There are two ways that a TASER can be used. It can be used from a distance by firing darts from a cartridge, or it can be used up close and personal. Using it from a distance is obviously the safest method of defense, but sometimes things get sticky and it can’t be loaded in time. That is why you must practice using it in both capacities.

The cartridges that are used can be a little pricy, but they are worth it. They use compressed nitrogen to propel the two barbed darts and they can hit a target up to fifteen feet away. If you can, buy a few extra cartridges so that you can practice shooting them. The gun itself usually has a built in laser scope to help aim, but gravity will take its toll on the darts. Therefore, if the target is further away you will need to aim a little higher.

These cartridges are perfect for protecting the home. If you were to hear the sound of a breaking window in the middle of the night, you could get your TASER and load a cartridge in it easily. However, you shouldn’t just try to take on a bad guy by yourself. Remember to call the police before you try to take them on, if you can.

If you are jogging in the park, you may not want to have a cartridge in. Though it is rare, the cartridge may discharge and shock you on accident. This usually happens if it gets too warm. If you must use the stun gun without the cartridge, then you should jab it into the bad guy’s neck or abdomen. Practice doing this and you will be better at executing the action.

Following these simple steps will help you protect yourself better and you will get more bang for your buck, so to speak.

One vulnerable spot for women is their hair. Women often have long hair, which makes it an ideal place to grab hold of when attacking. It is painful and effectively diminishes the victim’s ability to fight back by immobilizing a vulnerable spot (the head), leaving it open to injury, and limiting the victim’s line of vision. Once someone has hold of a handful of hair it is difficult to shake him or her off.

For this reason, the best defense against hair grabs is avoidance. Slap away hands as they reach for your hair with a decisive, upward move. Move your head when you detect the attacker’s reaching hand. Avoid allowing an attacker to get a good grip, no matter what. Your natural instincts are to do this and if you are unsuccessful the grip is difficult to break and also quite painful.

If you are in a position to grab your attacker’s hair, do so by grabbing as large of a handful as you can manage. Grip it tightly and turn your fist to set your grip. Use this generally as a last resort, though, as it keeps your attacker close and common sense dictates that you should move away from an attacker as soon as possible.

First, hold up your hand and shout STOP! or STAY BACK! Hold the canister out in front of you and yell I HAVE PEPPER SPRAY! Depending on using your keys for a weapon is not a good plan.

Of the rapists interviewed at several correctional institutes across the country, over ninety percent of them said women who carry any kind of weapon, even a non lethal one, has a big advantage and is not worth the trouble. Of the potential rapists, only two percent carry weapons because of the penalty if they’re caught. Rape without a weapon carries a three to five year penalty. The sentence for rape with a weapon jumps up to fifteen to twenty years. The bottom line here is that if you have any kind of weapon, you’re probably more heavily armed than the assailant.

Most assailants of this type want to grab a woman and move her to another location so they will have the time and privacy to do whatever they have in mind. They do not want to attract attention. Therefore, yelling or triggering a personal alarm, which is designed to attract attention, is a powerful deterrent.

Putting up any kind of a fight takes valuable time away from the few seconds potential abductors have to grab and go. Every extra second you cost them makes it less and less worth the time and effort.

Make noise. Fight back. Live to shop another day.

• Pepper spray is portable. Carrying a hefty firearm is not even considered an option by many seniors. The weight alone is a serious deterrent. Although pepper spray is available in canisters up to a pound, most practical sizes are only a few ounces and fit neatly in the hand. Pepper spray is also easy to tuck into a handbag, pocket, or briefcase.

• Pepper spray is available with a couple of options. Pure pepper spray is the hot part of the chili pepper and is extremely unpleasant if it comes in contact with the eyes. It is also available with the addition of tear gas. With the pure pepper spray it is crucial to hit the target square in the eyes. If tear gas is added, hitting the bad guy (or gal) anywhere from the shoulders on up works well.

• Some models include the dandy option of a UV dye that marks the miscreant for up to about ten days. That makes it much easier for the authorities to find and arrest him or her.

As with any weapon, there is still an element of danger. Although there is no worry about possible cardiac involvement in seniors, it is still a good idea to avoid breathing in the fumes or getting pepper spray in the eyes.

However, if you must use the stairwell, take a few basic precautions.

• First and foremost, go with a buddy – or two or three. A bad guy is not likely to try to tackle a group. He wants to isolate just one person, do his thing, then leave – pronto!

• Wear low-heeled shoes. It’s OK to wear high heels to work in (if your feet can take it), but when it’s time to hit the bricks (or stairs) change into some flats you keep in the desk for just such an occasion.

• Arm yourself. Most security officers would be willing to help, but if you are stuck in an elevator with a predator or barricaded against an assailant, John Law can’t help. You’ve got to take matters into your own hands.

• Stay upwind. What that means is to have your back to the breeze whenever possible. The reason is that if there is much wind it is possible for the chemical to blow back onto you. The result could be as unpleasant for you as you want it to be for the bad guy.

• Take aim. That doesn’t mean to close one eye and squint. It does mean to hold your arm out in front of you, point toward the bad guy’s face, then press the button. Pepper spray must land in the eyes, nose, or mouth to be effective. Mace that is laced with tear gas is effective if it lands from the shoulders on up.

• Use more than one burst, if necessary. If the first volley doesn’t work, shoot a second time but don’t just keep pressure on the button or trigger. Use short bursts. Make each one count.

• When the bad guy’s eyes slam shut – LEAVE the area. Do not stick around to see how badly he’s hurt. You have just bought a brief window of opportunity for escape. Use it.

Research shows that men are likely to attack and rape women who are busy rummaging around in their purses rather than paying attention to their surroundings. Such women become targets because they are not likely to put up much of a fight or to do any damage to the attacker.

It makes sense, then, to begin with a couple of basic precautions.

• Lift your head. Look around. Pay attention to everything around you.

• Arm yourself with a canister of pepper spray that is easy enough to use and convenient enough to carry that you will actually have it with you.

• Have your keys in hand and pepper spray at the ready. If you should you need to use it you will not have time to dig around in your purse. Guaranteed.

• Charge your cell phone daily. Make sure your hands-free device is charged, too.

• Take your cell phone with you. Senior citizens are being coached to keep a cell phone in a pocket at all times. If there is an emergency they may not be able to walk two rooms away to find the phone.

• Tell someone where you are going. Just like campers going into the wilderness who are required to file a hiking plan, clue in your friends, family, or neighbors so they will know when to start worrying and send out a search party.

• Avoid isolation. Many of us require a certain amount of solitude. For safety’s sake, be in contact with someone who will recognize a change in your pattern and check on you – just in case.

Remember that dangerous situations (muggings, assaults, abductions) happen in a matter of only a few seconds. You have to be prepared, which means you need to have thought about what to do before something bad happens – long before.

• Pepper spray is made of the hot stuff in chili peppers. It causes pain – lots of pain – when introduced into the eyes, nose and mouth of a target.

• You must aim for the face and hit what you are aiming for if the spray is to function as a deterrent.

• A strong wind can blow the chemical back onto you, causing similar pain and inability to function normally, so try to stay upwind of the target (keep the wind at your back).

• It is no help if you have to hunt around in your purse or brief case in order to find the pepper spray canister. You must have it close at hand and easy to use or it will be far too late.

• Know how many bursts you have left in your canister and how long each one is good for.

The old adage forewarned is forearmed is a good place to start. Think about where you are going and what possible situations could arise. Once you have that in mind, turn your thinking toward ways to prepare for – or even avoid – what could happen. Sometimes a small decision made early averts disaster altogether.

Keep an eye out for an escape route. When driving a car through a dangerous patch, defensive drivers always look for a way out and they never give up. That means they don’t throw up their hands and quit when things get dicey. They keep on driving and looking for actions that would cause the least amount of damage.

Trust your instincts. If the hair on the back of your neck stands up, leave. If you get goose bumps on your arms, beat feet. Pay attention to the warning signs your body is sending. Sometimes your conscious mind may not even know what’s off, but something is and your unconscious is trying to warn you, so LISTEN.

Your body and mind are both loaded with sensors. Get the message, then take actions that will keep you safe.