Self-defense for female in apartment in urban neighborhood?

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leahzero

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Hello everyone. I would like to state upfront that I am not currently a firearm owner (though I would like to be in the future), but I strongly support civilian ownership of firearms, and have found this board to be very informative and thought-provoking. It might be silly and emotional of me, but yeah, I feel a bit safer reading all these posts from alert, informed, armed "good guys." Thank you for that.

However, I have a question that's been bothering me recently that relates to unarmed (or at least not equipped with a firearm) home self-defense, and this seems like an excellent place to get some advice. I'm not sure if this topic has already been addressed on this forum - if so, would someone be so kind as to direct me to it? If not, I'd like to pose a question to you knowledgeable folks...

I'm a 21-year-old female college student who lives in a third-floor apartment in a working-class neighborhood in Chicago. My neighborhood itself is okay, lots of hard-working folks, many first-generation immigrants. However, we're very close to several bad neighborhoods, and it spills over sometimes. Someone was fatally shot close to the nearest train station, just a mile from my building, a few weeks after I moved in. (If anyone knows the city, I'm not on the south side, it's not THAT bad, I'm on the near northwest side.) But the combination of the shooting, hearing about how my roommate has been harassed in this neighborhood before, and witnessing some strange noises/scenes myself, is enough to give me trouble sleeping at night. I'm not usually out after dark, and when I am, I try to remain alert and project calm self-confidence. It also helps having a short haircut - it's easy to get mistaken for a guy in the dark. :)

My main concern is how to stay safe in my apartment at night. Now that the weather is warming up, there are lots of folks out on the streets at all hours. As I mentioned, I'm on the 3rd floor of a large apartment building. The front downstairs door is locked, and the backyard is fenced in with high wrought-iron, and has a gate that is also locked. However, I have heard stories about people climbing the fence in the backyard for reasons both innocent and malicious, so I don't think I'm being overly paranoid. Also, I'm a computer geek, and I have a lot of expensive digital equipment in here. It's certainly possible that someone has noticed all the FedEx deliveries I get, or has spotted me through the window sitting at my desk and playing with my fancy toys. Or word could just get around that two young women live here alone. I don't know. My roommate is a lot more naive than me and often gets lured into talking with unsavory characters on the street. And now that I'm listening for them, I'm constantly hearing suspicious noises from the back porch or down in the yard. Argh! It's very hard to sleep at night.

So what can I do to put my mind at ease, short of acquiring a firearm (not quite ready for that yet)? Does leaving a light or two on deter or attract bad guys? I put all the blinds and shades down in the evening, always double-check door locks. I do have a very playful kitten who gets the "midnight crazies" and runs around like a demon, but I know the difference between "cat knocked cup over" and "someone prowling around outside the front or back door." Is a cat running around a deterrent to bad guys (that is, not that it would at all threaten them, but maybe they'd be worried about attracting its attention and having it wake its owners)? I've gotten to the point where I keep a heavy, L-shaped piece of metal from an old office chair (kinda like an impromptu crowbar) next to my bed, and have found myself standing in my bedroom doorway with it in the middle of the night, trying to figure out if what I'd heard on the back porch was just the notorious Chicago wind or something dangerous.

Any advice you folks could give me would be greatly appreciated. Even if it's just "Calm down, you're overreacting, third-floor apartments are rarely targeted" or something. I've just never lived in as questionable a neighborhood as this before, and don't know what to do.

Thanks for reading.
 
Leahzero,

First, welcome to THR.

Second, Chicago, eh? Makes it a little tougher.

Naive Roomie? Makes it even tougher.

OK, here's a thought. Begin by thinking like a criminal who would enter your place. How would you do it and why? 2 girls, expensive toys able to be hocked for a piece or two of crack, etc.

You're already aware of that. That's really the first step.

You've hardened you approaches w/good locks at doors and windows.

Talk with your roomie about it as she could become part of the problem as well as being part of the solution.

Self defense classes?

Baseball bat (Tee-ball bats are small), knives, OC (pepper spray), cell phone handy, good locks on bedroom doors.

Start with your mindset, which I believe you already have. Jeff Cooper (an old retired Marine Colonel who shoots a lot and has run and owned a school in Arizona called GunSite) preaches a color code of awareness with the corresponding colors beginning with White at the low end (all is well), Yellow (eyeball everyone & be aware of your surroundings... you're already there it seems), Orange (target identified as threat to you and yours) and RED (things are going south and you're aware and in control of your personal space/protection procedures).

Develop a plan with roomie for just such things. Don't let her bring male (heck, or female) strangers up or even know much about you two.

Self defense classes should include some unarmed as well as some shooting but being in Chicago... well, that makes it just a little bit tougher on you as it seems your Mayor doesn't want you to be able to protect yourself with a handgun, and you also state you're not ready for that yet.

Get your degree and move to some place that will allow you unfettered access to a firearm.

Or begin dating a Cop. :D

It'll be interesting to see what people here have to say.

There's some seriously GOOD people here with street and legal smarts, LEO, etc.

Do a search on twoblink and his situation in Taiwan, peruse the older threads here and the old TFL site.

Stay safe.

Adios
 
Former Chicago inmate, 1036 North Dearborn, here. Dearborn and Elm, next to the White Hen and across from the funeral home. Is Spike's Rat Bar still around?

Anywho, stay alert, stay safe. Keep your head up, because that's where your eyes are.:D

There was an excellent thread on self-defense books here recently. See if you can start there.
 
short of acquiring a firearm (not quite ready for that yet)?
Click to expand...
Welcome. Any particular reason (other than being in Chicago) you aren't ready yet that you care to share? I don't advocate going down to the nearest gun shop and buying one right away, but have you given thought to taking some shooting courses at a local range? Take your roommate with you even if she balks at the idea. She will need to know how to handle a gun in the event you get one and she may end up with one as well. Doing so will take away the stigma of guns. They are just tools used to help you even the odds a bit.

I would imagine that obtaining and keeping a longarm (shotgun) would be much easier there so consider that as well. Shotguns are what I would consider the primary home defense arm.

Other than that, what Baba Louie said. You should always be in condition yellow, even at home and especially if it worries you. Are you periodically looking out your windows and making note of the activity? Consider a small dog to keep you, your roommate, and the cat company. Dogs are the best burglar alarms around. That may not be possible though if you keep a busy and irregular schedule. Dogs require walking and you don't want to be outside walking the dog after dark.

Sounds like you are on the right track. You just need to get roomie up to speed. Have her take a gander at this sight and also at http://www.1911forum.com/forums (another one of my favorites and the discussions are similar).

GT
 
I escaped from Chicago myself (Hyde Park, Woodlawn, Near North, Zoo Town...), and I know how ugly it can get. Been stuck up at an El station, chased by Latin Kings, threatened by Blackstone Rangers, had a girlfriend mugged in the doorway of a brownstone at University & 57th, and had friends beaten to a pulp by Daly's Finest (that would be Daly, Sr.). If I never see the place again it's too soon for me.


In no particular order:

- Alarm system and/or big dog.

- Pepper spray on keychain.

- Kung Fu, Karate, or Tae Kwon Do classes. Good not only for the skills but also for the increased confidence (which helps project an aura of "not to be messed with").

- Don't take the subway/El alone if you can help it.

- If no guns, how about a stun gun for the house?

- Get the hell out of there. Champaign is lovely in Spring. (It's even nicer in Summer when all the students leave, but that's another thread. :D )


The idea is to be prepared on several levels, starting with threat recognition and avoidance, on up to self-defense preparedness and ability.

Best of luck!

-0-
 
dev, the El (Elevated train for you sane people) was the worse, a mobile ATM. A metal box where you had no place to run. Fought my way off Ravenswood once, I'll never be back.

Chicago's finest never gave me any grief. In fact, I would meet them at White Hen (convenience store which gives out free stuff to CPD) and answer their questions about guns.

leah, Joe Truncale's place is near you. If you want to study Chicago-legal weapons, cane, stick, knife, kubotan, go see Joe and get signed up.

He also holds classes through Midwest Training Group. Go over to TFL and read a few reviews of his classes by some gunfu knucklehead by the name of KSFreeman who has taken Joe's knife, stick and cane classes during his tactical golf vacations.

www.midwesttraininggroup.net
 
Three comments:

1) When you do start thinking about bangthings, the basic 20gauge pump shotgun should be a leading contender.

2) On beat-em-up-sticks: the baseball bat is in my opinion over-rated, as the balance and speed just suck compared to other options.

The *ultimate* is to go find yourself a martial arts supply shop, and ask for a "bokken". A "bokken" is a wooden copy of a Japanese sword, used both for drills, practice and as a formidable weapon in it's own right. Most will be made of oak, sometimes hickory. Take the silly little guard ring ("tsuba") made of a hard rubber (usually) and ditch it. Wrap the handle end in tennis racket grip tape. Whole thing will run less than $40. What you've got is tapered towards the business end and wickedly fast handling.

Tip: keep your hands separated by about 2 or 3 palm-widths, more if your hands are small. With both hands on it, nail the hell out of him at knee level, step back one pace, and come forward a pace while nailing him straight overhand upside the head with everything you've got. If there's still "issues", alternate with those "low and high" attacks, staying in motion. With a baseball bat, you'll be too slow on the transitions and there'll be too much momentum to shift your attack direction much. With a bokken, blows come in too fast and at shifting angles for him to cope.

No guarantees here, and a class in the Filipino stick-fighting arts will work wonders, but that's the most dead-simple home defense possible. I keep one as a "bedside friend" :).

NOTE: this is NOT the same as a "shinai" - that's the *bamboo* practice sword made to flex on impact in actual "fights" called "Kendo" where guys (and gals) wail on each other in light armor. Shinais are meant to NOT hurt anybody seriously and should not be considered weapons.

The *bokken* is a weapon :). As in "nail him hard enough and he'll have a bokken noggin" :D.

If the "low line attacks" get his attention and he's hobbling towards the door, you don't *have* to kill his dumb butt. High-line attacks at head/neck level with a bokken can kill. That said, because of the "controllability", it's much easier to control whether or not you kill with a bokken versus a baseball bat.

When not striking, keep the grip and wood "blade" in close to your body or in a "batter's position", rather than stuck way out in front of you to "ward him off". 99% of the sword play you see in movies, even Japanese movies, are utter BS and with a "grabable wood blade" this it's even more critical to keep it from getting grabbed.

What else...STAY IN MOTION. Dart in just close enough to nail him, jump back out. Bounce around like a maniac. Don't give him a sitting target. This is doubly true if there's two of 'em. You don't have the strength to get in and pound on 'em toe to toe, but your foot speed is probably on par with most guys, better than some...especially if you've rendered their knees all lumpy :). You should be stepping and swinging at the same time, so that the *instant* your foot closest to him lands and you're in his range, your blow is landing. Every single swing of the blade is accompanied by a step, either sideways or in/out. This takes some practice and training is MUCH better.

BUT FOR GOD'S SAKE DON'T STUDY KENDO! For weird historical reasons, Kendo was designed to make people think they were studying "sword fighting", while making sure they'd get creamed in a real fight with steel or wood swords. (Kendo was created by the Japanese gov't circa 1870 - 1900 time frame, after the "Samurai period" ended in 1864. The remaining elderly Samurai ordered to create Kendo as a sport deliberately sabotaged it as a fighting system!)

Find a Filipino-arts teacher, or one of the Indonesian systems if you can find 'em, or somebody teaching "ken-jutsu", "Ginenkan", "Genbukan" or "Bujinkan" (old-school pre-1864 Japanese systems).

A good light golf club is the second best bet, but it's still too long and not near as maneuverable as a bokken.

3) Find out if your roommie has asthma. Because if not, pepper spray is worth considering :).

4) The ultimate in non-firearm defense is a short sword of some type, esp. the lowly machete. But that is gonna be extremely, outragously messy :barf:. If you absolutely must stop some piece of trash, they're hideously effective but you've got to be grimly determined and not easily freaked at the sight of "innards" no longer "in" :eek:. And as a definate downside, the odds that a street criminal of the sort that would break in has AIDS is quite high, not the sort of blood you want to literally paint the walls with.

--------------------

On mindset: see my post in this thread:

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=24467
 
Jim, excellent suggestions.

If you can jump through all the Chicago hoops, how about a single shot 20 instead? If burgled (a big consideration in Chicago) while in class, you are only out $50.

IME/O, I would go with a stick (baton, cane) over an edged weapon. The edged weapon cases I've been involved with complicate Problem #2 because of the amount of gore/blood they often produce, even for minor wounds.

If the apartment is small like mine was on the Near North, then a golf club or even a bokken may have spacial concerns. I kept the baton I used for years in HapKiDo. It was a wood closet dowel rod, cut to 26" and about 1.25" thick. Very smooth from constant handling in training (even used it in demos, much to some people's chargin:D). Had to get rid of it when I killed a rat in my place with it.
 
A book you might read is:

Effective Defense by Gila Hayes.

It has lots of info on attitude and weapons besides guns.
Guns are covered however, and Hayes knows what she is talking about there also.
 
Check out this thread

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=22736

In it this guy explains how he made a baton out of an old golf club. I suspect this would work similarly to the bokken Jim March mentioned. The advantage to this is that you are making it yourself and if space is a consideration you can make it whatever length you want. Just make sure that you are able to use it in your apartment without hitting walls and stuff.

Also, if you don't already have a dead-bolt on your main door make sure you get one. Those ideas about communicating with your roommate are good, but even if she agrees to be more careful about who she lets in don't assume that that will happen. Every time you come home I would be sure I am alert, just in case she let someone in she shouldn't have. If you do get a dog that would be a big step. He/she would alert you right away if someone was in the apartment other than your roommate.

Keep alert, but don't get too stressed out. I'm a college student as well and I know we both have other things to worry about. I don't think it's possible to stay in condition yellow all the time, but that's ok because that's what door locks are for. If you're alone in your apartment with the door locked I see no reason why you need to be overcome with fear. You can't live like that and you don't need to anyway. As long as you've taken reasonable precautions you will have some time to get to a weapon and get in the right frame of mind to withstand an attack.

Sorry for the long post,

Jeff
 
Can you have pets? I'd get a dog, best warning system ever.

Darkness makes it easier for people to move in so I guess lights would help.

Probably most important would be to not make yourself a target. i.e. maybe have lots of friends around you every now and then to show you aren't a loner.

Get magnetic alarms that go off when a door/window is opened.

Do you know your neighbors well? How about the people on the floor. You could get a community security thing going with the people on the 3rd floor.

If an intruder does make it in, lock your door call the police and scream for help.

Last resort would be to fight if you felt no other choice. No knives, if anything a blunt weapon that you can swing pretty fast. If you're backed in a corner I'd wait until the BG came within striking distance and you have one chance, a smash in the temple or chin and then run for your life. If you're thinking of self-defense i'll tell you from ..er expereience that most fights end up into a grappling contest and well, the bigger guy wins. The only way for the smaller guy to win is to hit weak points in the body. Neck,eyes,nut-sack. The problem with this is that the bigger guy has longer reach so if you're not quick and powerful, he is gonna grab you before you can do anything.

Here is something you might not want to do but personally if i was in a corner i'd do anything to get out. Starch spray/ Raid/pesticide/pepper spray... Aim for the eyes. And book it.

Use what you have as an advantage read everyones opinions and then make your choice.

stay safe
 
Leahzero, welcome to THR, and thanks for posting. Yours is a situation with which I'm familiar, having taught many women (including many students) the basics of self-defence. There are lots of good suggestions in the other replies, and I'd recommend following their advice. Two things from my perspective:

1. Do NOT consider pepper spray or equivalent if your apartment is small and badly ventilated. It can get you with the backlash just as easily as it can get the bad guy! Also, if he's a hardened criminal, many of them have become at least partly accustomed to the effects of this stuff, and I've seen them literally inhaling it, grinning, and coming on for more. (I work as a prison chaplain, so I have seen rather more criminals than the average street Joe would dream of!). If you have a well-ventilated apartment, where the gas can be quickly dissipated, fine, pepper spray is an option: but otherwise, be very careful. (If you do go the pepper spray route, I strongly recommend Fox Labs as the best there is - see http://www.foxlabs.com/FoxLabs.html for information.)

2. I very strongly recommend buying a firearm for home defence, as soon as you're able to do so. There are bad guys out there who are determined, ruthless, and don't know the meaning of the word "mercy". To them, you're sex on the hoof (and insulting as that may sound, I mean it literally - you have no other value in their eyes. Frightening, but very true - ask any LEO or prison guard who has had to deal with these people before). Sometimes only the use of lethal force can stop them.

I strongly recommend a 20 gauge pump-action shotgun. (A double-barrel 20ga. gun might be OK, too, but leaves something to be desired in ammo. capacity, while a semi-auto 20ga. is not necessarily reliable enough to bet your life on.) The recoil is manageable, and a round of no. 3 buckshot or a slug in this gauge hits with the same ballistic effect as 2 rounds of .44 Magnum. It's a very usable and effective defensive weapon. My personal recommendation is the Remington 870 Youth Model - it's shorter and lighter than the standard model, and many women find it fits them perfectly. I've supplied three or four of my own to lady friends, and many others have bought their own, and I've never had complaints about it. You don't need to add any "bells and whistles" - just buy plenty of ammo. for training (the Wal-Mart 100-round specials are fine), and put lots of rounds through it at the range, getting to know how it handles and patterns. There must be good shotgun clubs nearby that could teach you the basics. Buy several boxes of 20ga. buckshot and slugs, and learn how they shoot in your weapon. This should be by your bedside whenever you're asleep, and readily available when you're home, so that if anyone does break in, you can greet them appropriately. Unload it and lock it away when you go out.

Another thing to think about: put a lock (and perhaps a chain and/or a bolt) on your bedroom door and window(s). Make sure that if someone gets into the house, he can't get into your room without making enough noise to warn you, and let you get your hands on a defensive weapon and/or call 911.

Hope this helps.
 
Most bokken are about 40" long. If that's a hair long, chopping it to about 30" might be worthwhile, but use the longer if you can.

In an apartment, don't try and stop 'em in a hallway, retreat to an open room where you can wind up sideways on his knee :evil:.

Basic solid hardwood versions are $20 or less:

http://www.budoking.com/bok40bokredo.html

http://store.yahoo.com/enjutsukai/booken.html

Below $10, quality is suspect :scrutiny:.

If you want something you can really trust, it's possible to spend more:

http://www.bujindesign.com/weapons.html

http://www.mcdunnweaponry.com/pages/bokkenorder.htm

The balance on these babies is just lovely :).

Get a curved one. Don't worry about the tip design, it's completely meanless - for cosmetic reasons, most have a "fake sword point".
 
I would meet them at White Hen
Click to expand...
When I worked at one in Champaign, we called it the Funky Chicken. Which I guess dates the era. :eek:

Some good advice here... not that I'm surprised!

-0-
 
Lots of good advice above. FWIW, even some of the home improvement chain stores here stock little battery-operated motion sensor alarms for around $20. Sort of an "early warning" device to maybe help your peace of mind come bedtime. With a kittie, it might need to be specially located to reduce false alarms.
 
All the above posts are excellent!

If you decide on martial arts, find a dojo that specializes on no nonsense defense, not sport karate. There's a world of difference.

Pepper spray is good if the apartment is ventilated. It is issued to many Federal officers and they have to be sprayed to see their reaction to it. Be careful with it. I like the "fogger" type for the home.

Locks, dogs, motion sensors.. yes. You want to layer your security so that an evil doer has multiple opportunities to think it over.

Guns.....if you're comfortable with them. Take classes, practice shooting. Go at your own pace. Don't rush it. I know that Chicago laws are terrible, so find out what you can own and go to that level when you're ready. If it's a shotgun, the above posts have very good advice.

You've done the right thing by asking for advice. Keep aware. That's the best thing that you can do.....always. Your mind is the best weapon.
 
I know dogs may not be allowed at your apartments but they work like nothing else at keeping out intruders. Guns are fine to handle someone while you're home but a big dog is 24 hour security. Just don't get the silent breeds (say, Akitas). Get a recommended watch dog breed.
 
Jdege: actually, I think the bokken is a better weapon for almost anybody than one of those maces.

Lookit: esp. when we're dealing with somebody on the small side and/or female, a light one-handed baton like the ASP won't have enough "stopping power". A heavy one-handed piece like the mace will have a lot of momentum, but controllability is iffy.

A baseball bat is too heavy, except for maybe some of the lighter aluminum softball bats.

The bokken was *designed* for guys that were VERY small. Japanese dudes of 150+ years ago were, well, *shrimps* :). A bokken weighs 1.5 to 2 pounds, and is controlled by both hands. It is FAST, and she can change the incoming angle in mid-swing. Or nail the knee area, back it up (instead of "finishing the swing") and nail him high on the same incoming side that the knee attack came from. That sort of "fast low then high" on the same side is a real bi+ch to counter or block or dodge or *anything*.

Speed kills :).
 
Great ideas. I'd recommend purchasing not one or two implements but maybe more and varied. Nobody has mentioned that conflict can roll through an apartment. Several in the bathroom and scattered throughout the apartment may seem weird but you will know where they are and will have options if a problem occurs. A safe room is a good idea, foam pepper spray may be best in an enclosed area. And plan on where you go after or during conflict.
God willing you will never have a problem but you are miles ahead by thinking and acting now.
 
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