Most of us who live in a big city have a certain amount of fear of being attacked.  Every day when we watch the news there appears to be some report of someone being mugged, stabbed or shot.  It's very scary to see these images and as a result many people are looking for self defense techniques and products.

First of all you need to try and keep away from situations where you might be attacked.  There are many common sense tips that you can follow.  Don't go out late at night on your own and if you see anyone you feel is acting suspicious and is making you feel uncomfortable then you should try and get away from them.

If someone is demanding you hand over your wallet, cell phone or anything else like that you should simply give it to them.  Fifty bucks isn't worth risking your life over.  So many people put up a fight and end up losing their life.  It's not just you that suffers but also your friends and family.

If you are being attacked by someone with a gun and you see that the trigger is about to be pulled then this is the occasion where you should act.  Basically you will put your hands up in the air as if to say “I surrender” then you hit their hand away from their body.  Be ready to hear the gun fire.  There are different techniques you can use after that such as kicking the attacker in the groin, knee and punching then in the neck.

Some people feel that the best way to protect themselves is with a gun however there are major problems with this.  Firstly, the weapon could be used against you in a tussle.  Also, you might accidentally kill an innocent bystander.  Remember when you shoot someone, the bullet will normally go straight through them and could end up killing someone in the process.

There are other self-defense weapons that are designed  to hurt rather than kill.  These are probably better options however they are not legal everywhere so you need to research the laws where you live.

Pepper Sprays - These contain oleoresin capsicum which is great at disabling an attacker for about twenty minutes or so.  If you spray into the eyes the attacker will feel as if their eyes are on fire.  It's certainly not a pleasant experience but won't cause any lasting damage.

Tasers and Stun Guns - Both of these devices are designed to put out electricity that will allow you to get away from your attacker.  They are very similar products however there are some major differences.  Some people will say that a taser is best because you can use it at a distance but with a stun gun you need to have direct contact.  However tasers are a bit bigger and more difficult to conceal than a stun gun plus they are more expensive.

Martial Arts - A lot of people take up a variety of different martial arts in hope that it will help allow them to defend themselves.  The problem is that martial arts have been created for the purpose of sport rather than self-defense so isn't perfect.  Although you should look at doing mixed martial arts which includes Muay Tha, Tea Kwondo and Jujitsu.

Finding the best way to defend yourself against an attacker is not something you should rush into.  There are many pitfalls with each method and there is no one best solution.  You could get into a lot of trouble if you try and defend yourself with a weapon you don't understand how to use.

Unfortunately, these days it seems that everyone is scared to go onto the streets in fear of being attacked.  This has led to the increase in knife and gun crime.  If you want to learn how you can protect yourself whilst out and about but don't want to carry anything that will cause someone to die, then you should look at the options you have in terms of pepper spray.

Pepper spray can be used if you're being attacked such as having your handbag or car stolen.  Basically, if you spray into the offenders eyes, they will be really debilitated due to the fact that their nose, throat and mouth will have the mucous membranes greatly irritated.  Also, their eyes will feel like they have been set on fire.  The good thing is that these effects will last for about 20 minutes which gives you plenty of time to get away but won't cause any lasting damage.

Pepper Spray Gun

These look basically just like a regular gun except they use spray pepper rather than bullets.  There is a Police Magnum OC Mace Pepper Gun that you can buy that has been designed to work no matter what angle you fire it - this means you can even use it upside down.  This is a great feature for when you are in a struggle and have perhaps been knocked to the floor.  It can even work from 25 feet which is great if an attacker is coming towards you.  If your aim isn't very good, there is even a trigger activated LED light.

Lipstick Pepper Spray

As you might have guessed, this one is specifically designed with women in mind.  The idea is that it looks exactly like a lipstick that just about every woman keeps in her handbag.  Because of this, there shouldn't be any suspicions when a man sees it, giving the woman more time to bring it into play.

Bear Pepper Spray

Now, this is used for the bear-variety of attacker rather than the human variety.  If you are an outdoors sort of person and like to go hiking and camping in the mountains, you may well encounter a bear.  Most of the time they won't be too much of a problem however they are very much attracted to the food you are eating.  This means you need to have a way of scaring the bear off and the one of the best ways to do this is to use pepper spray.  Of course, it should only be a last resort and you must allow the bear time to leave on its own. 

You need to understand that pepper spray for humans and pepper spray for bears aren't the same thing.  You need to look for one that has the The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mark on it.  This will mean that the amount of oleoresin capsicum (OC) in the spray will be no more than 2%. The spray also needs to work at a distance of 25 feet and the spray should last for at least 6 seconds.

Please remember, that it's only a last resort and when you do use it, spray it downwards.  This will create a "wall" of pepper spray that hopefully will be enough for the bear to make a hasty retreat.

Hot Pepper Wax Spray

Another pepper spray for the non-human pest is the hot pepper wax spray designed for gardeners who want to keep rabbits and squirrels out of their gardens.  If you have plants that are constantly being eaten then you just spray it onto the plants and hopefully the taste will be so awful that the animal won't come back for a second helping.  Just make sure you don't apply it to the plants when it's windy, raining, humid or extremely hot.

Please note that pepper sprays aren't legal in every country around the globe so make sure you understand the law where you live.  Some states in America say that you can use pepper spray if you have a license to do so whilst other states allow OC pepper spray as long as it's below a certain level of concentration.  Do your research before you buy.