When relying on any self defense product, proper training and education can make the difference between walking away from the assailant or being seriously hurt. Always know your capabilities and limitations as well as the capabilities and limitations of the product you are using.

A self defense device is worthless unless you know how to use it correctly. If you carry pepper spray, you should be able to answer the following questions.

• Have I ever used pepper spray? If not how does it work?
  
• What distance is it effective?
  
• Where do I aim and how long do I spray it?
  
• Is it readily accessible?
  
• What do I do after I spray the assailant?

These questions are basic, but if you can't answer these questions you need to seriously think about what you would do in an attack situation.

Effective Use of Pepper Spray

Keys to effective use are:

• Timing and recognizing a potential threat
  
• Knowing when it becomes an assault!
  
• You have to make sure the pepper spray is readily available
  
• Through practice you can bring it to bear on the assailant quickly and accurately.

Safety Rules for Using Pepper Spray

How to Spray Your Pepper Canister

• Make sure you have distance between you and the threat if at all possible.
  
• Aim the spray at the eyes and facial region of the threat then release a 1 to 2 second burst of spray.
  
• After you have done this MOVE out of the way but keep your eyes on the threat.

Pepper spray ingredients can take a couple of moments to cause a reaction and by watching the reactions of the threat you will be able to determine if you will require another shot.

Don't Stick Your Hand Way Out When Firing

• Never put your shooting hand out in front of you towards the assailant. He or she may react quickly and hit your hand aside or grab it! As you shoot, back up and continue backing up away from the assailant. This gives you a little more time.
  
• Don't ever shut your eyes! You may have to correct your aim slightly. You should shoot the spray for 2 to 3 seconds, nether a short squirt nor a long drenching. After shooting, the assailant will normally stop within seconds, blinded and virtually helpless due to uncontrollable coughing spasms. Once the assailant disables, stop spraying. Continue backing and concentrate on getting away!

Timing Your Pepper Spray is SO Important

There's much more to using pepper spray than point and shoot! Remember:

• Don't raise, point, and shoot the spray until you're ready to fire.
  
• Wait until the assailant is in range and you know the spray will hit him full in the face area and incapacitate him!
  
• The objective is to surprise him or her before they can have a chance to react or think. When used by surprise, it can be an excellent distraction, allowing you time to get away.

Basic Pepper Spray Shooting Techniques

When you're ready to shoot:

• Go into a slight crouch with your weight evenly balanced on both feet. Thrust your non-shooting hand straight out in front of you.
  
• At the same time, shout "STOP" as loud as you can.
  
• As you're doing this raise your shooting hand with the pepper spray to eye level approximately 6 inches in front of your chin, aim over your outstretched arm and hand, and shoot toward the assailant's face and head area.

Where to Aim Your Pepper Spray

It should be directed at the assailants face at close range either in a stream, spray or mist and never sprayed wildly at a crowd. The technique to using is simple:

• Keep following the head and keep spraying.
  
• Use Pepper Spray Fanning Technique
  
• Fanning is a technique for hitting your mark. You spray the stream then move your dispersions path from side to to side until you hit your mark! The stream also provides the heaviest blast of pepper (cans will empty faster).

Where to Carry Pepper Spray - In Your Purse

Why is it a good idea to carry it in your purse? Two reasons:

• There were 64,440 purses snatched in 2000.
  
• A pepper spray pager or a key chain is the best self defense weapon to carry in your purse.

Do you ever go anywhere without your purse or handbag? I doubt it. Whether you are on your way to school, to work, shopping, or just to visit friends or family, you grab your purse on the way out the door. Then when you get out of your car, you take your purse, it's always with you with your pepper spray inside. A purse can be a poor location because if it falls to the bottom, the canister is not always accessible. Always carry it in an outside purse compartment. A purse with an accessible, open pocket where the spray can't get lost may be better than keeping it loose in the bag.

What are the problems with carrying pepper spray in my purse? Sometimes women who keep pepper spray in their purse find themselves temporarily switching to another purse to match their shoes, transferring just their pocketbook or wallet to the other purse, forgetting their pepper spray. Also, the first indication that you need your spray may be when an assailant is already tugging on your purse.

Pepper Spray at Work

Workplace homicide is the leading cause of death among female workers in the US and is the second leading cause of death for men. Aside from homicides, we can't forget about the 18,000 employees who are non-fatally assaulted every week while on the job.

• Don't be a victim, keep pepper spray within easy reach at work.

In an Automobile

• DON'T ever use pepper spray in a moving vehicle. It will tend to disable the driver with deadly results.

Additional Techniques

• If someone is attempting to attack you, always move off the line of force before spraying.
  
• Deliver the pepper spray by in a few short bursts of a second or so each in an "X" or "Z" pattern. You cannot always count on your target staying still and spraying in a pattern will help you hit the target.
  
• Then get out of there, and once you are safe, contact the police and report the attack. You want your description of the attack to be the first one they hear.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Do you need to practice using your pepper spray? You betcha! I can't stress this enough. It is so important that you give some thought in advance to:

• Conducting practice drills in an outdoor environment with a target.
  
• Enrolling in a formal training class by a self defense instructor. There, you will learn invaluable self defense tips.
  
• Checking with your local police department to find out where you can take training classes to help you become more prepared to defend yourself.
  
• Frequent practice can help you learn how to hold and position for maximum effectiveness.
  
• First, spray a tree or shrub as your target to determine the amount of pressure needed on the trigger and how to aim the device. Practice your draw and aim.

Tips to Consider:

• How you will carry your pepper spray canister. Consider carrying the device in the same place whenever possible. That way, you won't have to think, "where is it today?" in the heat of the moment.
  
• Trying various carrying methods and practice drawing the weapon. Make sure you can draw your pepper spray quickly from wherever you're keeping it. Good, accessible locations include inside a pants pocket, especially for the models with a clip.
  
• Spend the extra money and do your homework.
  
• Don't put yourself in the position of having to ask "What if" or "if only"! You owe it to yourself and your family.

And Last, but not Least, Just Shoot!

There may be times you may not have time to do anything but bring the spray up and start shooting. If that's the case, don't worry about aiming correctly, JUST SHOOT!

Don't be a Victim!