Self-protection in Fiction - Carrying an ASP BATON - Information for Writers

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

DISCLAIMER - This is a non-political site that is geared to help writers write it right. I am presenting information to help develop fictional characters and fictional scenes. In no way am I advocating any position or personal decision.

This is an ASP BATON. In the top photograph you can see it in its compact  position. It has a padded handle that makes it easy to grip and comfortable in the hand.

The second photo is the baton when extended.

The type of character who might choose to carry an asp baton for self-defense might include:
*Martial Artists
* Police Officers
* Government law ex. ATF, FBI etc.

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

* Military and ex-military
* Private Detectives
* Security Guards

Check out the state law where your character is supposed to live to find out about legality. California is a no-go. Because it is a weapon, even if your character has a concealed carry permit, in most states this must be unconcealed. The carrier of this weapon needs to be trained to be effective. Or not. I mean, if your character gets hold of an asp to "look cool," for example then the bad guy/gal could relieve them of their weapon and use it against them. Plot twist.                                                                

                                                                                                                  An asp baton has a little carry case that fits onto your belt loop. 

An asp baton is an excellent jogging weapon. Your character could have an asp baton in each hand. They are comfortable, and add a little arm weight.

And as she is running through the woods out jumps a werewolf, or a wild dog, or an  attacker. 

First the protagonist would take a defensive pose. This tells an attacker that she is not an easy target - that might be all the deterrent she needs. This also put her in position to open her weapon.

Weight is on the back non-dominant foot

Dominant foot is ready to kick, pivot, run

                                       

• Quick snap down. 
• The weapon extends and locks into place. 
• This gives shorter women a better ability to protect against long-armed tall men.

This is what they look like extended. They extend by gravity and lock in place with friction (yay, physics!) No buttons to push. It's a fairly straightforward  mechanism. If you want to add tension to the scene, the baton could get stuck. It's still a great weapon and can be used somewhat like a kubotan. See videos below for more closed baton tactical ideas.  

                           
                                      

•  45 degree foot position. 
• Weight distributed between legs, slightly more weight on the back leg. Ready for quick footwork (shuffling). 
• Load. Which means to put the weapon into striking stance. 
• These moves are FAST. You have moved from lifting the weapon to strike position in the blink of an eye - the heroine doesn't want to give her attacker the ability to size up the situation and come up with a plan.
• Disarm the attacker of their weapon and neutralize the attacker. Use the force necessary to stop the threat. 
• Use X swipes (see videos)

• Video 1 - ASP Collapsible baton. (13 min) Goes over all the info an author might need for descriptions. Includes a break down.
• Video 2 - What is a telescoping steel baton? (1:32 min)
• Video SET - These are 19 short videos (about 90 seconds each) showing the tactical use of closed and opened baton scenarios include knife fights, bat/stick attacks, grappling, front and back attacks. Excellent.

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Related articles

• Real definition of deadly force

Women Carrying Concealed - Information for Writers

Schietsport, vrouwen met pistool / Sports, shooting. Women with pistols (Photo credit: Nationaal Archief)

DISCLAIMER - This is a non-political site that is geared to help writers write it right. I am presenting information to help develop fictional characters and fictional scenes. In no way am I advocating any position or decision.

Fiona - 

Today I am interviewing Kelli about conceal carry. Hey Kelli, are you ready?


Kelli - 
Yep. I'm cooking deer meat, so I may get up and walk off for one second if you wonder why it takes me a minute.

English: Handgun showing self lighting Tritium sights. These sights are commonly referred to as night sights and allow use in low-light and night conditions. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Fiona - 

Bahaha. You do that. Kelli, how would you describe yourself to my readers?

Kelli - 

I'm a 'down home' type of person. I like being in nature and with plants and animals and being able to do things for myself as much as possible. 

I was taught not to ask for help, that shows weakness. Friendly, helpful, but not a doormat to anyone. Growing up, I rode motorcycles, tried to rehab animals that were hurt, went camping with my family and spent most of my time outside playing. I grew up in southern West Virginia.

Wikipedia

Fiona -  

Kelli is being modest. She also holds an MA in education, qualifies to test for her third degree black belt, and is a Tae Kwon Do instructor. Okay, girlfriend, let's talk conceal carry. Watcha got in your purse?

Kelli - 
In my purse I have a journal, my wallet, and some chapstick. I don't carry in my purse!

Fiona - 

Where do you like to carry, what do you like to carry and why do you do it?

Kelli - 

I carry a .380 Ruger LCP and I use a Smart Carry for that (goes around the waist, deeply concealed). I carry for the same reason people wear a seat-belt, not because I think I will need it, but because it is a good idea for that 'just in case' moment. 

English: Clockwise start at the top left: Glock G22, Glock G21, Kimber Custom Raptor, Dan Wesson Commander, Ruger sp101, Ruger Blackhawk .357, Sig Sauer P220 Combat. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Fiona - 

Have you ever needed it?

Kelli - 

Thankfully no, I have never had to draw! I also keep a .357 Ruger revolver in my console of my truck.

Fiona - And also a knife?

Kelli - 

As an herbalist, I always carry a good pocketknife, Benchmade! 

(Click here to go to Benchmark Knives website)

Fiona -  

So let's start at the beginning - when did you decide to start carrying and was there any particular reason?

Kelli - 

When I moved to CA we couldn't take a lot of our guns with us because of the law. So I left most of them at home in WV (we took one) after left there I moved to VA, and I realized there were times I was in some 'not so good' areas (not like home in WV where we know everyone). 

I started thinking about how I had lost my shooting skills being gone and how I would like them to get sharpened again. So I took a few classes and then saw they had a conceal carry class and thought that would be a good idea. So I went to the class, got my certification, and went through with the permit! 

My husband had been in Iraq, and I remember feeling a little more vulnerable during that time. I thought I should keep my shooting skills up and get more proactive with my protection of the house and of my daughter. Especially when we were out (we often traveled out of town on agility trials and went back home to WV a lot. (Kelli trains dogs for agility trials.)

Fiona - 

You like to use a Smart Carry and even made a YouTube video, right?

Kelli - 

Yes. I love the Smart Carry, and there were no videos showing how it fit women and how good it was for conceal for women. Most of the videos showed men only. So I wanted to show how easy it was for other women who may be thinking about it.

Click here to go see Kelli show off her Smart Carry.

Click here to go to Smart Carry Website

Fiona - 

Thanks for sharing! When you read books or watch videos of women with guns - I'm sure you see mistakes. What are some of the things that you would like writers to know about women carrying concealed?


Kelli - 

One of my biggest issues with the way women carry is that in most cases they think it is safe or preferable to carry in their purse. I am not saying this is wrong, but I don't feel it is the safest and quickest way to access your gun. Someone who wants to rob you may take your purse (now they have your gun, too).

English: An XOXO brand purse. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Fiona - 

Okay Ladies, don't put your gun in your purse. And writers, now you can see how this can go wrong for our heroines - if you're trying to make the scene go bad.



Kelli - 

Right. If you have your gun on you, you can access it quicker and if you walk off from your purse there is no risk of someone (maybe a child) getting your gun. To me, that is very dangerous, and I don't care for it.

Youtube of a bra - carry

Fiona - 

Agreed. What about the chick who is afraid, and so she goes to the gun shop, buys a gun, and sticks it in her purse - do you like that one?


Kelli - 

Yikes! Know your gun. Practice with it. Practice drawing from different angels, different scenarios.


Fiona -

You mean I won't have time to hit my favorite pose and do some cleansing yoga breaths?


Kelli - Uhm, no. Fear can cloud your judgment, I would suggest that person get with an instructor and help her overcome her fears, and teach her how to use and carry her gun appropriately to fit her situation and circumstances (whatever they may be).


Fiona - 

Any other advice for the scared rabbit heroine?


Kelli - 

Don't be scared. Be prepared.

Fiona -

We should make a T-shirt.


Kelli - 

Bahaha. Yes. But that is my best advice on anything. Don't be scared, find ways to help yourself feel more confident about your self-defense skills (maybe take a women's self-defense class, martial arts, etc) but fear is NOT your friend! Confidence is your friend!


Fiona - 

Any ethics we need to keep in mind about conceal carry?


Kelli - 

If I am carrying, I usually take my gun off before going into someone's home, unless I know they are gun-friendly, and I usually do tell them. I ask them if that makes them uncomfortable (though I usually remove it). I think that is just being a good friend. If I know they are okay with it and carry themselves then I wouldn't think about it as much.


Fiona -  

Where can you get in trouble carrying - for writers who don't use guns, can you make a quick list? That was cryptic. I mean like a bar, the courthouse...


Kelli - 

That can depend on the state (you should always follow your state laws) but generally government agencies and schools are the top ones. I am not an expert in that so anyone interested needs to research that thoroughly and keep a list on your refrigerator, memorize, keep it in your car, etc. you need to know the law, if you don't you are not ready to carry! 

Click here to go to a site that has more information on this subject.


Fiona - 

Advice for the heroine carrying concealed?


Kelli - 

Well my daddy told me this, "Never put your finger on the trigger unless you are ready to kill what is in front of you," and that is a big thing to consider. So my best advice is really think about it. Is your heroine willing to squeeze that trigger if she has to? If not, then she shouldn't carry. If your heroine hesitates, the gun can and will be used against her. Your heroine has to be 1000% sure of her ability to defend her life (or her family's). This is not play time; this is serious. And she needs to be serious about it.


Me - 

And now for the last words...


Kelli - 

My final thought? My life is worth defending, is yours? I really would like to see more women either carry, learn self defense skills, or something to protect themselves, sadly this world is not rainbows and unicorns. Women are often victims; it is time to end that!


Fiona - 

Amen. Thanks to Kelli for sharing her insights and thanks to you for stopping by. 

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Military and Police Dogs - Information for Writers

      ANGEL and WINGS


Character Designation:   HEROES

Meet Angel and his K9 Wings (K9's name created by Fiona Quinn to protect his identity). I'm only using Angel's first name for security reasons. He pronounces it Angel and not An-hell as in his Italian/Puerto Rican background, or even Ange as they pronounce it in his new home in Switzerland.

I "met" Angel online six years ago. We were both fighting a crime, trying to take down a criminal who abused dogs and preyed on medically fragile children. (And we were successful - this perp. is no longer allowed to work with dogs or children.) So my contact with Angel has only been over the web.

When I first started corresponding with Angel, I was rather taken aback. He only wrote in CAPITAL LETTERS - ABOUT EVERYTHING, whether it was just to ask how I was doing, or offering me some information about our case. I thought he was permanently angry and shouting. Luckily, Angel released his CapsLock, and I got to know him better. A great friend - but your worst enemy. Here's hoping I always stay on Angel's good side.

Angel has the conviction, fortitude, and power that makes sense of that CapsLock writing. An ex-Marine with all of the Hoorah that that encompasses. I saw a cartoon once of a maze and then a path that had been cut diagonally through the center, a beeline from START to FINISH, no corners turned. It was captioned something like "If you don't understand this, you are not a Marine." And that's Angel. Once he's convinced of the straight path, he takes it. Get out of his way. And if you're the bad guy... RUN!

Fiona: Hi, Angel. Would it be okay if I interviewed you about your work with Wings?
           (Wings is a highly trained working dog and Angel's partner).

Angel: Oui, Ca va.

Translation - "Yes, that works." Angel speaks American, Spanish, French and enough German to work
                    with his K9. His dexterity with languages serves him well in his job. He lives in Switzerland
                    and works for a company that provides personal protection for diplomats as well as the rich
                    and famous who come through town. (He also protects ships from Somalian pirates - so
                    hopefully he'll agree to another blog interview so we can read about that!) His job is the stuff of
                    movies and thriller books.

Fiona: What is your background with the military/security?

Angel:  Well I was in the Corp. (Angel was a Marine - Whoops. Angel e-mailed me to remind me ONCE A
            MARINE ALWAYS A MARINE. Noted.) When I left the Corp, I started doing armed security
            officer (Body Guard) assignments. I've always had a love for dogs, and I always felt training was
            important. When I moved to Switzerland, I really got into close quarter protection and wanted to
            bring a K9 in as a partner. So I bought a K9 from a reputable place that believes that in order to
            have a great K9, you first have to train the handler to work as a team and to trust your K9 Partner.

Angel in a Training Session. 

Fiona: Let me stop you there, is there a difference between a police and a combat dog, sorry K9?

Angel: There is ONLY one difference between a tactical police K9 and a combat K9. The difference is that
           a combat K9 works in a war zone and the tactical K9 does not. Other than that, the training is not
           different.

Fiona: Thanks. Okay, go on with your story. You bought a K9...

Angel: I went to Florida and started my training. Now, in training I didn't just work with my dog. I also
          worked with all of their dogs. The group trained dogs for the military and for the police. I worked
          with labs German Shepherds and  and Belgian Malinois. It was Amazing.

Angel and Wings on Duty

Fiona: In law enforcement - could just any police officer be placed in the K9 unit? Or are there specific men
           and women who only work K9? LINK to dogs at work (Delta K9 - not Angel and Wings)

Angel: Lol that's funny. Well in most cases they choose guys that have proven themselves to be good,
          but all departments are different. They have different standards. For instance, some K9s are trained
          in "bark and hold." Now, "bark and hold" is when the K9 is sent after the criminal, the criminal stops
          running, puts his hands in there air, and gives up. The K9 will stop right in front of the criminal and
          bark. If the criminal moves and try's to run, the K9 will attack without a command. Some departments
          train that when a command is given, the K9 doesn't stop unless the handler gives the command, or the
          K9 can't get to the criminal and barks to let us know where the criminal is, i.e. like in building searches

Fiona:  Is Wings trained in "bark and hold?" Or, attack?

Angel: Wings is trained to attack the threat. Now, Wings was trained in the U.S. In the U.S. the dogs are
           trained to go until they are told to stop. This helps to prevent the dog from getting stabbed or shot 
           which is likely in the bark and hold. Here in Europe, they think they have seen everything. So Wings 
           and I  did several exercises that the officials ran to watch our team in action. I told the "criminal" to 
           stop; he did not. I sent Wings out. Wings caught up with the man, bit him in his back shoulder, and 
           flattened the man -  knocked the wind out of him. The man playing the "criminal" didn't cover his
           head like he should have, and Wings went for his face. I called Wings off before Wings could sink his
           teeth. That's why obedience is very important.

Fiona: I bet that poor guy was terrified! So the take down is a bite to the shoulder?

Angel: Wings will see a threat if you attack any part of my body. For example, in the next part of the
           exercise,  I don't tell Wings to attack; he attacks on his own to simulate a real life situation where I
           can't make a command. The "criminal" tries to kick me, and Wings attacked his leg. The "criminal"
           tried to punch me, Wings let go of leg and bit the arm before the "criminal" could make contact with
           me. The "criminal" tried to hit me with the other fist; Wings let go of the arm, bit him right in the chest,
           put him to the ground.

Fiona: Go Wings!

Fiona: So that makes sense that the dog has several take downs, and I can see why you would want
          different tools in Wings's tool box for handling a situation. How is Wings rewarded?

Angel: If we do obedience, then it's a ball. If we do obedience attack, it's the bite. If it's
          drugs, it's the ball. If it's SAR work, it's the ball. If it's a SAR bad guy, it's a bite

Fiona: SAR. Can you tell me what that is? And are there other phrases that a K9 handler
          would use that would make a writer's work more accurate? Also, do you train in a
          foreign language like German?

Angel: SAR is Search and Rescue. Wings is a dual-purpose K9. He is trained in
           patrol/protection and narcotics. There are also dual explosive K9s, as well. Dual
           means the dog either dose narcotics or explosive with tracking and handler
           protection. You can not have a K9 certified in both narc and explosives. It's
          dangerous  -- if the K9 alerts to drugs but it's a bomb, you're dead. The K9 knows
          the difference, but if you have a mixed signal then you're dead.

           Most of the K9s in the U.S. are imported. They are trained in German, Czech, or
           sometimes French. But remember every police department is different, and the laws
           are different for every state.

           Wings knows German, American, and French but mostly German. One of the
           biggest reasons for this that the handler doesn't want the bad guy to give commands
           to the K9 thereby confusing the K9. From what I've seen, if you have a great bond
           with the K9, he won't listen to anyone but the handler -- even if they know the
           language and correct commands. I've proven it. When training here, part of the
           police test that I had to take here went like this: the police tell you to release your K9
           and let him play. Then they have a group of people call his name, give him 
           commands, everything you can think of. After the test the police and boarder patrol
           asked to buy Wings. I told them in a stern manner that THEY HAVE A BETTER
           CHANCE IN SEEING GOD ! ! !

Fiona : Bahaha Amen. I love that. Okay one more question.What does a typical day look
           like for the team? Okay more ??s What do you call the dog part of a team? And can
           you think of any other weird little special do's and don'ts that a writer could use to
           make their stories more accurate?

Angel: Here in Switzerland we use K9 Team the U.S.  we use K9 Unit ... Also, I should be
          clear that police K9s are also called police service dogs. MWD is a Military Working
          Dog. There is a big difference in the drive of  police K9 and a military K9 and a
          regular ADA service dog (one used for medical reasons). Military and Police K9s
          have a ton more energy and are no where close to being laid back like the labs you
          see as service dogs. The military K9s have to be WORKED if not they go crazy.
          Also, back in the day, police and military picked the craziest most AGGRESSIVE
          dogs they could find. That's not the case anymore. Now they pick clear headed K9s
          that they can bring anywhere without a problem. The K9s you see today are more
          effective than back in the day.

         About our day: 
         Before going to work, I take Wings out, and he goes pee and poop. LOL. Then I say
         to him, "Let's go to work," and we start obedience training. When done (it takes 10 to
         15 min. Never push the dog long in training)I load him into the SUV. From there, it
         depends on what the job is sometimes we are protecting a celeb's house or an event 
         ... We patrol the area and keep the peace. There is always someone stupid drunk or
         on drugs.. 

Fiona: I just posted a picture on my author page on Facebook about a dog named Ape who
          was FBI killed in action - do you know his story? I can't find it.

Angel: Herkimer, N.Y. - Thursday morning FBI agents and officials stormed a building to
          end a daylong standoff.

         The gunman inside was Kurt Myers, 64 of Mohawk, and he is responsible for 
         shooting six people on Wednesday morning. Four of those men shot died, two more 
         remain in the hospital. Two of those killed were longtime New York State 
         Corrections Officers. The shootings occurred at a barbershop near Myers' apartment 
         and a car wash a mile away in the Village of Herkimer.

         Myers began a standoff with police inside a vacant building on N. Main Street in
         Herkimer late Wednesday morning. Early Wednesday afternoon he exchanged gunfire
         with police.

         Thursday morning New York State Police and members of the FBI, with support 
         from local police, raided the building to end the standoff. Myers shot and killed an 
         FBI K9 dog named "Ape" before authorities shot and killed Myers.

In case you should think that Angel's work is all fun and games with his K9 - here are some pictures to show what can happen when he is working a dog. The handler had a glitch in his training, though Angel is quick to point out that he (Angel) should have done a better job protecting himself: 

(GRAPHIC IN NATURE)

A K9 (not Wings) tried to remove Angel's ear.

Fiona: GROSS!!!!! Do you have an excellent scar now? Do you look like a pirate?

Angel: Lol. There is a scar, but I had a great surgeon. I have scars all over my body. I'm always doing things that can Kill me. LMAO

Fiona: I've noticed   >_<

READERS:
If you have questions for Angel - just post them below.

Also, Angel bought his K9 at SoutherncoastK9.com There is more information about K9 work dogs available.

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Thank you so much for stopping by. And thank you for your support. When you buy my books, you make it possible for me to continue to bring you helpful articles and keep ThrillWriting free and accessible to all.

! 

Surviving Human Trafficking - Prt 3 Information for Writers

A white ribbon to commemorate the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. Right-to-life Awareness. White Ribbon. Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Today, I welcome back to my blog, Brynn, LMSW. This is the third installment in her series of blogs written to help writers to understand the perspective of the victim. In this blog she is writing from her position as a professional who deals with other victims. Brynn is happy to answer any of your questions. Please leave questions and comments for her below.

***

In December 2012, I earned my Master’s Degree in Social Work. One of the requirements for my degree was an eight-hundred hours internship in a single setting. I chose to work in the local police department where I interned as a Victim’s Advocate. I worked predominately with survivors of domestic violence, but I also worked with victims of other crimes: robberies, child abuse, sexual assault, and so forth.

During my training, I received a manual (of sorts) that explained the different types of crimes I might encounter. To my surprise, they listed kidnapping! I am a survivor of a human trafficking ring. Strangers kidnapped me and subjected to atrocities. And in a weird way, I was excited to see that the police manual included at least a paragraph devoted to this horrific crime.

However, when I asked my social work supervisor how I could best respond to an abduction victim, (I never mentioned to her that I was a survivor) her response was that I should simply not worry about it - kidnappings “never” happened.

Once I heard that, I knew immediately what I wanted to do with my social work degree. I would focus on survivors of violent crimes, especially victims of human trafficking. 

Office on Violence Against Women logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Surprisingly, now that I am a LMSW working in the field, I rarely, if EVER, come across another professional who has anything beyond basic knowledge of abduction and trafficking.

I wrote about what it was like be a survivor in past articles for Fiona Quinn’s blog, now I want to write this:

I despise it when people tell me, “I understand.”  I think, “Do you? Can you really tell me you understand? If we reversed our positions -- you having gone through the same thing that I did and me playing the role of inviolate listener -- could you truly understand my feelings?” I hope your answer is no.

I hope it was no because even standing side by side throughout the entire ordeal, you and I would still have experienced this through different eyes, ears, mental filters, and emotions. Even when meeting another victim of human trafficking, I cannot understand his or her experience simply because I am not that other person. Each individual (and in the same vein each fictional character) will experience a crime in a unique way.

I frequently hear people say, “Wow! How did you survive that?”  To me, this phrase invalidates my experience. It’s almost as if the questioner is daring me to prove that my crime actually occurred. If you are writing a fictional response to a victim’s disclosure (or you are expressing a personal response to a real-life victim), I suggest thinking about ways to validate the crime victim’s experience. As writers, after all, you are teaching your readers how to respond if they encounter this experience in their own lives.

So perhaps, instead of having your characters ask, “How did you survive?” try changing the wording around so that at the same time as getting your question answered you are validating the experience of the survivor (fictional or not). “It must have been difficult to go through that experience. Can you tell me what you think helped during that ordeal?” Or simply say, “How horrific. I’m so sorry. How can I help?”

Personally, the fact that someone can validate my thoughts and feelings about my experience has helped tremendously. Validation is key. I cannot stress enough how important this is! I have been able to begin opening up because I feel as though people believe me.

In writing, please take a moment to consider the character not just as a victim but as a survivor. Validating the feelings of that character/survivor (their anger, denial, and depression) can help to portray adequate therapeutic relationships that can help the victim move forward. Or alternatively, with an invalidating response, you can harm the victim's progress.

Let me offer an example for how you might accomplish a validation in your fictional piece:

During my ordeal, one of the ways my kidnappers punished me was by burying me alive. I distinctly remember the dirt, the smell, the worms…  all of it. I have never been able to talk about that aspect of my abduction. It is simply too painful.

One night, I ended up in the ICU. I was unable to breathe. My condition mystified the doctors. Finally, a lung specialist came in and asked a series of questions.  One of the questions was, “Have you ever been exposed to large quantities of dirt?” I hesitated for a moment before telling him about the time that the kidnappers had buried me alive. The lung specialist did not pause. He did not question me. The results of my medical tests validated my experience. The doctor was able to tell me that my story corroborated my medical test results, and his diagnosis made sense.

Even if your character survives something that reads as crazy or unbelievable, understand that people survive the crazy and unbelievable every day. After all, I survived -- anything is possible.

Fiona Quinn adds: If you want to read a series that includes the survivors of sexual abuse and the appropriate way to hear/validate their experiences, I suggest Sylvia Day’s books Bared to You and Reflected in You. (Heads up - both have an erotic component) Sylvia Day does an excellent job of dealing with her characters in a sound psychological way, and she presents an excellent template for other authors to follow. As an MS in Counseling, I highly suggest these books. As a counselor, I sincerely hope that authors can help to teach appropriate victim response through their carefully crafted writing. And as an author dealing with characters, just as in real life, I understand that sometimes this is a tight-rope walk.

Reflected in You on Amazon
Bared to You on Amazon

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