Self-Defense For Women:

Dirty Tricks for Savvy Chicks:

By J. J. Luna

This publication is for informational purposes only and should not used as a substitute for legal or other professional advice. If
professional advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought to address the
particular circumstances involved.

© 2006 by Editorial de Las Islas LC.

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First edition: June 2006

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 1.

Your First Line of Defense

The final weapon is the brain. All else

is supplemental. — John Steinbeck

On May 23, 1972, 16-year-old Kathy Miller searched the classified ads in the
evening edition of the Seattle Times and came across an ad that read “Service Station
Help Wanted” and listed a local phone number. She thought it might be an ideal job for
her boyfriend, so the next morning she called the phone number in the ad. The man who
answered told her that she herself might like to take the job, to which she answered,
“Oh . . . you take girls?” Her mother, Mary, was in the next room listening. The account
that follows is from best-selling author Ann Rule’s book, The Want-Ad Killer (New
American Library, 1983):

[Mary] heard Kathy give her telephone number and address, and she frowned a
little. She would have preferred that Kathy not give out specific information to a
perfect stranger.
After about ten minutes, Kathy burst into the room. “Mom, he asked me all
those questions. He practically interviewed me right on the phone!”
“What kind of a job is it?”
“A job in a gas station. He’s going to pick me up in front of Sears after school
at two-thirty and take me out to the station to fill out an application.”
“Kathy, you don’t know anything about cars or pumping gas, and I don’t like
you meeting a stranger. That isn’t right. If you apply for a job, you should go
yourself to the place of business. It might be dangerous getting in a car with a man
you don’t know anything about.”

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 Kathy’s reaction was that of a typical teenager, “Mom, you don’t trust
anybody.”

Mary then told her daughter specifically that she was not to meet with this man, and
Kathy replied, “Okay. I won’t—but it sounds like it would be a good job.”

Nevertheless, Kathy let the man pick her up after school. Thirty days later, two 16-
year-old boys discovered her nude body in some brush on the Tulalip Indian Reservation
north of Everett, Washington.

A message for girls and young women

Do you think that you know more than your mom about whom to trust and whom not
to? If you have even the most minuscule doubt about a job offer, a new boyfriend, a
camping trip, a forthcoming party or whatever, get a second opinion! Talk to your mother
or father. Or, if you are unable or unwilling to do that, at least consult with someone age
30 or older. Do not ask any of your peers, who have no more experience in life than you
do.
If you pay close attention to what older person says, you just might save yourself
a mass of grief and heartache.

Marjorie French and the truck driver

A classic example of the power of fighting back—no matter what—comes from the
book HER WITS ABOUT HER: Self-Defense Success Stories by Women by Caignon and
Groves (Harper & Row, 1987). The incident described below occurred back in 1942,
during the transportation shortage in World War II. Marjorie French often caught rides
with other women but one day she took a chance on a truck driver. This is her account of
what happened.

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 Without any warning, he simply pulled off the road at some deserted stretch
of highway and stopped the truck. I said, “What are you doing?” He didn’t say
what he was doing, but it was clear.
I refused to get out, so this big burly guy lifted me bodily out of the truck and
took me fifty feet into the bushes. . . . I was screaming and hollering even though
there was nobody to hear. I knew he was going to rape me; that was perfectly
apparent. He got his pants down and tried to take my clothes off. I yelled, “Get
your hands off me and leave me alone!” I resisted in every possible way I knew
how. I kicked and screamed and hollered. By that time I was crying as well, but I
was also doing everything I knew physically to ward him off. He finally just said
it wasn’t worth the effort, and decided to hell with it. He was utterly disgusted
and nasty. He walked out to the truck, threw my suitcase out, and drove off.

Marjorie’s advice today is never to hitchhike, but in whatever situation you find
yourself, she says “fight back in any way you know how, whatever comes naturally to
you; just make your position unmistakably clear and have the determination to resist.”

I can’t say it any better than that.

What image do you project?

Muggers and rapists, when interviewed in prison, consistently agree that victims
often transmit their vulnerability. They insist that it takes them no more than 10 seconds
to size up potential victims, based upon their bodily movements. In his book, Never Be a
Victim, author Edward N. Ross suggests that you “walk with a purpose, at a steady pace,
back straight, head erect, and appear as if you know where you are going. Walk on the
side of the street that faces traffic, no matter where you are going.” (This is so that your
purse cannot be snatched by someone in a car that comes up behind you.) Should a
stranger attempt to stop you with a question, answer “Sorry but I’m late” and keep on
walking.

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How often are you truly aware?

Although both men and women should be constantly aware, women are the ones who
are in the greater danger. Let’s assume that you are a young mother who is heading out to
shop at the mall while the kids are in school. When you back out of the garage, do you
note other cars parked along the street? How many do you recognize as belonging to
your neighbors? As you blend into traffic, do your eyes flick back and forth between the
traffic ahead and your side view and rear-view mirrors? Can you identify at least the first
two vehicles behind you? Do they turn when you do? When you look for a parking
space, do you observe anyone standing or walking nearby? Is anyone watching you as
you take out your purse and lock your car? Is there anyone behind you as you enter the
mall?

Does it occur to you that on previous trips you have not been aware at all?

When you are home, you feel comfortable because you are in your natural habitat.
To a degree, you have a similar feeling when you are inside your car. The time when you
should not feel comfortable is when you walk to or from your vehicle. (That was why
John Hinckley, Jr. was waiting on the sidewalk near the bulletproof limousine outside the
Washington Hilton on the afternoon of March 30, 1981. Only at that point of transition
could he get close enough to cry out, “President Reagan! President Reagan!” and then
open fire when the president hesitated.)

From this moment onward, be especially aware when you leave your home for your
car, when you stop at a traffic light, when you park your car, and when you enter a
building. Above all, watch out for anything out of the ordinary.

The old bicycle ambush

Old or not, it still works. Suppose you are a single woman who works away from
home. You keep your Honda Civic in a closed garage. Your car keys are attached to a

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defensive weapon (of which more will be said later). When you enter your car each
morning, you lock the doors before triggering the garage door opener. In your purse is a
Beretta .380. A 115-decibel air horn is within easy reach and your fully charged cell
phone is clipped to the dash. Are you safe? Not necessarily.

Let’s assume your ex-boyfriend, the one you dumped when he started to get too
possessive, has just gotten back on the street after doing some time for his third DUI. He
knows you have a sophisticated alarm system. He knows you never answer the door
without knowing who’s out there. He knows you carry a handgun, have been trained in its
use, and that you have the mental attitude to kill without hesitation. He also knows that
you leave for work every morning at exactly 8:30.

What he does, therefore, is stuff a knife, handcuffs, and a roll of duct tape into a
small zipper bag, and take it with him as he pedals an old bike over to your address. He
arrives at 8:25 a.m., lays the bike in the center of your driveway, and then hides around
the corner of your house.

When you open your garage door and start backing out, one of two things will
happen. Either you will see the bicycle and stop, or else you will hit it. In either case,
will you open the door and get out, leaving your keys in the ignition and your purse on
the seat? If you do, you may be raped and then killed with your own gun.

Normally, of course, no one is going to target you, but I mention this because if ever
you suspect you are being stalked, you need to be aware of your surroundings every
minute of the day. If, therefore, you spot a bike out there some morning—or a tricycle, a
scooter, or some big plastic toy—think very carefully before you get out! Perhaps you
can drive around the obstacle, or perhaps right over it. In any case, stay alert and have a
plan.

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No garage for your car, no gun in your purse?

When I sent an e-mail to a friend and included the above example of an ambush, she
answered, “Jack, what about women who don’t have garages and don’t carry guns? Can’t
you add something for them, as well?”

Normally, of course, your main danger in life comes from being hit by a reckless or
drunken driver on the way to or from work. Nevertheless, it pays to make security a habit.
When you leave your apartment, have your keys in your hand, preferably attached to a
Kubotan (an aluminum cylinder about five inches long, with a key ring at one end.). Be
alert and aware as you approach your vehicle. Make it a habit to glance in the back seat to
make sure no one is hiding there. Then unlock the driver’s door, slip into the seat, and
immediately lock all the doors. This single act—keeping all doors locked until you reach
your destination—will give you more protection against carjackers than just carrying a
gun ever would.

Additional precautions for when you travel

• If you check into a hotel or motel late at night, leave your car right in front
while you check in. Then ask to have someone accompany you while you park
your car. The same applies if you are uneasy when it’s time to check out. An
ideal tip for this service is a crisp new $2 bill. (I like $2 bills because they are a
novelty that people remember. You can buy a stack of them around Christmas
time from any bank, because many customers order them for gifts.)
• When you are in for the night, it only takes a moment to brace a chair under the
knob on the door, or slip a wedge under the door. (Check the Internet for “Door
Stop Alarm.”)
• Never open your room door to anyone unless you know it to be the maid
coming to clean. If anyone says “maintenance,” or “delivery,” call the front
desk to verify the visit before you open the door.

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• Alternative lodging: In many areas you may be able to stay in a bed and
breakfast, perhaps one that is run by an elderly couple. One young woman had
an even better idea. She wrote, “I often stay at one of the many convents and
monasteries that offer lodging for ‘religious retreats.’ The rooms are typically
quiet, well-kept, and inexpensive. You don't have to be Catholic to use these
facilities—in fact, I am about the furthest from being a Catholic that you can
imagine!”
• If the law in your state allows it, tint all the windows other than the windshield.
Otherwise, at least pick up an old cowboy hat, preferably black and well-worn.
Park it on the passenger side of the dash, or on the ledge next to the back
window, to give the impression that you’re traveling with a man.
• In an extreme case, travel with an inflatable male. At one time, “Safe-T-Man” (a
life-size, simulated male that appeared to be 180 lbs. and 6 feet tall) was sold on
the Internet. A check on Google may bring up something similar, today. Figure
cost at $100 to $150, plus whatever clothing, hat and sunglasses you choose to
add to the unclothed figure. Or, an alternative might be to pick up a manikin, the
kind you see in department stores. Don’t use a fake passenger in the carpool
lane, however, as some traffic cops lack a sense of humor.

Safe-T-Man

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• When in heavy traffic, never allow yourself to get boxed in. Even when stopped
at a traffic light, leave a 3/4 car-length space ahead of you and keep an eye out
for a way to escape—perhaps an open lane next to you, or a sidewalk to your
right.
• Carry the bulk of your cash in a bra with removable demi-pads. Remove the
pads and slip the money inside the pockets. Depending upon your architecture,
you may even be able to carry your passport there. Alternative locations might
be inside shoulder pads, inside the lining of your coat, or in an old-fashioned
money belt.
• Never travel without a cell phone. If some man on the highway tries to flag you
down by tooting his horn and pointing to a tire as if it were going flat (a
common ruse), get out your cell phone and at least pretend to make a call. He
will think you are calling the police. (If for any reason you do not have a cell
phone with you, carry something that at least looks like one, and go through the
motions of making a call.)
• Avoid roadside rest stops—they are not safe places for women traveling alone.
If you need to pull over and sleep, do so at some place where others are around,
such as in the parking area for an upscale restaurant. Or, if all else fails, try a gas
station, but first go in to speak with the attendant. If he or she passes your
intuition test, ask for permission to park off to one side and sleep for a few
minutes. (Otherwise, buy some little item and then leave. Try the next station
down the road.)
• Dissuade unwanted attention. If you are on an airport shuttle bus or on a train or
subway, sit in the outside seat. Lay your belongings on the window seat. If you
are at a table in a bar or lounge, place your coat on the back of the seat opposite,
to make it look as if you have company. (True confession—I have an acute
dislike to sitting close to anyone I don’t know, so in addition to using the
aforementioned ruses, on the rare occasion when I go a movie, I take two coats.
One goes into the seat on the left, the other into the seat on the right. Works
every time.)

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Summary

With the exception of obtaining Safe-T-Man or a manikin, nothing suggested in

this section will cost you any serious money. Your first line of defense is, and always will
be, your brain. Use it wisely and well, especially when it comes to answering—or not
answering—a knock on your door. Do not overlook a single suggestion in the following
chapter. Any one of them may someday save you or your children from a brutal rape and
possible murder!

Suggested reading

Be Alert, Be Aware, Have a Plan, by Neal Rawls (The Lyons Press, 2002). Rawls, a
veteran police sergeant and a former director of security for a major corporation, shows
how to avoid being followed, how to prevent a mugging, how to avoid being carjacked,
and goes on to discuss natural disasters and acts of terrorism. This book makes an ideal
gift for those who travel on a regular basis.

DEFEND YOURSELF! Every Woman’s Guide to Safeguarding Her Life, by Matt

Thomas, Denise Loveday & Larry Strauss (Avon Books, 1995). Matt Thomas is the man
who founded the famous Model Mugging program (www. modelmugging.org) over 34
years ago. Although he is a world class martial artist, he says, “About ninety percent of
what the martial arts teach assumes a vertical position. How many women are raped
standing up?” This book, although no substitute for the actual model mugging program,
gives you some excellent pointers about how to break loose when you are pinned down
on the ground.

ATTITUDE: Commonsense Defense for Women, by Lisa Sliwa (Crown Publishers,

Inc., 1986). If you are young, live in a mega-city such as New York, and both drive a car
and ride the subways, read this book. Otherwise, it may be a bit much, but Lisa Evers
(which is now her name) was at one time a top fashion model for publications such as
Elle and Vogue. She went on to become a director of the Guardian Angels, well known

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for “patrolling” New York City subways, and is one tough and savvy chick. Lisa’s
specialty is to inflict pain quickly in order to make an escape, and she includes tips for
safety in parking lots, transit stations, shopping malls, pay phones, and ATMs. One of
these gems is from page 52: “You should convince yourself before a crime situation
occurs that you’ll fight the criminal, and be committed to battle regardless of the
consequences. This is the only attitude that’s going to make you win. If you wait to
decide whether to fight when the criminal accosts you, you’re greatly increasing your
chances of defeat.”

Street Sense for Women: How to Stay Safe in a Violent World, by Louis R. Mizell, Jr.
(The Berkley Publishing Group, 1993.) Although no longer in print, used copies are
available at Amazon .com for $.01 plus $3.49 shipping. Order this book today. Mizell
tells more scary stories and gives more good advice in a single chapter than any other
author gives in an entire book.

Safety and Security for Women Who Travel, by Sheila Swan and Peter Laufer (Travelers'
Tales Guides, 1998.) This book is primarily for women who travel to foreign lands, but
some tips, such as this one, are applicable anywhere: “Practice screaming before you
leave home. A healthy scream can scare an assailant, draw attention to your predicament,
and bring help.” [Note: If you live in an apartment with thin walls, alert the neighbors
beforehand or practice elsewhere!]

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 2.

How to Avoid Danger From a Stranger at the Door

The bell rings, or someone knocks. If you are a woman home alone, or home with
young children, how will you know whether or not to open that door?

If you already have my book How To Be Invisible, read the section on “ghost”
addresses again. Then apply the suggestions. From that time forward, you may as well
take down the mailbox and remove the number from the door because there will be no
more deliveries to this address. No mail, no UPS, no FedEx, no flowers, no pizzas, nada
en absoluto.

What about friends and relatives who may drop by? You could ask them to call
ahead, or you could give them a code to use in knocking, or they can identify themselves
on an intercom, or you can see them through a peephole or through a one-way mirrored
window near the door. Otherwise, do not answer the door.

I’m serious. More than 40,000 serious crimes could have been avoided just this past
year if no one had answered the door to a stranger. Burn that sentence into your brain:
More than 40,000 serious crimes could have been avoided just this past year if no one
had answered the door to a stranger.

One way that criminals gain entrance to apartments and homes is by falsely
passing themselves off as someone on the list below. Often they have uniforms to match.

• Handymen
• Maintenance men

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 • Meter readers
• Water or gas inspectors
• Carpet cleaners
• Survey takers
• UPS or FedEx employees
• Delivery personnel
• Mailmen
• Policemen

Yes, policemen, and these impersonations are among the worst. Any hooligan or thug
can get a fake badge and prepare bogus credentials.

Suppose someone bangs on your door and yells, “Open up, POLICE!” If you can
look outside and see uniformed officers and patrol cars with multiple aerials and door
signs that say POLICE or SHERIFF, then perhaps you may decide to open the door.
Otherwise, call 911! (Even if you do open the door, of course, you need not give them
permission to enter unless they show you a search warrant.)

Another danger to watch for is when you decide to sell something and you run a
classified ad.

“The Classified Ad Rapist”

One account in Louis R. Mizell’s book, Street Sense for Women, is about a man in
Florida who scanned the “For Sale” sections in the classified ads. He called the numbers
and whenever a woman answered, he made an appointment to stop by during the day,
hoping that the husband would be away at work at that time. Once in the house, he would
attack the woman, tie her up, rape her, and then burglarize the place. He allegedly
committed 55 rapes in this way, leaving nine of the women dead, before he was finally
caught.

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 This is not to say you should not run an ad if you wish to sell something from your
home. Do, however, make sure never to be alone when the caller arrives.

“Katy, bar the door!”

The above expression, according to Nancy Britt, editor of La Villa Newspaper in

Hot Springs Village, Arkansas, may come from “a traditional folk song, I believe
originally from Britain, in which a man and his wife, Katy, are having an argument and
settling the matter involves the person who speaks first being the loser. Since neither will
speak, neither will suggest that the other bar the door, which is then left unbarred for the
night. Miscreants come in the door during the night, have their way with the wife and
steal from them both.”

Whatever the origin of “Katy (or ‘Katie’), bar the door,” the moral is plain. You may
not be allowed to add any dead bolt locks to your rental property but you can certainly
bar the door to your apartment, or both the front, back, and/or side doors of your home.
When I was a kid, my father used a two-by-six to block the back door of his small
grocery store before he went home at night. The plank slid into iron brackets on either
side of the door, but there are easier ways to accomplish a similar purpose. Go to any
large hardware store and ask for something to brace your door. Or, if you go online, use
these words in your search: burglar bar, security bar, door brace or Door Jammer. Order
two: one for the entrance door and a second for the door into your bedroom.

Door Jammer

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 One of the items on the May 24, 2006 local TV news in Seattle was about a
young, attractive woman who lived alone in one of the suburbs north of the city. Late the
previous afternoon, it was reported that she suddenly heard loud bangs on her front door
as one or more persons tried to kick it in. Fortunately, this woman always kept the front
door barred with a door jammer. She raced back to the bedroom, grabbed her cell phone,
turned it on, and called 911. By the time she connected with an operator, she spotted three
young men coming around to her back door—a door she kept locked with a deadbolt. By
good fortune, a police car happened to be in the neighborhood and responded at once.
When the officer arrived and ran around to the back, he caught all three in the act of
attempting to break in through the back door.

Had her front door not been barred, how different do you think the results might
have been?

“May I use your telephone?”

Author Louis R. Mizell, Jr., mentioned earlier, is a former special agent and
intelligence officer with the U.S. Department of State who has conducted
counterterrorism operations in 87 countries, and he says that he personally knows of 90
cases where a man gained access by asking to use the telephone, then raped the girl or the
woman who let him in!

In Oregon, a nine-year-old girl and her younger sister were left alone in their
home for an hour while their mother went to a health club to
work out. The mother was gone only five minutes when a man
knocked at the door stating, “My car has broken down, may I
use your telephone?”

Before departing, the man pulled a gun, ordered the young

girls into a bathroom, and forced them to take their clothes off. Both girls were

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 sexually assaulted. When their mother arrived home 55 minutes later, she was
horrified to find the front door wide open, the telephone lines severed, and her two
weeping daughters huddled in the bathroom.

Just reading this again, and thinking of our own two daughters when they were
young, makes my blood run cold. You may not think it wise to share the above story
with your own young children, but do make sure they clearly understand that they are
never to open the door, never, never, never. (Even if a friend or relative stops by, answer
the door yourself, so that the children understand that they are never to do this on their
own.) Prepare them beforehand with practice sessions. You step outside, close the door,
and then ring the bell. The kids are behind the door but say nothing. You pound on the
door. No answer. Then (hoping the neighbors don’t hear you) you yell through the door
with demands like these:

• “Open the door, kids, your mom just had an accident out in the street!”
• “Hello! I just ran over a dog out here, was it yours?”
• “Help, help! I’ve just been in a terrible car accident and I need to call for an
ambulance!”
• “This is the police! Open this door NOW or we will smash our way in!”

Better yet, of course, is to never leave young children alone in the first place, but
it’s best to be prepared. In addition, it will help you (the adult) to remember not to open
the door to a stranger, either.

If something similar happens when you are home, with a request to use your
telephone, first look through the peephole or from an upstairs window. If all appears legit,
offer to make a call on their behalf. But do not open the door. (Some rapists have been
known to smear blood on their faces to make their “accidents” appear authentic!)

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A word about noise

If you decide to get a dog, note that size isn’t the main requirement. What matters
most is the bark, and some small dogs can really bark up a storm. Dogs, of course, may
not be allowed in your apartment building, but a good substitute for a real dog is an
electronic dog that can be purchased on the Internet. Do a search of Google using
electronic, dog, home, and security. In at least one case I know of, an apartment manager
tried to evict a tenant after hear her “dog” bark, and relented only when he was shown the
electronic animal.

Dog or no dog, I urge you to stop by any marine store, or go on the Internet to
pick up a marine air horn. Choose the one with the loudest decibel rating—at least 115
db. Prices will vary from $10 to $30. A blast from one of these will strike terror into the
heart of almost any intruder!

Worst case scenario

Beware the stalker who knows you and spends endless hours working out a plan
of attack. The single most deceptive attack I have ever run across occurred in New York
City on October 31, 2005 (Halloween). At about six p.m. that evening Peter Braunstein, a
well-known freelance journalist and writer, went to the Chelsea area of Manhattan and
entered an upscale apartment on West 24th Street. He was dressed as a New York City
fireman and the uniform was an authentic one, purchased on eBay. His target? A 34-
year-old career woman living alone. His first move was to set fire to a mixture of
chemicals that were inside two Dixie cups.
“Smoke filled the place,” wrote Samuel Maull in Newsday, “and the impostor
pounded on her door and shouted ‘Fire!’ He announced he was from the fire department
and awaited her response. When she opened the door, he pounced with a BB gun and a
chloroform-soaked cloth, pushing his way inside."
Once he had the stunned woman under his control, Braunstein gagged her, tied
her arms behind her, and bound her to her bed with duct tape. He then spent the entire

17
night tormenting and torturing her before finally leaving at seven the next morning.
(Eventually caught, he was sent to Bellevue on a suicide watch after he plunged a knife
into his neck. He now spends his days bullying fellow inmates, ogling female staff and
fondling himself in public.)

What would you have done, had this perverted creep pounded on your door?
Sometimes there are no easy answers.

Suggested reading

Protecting Your Life, Home, and Property, by Capt. Robert L. Snow (Plenum Press,
1995). Snow’s excellent book is based on interviews with detectives across the country
and with criminals themselves. He says that the police, when taking a burglary report, are
often told by the victims that the burglars must have “picked” the lock. This is almost
certainly a lie, he says, because in his long career as a police officer, he’s run across only
a single case where a burglar had actually picked a lock. (What really happens is that
victims leave a door or a window open but are afraid to admit it, for fear that their
insurance company will then not cover the loss.) Snow is one of the very few authors who
urge the reader to build a safe room in the home, and the only author—other than your
humble servant—to recommend calling 911 to report a fire rather than a break-in. (The
police may take half an hour to arrive, whereas the fire department will respond with all
possible speed.)

“This should be done only in desperate situations,” Snow warns, “but if you have
absolutely no doubt there’s an intruder who knows you’re in the home and is trying to get
in anyway, there’s a very good chance you will be raped, beaten, and/or murdered. . . . At
a time like this you can’t really worry about the legal niceties. There’s not much point in
being completely law-abiding if you’re dead.”

Secrets of a Superthief, by Jack MacLean (Berkley, 1983). This hard-to-find book should
never have gone out of print. MacLean, a professional criminal who netted 133 million

18
dollars in 2000 burglaries before going to jail, wrote this book in prison. What sets it off
from any other book on the subject is that he interviewed 300 other burglars while he was
inside. Each explained what he looked for when scouting out an area, and described
certain precautions by homeowners that would usually scare him off. When MacLean
describes how to “burglar-proof” your home, you will be surprised to learn that low-cost
psychological deterrents work better than many costly devices.

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 3.

Handguns versus Shotguns

I grew up in a home surrounded by guns. When I left home at age 17, one of the few
things I took with me was my Winchester lever-action .22 caliber rifle. I had little time
for dating while working my way through a few years at the University of Minnesota, but
when I did go out, it would be on a Saturday afternoon. When I’d collected enough empty
bottles and burned out light bulbs, I’d take some girl out to the banks of the Mississippi
and we’d settle down with my rifle and a box of ammunition. Many a happy hour passed
as we tossed bottles and bulbs into the river and then tried to sink them before they
floated away. (Note to U. of M. students: I don’t think you can do that anymore!)

Later, when I began to travel the state of Montana with large amounts of cash in my
pocket, I bought a Colt .32 semi-automatic and got a license to carry it from the Chief of
Police in Missoula, Montana. Happily, I never shot anyone, and before we moved to
Spain’s Canary Islands, the handgun had to be sold. (Generalissimo Franco prohibited
private citizens from owning a handgun of any kind.)

Handguns

On the pro side, handgun advocates quote story after story about how a revolver or a
semi-automatic saved someone from robbery, rape, or death. Those who argue against the
use of handguns also have their stories, equally compelling. Here’s one that I found
posted on author Paxton Quigley’s website, www.paxtonquigley.com.

“A dark figure jumped out at me from a closet door. I stiff-armed this aggressor,
pushing him into the wall, and placed my pistol against his chest. I did not fire—

20
 thank God—until I identified the target. He was a good friend of mine who has a
key to my home and who thought he would play a prank.”

Fortunately, this particular owner had received extensive training in the use of
firearms, which “probably saved me,” he says, “from a lot of time behind bars.” To
which I would add: a lifetime of guilt for having killed a good friend.

Most law enforcement officers do not recommend you carry a handgun. “If guns
were the answer to violent crime,” says Baltimore County Chief Neil Behan (quoted by
Helen Maxwell in her book, Home Safe Home), “we’d sell them at police stations.”
Interestingly, in 2004, it was claimed that among law enforcement officers shot to death
in the line of duty, one in every five was killed with his or her own gun.

If you own a handgun, you already know the name Massad Ayoob. For the rest of
you, Ayoob is the director of the Lethal Force Institute (www.ayoob.com) and a world-
renowned expert in the training of government and police agencies in self-defense and
firearms. If you carry or plan to carry a handgun, buy, read and study his classic book, IN
THE GRAVEST EXTREME: The Role of the Firearm in Personal Protection. On page
81, he refers to any who claim they have a right to carry a gun in these words:

“. . . the license to carry concealed, deadly weapons in public is not a right but a
privilege. To be worthy of this privilege, one must be both discreet and
competent with the weapon. The gun-carrying man who lacks either attribute is a
walking time bomb.”

Unfortunately, tens of thousands of people who are neither discreet nor competent
keep one or more handguns at home, some of which will be used by children accidentally
shooting children or by teens who kill themselves. If you do not yet own a firearm, but
are planning to buy one, give some serious thought to keeping a shotgun rather than a
handgun.

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Shotguns

An increasing number of you readers, especially in southern California, now build

your new homes with safe rooms, a.k.a. “panic” rooms—a place to hide if intruders
smash their way in. However, even though you have or plan to build a safe room, you
might still be fearful, especially if you are a woman either living alone or often left alone
by a traveling husband. If you are locked in your bedroom or in your secret room and
someone is trying to smash his way in, you can be assured that this is not some friend just
playing a prank. You may be just minutes away from being raped and killed and in such
a case a handgun might not prevent this. Even veteran police officers in the midst of
battle often miss at point blank range! Further, if the assailants are on drugs, they may not
even feel the hits. But what if you pull the trigger of a shotgun?

KA-BOOOOM!

Even if you miss on the first shot, the noise alone will strike the fear of God into the
most hardened of hearts. Add to this a 120-lumen barrel-mounted SureFire spotlight
(www.surefire.com, item 636FGA), and you may not have to fire a second time. I have
often wondered if a shotgun might have led to a different outcome in the following true
story.

A heartbreaking experience in Mexico

Virginia (not her real name) is a 23-year-old part-

time missionary who lives on a quiet back street in a simple
one-story house in Mexicali. (We learned about this case
from an old friend of ours who lives nearby and knows her
well.)

Just before midnight, the young woman woke to the

sound of breaking glass. Terrified, she rolled onto the floor

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and then under the bed. The first of the three masked men who climbed in through the
small window used a flashlight to search for the light switch. When the dim overhead
bulb came on, he dragged the screaming girl from under the bed and slammed a paper
bag over her head. After he took her virginity, he turned her over to his companions. The
men used her name, made a reference to her family, and challenged the God she served to
rescue her, which meant they knew beforehand who she was. Had Virginia snatched a 12
gauge shotgun from under her bed and had the guts to open fire, there would have been a
very different outcome, and this brings us to . . .

One reader’s choice

“A 12 gauge shotgun,” says one reader who is in a position to know, “is a great
home defense weapon. There are basically two types suitable for defense: pump and
autos. A pump shotgun is the most reliable, and can be operated as quickly as a semi-
auto after a little practice. I have two of the ‘Border Patrol’ shotguns sold by Wilson
Combat (www.wilsoncombat.com/s_borderpatrol.asp) that I like very much.”

Border Patrol

For those who prefer not to lay out $900 for a Border Patrol model, he suggests a
normal Remington 870 Express for about $300. “Have a competent gunsmith cut the
barrel down to 18 inches and install a magazine extension to increase the magazine
capacity up to 9 shells.”

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Summary

1. Do not purchase a firearm unless you are positive that, should the occasion arise,
you have the mental capacity to kill another person without a moment’s hesitation.
2. Do not consider carrying a handgun until you first take one or more professional
training courses, such as the ones at the highly-rated Thunder Ranch in Lakeview,
Oregon (www.thunderranchinc.com). Two other places I’ve heard of for gun
training are Jeff Cooper’s Gunsite in Arizona (gunsite.com), and Ayoob’s Lethal
Force Institute (ayoob.com).
3. Before you rush out to purchase any kind of a firearm, however, first seriously
consider the alternate weapons described in the section that follows.

Suggested reading

IN THE GRAVEST EXTREME: The Role of the Firearm in Personal Protection, by

Massad Ayoob (Police Bookshelf, 1980). Ayoob repeatedly states that it is better to
avoid situations where you would have to use a defensive firearm and he backs that up by
describing situations where you could be charged with various degrees of murder,
manslaughter, etc. For example, you’re walking down the street and someone insults you.
Ayoob explains that since you are carrying a firearm, it is your responsibility to avoid
having to use it, if possible. Therefore, avoid at all costs getting into an argument with
some punk because he called you a name, because the legal results will be devastating.
He describes in detail what your assailant's lawyer will try to do to you if you are
ignorant of your responsibility. It’s scary reading, but before you ever carry a concealed
weapon, read this book. Ayoob is also the author of The Truth About Self-Protection
(Police Bookshelf, 1983).

Not an Easy Target, by Paxton Quigley (Fireside, 1995). Although written for women,
especially those who carry guns, this small book includes some excellent tips on
awareness, applicable to people of either sex and to any age. “By becoming a good
observer,” says the author, “you can learn to quickly assess a situation and a person’s

24
behavior. If it seems threatening, you then choose a strategy that will allow you to escape
the situation unharmed.” Quigley covers security at home, on the highway, in the hotel,
and even while you’re out on the town. She is also the author of Armed & Female (St.
Martin’s Press, 1990, 1994).

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 4.

Alternate Weapons At Your Command

When suddenly attacked, the immediate effect will be what some say is an
“adrenaline dump” and others call “combat stress” or “survival stress.” Whatever its
name, this fear-induced shot of adrenaline may paralyze even those who have trained in
the martial arts since they were children.

“It takes years to master any martial art,” says Matt Thomas, the world class martial
artist who founded the first Model Mugging program over 34 years ago. “It can, in fact,
take several years just to learn a correct karate punch.”

“If you really want to learn the martial arts,” adds Massad Ayoob in The Truth About
Self-Protection, “you must understand that it will take hundreds or even thousands of
hours of hard work, strenuous calisthenics, bruised and pulled muscles.” And even then,
you may not be ready. He adds:

“It’s a standard joke among cons, cops, barfighters and other people who
know the hard world of the street, that a guy who knows how to take a punch and
loves the feeling of somebody else’s body breaking under his punch or kick, is
likely to wipe out any fancy-pants karate jock who starts doing pirouettes on the
street.”

What about weapons such as knives, scissors, or ice picks that can be carried in your
car or on your person? Well, first, you have to have the weapon ready and available when
you need it, and you seldom if ever know ahead of time about an impending attack. Can
you imagine fumbling with your glove box door, purse or even your coat pocket, trying to
get to your weapon while you are under the effects of an adrenaline dump? And even if

26
you have the weapon ready, unless you can disguise it, your attacker is going to
immediately know that you possess a weapon. You thus lose the all-important element of
surprise, one of the fundamental foundations of good self-defense.

So then, let’s talk about weapons that do not look like weapons and can be naturally
carried in your hand.

Don’t leave home without it?

I have friends who wouldn’t consider leaving home without carrying a ring of keys
attached to the end of an innocent-looking little gadget that originated in Japan. Here’s
the story behind it:
Back when I was in high school, a Japanese professor named Frank Matsuyama
toured the western United States introducing police officers to a new defensive tool that
he called the “Yawara stick.” This was simply a short piece of molded plastic that was
about the thickness of a broomstick and five and a half inches long. Matsuyama soon
proved that while easily concealed, his Yawara stick could break an attacker’s forearms,
ribs and even his skull.

Years later, Tak Kubota, also Japanese, downsized the original diameter of the
Yawara stick and produced a grooved aluminum rod of the same length but with a ring at
the end for keys. He called his derivative a “Kubotan” and it was an instant hit (pun
intended). Today, Kubotans are carried by literally millions of street-wise civilians
around the world. They are sold in martial arts stores, on Internet “self-defense” websites,
and can be ordered at Amazon.com for $4.95 plus shipping. Some suppliers offer a
choice of red, silver, blue or black. Most are made from solid aluminum stock, although
hardwood models are also available.

27
 Suppose you are heading for your car, Kubotan in hand. If suddenly assaulted,
there are two theories about how best to respond. According to Kubota, you should use
the Kubotan as a handle and slam the keys back and forth across the attacker’s eyes and
then jab the blunt end into his solar plexus. Other experts advise using the blunt end of
the Kubotan to make an upper thrust into the neck or face of the attacker. The advantage
of this method is that if you follow his chest on the upper stroke, he will not see it
coming. Whichever the method, the goal is a lightning-quick strike. If you can pull this
off in about 1.5 seconds, you should be able to break free and run.

At one time, Kubotans were legal for all forms of travel. In recent years, however,
they have been prohibited in many cities, certain buildings, and on all commercial airline
flights. The way around this may be to carry a small but unusually strong flashlight. If
your budget is tight, start out with a 5¾ -inch aluminum Mini Maglite, available at most
hardware stores for about $12. It has a hole at the back end to hold a key ring but if you
take a plane, keep the keys and the Maglite separate. (If asked at security if that’s a
“Kubotan,” remember: you have no idea what a “koo-bah-something” is, all you know is
that this is a handy flashlight!)

Note, however, that the Mini Maglite works better as a weapon than as a flashlight.
It takes two hands to turn the light on and the light itself is dim. The bulbs burn out
frequently, and they break if you drop the flashlight on a hard floor. Later, if you decide
to get serious about carrying a flashlight, step up to first class; order a pocket-sized
SureFire E2D Defender.

SureFire flashlights

SureFire E2D Defender

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 SureFire LLC, from Fountain Valley, California, produces high-intensity lights
for security companies, elite military units such as the U.S. Navy SEALs, Rangers,
Ravens, Recon and Delta, and are a particular favorite with police officers all over South
Africa. Here’s just one of the many stories—this one from British Columbia—on file at
SureFire headquarters.

While working as a security guard, I responded to an alarm at a school to find

a crook climbing onto the roof of the school after an unsuccessful attempt at
gaining entry by breaking a ground level window. I challenged the male using my
new 9N SureFire torch. He raised his hands to cover his eyes from the light and
fell 5 meters to the ground, breaking both arms. Security 1, crook 0. As a result of
this awesome display of light stopping power, several Victoria police now carry
their own SureFire lights.

SureFire makes a variety of flashlights, or “torches” as they are called in

Commonwealth countries, and the various models can be seen on the SureFire website,
www.SureFire.com. Some military units use the M6 Guardian, but I don’t recommend it
despite its 500 lumen-beam because it’s about eight inches long, weighs one pound, and
costs about $400. (One acquaintance of ours does have one, however. She keeps it by the
head of her bed at night.)

The model that serves as a Kubotan, however, is the E2D Defender ($105).
It’s less than five inches long, weighs only 3.2 ounces, and is seldom noticed when you
carry it in your hand. This powerful little package, with its 60-lumen beam, has sharp
scalloped edges at both ends, designed specifically for inflicting serious damage on any
attacker.

SureFire makes a similar model, the E2E Executive, ($95) that is the same as the
E2D except that it has a normal face cap and tail cap and thus does not have the
admittedly weapon-like look of the E2D. In theory, the E2E could be taken through
airport security, since (at this writing) flashlights are not on the prohibited list at

29
www.tsa.gov. Nevertheless, airport security personnel have the authority to confiscate
any item that they feel could be used as a weapon, so if it looks to them like a Kubotan
they will call it a Kubotan and there goes your expensive flashlight. (You could, of
course, put the flashlight in your checked luggage but I never recommend checking
anything.) So then, I stand by my recommendation of the E2D as the Surefire of choice,
with the sole exception of when you travel by air. If they do confiscate your Mini-
MagLite, at least you don’t lose much.

From left to right: Marine air horn; SureFire E2D Executive Defender;
Mini Maglite; Waldmann Honeycomb ball pen; Kubotan with keys attached

The single best legal, lethal weapon in the world!

This one, properly handled, is legal in every country in the world and at this writing
seems to be getting through airport security on every commercial airline except for

30
Israel’s El Al. Best of all, the older you are, the easier it is to have it with you. And
make no mistake: this everyday item, the one you see on most any street, can maim and
kill in less time that it takes to describe the action. I am talking about an innocuous-
appearing garden-variety object that contains no hidden sword, no hidden knife, no secret
firing chamber, no sharpened point, and no metallic additions of any kind. The object is a
wooden cane. Canes are specifically named as “permitted items” on the official list at
www.tsa.gov. (If, by the time you read this, airport screeners are starting to look askance
at canes, prepare in advance a plausible reason for carrying your cane. Remember, even
teens sprain their ankles. . . .)

One of the many canes available on the Internet. This one

is Cane Masters Cherry Wood, light in weight and
most attractive when finished with Tung oil.

Your cane must, however, be strong. That eliminates the $19.95 models at K-Mart
and Wal-Mart. Try CaneMasters in Lake Tahoe, California. The one I carry is their
normal model—no sharp points and no serrated edges. For the sake of appearance, I
added the $40 Tung oil finish. The only error was that CaneMasters burned their logo
into the front of the cane, a no-no for air travel. I filled it in and disguised the repair, but
if you order a similar cane, insist that it come without the far-too-well-known logo!

Shown here, from the CaneMasters website (canemasters.com) is an example of

how a young woman might use her cane when attacked from behind:

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 A few years ago, Gertie Goldberg (not her real name) was cruising slowly along
West Pender Street in downtown Vancouver, BC in her electric scooter. Gertie can walk
short distances with a cane so she keeps one with her on her scooter. Her purse was on
the floorboard of the scooter between her legs. A man suddenly came up behind her, hit
her on the side of the head, and reached down for the purse. Her report, according to The
Globe and Mail:

“I stood up, grabbed my cane and started pounding him,” she says, “all the
time screaming for help. None of the bystanders offered to help but I kept
whacking this guy with the cane and finally a man came out of a nearby store and
the attacker ran away. What I think surprised this thug is that he was caught
totally unaware when I hit him with my cane!”

It most cases, if money is the only object, just take the loss rather than run the risk of
serious injury. The above account does show, however, that if you do decide to do battle,
a strong hardwood cane can be used to your advantage. As far as I could learn, Gertie had
not had any formal training in the use of a cane. Perhaps that was just as well, because
had she caught his neck in the crook and applied the right leverage, she might have
accidentally killed him.

Would any young woman wish to carry a cane?

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 True, a young woman—especially if a student—might normally feel foolish
carrying a cane. “It will scare the boys away,” said one teen.
However, canes can be dressed up in pastel colors or even striped
like a candy cane, as shown at the right. Also, exotic models can be
ordered or custom made that are so interesting that instead of
driving the boys away, it will make for a great conversation piece.
In fact, one young lady who carries a cane with an imitation-ivory
serpent’s head says she sometimes meets new boys that way.

Then again, a girl who’s been having unwanted attention from young hoodlums at
school might want to scare the boys away. If so (assuming she has watched at least one
CaneMasters video and has practiced the moves), what better way to scare the boys than
to give a “demonstration” the next time some guy lays an unwanted hand on her?

Whether carried to drive boys away or to bring them in, why not get a few of your
friends together and all of you order canes? In addition to training together, who knows?
Perhaps you young ladies can start a new fad!

Seminars

Any lingering doubt that a cane can be a lethal weapon will be dismissed if you
watch any of the videos available from CaneMasters, P.O. Box 7301, Incline Village,
Nevada 89452. If you are determined to take some form of training for self-defense, then
you may wish to consider a four-hour course in the use of the cane. For information, go
to canemasters.com and click on “Seminars,” or call them at 775-831-9738.

Also, you might consider a course in the use of the Kubotan. The information gained
would apply as well to the use of flashlights, both SureFire and Mini Maglite. Grand
Master Tak Kubota offers a 90 minute course in Glendale, California for just $30, and
seminars are held elsewhere as well. If fact, you can even take a course in Glendale to

33
become an instructor. If this is something you might wish to investigate, go to
www.ikakarate.com, or call 818-541-1240.

A little-known weapon for travel by air

No matter what new restrictions may be put in place by the time you read this, you
should still be permitted to carry a stout German-made pen. The best self-defense pen
currently available is the Mont Blanc 'Meisterstuck' pen, shown below. Plan to pay about
$175 if you order from Amazon.com.

The one I carry is similar—a two-and-a-half ounce Waldmann Honeycomb Ball

Pen. Unfortunately, it is no longer available from Levenger (Levenger.com) but may be
available from time to time on eBay.com. Either of these pens—assuming you are trained
in the use of a Kubotan—can be a devastating weapon. They are heavy, strong, and the
pointed end makes them even more dangerous than the blunt end of a Kubotan.

Dirty Tricks for Savvy Chicks

Robin, a copy editor in Richmond, Virginia, sent me this note: “After reading the
advance copy of your report, I kept thinking about my 14-year-old daughter and her
friends. As a mom, I'd like to see more info for young women who won't carry a gun, a
cane, or a Kubotan.”

Here is my answer:

Whenever possible, do not allow your daughter walk alone. Even when she is
with her friends, tell her to steer clear of windowless vans. Rapists use them to hide
inside until the last moment. (Young girls have been snatched off the street in this way,

34
even when accompanied by others!) But above all, train your daughter to always, always,
be aware.

As for not carrying a Kubotan, she and her friends should at least watch a video of
how to use one, and practice the elementary moves. Substitutes for a Kubotan can include
a sudden attack with such everyday items as a bottle of water, a hairbrush, a soda can, or
a stainless steel ballpoint pen—dirty tricks, indeed! (In “The Bourne Supremacy,” Matt
Damon fights an assassin by grabbing a magazine off the table, rolling it up like a cone,
and jabbing him in the throat and eyes with the pointy end—a great example of using
materials at hand!)

And here’s another offbeat weapon: Go to www.selfdefenseproducts.com. Click

on “Keychains” and then look for Wild Kats (shown at the right).
They come in either blue or clear and sell for about $5 each when
two or more are ordered. Two fingers are inserted in the eye
holes, with the cat’s chin against the palm of the hand. The holes
are too small for most adults but are an ideal fit for young girls.

Do not be fooled into assuming these Kats are just toys.

They are serious defense weapons, made from an ultra-tough plastic material that is
extremely hard to break. If several girls join up to attack an assailant with these little
weapons, they may do serious damage indeed!
But do be warned:
Neither your daughter nor her friends should advertise the fact that Kats are
being carried. Otherwise, the word will get around and school officials may then prohibit
them. Also, why advertise that fact to possible bad guys? Rather—should an appropriate
occasion arise—, let the Wild Kats come as a bolt from the blue!

35
In conclusion

• For most of you readers, it will suffice to be aware of your surroundings, avoid
dangerous areas, and have the mental attitude that if it becomes necessary to fight,
you will fight, scream, kick, holler, punch and use any object at your disposal as a
weapon.
• For those of you who have both the time and the determination to train for a
thousand hours (as do some who study martial arts), I suggest you limit
yourselves to the cane and the Kubotan. Can you imagine the incredible
proficiency you will have, after putting in 500 hours on each? You might then be
able to open your own classroom, or travel the country giving demonstrations and
seminars!
• For you women who are college students, models, or live in a dangerous area, you
might look into taking a weekend course with Model Mugging. They hold classes
all over the U.S., and in some foreign lands, and normally accept women from 13
to 70. (In one case, however, they trained a woman aged 81!)

DO NOT SKIP THIS FINAL PARAGRAPH:

In view of the current trend of litigation, I must warn you readers that I disavow any
responsibility for whatever you may do, or whatever may happen, should you apply any
of the information in this report. Not only guns but such things as Kubotans, canes, pens,
and Wild Kats can result in serious injuries or death, especially when used without
adequate training. My own philosophy is to stay away from dangerous areas, to be
constantly aware of my surroundings, to hide when possible, to run like a gut-shot
antelope if a situation starts to deteriorate, but when all else fails, to fight like a wounded
bobcat with whatever is at hand.

36
Suggested reading:

A Girl’s Gotta Do What A Girl’s Gotta Do: The Ultimate Guide to Living Safe and
Smart, by Kathleen Baty, the “Safety Chick” (Rodale Books, 2003). Despite the many
negative reviews of this book posted at Amazon.com, Baty makes some good points
when she talks about how to stop an assailant dead in his tracks with your words, your
hands, or, if necessary, a few easy-to-use self-defense weapons. One reviewer at Amazon
got it right when he wrote, “I am a self-defense instructor and I recently bought this book
for my wife. Its advice is excellent and presented with humor and in a very accessible
manner . . . . In my classes I encounter highly intelligent, educated, professional women
who still jog alone at dusk wearing a Walkman. I have spoken to countless women who
own mace and keep it in their bedroom drawer where they will never get to it in time.
These women are not dumb, and this level of unpreparedness is not unique to females
either. It's just that we are not used to thinking about, ‘what would I do if...’ scenarios.…
This book makes you think about these things in a very non-threatening way.”

37