Would You Use Disguised Weapons?

Filed Under: Inspiration

This is an interesting concept.

Stores are popping up around the country that specialize in women's self-defense, specifically in weapons which are disguised as something else. For instance, the Rose Guardian in Cleveland, OH, sells self-defense weapons, such as pepper spray and tasers, which look like everyday items in a woman's purse: pepper spray disguised as lipstick or blush brushes, tasers that look like cell phones, and the like.

Rose Guardian's owner, Carlos Crespo, says,

"One of the main things that our customers love is that the products don't look like weapons. If a woman is approached and the assailant thinks the weapon they're holding is really a cosmetic of some kind, they are likely to approach you in a different way."

Yeah, but wouldn't it be a more hostile way than if they knew you had protection?

Not according to Crespo, who started his shop after years working in surveillance and frequently seeing women targeted who did not know how to protect themselves.

"We wanted to supply a place where women come and find a product that fits their lifestyle. If they usually carry a cell phone on their belt, they can get a cell phone stun gun here. Or if they're going out a lot to night clubs they can get a blush brush that is really pepper spray and put it in their purse."

The store's hottest selling item is "the cat defender keychain" which is a metal figure head of the cat with very sharp ears. Crespo explains, "It looks like a kitty cat with eyes, and you put your fingers through the eyes and the tips of the ears are the scrapers. It gives you support in the palm of your hand unlike holding your keys."

Crespo isn't the only one in the secret self-defense business: Martha Martinez owns Florida-based Women On Guard, though she believes her store and Crespo's are few and far between. Still, she stands by her products, saying "Assailants might think a woman is just taking out a lipstick but she's not. By concealing a product, it's not as easy for a [perpetrator] to respond."

Chris Wright-Martell owns Modern Self-Defense Center in Middletown, CT, and he's also behind the idea of disguised weapons. He says,

"Women have the innate hesitation to want to hurt someone even if it's clearly a situation when its justified, so it can be tough to get people used to the idea of standing up for themselves. And this could help — anything that makes people more comfortable with the idea of protection is a good one in my book."

Conversely, Kathy Olvesky, a self-defense expert in North Carolina, says she doesn't really see the point of disguising your weapon: "If you disguise a weapon, the odds of having it in your hands is slim, it does no good in your purse. If you have Mace or a key chain you should carry in your hand where it's visible so you're less likely to become a victim."

We have to say, we kind of agree with Kathy Olvesky. If you were being attacked, the assailant wouldn't want you reaching in your purse to grab a lipstick - he wouldn't want you reaching in your purse at all! In our minds, disguising the weapon only makes you look defenseless and therein more apt to be attacked. Think about it - wouldn't you be less likely to attack someone if you knew they were going to spray you with pepper spray? We feel like predators are less likely to attack if they know they could get hurt, and isn't that the point? Isn't it better not to be attacked in the first place?

Just sayin'.

What do U think??

[Images courtesy of the Rose Guardian.]

Posted: December 25, 2009 at 10:30 am