We live in a dangerous world. Some believe that we make it more dangerous by arming ourselves. However, it really is all in the way that you look at it as to whether or not you are putting yourself in more danger with armed self defense.

Armed self-defense is self-defense that is performed with the use of a weapon. A weapon can be numerous things, such as a gun, a knife, pepper spray, a taser, a stick, a cane, an umbrella, or even a rock. It is anything that you can get a hold of that can cause injury to someone who is attacking you.

Who has the most advantage? A person with a gun or a knife? You might think the person with the gun has the most advantage, since using a knife would generally require you to be close to your attacker, putting you in more danger.

However, this is not necessarily true. If you have a gun that you are not willing to shoot another human being with, and your attacker has a knife, which he is perfectly willing to use to hurt you - the attacker has the advantage of both the knife (he can harm you with it) and the gun (he can take it away from you).

The best self-defense weapons, however, are those that are not as obvious as a gun, knife, taser, etc. For example, a cane - whether needed for walking or not makes an excellent weapon. An umbrella with a sharp point on the end also makes a good weapon, as does a spiked high heel shoe or a very heavy purse that can be used for bashing.

As you can see, you can be adequately "armed" without being "armed" at all. You need a license to carry a gun, and carrying a knife that could do any real damage is illegal in most states. Wearing spiked heels and carrying a purse and umbrella, however, is legal in all states!

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Many people are not aware of the purpose of self defense. You may think that the purpose of self defense is to take the bad guy out. This isn't so. It is the job of trained law enforcement to take the bad guys out and it is your job to get away from the bad guy.

You may have considered taking a martial arts class for the purpose of self defense. This is not the way to learn self defense, even though most of the moves learned in martial arts could be used for self defense. Since the purpose of self defense is actually to get away from the attacker, a self defense class that teaches you techniques to do that very thing would be more appropriate.

Furthermore, learning martial arts can take years. Learning self defense techniques can take as little as a few hours. Of course, you will need to practice the techniques to make them more effective, but you can seriously know what to do to defend yourself in a matter of hours.

The purpose of self defense is not to be a hero. When you try to be a hero, you put yourself, and possibly others at risk. Obviously, we all strive to help our fellow man, but there is a right way, and a wrong way. You learn self-defense. Please leave the hero work to those who have signed on to be heroes, ie. the law enforcement people!

The purpose of self defense is not to kill your attacker. The purpose is not even to render him unconscious. The purpose is to slow him down, to distract him, and to get away from him. In self defense, you will learn to get away at the first possible opportunity and to create that opportunity if necessary.

Always remember that the purpose of self defense is to get away from your attacker and to get to a safe place!

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Little do we realize just how much psychology plays into self defense. When we think in terms of self-defense, we often think in terms of physical self defense. There are, however, also psychological self-defense techniques that you can use to protect yourself.

When hostage negotiators work with criminals who take hostages, all of the dialogue that takes place on the part of the negotiator has a psychological impact. You can use these same techniques when you find yourself in a situation that calls for self defense.

First, make eye contact. When you look people in the eye, they are less likely to attack you. Attackers prefer those who are not looking at them - those who can be surprised and they also prefer to attack people who cannot possibly identify them later on.

If you feel like someone is following you or watching you, smile and wave at someone else who appears trustworthy. Walk up to that person and start talking to them. It is okay to let them know that you felt you were in danger. Most people, believe it or not, are essentially good, and will do what they can to help you get out of a bad situation.

Talk to your attacker. Let them know that you are a real human being. You have to gauge the situation, and the person, for yourself, as each attack, and each attacker is different. You may easily determine that screaming and fighting will scare your attacker off. Then again, you may determine that talking calmly to your attacker, in a nonthreatening manner, is more efficient.

In most cases, an attacker has a reason to attack. He plans to gain something from it. As long as what he wants does not involve you personally, try to give him what he wants as quickly as possible, as far away from you as possible. For example, if the attacker wants your wallet, hand it to him, or toss it away from you. If he wants your car, toss your keys away from you.

Finally, never allow yourself to look the part of a victim. If you look vulnerable, you are. Walk with your head held up, and take in your surroundings. Always look like you have a specific destination in mind. Use positive body language that says that you are in control of your person, as well as the situations around you.

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