The Self Defence Survey

[Rook]

Gun regulation has become a recurring topic on the forum, so I decided to see how many forum members actually do own guns.

By estimate I would guess not many, but I may be proved wrong.
The options in the poll concern to what extent forum members have gone to protect themselves from possible physical dangers.


EDIT: Defence -> Defense.

 

[Deleted member 1424]

I've considered purchasing a gun, because so many crazy-eyed, redneck, aggressive, fuckwits walk around in public openly displaying guns and looking like they want to start a fight so they have an excuse to shoot someone. If you openly carry a gun into a grocery store, or a campus, or wherever, you are an asshole.

However more guns isn't a solution to existing guns... Plus if you own a gun, statistically, you're much more likely to kill yourself than someone else. Everybody has bad days, and while I think suicide should be an option from some people, it shouldn't be that easy to do on impulse.


I have also considered getting a large dog for multiple reasons, one being defense; since I'm fairly nocturnal and unintimidating.

 

[Cognisant]

Drone with ADS emitter, it uses intense focused radio waves on a frequency that resonates water molecules in or just under the surface of your skin, so it's basically a pain ray.
Completely non-lethal and dosen't leave a mark

Or I could just use a taser, could even make a little shoulder mounted thing that pops up and fires at everything within range that's moving and/or has a thermal signature within a tenth of a second, beats the hell out of martial arts.

There's also blindingly bright LED torches on the market, one of those and a fold out baton will quickly settle a fist/knife fight, or if someone has a gun I could use the shoulder mounted thing again with an IR camera and some IR LEDs so it can identify your eyes and fry your retinas with a laser, again within a tenth of a second.

Edit: Here's the thing about guns, if you're carrying one and I'm not then I get to fuck you up until you're blind, deaf, crippled and pissing yourself but legally it's still self defence.

 

[Ex-User (9086)]

I would maybe remotely consider a long range rifle for entertainment purposes, if I had a ranch of some sort with a practice range.

Other than that I wouldn't take it outside of my house and it has a really limited use.
I would prefer a bodyguard with a gun, rather than carry it myself, but then again, I could use a bodyguard with a taser, why would I have to kill people.

Guns are really limited and can be used against oneself in many cases in close combat. Close combat are the only general scenarios I would have to deal with guns, either in a burglary, robbery, kidnapping, I would prefer to use my fists or blades efficiently then.

The practical kind of self defence I could need for the future are personal shield generators, now this is useful.

 

[Red myst]

Other that a few altercations in elementary school, I have not been in a situation where I have had to defend myself. Perhaps being "a social" is a big part of it. I keep to myself and don't draw attention to myself. I don't extrovert that I have anything of value. I don't want the responsibility of owning an animal, I have always lived in low crime areas. Some places I have lived did have alarm systems, but I found them to be more of a nuisance. I have taken some martial arts as a teen, but far out of practice now. There is a gun show 3 times a year about 4 blocks away from my house. I may go and get a gun or two. But I say that every year and never go. I bought pepper spray before for my wife, but it went off in her purse one time and that was the end of that. I basically will use what ever is available when ever the time comes. And if my environment or circumstances change I will adapt for them

 

[Pyropyro]

I know martial arts but I believe the best defense is still your mind. Avoiding where crazy people hang out and improving one's diplomatic skills is much better than the ability to kick ass.

I'm neutral when it comes to guns. It is quite convenient to have one at your side. However, it is best that you know how to use less questionable objects for self-defense. I think car or home keys can be useful for self-defense.

 

[Variform]

Guns are strange things.
My brother used to get books from the library showing many guns and their stats. So at an early age I knew a lot about them. I would look at them like you would at nice cars. I like this model, because it looked nice.

It is for that reason I bought an illegal gun in school from a classmate. Just interest, something to look at.

It was not real, just a very fancy type of weapon that looked real. I shot it at the shrink in training one day in a desperate loathsome act of impulse breakthrough on Paxil. The police obviously took it and I handed in the ammo later, just the 10 blanks I had left.

That was my gun ownership career. I got a criminal record and on it there should be something in the category of illegal gun possession or something and also things in the line of firing an illegal weapon and some more stuff like it.

I believe that these records don't expire. So I cannot own a gun again. And I am not sure I ever want to. We don't need weapons in Europe. And certainly not in my country.

Not for self-defense, not for anything. Somepoeple have a license for self-protection, but that is a rare occasion when you work with load sof money. Such licenses are rare. More normal gun licenses can be gotten but it is hard. There are many restrictions on weapons, storage and you need to be in a gun club.

But I always had a thing for aiming sports. I like darts too. But I sometimes think about joining an archery club. I love bows. There is something about them, but mostly I like the skill of aiming at a target and hitting it.

I did a bit of Judo for self defense in grade school. But the sports place went bankrupt and the owner stole the cash and fled to Suriname.

So I did very little but it did boost my confidence. If the sport school hadn't gone sour, I might have continued to black belt. Maybe that would have shaped my life and boost my confidence. Hell. It is a strange thought. If only....

I don't know what to think. On one hand I wann be able to own weapons more freely, like in the usa. But on the other hand I don't want 'american situations' here, as we call it. I like guns to protect against dictatorship. But when I see the usa and the gun ownership rates, I see that won't help. Since america is a totalitarian dictatorship in many ways, attacking the sovereign nations of the world when they feel like it, it seems that the argument 'to defend against the government' by people, from the NRA or not, is hollow. Or maybe they like their foreign policies.

 

[Grayman]

I've considered purchasing a gun, because so many crazy-eyed, redneck, aggressive, fuckwits walk around in public openly displaying guns and looking like they want to start a fight so they have an excuse to shoot someone. If you openly carry a gun into a grocery store, or a campus, or wherever, you are an asshole.

Children don't like thier toys being threatened or taken away and will likely act out.

 

[kris]

I mow down villains with stinging insults and cutting insights into their insecurities and character flaws.

Either that or I've just had good fortune to not encounter all that much violent trouble in life.

 

[Cognisant]

Stop selling ammunition.

People with guns will still have guns and enthusiasts will make ammunition themselves but psychos won't be able to go down to Kmart and buy it, they'll have to buy it off the people who make it privately which means they'll have to know them and I doubt anyone would sell whatishisname four hundred rounds of ammunition if they knew him.

It's not a complete solution but it's a step in the right direction.

 

[Deleted member 1424]

Children don't like thier toys being threatened or taken away and will likely act out.

Clearly the solution is to give all actual children guns.

 

[Jennywocky]

My Self-Defense: Preventative measures / Avoidance of risk

Clearly the solution is to give all actual children guns.

That works.

In fact, I bet they'll take down the adults first, after all the practice the kids are getting on those 1st person shooters (well, if they survive the recoil).

 

[Cavallier]

I suppose whatever I happen to have around me counts as "Other Weapons"?

 

[BrainVessel]

I have a 22mm. It was a gift. I wouldn't have bought it, but I keep it by my bed and with me in the car for precautionary reasons since I have it.

 

[DaviPop]

I've been tempted to buy a gun but I'm broke as a joke. So right now I have two knives, one under my bed and one I keep on my person when I go out at night. I also have a flail I made from a truck-chain and hook that's pretty nasty but I more keep it around because I think it's cool in a Max Max kinda way. I've also got mace that I carry with me and I've even made an apparatus to spray LACE (Lycergic Acid Crypto-Ethelene) which is a concoction of LSD and DMSO that I've heard hippies used as a form of weaponized LSD in the 60's but I'm not sure if it would actually work but I almost wish someone would step to me so I could try it out

I actually used to be fairly anti-guns and weapons in general, then I got mugged. As a queer person who presents outside of the gender norm sometimes and as someone with a handful of trans friends I actually think everyone who is not "passing" as a cisgender person should carry some kind of weapon to help defend themselves against random acts of hate violence.

 

[Cavallier]

I have lived in a few dangerous places (dangerous for various reasons) but I've never felt like I needed a gun to protect myself. I don't want to escalate an already bad situation with a gun. I am female and not super beefy. According to most gender and societal norms I should carry a healthy amount of fear around with me and yet I've never been in a position that I looked back on and thought, "It would have been helpful to have a gun". I've always been able to punch, kick, bite, or claw my way to safety. If I had a gun in one of those situations and shot someone I would have been in even more trouble then when I escaped by merely beating the shit out of my attacker. If I had ever killed someone? I'm not sure I want to know what that feels like.

 

[DaviPop]

That's a fair argument but at the same time hate violence tends to be carried out with excessive measures and law enforcement/passerby tend to not be sympathetic towards gender non-normatives if they're not engaging in the hate violence themselves. There are some situations you just can't bite and scratch your way out of and with the legacy of Brandon Tina and "John Doe trans-woman sex worker throat cut and stuffed under a mattress in a seedy motel room" (note that on your death certificate they won't even label you as your proper gender) you are very aware that sometimes it's them or you.

Ammo's cheap. My life isn't.

 

[Cavallier]

^You have a valid point. I have not lived anywhere that women were particularly hated. Perhaps I would feel different traveling alone at night in the darker parts of India or certain areas of the Middle East.

Hate is a horrible thing and passive acquiecensc is even worse.

 

[Deleted member 1424]

I have a 22mm. It was a gift. I wouldn't have bought it, but I keep it by my bed and with me in the car for precautionary reasons since I have it.

You're not afraid of being shot by a nervous, shoot-first type, cop if pulled over?

 

[DaviPop]

Well I was talking specifically about transgender/genderqueer people both male and female. In the United States the transgender population experiences the highest rate of hate-violence, particularly trans-women.

 

[Jennywocky]

Well I was talking specifically about transgender/genderqueer people both male and female. In the United States the transgender population experiences the highest rate of hate-violence, particularly trans-women.

Yeah, I think if you're outside the visual gendernorm, it's very easy for the haters to fixate on you. Homophobic/Transphobic blur together here. (usually it's these guys who categorize the transfemale as a man, and thus "he" is trying to seduce him and so he physically abuses as a response.)

Pretty much on the annual Trans Day of Remembrance (remembering trans victims of hate crime) in the US at least, it's almost all transwomen of color. And those are only the known cases, there are likely more incidents of violence that either are ambiguous related or where the person survives.

 

[Duxwing]

I have a 22mm. It was a gift. I wouldn't have bought it, but I keep it by my bed and with me in the car for precautionary reasons since I have it.

I think you mean 22 caliber: a 22mm is an autocannon.

-Duxwing

 

[Base groove]

I hear Duxwing carries around a 22mm which he uses for self-defense.

 

[Pyropyro]

I hear Duxwing carries around a 22mm which he uses for self-defense.

How I imagined Dux:

[bimgx=200]http://th05.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2012/103/e/e/imperial_guard_by_toxic_hippy-d4w01al.jpg[/bimgx]

Messing with Dux is your last a bad idea.

 

[TimeAsylums]

I've always been able to punch, kick, bite, or claw my way to safety.

"always been able to" :/ implying that you had to before

fuck that sucks

 

[Grayman]

How I imagined Dux:

[bimgx=200]http://th05.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2012/103/e/e/imperial_guard_by_toxic_hippy-d4w01al.jpg[/bimgx]

Messing with Dux is your last a bad idea.

I clicked the original size link and he was still shorter than my hand. I thought he would be a little more intimidating.

 

[Jennywocky]

I clicked the original size link and he was still shorter than my hand. I thought he would be a little more intimidating.

It's not how big you are, it's how you fire the gun.

 

[Polaris]

I did Kyokushin-Karate for about 4 years, before moving to a different area where there was no Dojo. I continued to practice though. It was a life-saver in many ways as it helped me (from 15 to 19 years of age) adopt a more calm inner life as well as having the increased physical fitness and agility. We spent a lot of the training sessions meditating, so I learnt early how to detach from unnecessary thinking patterns and to centre my focus. Kyokushin became a way of life, and it has stayed with me.

I have never felt threatened when going anywhere. I lived in the city for years, and would go out alone in the night for hours, or make my way home from somewhere alone. People always said I was crazy, but my reply was that if I was to act on the fears they were presenting, I would be a prisoner of my own mind.

There were a couple of incidents where I was threatened. I respond pretty instinctual to these types of things, so people have been put off by attitude as it's probably not what they expected. There is the surprise element where someone is confused for a moment, and that's where you have to think quickly, and move away from the situation.

But I have never feared for my life. I think I would be so enraged I would not even register fear until afterwards if someone tried to attack me. And if I had to fight to my death I would fight back with such ferocity to make sure the attacker was severely injured some way or another. Same if someone attacked my partner or any of my 'clan'. I would not hesitate to hurt them badly.

 

[Absurdity]

Step dad's got a shotgun. Apparently it came in handy during the LA riots in the early 90s.

I'll probably get a gun of my own at some point.

 

[Variform]

Stop selling ammunition.

People with guns will still have guns and enthusiasts will make ammunition themselves but psychos won't be able to go down to Kmart and buy it, they'll have to buy it off the people who make it privately which means they'll have to know them and I doubt anyone would sell whatishisname four hundred rounds of ammunition if they knew him.

It's not a complete solution but it's a step in the right direction.

Nah. People grow their own weed en masse. There are illegal drug labs in my country that are so semi-professional, it is now considered an environmental problem because they dump toxic chemicals into the sewer system. People grow their own mushrooms and pretty much any psychoactive plant.

There are guides on internet. There is even a suicide FAQ, that is, how to kill yourself the right way without messing it up.

Making ammo will be a trivial thing. Especially when handy people will start to grow their own ammo and sell it to every one that shows cash.

Prohibition just won't work. History proves that every day that passes.

 

[~~~]

Jedi mind tricks.

 

[Auburn]

I did Kyokushin-Karate for about 4 years, before moving to a different area where there was no Dojo. I continued to practice though. It was a life-saver in many ways as it helped me (from 15 to 19 years of age) adopt a more calm inner life as well as having the increased physical fitness and agility. We spent a lot of the training sessions meditating, so I learnt early how to detach from unnecessary thinking patterns and to centre my focus. Kyokushin became a way of life, and it has stayed with me.

woa
props. i wish i had that sort of ability to focus!

i wonder, how're things now? I remember you saying in another thread that the internet subtracted from your ability to focus. can you still 'turn-on' your focus again if you wanted to?

But I have never feared for my life. I think I would be so enraged I would not even register fear until afterwards if someone tried to attack me. And if I had to fight to my death I would fight back with such ferocity to make sure the attacker was severely injured some way or another. Same if someone attacked my partner or any of my 'clan'. I would not hesitate to hurt them badly.

D=

 

[Polaris]

woa
props. i wish i had that sort of ability to focus!

i wonder, how're things now? I remember you saying in another thread that the internet subtracted from your ability to focus. can you still 'turn-on' your focus again if you wanted to?

It's depression. I've had a relapse. The medications make me indifferent and I sit around and stare into space a lot. So I'm weaning myself off them now to try and change the situation.

When I'm depressed I spend more time on the internet, so it's a vicious cycle.

I know I will be able to switch on when I feel better. It's a timely process though.

D=

I'm not that scary. But unprovoked violence and intimidation makes me see red.

 

[Bock]

None, nothing, nada. Only option that isn't illegal here is martial arts, and i doubt most INTP:s would have a good time in such a violent context/with the types it generally attracts. Getting the chance to beat up some sensors does sound nice though...

 

[Cavallier]

Well I was talking specifically about transgender/genderqueer people both male and female. In the United States the transgender population experiences the highest rate of hate-violence, particularly trans-women.

Right, right. I was trying to relate to what you said by applying it to my own experiences.

I've personally known a transgender man who was brutalized for just being different.

"always been able to" :/ implying that you had to before

fuck that sucks

Like I said, I've lived in a few dangerous places and I was alone, female, and supposedly unguarded. I kicked the shit out of my attacker so it worked out in the end.

On that note: Watch out for the seedier sections of Vancouver Canada. It's not all pristine parks and Winter Olympics.

 

[Jennywocky]

Right, right. I was trying to relate to what you said by applying it to my own experiences.

I've personally known a transgender man who was brutalized for just being different.

There was a young transguy I knew (early 20's?) out in Pennsyltucky where I used to live, who worked in a garage.

Fairly solid guy (5'9"?) and stocky, very friendly, very engaging, had a LTR with his girlfriend. He also had never been on hormones, yet I didn't even recognize him as trans until he told me, he blended just fine, and I've known a lot of transpeople; he just seemed like any other guy.

The guys at the garage didn't know either, but once they accidentally found out, they went from accepting him to treating him like crap -- lots of verbal abuse, low-level physical abuse, outting him to customers every day to make fun of him. It was pretty unbelievable. I still don't understand all that. I worried about him. It was on the level of a Brandon Teena story.

 

[Cognisant]

One of the few scenarios where hitting someone (not that guy, the other guys) might actually change their opinion.

 

[Variform]

There was a young transguy I knew (early 20's?) out in Pennsyltucky where I used to live, who worked in a garage.

Fairly solid guy (5'9"?) and stocky, very friendly, very engaging, had a LTR with his girlfriend. He also had never been on hormones, yet I didn't even recognize him as trans until he told me, he blended just fine, and I've known a lot of transpeople; he just seemed like any other guy.

The guys at the garage didn't know either, but once they accidentally found out, they went from accepting him to treating him like crap -- lots of verbal abuse, low-level physical abuse, outting him to customers every day to make fun of him. It was pretty unbelievable. I still don't understand all that. I worried about him. It was on the level of a Brandon Teena story.

You know, in the time between reading this and going to my fridge for a drink I have killed those douchebags in the garage, burnt the garage, threatened them, yelled at them for being these pricks, in defense of the man that was bullied and did several other nasty things to them, all in the time it took me to get to the fridge and back here.

I have really really fast thoughts and they go violent very easily when I read about injustice.

I can't ask you not to share these things. But boy. It does get to me so fast.

 

[Jennywocky]

You know, in the time between reading this and going to my fridge for a drink I have killed those douchebags in the garage, burnt the garage, threatened them, yelled at them for being these pricks, in defense of the man that was bullied and did several other nasty things to them, all in the time it took me to get to the fridge and back here.

I have really really fast thoughts and they go violent very easily when I read about injustice.

I can't ask you not to share these things. But boy. It does get to me so fast.

Well, I can't say I fault you. I am not prone to violent feelings or wanting to lash out -- it's just not my prefered way to deal with stuff -- but when I heard the kind of crap my friend was dealing with, I did experience feelings of wanting to brutalize these people. My emotions told me it was what they deserved, regardless of their reasons or their ignorance. It was very upsetting. I don't like to see anyone get abused or hurt, but if these bullies and abusers had suffered some kind of misfortune, I would have had to dig deeply to discover sympathy.

This guy was one of the coolest, nicest, most mature people I've met in my life, regardless of gender, age, or whatever else.

 

[Cognisant]

Hey Variform would a broader perspective and moral relativity make you want to harm yourself too for being entitled enough to project the distinction of right & wrong, good & evil upon these people whom you've never me and to punish them accordingly?

Lol don't listen to me I'm an amoral douche be as entitled as you like because all morality is a contrivance, but there's also precedent now that's something we can rely on, if you fuck those guys up the probably won't offend your sensibilities again and if they do you can kill them and they certainly won't do it again

 

[deadpixel]

 

[Cognisant]

Oooh good choice, easy to block with and hard to defend against.

 

[Jennywocky]

He's no Elektra.

Spoiler

Then again, maybe people will underestimate him.

 

[deadpixel]

He's no Elektra.

Spoiler

Then again, maybe people will underestimate him.

Mileena > elektra

Spoiler

 

[BrainVessel]

You're not afraid of being shot by a nervous, shoot-first type, cop if pulled over?

Nope.
*hands up* "Hello, officer, I just wanted to let you know that I have a gun in my glove box for protective reasons." Would prevent any of that.

 

[BrainVessel]

I think you mean 22 caliber: a 22mm is an autocannon.

-Duxwing

According to the internet and the person that gave it to me, I used the correct terminology and it is not an autocannon.

Wish it was, though.

 

[Variform]

Hey Variform would a broader perspective and moral relativity make you want to harm yourself too for being entitled enough to project the distinction of right & wrong, good & evil upon these people whom you've never me and to punish them accordingly?

Lol don't listen to me I'm an amoral douche be as entitled as you like because all morality is a contrivance, but there's also precedent now that's something we can rely on, if you fuck those guys up the probably won't offend your sensibilities again and if they do you can kill them and they certainly won't do it again

I have a very refined sense of right and wrong. Moral relativity is carefully balanced against absolutist judgment. I am right in the middle of as far to the absolutism side as I can go. So, perfect balance, right?

I am very used to violent thoughts. Be afraid when I start suppressing them. People who don't, those are the ones that are scary. They suppress and suppress and suppress and then boom!

I am a very cuddly kinda fellow. Will never make the paper.
:icon_pferdehaufen:

 

[deadpixel]

 

[Base groove]

According to the internet and the person that gave it to me, I used the correct terminology and it is not an autocannon.

Nope, Duxwing is correct.

The person who gave it to you is likely making the same mistake you are: overlooking the difference between metric and imperial, i.e. a .22 (twenty-two caliber) which is measured in inches, is equivalent to 5.56mm only (not 22mm). This caliber of weapon is available in both rifles and handguns, particularly the handguns which are pictured when a Google search for "22mm handgun" is performed.

In other words, these are not "22mm pistols" even though the internet says they are...

Why do you think .357 Magnum revolvers and 9mm pistols are so bad-ass? They are much bigger than your gun. The caliber is roughly the measure of the size of the barrel which is roughly equivalent to the size of the ammunition.

A bullet of caliber .357 has close to 3 times the surface area as a .22, so to speak...

22mm=0.866" which might be translated roughly as .87 caliber, something I might think of as being similar to a bazooka or "autocannon". . .

 

[Pyropyro]

Nunchucks are badass but you can't use them for self-defense since they're considered deadly weapons. Better train with Arnis sticks instead so you can use any stick-like object as your weapon.