Some people are contemplating ways to defend themselves without using guns. That’s because the clamor for better laws on gun control has been growing. In fact, it’s been getting support from politicians and businesses.
Senator Kamala Harris of California, who is aiming to be the Democratic candidate for president of the United States, said she would support gun control measures including mandatory background checks on gun store customers and stricter regulations on firearm manufacturers. Fellow Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders promised that “people who should not have guns will not have guns.”
Dick’s Sporting Good also announced in March 2019 that it will cease selling guns in 125 of its 729 branches across the nation. This is not the first time that the company showed its support for better gun policies. In 2018, it stopped selling assault-style rifles and increased the minimum age a person can buy firearms to 21. In another bold move, Dick’s destroyed all the AR-15s they have.
While the outcry to keep guns off the market or at least make it harder for just anyone to own a gun can no longer be ignored, the debate on gun control is still ongoing. In fact, some groups and individuals are against stricter gun control because they believe that it will be difficult to defend yourself without using guns.
Fortunately, there are ways we can protect ourselves and our loved ones without the need for firearms. Here are some of the effective ways to do so:
Train for Hand-to-Hand Combat
You can defend yourself without using guns with the help of your bare hands. If you know what to do exactly, you can deal with an attacker even if he or she is carrying a gun or a knife. Of course, you have to be doubly careful and sure of your actions if the attacker has a weapon.
Get training in martial arts and self-defense techniques. Take these lessons seriously as you may someday find yourself in a situation that requires such skills.
Non-Lethal Weapons
Aside from your knuckles, you can defend yourself without using guns by packing other kinds of weapons. In the old days, wars were fought using blades and melee weapons before our ancestors discovered gunpowder.
Pocket Knife
A pocket knife is not only for self-defense, it’s also useful in everyday tasks and survival stations. Get yourself a sturdy pocket knife that you can bring anywhere you go. The blade needs to measure three inches at the most for your knife to be considered legal, at least in most states.
Pepper Spray
A pepper spray should be included in everyone’s everyday carry items. It’s not lethal but effective in thwarting an attack. That is if you get to use it properly and swiftly. Once you purchase your own pepper spray, learn how to use it. Make sure you practice getting it out of your bag or pocket and spraying the threat in the eyes.
Stun Gun
As effective as pepper sprays are, there’s always the risk of inadvertently using them wrongly and spraying yourself with them. With a stun gun or taser, it’s quite obvious which end should be pointing at the threat.
Tactical Gear
Another way to defend yourself without using guns is with the help of tactical versions of everyday things such as a flashlight and pen. A tactical flashlight and pen functions like regular ones but their material and design make them valuable self-defense tools. You also need to undergo training on how to properly use these non-lethal weapons to defend yourself.
A telescopic baton, the one often used by the police, is also a good weapon to have. It’s non-lethal but effective against threats as long as you get a good hit. A stun baton, meanwhile, combines the qualities of a taser and a police baton.
Get Creative
Ideally, you should have some kind of weapon you could use. If you don’t have a gun, knife, pepper spray, or stun gun, you should look around you for anything you could use. If someone forcibly enters your home, grab anything you could use to fight the intruder in case you’ve run out of other options. A baseball bat, frying pan, kitchen knives, and tire rod are some of the few things you can use to fight off an intruder.
Of course, it’s unlikely that you have a frying pan in your bag when you’re out. However, you can still defend yourself without using guns by getting hold of your perfume and spraying it at your attacker’s eyes. You can also use your keys to scratch or poke the eyes.
Fortify Your Home
Lots of homeowners prefer to have a firearm on standby in case an intruder breaks into their house. If you don’t have a gun, the best way to defend yourself is to keep them from entering your home.
Start with your backyard. If you don’t have a fence and a gate, consider having them built. You may need permission from the homeowners association to build on your own property. If that’s not an option, just get rid of bushes and structures that intruders can use for hiding. Make sure plants and trees are always trimmed.
On the other hand, you can create anti-intruder landscaping. For example, plant rose bushes right under your windows to make it difficult for intruders to enter or even get near the windows.
Place LED floodlights in strategic spots outside your home particularly over the front and rear doors and windows. Install a home security system, as well. Some alarm systems can tell if someone or something is within the vicinity and automatically sends a warning to your phone. This should give you ample time to act and keep everyone safe. Use a dog in the absence of an alarm system. Better yet, have both. If you have the finances, why not go for any of these smart home security systems.
Lock all doors and windows always, especially at night and when you leave the house. Check the locks and replace them or add more if necessary.
Another way to defend yourself without using guns is to scare intruders away. Make them think it’s not worth their lives and limbs to break into your home. For more tips and tricks on how to fortify your home, check here.
What To Do When An Intruder Breaks Into Your Home
Call for Help
Really determined burglars may still find a way to get into your home. If this happens, you should stay calm and act quickly. Call 911 and then the neighbor, if you still have time. There is an option to send an alarm through your phone without the need to talk. This is important in cases where making a sound and attracting attention is out of the question.
Flight Over Fight
Stay in your room and lock the door as you assess the situation. Avoid the need to go out and check if there really is an intruder. Ideally, all your important and valuable stuff should be kept safe in your room so that whatever the burglar takes from your home will not hurt too much. Be ready to evacuate your home if it seems like the intruder is out to hurt you.
Panic Room
If you have a panic room, stay inside until the coast is clear. In the absence of a panic room, your bedroom should act like one. If there are other people in your home, designate a safe room. Everyone should gather there in case of a home invasion or burglary.
Fortify the door with additional locks. Make sure you lock them once everyone is inside. Stay inside the safe room, call the cops, and steer clear of the door in case the threat decides to shoot at it.
Fight
Your last option should be to duke it out with the intruder. Grab your hatchet, baseball bat, telescopic baton, or whatever weapon you have. Be ready to fight them off if they manage to enter. Stand in the corner on the opposite side of the door with your weapon in your hands. This gives you a slight advantage as you can see the intruder once he or she breaks in.
If the perpetrator is holding a gun, hit the arms first. Follow that up with a blow to the head. Once the intruder lets go of his weapon, your companions can join in.
A home invasion or burglary is one of the scariest things that could happen to anyone. However, panicking is never the answer. Stay calm and think of the many ways you can defend yourself without using guns. If you, dear reader, happen to know other tips for dealing with such a scenario, please help everyone out and share your knowledge. Visit The Gentleman Pirate for other important survival tips that you may find useful someday.
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