young (19) and am a 2nd year student at uni, so its not exactly fiesable (sp?) for me to go down to the states considering higher tuition costs, and things such as medical insurance (ive got some minor health issues).


thanks alot for the input!! and please give more if you see fit

 

[El Tejon]

bowman, many times FMA or IMMA is closed door. If you can get me your city, I can let you know.

 

[LAR-15]

crossbow

Apparently all PAC's allow crossbow purchases

 

[hso]

bowman,

You reallllly need to give your city info to ElT so he can tell you if there's a CB, JKD, or FMA schools in your community.

 

[GoRon]

Look for a mixed martial arts school. You will learn a mixture of strikes and grappling that way.

I second the crossbow and hatchet/battle axe suggestions.

 

[Jay Kominek]

Stick fighting, or kubotan would probably go over better than a hatchet or cross bow. You could very easily modify a backpack to carry/conceal two arnis sticks. These guys will sell you two 30" long 1" diam aluminum rods for about US$30. They could even be made to look like they're structural elements of a backpack. You could get fancy and have patterns anodized on them, too.

A Surefire with crenellations or any old Surefire with a "tactical impact device" on the end would be a good idea, too. (I always figure you can't get much done if you can't see anything.)

and things such as medical insurance (ive got some minor health issues).

I'm not a fan of telling people to just move, but I figure it wouldn't hurt to tell you that at least some Universities offer discounted health insurance programs to their students. So that might not be as financially onerous as you think. (Most of the big ones are running their own health centers or even hospitals, so they can work out decent rates.)

 

[mr.trooper]

you sound like a smart fellow, move to a gun friendly state here in the US

why dont you try moving to northern Minesota, or the UP of Michigan? Lenient gun laws, and easy acsess to Canadia.

 

[bowman]

why dont you try moving to northern Minesota, or the UP of Michigan? Lenient gun laws, and easy acsess to Canadia.

i really appreciate all of the input guys. but as of right now moving south isnt really an option.

in the meantime, would a punching bag be a worthwile investment? just to sort of practice and get a feel, and sort of develop a bit?

btw. i now have a nice louisville slugger thanks to the great input ive recieved (for batting practice of course)

 

[samsquanch]

my 2 cents.
Take the restricted Pal course its only a weekend course approx 15 hrs.
once you have the course join a local club and get out there shooting and learning.
then at least your home will be protected.
yes we can't carry in Canada, and it is a pain in the ass.

 

[Ridge]

My 2 cents

Use whatever you have at hand.

A large hot cup of joe can be useful if you toss it in the attackers face.

The gold (Or whichever) chain you happen to be wearing as a bracelet or necklace will leave on heck of a mark if you either A)Wrap it around your fist and beat the bejesus out of them with it. or B)Use it as a short distance whip and hit them in the eyes.

If you would feel comfortable carring this around with you...
A Master lock dropped down into either a sock or really thick pantyhose will work as a make shift slap jack.

Carry a knife of your own (If it's permitted by law) ,and try to catch them off guard if you decide to reach them the cash,for the best results (Best results=Deadly for the BG)

If you can,try to stab somewhere between the ribs or under their arm (If your strike hits between the ribs and the blade is at least 3 1/2 inches long you'll puncture a lung,if your strike lands in the underarm area you'll most likely sever an artery..sp?)

If you keep the blade sharp enough just split them from the waistline up to the breastbone (They'll be too busy trying to keep their guts from hitting the ground to think about you)

If you are unarmed and with-in an arms length hit them in the throat as hard as you can (If this doesn't crush his windpipe it will cause him to gag for breath long enough for you to escape)

Or you can try to connect with a punch to the temple (If you hit hard enough you can kill the BG)


And my favorite a good old thumb to the eye(s)


But if you can I would try my best to be armed with either a good fighting knife and learn how to use it,or get a handgun if at all possible.

I hope this helps you out and I have to say as a word of warning don't try any of the tactics above unless you can't see any other way out,or are willing to take a counterattack by the BG,I wish you luck and I hope you never have to use any of the things I've described above.

 

[pete f]

some further aids.

an old waitress friend of mine, used to work in a biker bar, always carried a napkin in her front pocket, filled with black pepper, some biker reached up her leg, he got a face full of black pepper ground into his eyes. Only happened once or twice but it stopped them.

The little wire security cables sold to secure laptops? With a lock on the end makes a great swinging weapon.

In your car, a hammer, an axe, a tire iron, a fungo bat, or an easton swing trainer. AKA a thunderstick. http://baseball.eastonsports.com/adultbaseball/details.php?scid=1&d=t1_a&t=Bat

at home a dog, a shotgun. you can get into shooting sports still in canada, take up trap or skeet and get a shotgun.

get some wieght training, some physical training and ask someone who you know who played some minors hockey, no marshal arts will beat a good minors fighter. none.

 

[chopinbloc]

reason i recommended an aluminum t-ball bat is because the short length and light weight allow you to swing it fast. the aluminum holds up better than wood, too.

i'm sure it's illegal to carry ANY effective defense tool so this is where you should ask yourself about the morality of obeying immoral laws.

http://www.hideawayknife.com/main.php

stay out of trouble and they'll never know, right?

 

[sturmruger]

I thought you could buy guns in Cananda you just have to go through a lot of paperwork. Join a trap shooting club, and buy a good shotgun.

 

[SDC]

You can buy them (after getting a licence; involves background check, safety training course, mugshot, fingerprints, and references), but you have to have it stored unloaded and stored securely (ie. trigger-locked) whenever you're not actually using it.

 

[KriegHund]

Ill give my 2 cents...

Get a hatchet, short spear, 4-5 feet (VERY hard to evade in a hallway and faster and easier to wield than other weapons) or a shortsword.

If you can, get a smallish crossbow to go with those things.

as for martial arts-

Watch their classes for about a week before you make a decision. Also see if personal as well as group classes are available, and do both. (Perosnal for learning, group for practicing). Make sure you do alot of real life stuff, not fancy forms and katas.

And lastly, if the sensei or teacher seems like a smug SOB, dont do it. Dont mistake it for 'self confidence' Many of them get far to into themselves- martial arts is about far more than just kicking the crap outta someone- humility and repsect is where it all starts.

 

[BB62]

bowman, many times FMA or IMMA is closed door. If you can get me your city, I can let you know.

What are FMA and IMMA?


Thanks,
BB62

 

[Matthew748]

KriegHund took the words out of my mouth. I would say get or make a spear. Why let an attacker even get within striking distance? With a spear you could lance him/her from a safe distance.