The act of defending oneself from people or animals who want to cause some damage is termed as Self-Defense. The purpose of self-defense is not to harm the other person but to save oneself from others. People who are physically strong use hand-to-hand combat to handle the attackers whereas people who are not physically strong use self-defense weapons to handle the attackers.

Over the past few years, a number of self-defense products have been developed which are very effective for counter-attacking the attackers. Self-defense products don't kill the attacker but they prevent him from attacking either by disabling him for some minutes or by affecting some parts of the body so as to prevent him from attacking.

Pepper Spray: It is also known as OC spray or OC gas. It is basically a chemical compound that is used to irritate the eyes so as to cause pain, tears, and even temporary blindness. It is a less lethal agent and it is widely used for personal self-defense. Pepper Spray is usually available in canisters of small size so that an individual can carry the spray in the pocket or even in the purse. Pepper spray causes immediate closing of eyes and so, the person being attacked can use the pepper spray on the attacker so as to close the attacker's eyes and find a way to run, hide or counter-attack.

Sometimes, a runny nose, coughing, difficulty in breathing is also caused by the pepper spray. The duration of the effects depends on the strength of the spray and so, the person being attacked has limited time to take the advantage of the effects of the spray. However, you should check the laws of your country to make sure that it's allowed to use the pepper spray in your country as some countries don't allow the use of pepper spray for self-defense.

Stun Guns: A stun gun is an electronic device that is used to stop an attacker and it uses high voltage for stopping an attacker. Stun guns use electric shocks to immobilize the attackers and the electric-shocks are passed to attackers whenever they touch the prongs of the stun gun. However, the attacker is disabled temporarily.

While the attacker is disabled, an individual can easily find a way to counter-attack the attacker. Different forms of stun guns are available so as to allow people to choose the one they want. People who cannot carry a stun gun in the pocket can convert their cell phones into stun guns whereas a security guard might use a stun baton as it allows an extended reach when compared to a cell phone stun gun.

Telescopic Steel Baton: Telescopic steel baton is one of the self-defense weapons that allow you to counter-attack the attacker from a safe distance. For a stun gun to work effectively, the attacker should be close to you. However, this is not very safe if the attacker is physically strong. Unlike a stun gun, the telescopic steel baton is used to counter-attack the attacker from a considerable distance. With just a flick of the wrist, steel batons can be extended to 16, 21 or 26 inches.

However, training is required to understand how a steel baton is used effectively. Also, you can easily carry an expandable steel baton with you as expandable batons usually fit perfectly in boots and so, you can take them out easily whenever a bad guy or animal approaches you.