The 6 best self-defense tools for women

Women generally belong to risk groups in terms of potential attacks. Let's leave aside the reasons for this unfortunate fact and instead look at the ways in which women can defend themselves against attackers. You can also find a large part of self-defense equipment in the Rigad offer.

Because we don't live in an ideal world, we have to resort to defensive means at times. Regardless of whether we are defending ourselves against an aggressive animal or a human attacker, we should always be prepared – so that we are not surprised by the attack, but to be able to defend ourselves effectively, if possible without unnecessary injuries on either side. This also applies to women who belong to risk groups. Unfortunately, some men are simply not gentlemen.

Learn self defense

Regardless of which of the following defenses you choose, you should first learn how to use it. Hard on the training ground, easy on the battlefield, this also applies to the area of personal defense. Practice at home, perhaps following videos from the Internet, but even better is to sign up for a self-defense course.

Of course, self-defense can also be practiced without tools, e.g. close combat with your bare hands, but if the attacker is armed, you should be armed as well. And to learn not only how to use tools, but how to use them purposefully, efficiently, without aggression, with a cool head and with a minimum of stress.

There are special self-defense programs that target women specifically. But the most important thing in this regard is prevention and caution. Avoiding risky places and situations will reduce the risk of having to use the real self-defense we all imagine.

This can take the form of, for example, martial arts. Krav Maga, jiu-jitsu, capoeira, karate or judo, these are all options to increase the probability that you will defeat the attacker. And then there are weapons and defenses, which we will talk about later, and the use of which is sometimes restricted by the local legislation of a given country.

There are also special self-defense programs that focus specifically on women.

Self-defense tools for women

1) Defense spray

Defense spray (sometimes also referred to as pepper spray) is one of the most effective self-defense methods for women. It is non-contact, you can use it at a distance of several meters, but most importantly it is non-lethal, which means that its goal is not to kill the attacker, but to disorient them and discourage the attack. We all know how it is with the law sometimes – you hurt the attacker and the whole situation can turn against you.

Defense sprays don't just have to look boring – they can be ergonomic and have a pink or turquoise color, for example. And the shape resembles, for example, lipstick, which increases inconspicuousness during a counterattack.

It is advisable to familiarize yourself with defense sprays in advance and learn how to use them so that you are not surprised at the most inopportune moment. Using defense sprays is intuitive, but under stress you can be paralyzed instead of the attacker. That's why it's a good idea to try such sprays in the training version, which instead of an irritant contains an inert and completely harmless substance.

Recommended product

Sabre Red® Compact defense spray with clip

€ 12,9In stock

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2) Tactical pen

A tactical pen is a self-defense tool that has the advantage of being completely inconspicuous. In short, it looks as a completely ordinary stationery. Make no mistake though. This is a strong and durable, but at the same time lightweight solution, with which you can hit the attacker in a weak spot (for example, in the elbow or knee) and thus knock them out of the game for some time. Again, in most cases you will only injure the person (though beware of strong blows to the head temples).

Such a tactical pen can be fitted with either a tactical nib or a kubotan-style rounding. And in most cases, you can also write with it (on the opposite side).

As with all other elements of self-defense, it is advisable to familiarize yourself with the tactical pen in advance and learn to work with it. It is ideal to use the moment of surprise, because if you take a pen out of your purse and go with it towards a man with a knife, he will probably think that you have fallen on your head and stop paying attention. But always choose a direct fight against an armed attacker as the last resort!

Tactical pens are often equipped with special accessories and tools, such as a flashlight, but also a crown for collecting DNA. Yes, even such a gadget, which we would rather expect in TV crime movies, can wait for its moment in your pocket.

Just for the sake of interest, let's mention another defensive tool, namely the umbrella. Although we offer it (so far) only in the version for gentlemen, a gentleman can lend it to a woman on the way home (when he can no longer or is unable to accompany her). This will provide her with another means of self-defense, which will be as inconspicuous as a tactical pen. Especially if it's raining outside (or rain was expected). Defensive umbrellas work on the principle of blunt force impact, but can still be used as an umbrella.

3) Signal whistle and personal alarms

And we have another category of defense equipment for women. The signal whistle is something that has probably never been banned in any country. So feel free to pack it in your handbag wherever you go. When you whistle at it in dark alleys or an evening park, you will probably be surprised by the power of the sound. Higher tens of decibels will guarantee that even the most hardened aggressor will be startled. Again, there is an element of surprise here, but this time it will make his ears ring.

In addition to scaring off an attacker quite reliably with a signal whistle, you can also call for help with it. The whistle can be heard hundreds of meters away, and if you still shout "help" into it, the attacker will lose the certainty that no one will attack back. For how small and compact the signal whistles are (they can be hung on keys, for example), they are very powerful and loud.

A special signaling tool does not have to be just a whistle of a classic shape and style, but also a version in the form of a defense spray. However, its active ingredient is not an irritant, but compressed air. Such a solution can effectively compete with classic signaling whistles. Its disadvantage is the limited number of presses, or uses. But then again, we assume that you won't have to use this method of self-defense that often, at least in Central European conditions.

A personal alarm can also take the form of a key fob with a button, something in the style of central car locking. In this case, it is not the air that works as the drive, but the battery. But it is with batteries that you need to pay attention to their condition, because they degrade very quickly, especially in freezing winter temperatures, and at the moment when you need the personal alarm the most, it can fail.

The Sabre Red^® Personal Alarm (defensive personal alarm) looks like an unobtrusive key fob.

4) Tactical flashlight

Although a tactical flashlight is not primarily a means of self-defense, it can become one if used correctly. For these purposes, manufacturers have added a strobe mode to many of their models, the purpose of which is to temporarily blind the attacker and thus scare them. At the same time, such lamps can also serve as a means of alerting those around you, thereby calling for help (similarly to a personal alarm or a whistle).

You can also use the tactical flashlight in combination with other means of defense – after all, you can combine any two (or three or more) self-defense tools. You can scare off the aggressor visually and soundly, and you can also pull out a defense spray and send a capsaicin charge between his eyes.

5) Telescopic baton

Even women can defend themselves with a telescopic baton, which can be hidden in a holster on a belt, in a backpack or in clothes and used only in the case of the greatest emergency.

Telescopic batons often have a psychological effect. Most attackers choose the path of least resistance for their victims, and if a woman who has something to defend herself gets in their way, they will often back away before a confrontation takes place. Which, unfortunately, is not always the rule (especially with attackers under the influence of alcohol or drugs).

Telescopic batons were created already during the Second World War, but the modern ones as we know them today came to the market thanks to the development of the ASP company in the 1980s. When not in use, the baton takes the form of a handle. The important thing is hidden inside. When threatened, just swing the baton sharply and it will expand and extend to about three times its original length. Its material is stiff enough for the aggressor to taste its own medicine and withdraw.

6) Knife

Even a classic knife can mainly have a psychological effect. We don't expect a woman walking out of a meeting with friends or the theater to carry a huge dagger with a fixed blade, but a folding knife fits in a pocket or purse. If you are going to a risky environment (for example, to the park alone in the evening), we recommend taking the knife out of your backpack or purse and hiding it as close to your hands as possible. Only then can its use be truly effective.

Fortunately, in our conditions you can carry knives practically without restrictions, which, of course, does not apply to some Western countries, such as Germany. In some countries, knives are limited by the length of the blade, in others, law enforcement officers are completely allergic to them. Let's appreciate the fact that our police and judges still use common sense and know that an unarmed good person is unlikely to defend themselves against an armed bad person.

What is not allowed in our country is a taser, which is allowed in some countries. In our country, it is perceived as a means of pacifying criminals by the police. Fortunately, even without a taser, you can defend yourself relatively well.

Defense spray is one of the most effective ways of self-defense for women. The Sabre Red^® Compact model with clip is small, compact and efficient.

In conclusion

Personal protective equipment is a relatively broad category, simply because it is needed. Sometimes life is not a walk in the park, and no matter how much we do to prevent an attack, sometimes we just can't prevent it in the end. That's why manufacturers keep coming up with new ways for their clients to defend themselves against attackers. If possible, so that you get out of it with healthy skin and the aggressor at least alive.

And if you found yourself in a dangerous situation and currently have nothing to defend yourself? Then use what you have on hand. A pretty decent "instrument of destruction" can be a bunch of keys or maybe a ring. You wouldn't believe how much it hurts when you try to pierce someone's nose with a ring (and sometimes you even succeed).

In the case of means of personal defense, of course, you must respect the legislation, but at the same time keep in mind that it is better to have some brush with the law, but survive, than the other way around. Some countries have stricter personal defense legislation, others less so, but Central Europe is still a relatively free region in this regard.

And finally, we wish you never to have to use your self-defense training or the tools described in this article. But just to be sure, go to the training and at least equip your purse with defense spray, a tactical pen or a personal alarm. We'll repeat ourselves, but it's better to be prepared than surprised.