OK, so a few people have scoured around the interweb looking for stories of citizens using OC, and it has not turned up much. And even of those few we hear, some were from sites selling OC.
OC is probably the most popular self-defense item ever produced. We see it being carried by people who otherwise have no interest in personal protection, carrying it on their key chain. How is it then that folks here, and police I talk to, are at a loss for stories reporting its use as well?
This past weekend I did an Urban Escape & Evasion Course. One of the things we did was buy the cheapest POS OC spray at Harbor Freight to expose the students. The results were interesting.
I stood in front of them as they covered one eye with their hand (still gets a good result but speeds recovery time). From about two feet away, I sprayed a one second blast of stream into their face. This caused an immediate, involuntary closing of both eyes, and they brought both hands up to their face. Then they had to turn around and find a key in mulch on the ground and open a lock box that held a cell phone. They had to try to dial 911 and send.
This was meant to simulate OC being used as a robber tool, and them having to find a key in the dark after knocking out a captor and escaping confinement.
The majority of them had been exposed to OC before and stated that this cheap stuff was just as bad as or worse than the name brands they had been hit with.
Using Combative Anatomy, the idea is to attack body systems in the order in which they affect the attacker’s ability to attack. Let's discuss the effects of OC-
Central Nervous System- nope, OC does not affect the brain, spinal cord, or any part of the CNS.
Structural System- nope, OC does not affect the bones, muscles, ligaments, or tendons.
Circulatory System- in combative anatomy we lump both the circulation of blood and air into the circulatory system since disruption requires the penetration or crushing of the body's plumbing or duct work. OC does not affect the body's plumbing. It may affect the respiratory system to a small extent, even though that was not the case during our scenario.
When you spray someone with OC, what you take from them is their eyesight. When you take away one of the body's senses, the other senses take over. In this case, touch. Typically loss of fine/complex motor skills is the first to go, but that is not what we saw. They fumbled a little bit, but everyone was able to locate the key and open the lock box. Dialing 911 and send was a different matter. Good to note if you do carry OC, if you get blow back from your own use, you may not be able to use your cell phone.
So if their fine/complex motor skills were not impaired, obviously the same is true for their gross motor skills. That means they can punch, kick, tackle, smash you into a wall, cut, stab, or shoot you. The good thing is that you can do the same to them if sprayed.
Everyone commented about how the effects of the OC "sink in" over time. More evidence that if you are sprayed during an attack your immediate response needs to be moving to making contact with your attacker and damaging them with elbows and knees.
Some notes about me spraying them. I took a few practice shots and found the stream to be pretty accurate. Even though I was standing still and two feet away and "aiming" for their eye, several times I hit just to the sides or just above or below. They were not moving and neither was I. Several times, I noted to the other instructors how I felt my feet were glued to the ground because I felt the need to stand completely still and aim because I knew I needed to get it in their eyes. If we’re both moving, I think the effect would have been very minimal. And remember this was from about two feet away.
So let’s look at it this way-
Selection- yes I used Brand X or generic OC that said it was 1,500, 000 SHU, but students said it was as bad as or worse than others they had been exposed to.
Carry- I had it in my hand
Deployment- I was prepared and stationary, without the need for deciding whether or not I needed to use the OC, and knowing that its effectiveness or lack thereof would have no effect on me.
Use- As stated, I was standing still, two feet away, stationary, and still found it slightly inaccurate.
Now look at it from the point of view of the citizen-
Selection- you can choose whichever brand of OC you wish
Carry- OC is prohibited in all federal buildings, you cannot fly with it, and there are state and local laws restricting its use. Then you need to have to carry it so that it is handy, on a keychain, belt pouch, or in your vehicle.
Deployment- you would need to be aware of the threat, locate your OC, take it out of the holder or carry method, move the little switch over to spray as your heart rate sky rockets to over 220 BPM.
Use- you would need to be close enough to them to hit them with the OC without them being close enough to you to strike you. You will be moving and they will be moving. You spray them causing only blindness.
Personally, I would rather jab them in the face with a pen or slap them as hard as possible on the side of their head. Those two simple things take advantage of your movement and attack their Central Nervous System and Structural System. This would allow you to get away, and after all, that is the goal.
This OC vs that OC debate is the same as 9 MM vs 45 ACP and talking about what they do against ballistic gelatin and not real people during real scenarios. Just food for thought.
OC is probably the most popular self-defense item ever produced. We see it being carried by people who otherwise have no interest in personal protection, carrying it on their key chain. How is it then that folks here, and police I talk to, are at a loss for stories reporting its use as well?
This past weekend I did an Urban Escape & Evasion Course. One of the things we did was buy the cheapest POS OC spray at Harbor Freight to expose the students. The results were interesting.
I stood in front of them as they covered one eye with their hand (still gets a good result but speeds recovery time). From about two feet away, I sprayed a one second blast of stream into their face. This caused an immediate, involuntary closing of both eyes, and they brought both hands up to their face. Then they had to turn around and find a key in mulch on the ground and open a lock box that held a cell phone. They had to try to dial 911 and send.
This was meant to simulate OC being used as a robber tool, and them having to find a key in the dark after knocking out a captor and escaping confinement.
The majority of them had been exposed to OC before and stated that this cheap stuff was just as bad as or worse than the name brands they had been hit with.
Using Combative Anatomy, the idea is to attack body systems in the order in which they affect the attacker’s ability to attack. Let's discuss the effects of OC-
Central Nervous System- nope, OC does not affect the brain, spinal cord, or any part of the CNS.
Structural System- nope, OC does not affect the bones, muscles, ligaments, or tendons.
Circulatory System- in combative anatomy we lump both the circulation of blood and air into the circulatory system since disruption requires the penetration or crushing of the body's plumbing or duct work. OC does not affect the body's plumbing. It may affect the respiratory system to a small extent, even though that was not the case during our scenario.
When you spray someone with OC, what you take from them is their eyesight. When you take away one of the body's senses, the other senses take over. In this case, touch. Typically loss of fine/complex motor skills is the first to go, but that is not what we saw. They fumbled a little bit, but everyone was able to locate the key and open the lock box. Dialing 911 and send was a different matter. Good to note if you do carry OC, if you get blow back from your own use, you may not be able to use your cell phone.
So if their fine/complex motor skills were not impaired, obviously the same is true for their gross motor skills. That means they can punch, kick, tackle, smash you into a wall, cut, stab, or shoot you. The good thing is that you can do the same to them if sprayed.
Everyone commented about how the effects of the OC "sink in" over time. More evidence that if you are sprayed during an attack your immediate response needs to be moving to making contact with your attacker and damaging them with elbows and knees.
Some notes about me spraying them. I took a few practice shots and found the stream to be pretty accurate. Even though I was standing still and two feet away and "aiming" for their eye, several times I hit just to the sides or just above or below. They were not moving and neither was I. Several times, I noted to the other instructors how I felt my feet were glued to the ground because I felt the need to stand completely still and aim because I knew I needed to get it in their eyes. If we’re both moving, I think the effect would have been very minimal. And remember this was from about two feet away.
So let’s look at it this way-
Selection- yes I used Brand X or generic OC that said it was 1,500, 000 SHU, but students said it was as bad as or worse than others they had been exposed to.
Carry- I had it in my hand
Deployment- I was prepared and stationary, without the need for deciding whether or not I needed to use the OC, and knowing that its effectiveness or lack thereof would have no effect on me.
Use- As stated, I was standing still, two feet away, stationary, and still found it slightly inaccurate.
Now look at it from the point of view of the citizen-
Selection- you can choose whichever brand of OC you wish
Carry- OC is prohibited in all federal buildings, you cannot fly with it, and there are state and local laws restricting its use. Then you need to have to carry it so that it is handy, on a keychain, belt pouch, or in your vehicle.
Deployment- you would need to be aware of the threat, locate your OC, take it out of the holder or carry method, move the little switch over to spray as your heart rate sky rockets to over 220 BPM.
Use- you would need to be close enough to them to hit them with the OC without them being close enough to you to strike you. You will be moving and they will be moving. You spray them causing only blindness.
Personally, I would rather jab them in the face with a pen or slap them as hard as possible on the side of their head. Those two simple things take advantage of your movement and attack their Central Nervous System and Structural System. This would allow you to get away, and after all, that is the goal.
This OC vs that OC debate is the same as 9 MM vs 45 ACP and talking about what they do against ballistic gelatin and not real people during real scenarios. Just food for thought.
