PERSONAL SAFETY
Why 'Keeping it Simple Stupid' is the Smart Choice
Keeping things as simple as possible is particularly important when it comes to self-protection or self-defence. If you've heard of the KISS principle, you'll know that it stands for Keep it Simple Stupid. Whilst at first this acronym may seem derogatory, the intention of it is to take a complex subject and be able to effectively teach it to someone who is ignorant of the topic. The message inherent in the statement then it intended for the teacher, rather than the student.
Emotional hijacking
One of the main reasons to keep things simple when it comes to personal safety is the so-called emotional hijacking that often occurs during a crime incident. Also known as the fight, flight or freeze response, this is how poeple react to an emotionally charged situation. The challenge is that we don't know how we are going to react until we are in the situation itself.
You can overcome emotional hijacking through intensive and ongoing training. This is why soldiers, particularly those who have operated in elite military units, undergo such arduous and rigorous training. And even then, some soldiers freeze on the battlefield.
Also, those who elect to study martial arts take years to become accomplished in their fighting art and can still be overcome when met by a significant number of attackers. Equally, those who own a firearm need to dedicate themselves to hours of practice, honing their skill so that their response becomes second nature when circumstances explode.
Considering that it takes years to become proficient at self-defence, and in most cases, our exposure to personal safety has been minimal, keeping things simple enables people to recall and act when in a stressful situation.
The case for fog-type pepper spray
Keeping it simple is one of the reasons why, contrary to popular opinion, we advocate to use fog/cone-type pepper spray, and why the BrollyGuard comes standard with fog-type pepper spray.
Many people steer towards stream pepper spray. for fear of the residual effect of fog-type spray, commonly known as the 'blowback effect'. Whilst the residual effect of the pepper spray can cause discomfort to you, consider the impact of this pepper spray on your attacker, or attackers, when they get a face full.
Consider also that stream pepper spray is only effective when it directly hits the eyes and/or mouth of an attacker. Now, imagine that you are in a situation where you are emotionally hijacked. How likely are you to be able to aim your steam spray that carefully and accurately, given that your attacker is moving? And, noting our crime situation here in South Africa, there are likely to be between two and four attackers, if not more. When you are required to aim one by one at your attackers, hitting each in the eyes and mouth, your chances of success in this situation are slim to none.
The simplicity of fog pepper spray
So, considering the simplicity of the fog/cone-type pepper spray over its stream equivalent, with the fog-type spray you do not need to aim at, or even hit, your attacker(s). All you need to do is spray in the direction of your attackers. Given that pepper spray becomes aerosolised, your attackers will inhale these particles, begin to struggle for breath and experience significant burning in their eyes, likely allowing you to get away.
Given that the pepper spray is propelled away from you, the residual or blowback effect that you will experience is likely to be minor, particularly if you are spraying indoors, where there is little to no wind. If you are outside in heavily gusting wind, it is preferable for you to get upwind of your attackers. Doing so will give you an additional advantage in that the pepper spray particles will be picked up by the wind and dispersed further and wider.
So, when you are looking for self-protection or self-defence measures, always look at the simpler methods, because simple is smarter. And naturally, our BrollyGuard incorporates fog/cone-type pepper spray, giving the best chance of defending yourself in the worst case scenario.
