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ALTERNATIVES TO GUNS

Some alternatives to carrying a firearm. These may not be viable in the real world, I do not know for sure, I am not a security specialist.

Survive!
The number one goal in any dangerous situation is survival. If you have to be cowardly to survive, be cowardly! Heck, put your tail between your legs and make like a cheetah!

Unarmed selfdefense
There are dozens and dozens of martial arts out there in the real world. Many of them, if not all, provide decent methods for selfdefense. There are many different styles, both aggressive and nonagressive. There are also many non-martial art selfdefense courses that simply teach you to use the natural weaknesses of the body (one being the grab-twist-pull technique that is very useful on most men) to subdue or break away from a would-be attacker. Many of these courses require only a weekend or two of your time.

Diversionary tactics
In any persons surroundings there are usually many objects that can be used as a temporary diversion. An umbrella can be opened up in the face of an attacker and during the split second it takes for him/her to get over his/her surprise you could be halfway down the block looking for densely populated areas and help (bars, diners, main street etc.). Calling for help seldom works nowadays, but calling "fire!" will probably raise attention.

Combat psychology
"The only winning tactic is not to play." /Joshua; Wargames (motion picture)
Learn what kind of body movements work provoking on an aggressor. If a fight can be avoided by cooling things off using reasoning and body language then everybody wins in the long run. Some martial arts and selfdefense courses can teach you body language to a certain degree.

Non-lethal weapons
Mace (teargas), tazer(supplies the aggressor with a short burst of electricity) etc. can, and in most cases will, incapacitate an aggressor for a shorter or longer period of time. Time to make good your escape. Here you must be careful however because now suddenly you become dependent on something other than yourself. Are the batteries charged, and will a tazer charge penetrate through a thick leather jacket? Will you have time to take out your mace and what if there's no pressure in it? Remember, knives are not a good alternative, they can be just as lethal as a gun and they only work if you are good at handling them. Be also aware that some of these non-lethal weapons may be illegal where you live.

Self awareness
Practice selfdefense with friends and family so that the body becomes familiar with possible actions and reactions (it's not a good idea to do this with armed defense, your family might not find being maced a thrilling prospect for sunday afternoons). There is always the risk that you freeze in a crisis situation without ability to either defend yourself or run. Prepare yourself for this before it happens by thinking about possible situations and practicing them so that even if your brain won't know what to do, your body will. Prepare yourself not only physically but also mentally.

First-Aid
Learn basic First-Aid. You may find yourself in a situation where you not only can save your own life but others' as well.

Survive!
This one is so important that I feel I have to repeat it. Even if you are armed like a pirate and have skills like Mr. Miyagi there is absolutely no excuse for staying in a potentially dangerous situation when escape is possible. If you have a possibility to incapacitate a dangerous individual safely, do so, but don't risk your life because you 'might' be able to. There are better games in life than that.