less than lethal weapons?

I am looking into weapons and means for self-defense that would be considered less than lethal.
Sadly I do not know much about weapons, laws or how to use them effectively. I recall some of the users here either being trained in such usage or have weapons themselves.

(mind you I can't afford a gun if the Internet is right lol)

Any suggestions?

I find that a lemon, if thrown accurately, is a very effective weapon and yet at the same time, considerably less than lethal, especially if you aim away from the head.

There is no such thing as a non-lethal weapon. Any weapon, including a fork, can be lethal in the right hands

Are you thinking something along the lines of a taser or pepper spray? Or nunchucks and quarter staffs?

Originally Posted by lord-of-shadow

Are you thinking something along the lines of a taser or pepper spray? Or nunchucks and quarter staffs?

You bring nunchucks or a quarter staff to a fight and your dumb ass is going to get fucking murdered.

God, I hate kids on the internet.

I'd reccomend some sort of stun-gun or pepper spray. Both are street legal (mind you, some stun-guns are not) and will seriously fuck up a person's day.

Originally Posted by Beard Overflow

You bring nunchucks or a quarter staff to a fight and your dumb ass is going to get fucking murdered.

God, I hate kids on the internet.

Hah. I wasn't suggesting that he use any of these things, just trying to figure out what exactly he was talking about.

Although I'd assume that someone with a quarterstaff who has at least a basic understanding of how to swing a stick will win most fights. They're just a bit... unwieldy. Hard to conceal, that sort of thing.

Originally Posted by lord-of-shadow

Hah. I wasn't suggesting that he use any of these things, just trying to figure out what exactly he was talking about.

Although I'd assume that someone with a quarterstaff who has at least a basic understanding of how to swing a stick will win most fights. They're just a bit... unwieldy. Hard to conceal, that sort of thing.

You'd think so, but then you hit someone over the head with it and realise a pissed off bar brawler is way more frightening than a simply irritated bar brawler.

At which point you realise that what you should have hit him with is a pool ball in a sock, preferably from behind so he can't tell who did it after he gets up.

Also, hitting people with weapons tends to get you arrested, even if the other guy started it. Your best bet is learning how to take a punch and getting good at running away. Either that or hang out with harder people, that's a pretty effective self-defence tool.

Some states allow you to use lethal force, as long as it can be proven that the person you use it on was making a threat to your safety or life.

I suggest a stun gun or pepper spray. You can probably find some nice things on E-Bay, but you'd be smart to first research laws in your local area to make sure that what you're getting is legal where you live.

Personally, I just carry a knife on me when I leave my house. I figure that if someone's going to try something, that they're going to be close enough for me to stab them or at least TRY to defend myself.

Originally Posted by Beard Overflow

You bring nunchucks or a quarter staff to a fight and your dumb ass is going to get fucking murdered.

God, I hate kids on the internet.

oh yeah?

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Expandable batons are rather nice and legal in most area's. Fits in the pocket nicely doesn't require a whole hell of a lot of training and you can pick up a decent one for relatively cheap. Stun gun's not a bad idea either. I'd stay away from pepper spray's though. Most of the time both people catch some of it and some can just shake it off. Not really reliable or safe for you. Really as Zergrinch said though there's not really a truly non lethal weapon. just less lethal

Why do you expect to be needing one anyway?

Originally Posted by Lyth

Personally, I just carry a knife on me when I leave my house. I figure that if someone's going to try something, that they're going to be close enough for me to stab them or at least TRY to defend myself.

Idiot. Carrying a knife makes you more likely to be a victim of a stabbing. The majority of stab victims don't realise they've been in a knife fight until after it happens. Kinves are terrible defensive weapons and only really useful for stabbing someone before they know they're having a fight, unless you're some kind of trained fighter in which case you wouldn't need a knife to fight off some street thug. Also, if you swing a knife at someone and kill them, the fact that you're carrying a knife suggests premeditation, making you far more likely to go down for murder (In this country at least, I'm sure the US has some kind of "Constitutional right" to carry machetes in public just in case someone tries to nick your iPod). How many times have you actually had to brandish a knife to get out of a beating? Seriously, I'm interested to know because I might have it all wrong and you live in one of those parts of America where everyone apparently has to take an AK-47 to bed with them to stop looters and rapists having their way with a person's property and kin.

Carrying weapons in public is just stupid, no matter how you look at it. If someone's got close enough to you to stop you and mug you, they'll be close enough to stop you whipping out your pepper spray or tazer and if you're not carrying one they can't then use it on you for a laugh after they've done your wallet.

Originally Posted by Shin

Idiot. Carrying a knife makes you more likely to be a victim of a stabbing. The majority of stab victims don't realise they've been in a knife fight until after it happens. Kinves are terrible defensive weapons and only really useful for stabbing someone before they know they're having a fight, unless you're some kind of trained fighter in which case you wouldn't need a knife to fight off some street thug. Also, if you swing a knife at someone and kill them, the fact that you're carrying a knife suggests premeditation, making you far more likely to go down for murder (In this country at least, I'm sure the US has some kind of "Constitutional right" to carry machetes in public just in case someone tries to nick your iPod). How many times have you actually had to brandish a knife to get out of a beating? Seriously, I'm interested to know because I might have it all wrong and you live in one of those parts of America where everyone apparently has to take an AK-47 to bed with them to stop looters and rapists having their way with a person's property and kin.

Carrying weapons in public is just stupid, no matter how you look at it. If someone's got close enough to you to stop you and mug you, they'll be close enough to stop you whipping out your pepper spray or tazer and if you're not carrying one they can't then use it on you for a laugh after they've done your wallet.

Knives are pretty kosher here as long as you have you know like a normal pocket knife of the sort that would be appropriate for cutting boxes and such. If' you're carrying something clearly designed for combat only or something really exotic then you can expect some negative attention thrown your way. Still bad defense weapon either way. The laws are incredibly varied from state to state though so what fly's in one may get you jail time in another. Knifing someone is viewed very negatively even more so than shooting them as it's viewed as a criminals weapon in most places.

I must say you seem pretty damn down on pretty much any kind of weaponry. Even for a filthy brit.

Well knife crime is big news here at the moment and you can't move for tv documentaries and stuff about knives. As for general fighting, you can't run a pub without knowing how not to get hospitalised if it kicks off and the only sensible options are to have a lot of hard mates around at the time or try to contain the situation and call the police. I know a lot of people who've been in far more fights than me and the one thing they all say is that carrying weapons is a stupid idea. From para's and marines to aging mods and rockers gang fighters, everyone agrees that if you carry a weapon, at some point in your life someone will be using it on you. They also agree that hitting someone with a bottle is fine but stabbing someone with the broken end is a no-no and that you should never, ever stamp on someone's head as that's the point an assault charge becomes an attempted murder charge.

Originally Posted by Shin

Idiot. Carrying a knife makes you more likely to be a victim of a stabbing. The majority of stab victims don't realise they've been in a knife fight until after it happens. Kinves are terrible defensive weapons and only really useful for stabbing someone before they know they're having a fight, unless you're some kind of trained fighter in which case you wouldn't need a knife to fight off some street thug. Also, if you swing a knife at someone and kill them, the fact that you're carrying a knife suggests premeditation, making you far more likely to go down for murder (In this country at least, I'm sure the US has some kind of "Constitutional right" to carry machetes in public just in case someone tries to nick your iPod). How many times have you actually had to brandish a knife to get out of a beating? Seriously, I'm interested to know because I might have it all wrong and you live in one of those parts of America where everyone apparently has to take an AK-47 to bed with them to stop looters and rapists having their way with a person's property and kin.

Carrying weapons in public is just stupid, no matter how you look at it. If someone's got close enough to you to stop you and mug you, they'll be close enough to stop you whipping out your pepper spray or tazer and if you're not carrying one they can't then use it on you for a laugh after they've done your wallet.

My my, aren't we all high and mighty? Listen, just because you think it's a stupid idea, doesn't mean it is. I've been jumped more than once in my area, and after I started carrying my knife, I've felt a whole hell of a lot safer. At least I know that if someone or a group of people try attacking me, I can pull my knife out and get them once or twice with it, and possibly allow me to get up and run.

Originally Posted by Lyth

I've felt a whole hell of a lot safer.

You do realize there is a concrete difference between "feeling" safe and actually being safe, right

Originally Posted by Lyth

My my, aren't we all high and mighty? Listen, just because you think it's a stupid idea, doesn't mean it is. I've been jumped more than once in my area, and after I started carrying my knife, I've felt a whole hell of a lot safer. At least I know that if someone or a group of people try attacking me, I can pull my knife out and get them once or twice with it, and possibly allow me to get up and run.

Your nickname is Gorilla Tits. You seriously expect us to believe you can run for shit?

Originally Posted by Pangalin

You do realize there is a concrete difference between "feeling" safe and actually being safe, right

^