best non firearms defense

Hmmm...I think cc on campus should be a no-brainer. More education is obviously needed in the general student population.
 
Most of the time, common sense prevails if there is a justified use of force for self-defense. Common sense should also be used when examining force options.

Here in Kalifornia, ironically, carrying batons, sticks, martial arts weapons, disguised knives, brass knuckles, etc, is a FELONY, whereas carrying a concealed handgun is usually treated as a MISDEMEANOR (it's a "wobbler" that can be charged as a felony, depending on circumstances).

So, you might as well carry a gun rather than that street gang crap if you're headed into harm's way...just don't get caught.

That's bad advice, though. The smart thing is to obey the law, because even if you end up defending yourself legitimately, you're on a slippery slope legally if you end up using a weapon that's not legal for you to own and/or carry.

I think for most people, the odds of getting into a legitimate self-defense situation are far outweighed by the chance of getting into trouble for possessing an illegal weapon.

Remember that a felony conviction will probably bar you from eventually being able to CCW legally (and, indeed, gun ownership).

Legal options include stun guns and pepper spray (if allowed in your jurisdiction): Hey, better than nothing, maybe. A small folding knife with a very sharp serrated edge (don't use it for anything else) would probably be an option.

Something small and hard you can hold in your hand (no, not THAT...). I mean, a kubotan or something. An umbrella, carried if it's raining, in the car or locker if it's not, would not be questioned. A cane, well, that's a stretch unless you're disabled somehow.

Remember, context is important. A baseball bat or golf club might be perfectly legal to own, but carried in an alley at 3am, be considered a felony offense.

Martial arts training is a great confidence builder, that, along with situational awareness, should get the average person through nearly all scenarios (along with a good pair of running shoes).

Certainly, improvised weapons are potentially useful. If you have some stick fighting, well, anything can be a stick (pool cue, bottle, rolled up magazine, uh, stick...).
 
what about?

Canes. Is it illegal to carry a cane anywhere? All wood stout heavy, depending on type. I have some realy nice ones that are not out of place on my evening constituional :)
A fellow in my neighborhood caries a bat while walking his dog. Looks out of place to me.
 
Judo chop.

Seriously, carry a legal size knife or if the size restriction is too much get a Swiss Army knife multi-tool which comes with a nice size blade. If pepper spay is legal, by all means.

You can also live off campus and keep your gun(s) home and get a CC permit if available in your state. I believe you can CC on public land/property outside the university property (thinking the university is inside a city/town).
 
Good old fashioned H2H. Take some classes, watch a bunch of bruce lee movies, or just hang out with some rough and rowdy folks and you'll learn all sorts of stuff really quick.
 
Gun Free Zones = Liberal created Predator Playgrounds. Increasing crime is a consistent "unintended consequence" of the liberal so called solution to violence.
 
Go biker style... I had a large bronze snap, my keys, a full set of roller chain repair links... (2 masterlinks, 2 inner and one outer link making a 4 or so inch string) and a 6 inch cresent wrench... would result in much "BFT" to a noggin!
Brent
 
I worked security on a large college before and now I work security for an inner city high school. I worked both unarmed. The college I was with the Public Safety division of the SUNY University Police Department. There were between 2 and 12 armed cops and another 70 officers that were unarmed. The best defense you really had was your radio. You could call for back up that would be there within a minute. If you had a serious emergency, armed help would come also. Aside from that, you just used common sense, kept your distance when in a dangerous situation and reported what you saw while waiting for help. Numbers was the best weapon we had. The college was a medical school with a level 1 trauma center hospital. We got in more than a few hairy situations. Everything from 5 related shootings arriving to the ER at once to a psychiatric patient refusing to take his meds and swinging on patients. I don't care how tough or crazy you are though, nobody is taking on me and a dozen guys who do this all the time. If I was really in a bad spot though, let's not kid ourselves, a bic pen will serve as an effective enough stabbing tool. The college and the high school I wear armor every day. Outside of work, the best non firearm weapons I ever had were 2 German Shepherds, Max and Kato. They're in Heaven now but I'd take them over a bat, club or knife any day. A gun will run out of ammo, Max will keep coming at you. Spray Kato with oc spray, see what that does for you. I have a Boxer pup named Punch that has the makings of a good guard dog. I'm surprised no onje else said dog.
 
Under the circumstances, a heavy 5-cell flashlight will work as well as a baton or bat; those would be considered weapons, where the flashlight would be a normal thing to carry at night. A plus is that the mere presence of a light may discourage an attack. Also, the light can blind an attacker or light up a scene the BG might not want illuminated. (Use a shock resistant bulb; it is better if you can batter in a skull without putting the light out.)

I have said this before, but someone who really feels the need to carry a gun will carry a gun (if he/she can get one at all) and damn all the laws, rules, and regulations.

But don't overlook perfectly ordinary objects that can be weapons. At times in certain places, I used to carry a rolled up copy of the old large-size Life magazine, a highly dangerous and deadly weapon, and not one likely to be banned on a college campus. A friend who works for the telephone company and has to go into some bad areas carries a 2-foot long piece of 200 pair. What is more natural than a piece of telephone cable carried by a telephone installer? But it is guaranteed to smash a skull or break an arm if used that way.

Jim
 
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I would just carry pepper spray and be done with it if you are on a college campus. Every girl I knew in college carried mace in their purse/book bag/on their keychain and none ever had a problem with the 'authorities'.
 
I carry 16oz. can of "Bear Spray" it is about 20X more powerful than "pepper spray" same material just more and stronger.I figure it will take out about 2-3 zombies with maybe non lethal means.
 
Pepper spray or bear spray. On a college campus especially remember your just trying to get away. I think you would get as expelled by spraying someone, tasering them, and smashing their head on the sidewalk as you would by shooting or stabbing them. Plus bear spray has got something like a 98 or 99 percent complete deterrent rating. I mean, cmon, they use it for bears.
 
+1 on the biker style. Carrying a ball peen hammer is legal everywhere and has tremendous stopping power.

I am 42 and have an artificial left hip which qualifies me to carry a nice stout hickory cane without question (evern through airport security). That is my non gun defense.

cheers,

--Dave
 
I noticed I was not real clear... All the stuff I mentioned were my "key chain" and totaled a good bit over a pound:cool:
It also had a 6 inch 4 strand rawhide lace braided fob for a fine handle!
Brent
 
leatherman wave? doesn't look very threatening, the two main blades can be opened with one hand (provided you're right handed), and its heavy enough to hit someone with :)
 
Outside of work, the best non firearm weapons I ever had were 2 German Shepherds, Max and Kato. They're in Heaven now but I'd take them over a bat, club or knife any day. A gun will run out of ammo, Max will keep coming at you. Spray Kato with oc spray, see what that does for you. I have a Boxer pup named Punch that has the makings of a good guard dog. I'm surprised no onje else said dog.

I agree, dogs are awesome but again, I really doubt there are too many college campuses that allow dogs to be brought to class by the students.

Did you ever spray Kato with OC (I hope not)? ;) I'd be suprised if it was not effective. In my experience of spraying both dogs and people with OC, it is far more effective on vicious dogs. Dogs have such a heightened sense of smell I can usually spray it several feet away from the dog itself and they'll stop in their tracks. Humans I basically have to hose down pretty good in the eyes and mouth for it to be effective. And remember folks, OC spray isn't instant. Be prepared for a couple seconds at least of no apparent effect. It's not like the movies where as soon as it hits their eyes they drop and scream (in my experience anyways).
 
No, I never sprayed him. Just exagerrating the point that he was fierce. I was attacked by 2 guys while walking him when I was just a boy. The pooch proved his worth. Even when 1 of the assailants hit him with a stick, he kept up the attack (the stick probably only wosened the situation for those 2). As a 15 year old boy, I was enraged myself and bad guys got their lumps that day. Yeah, even major college campuses will seldomly have a K9 unit. I said aside from work though.
 
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