Non-Lethal Weapons I used to always think that carrying a safety and security devices was a sign of paranoia. Every time I would see someone with a non lethal weapon, whether it was a stun gun, maize, pepper spray, or a baton, I would assume that they were paranoid and though that people were out to get them. I grew up in a safe area, and the city that I lived in wasn't too bad. I just did not see the need for non lethal weapons. One of my friends changed my mind. He has been training in martial arts for about six years, So I was surprised to find out that he was once the target of an attack. That was before he began to carry non lethal weapons, and long before he began to train in martial arts. He was mugged and beaten – quite viciously in fact. He had no non lethal weapons on him at the time – not even pepper spray. He was in the hospital for about a week. Although his injuries were fairly minor and he did make a full recovery, it left him psychologically shaken. That is why he recommended that everyone carry a nonlethal weapon. The great thing about nonlethal weapons is that they provide you with an opportunity to get away. I was surprised to hear this from him, but my friend claims that escape is the best option if you are attacked. Almost any non lethal weapon – be it pepper spray or a stun gun – will provide enough shock and surprise to paralyze your attacker for a few moments. If you can spray the pepper spray in his or her eyes, he will be completely incapacitated for about half a minute. That is more than enough time for you to get away. For him, the non lethal weapons were not about paranoia. He knew that he could defend himself, and he lived in a very safe part of town. For him, carrying around non lethal weapons was about safety and peace of mind. He didn't ever expect to be attacked again, but it made him feel more comfortable to know that, were he ever ambushed, he would be able to effectively defend himself. He viewed the non lethal weapons as his first line of defense. Only if they failed would he have to use his martial arts. Thinking about it, I decided to get a non lethal weapon of my own. If non lethal weapons made sense for martial artists, they certainly made sense for weaklings like me! Summary Related Articles Best Pepper Spray Stun Guns Related Sites