I need something other than a gun for self defense. What about Tasers/knives/spray/kubotons/batons/whistles/psychic powers?
There’s no generic answer. What works for one person won’t necessarily work for someone else. Taking someone else’s advice on defensive-weapon selection is almost never as good as trying different options for yourself and picking the one you believe is most effective for you. However, learning more about general self defense methods and mindsets, (separate from choosing specific self-defense tools), is always recommended. However, I will take up the issue of Tasers, both because I have strong opinions about them and because Taser, Inc. puts a lot of effort into marketing. Tasers have several features which I feel make them poorly suited to self defense for private individuals. When police use Tasers, it is typically either in a low-risk situation, or with multiple additional officers (with guns drawn) as backup. Tasers only provide one shot without a (slow) reload, making them useless against multiple assailants. Tasers provide a 30-second shock, which may not be enough lead time to ge
