It's about 3:30 am and I'm awake and thinking about things.
I'll soon be 50 years old and my wife is 13 years older than I, we're both physically active, we're both shooters and we both have a survival mindset and have emergency supplies laid in and a generator and such. We have weapons and ammo naturally and with the kids all grown and on their own our weapons are staged.
We do live in a low crime area and in an upper scale developement so crime is not a major problem but still a concern as it should always be no matter where one is.

My questions are as follows:
What do you see as some good ideas for those of us getting along in years as far as self defense both in and out of the home?


We are armed everywhere we are legally able to be so. With our exercise routines we are in better shape than we have been for many years, maybe even our best shape ever and still working hard to improve.
I have previous Martial Arts training as well as plenty of practical experience on the streets if South Philly and North Philly in my younger days and we both train in kickboxing though at our ages and the class levels that we are in it might help in some situations but we're not 20 year olds any longer.
We have 2 dogs though they are smaller (Pug and Cocker Spaniel) they can provide some measure of warning and security at home and they have shown that they are protective if there is someone who for some reason they do not like as well as protective against other dogs who have growled at us. They're small but I have no doubt that they would do their best to protect us in any situation.

We have motion sensor lights outside and I do checks a few times a week (windows and doors for any signs of tampering and our doors are steel.

We live in a ranch home but built into a hill with a family room downstairs (below ground level in the front but has windows in the back looking into the yard) In front we have good public lighting with those sodium vapor lamps and in back we have a bridge crossing a stream with very steep banks followed by more land ending in a sharp uphill bank to a wooded public jogging path (yard is rather large, about an acre)
Note ( the PD does patrol the jogging path even at night) though not often enough.

Now this isn't just about us but about slightly older people in general (alot on fixed incomes). My mother for example lives in a row home by herself ( though a neighbor and friend of mine two doors away is a State Trooper and is always checking on her.

Some things to consider:
Many older people are alone
Some live in areas that are not as pleasant
Alot are on fixed incomes
Many are in poor physical condition
Many are unarmed

Let's try to keep things reasonable as not all have large disposable incomes, the best of health or the ability with firearms (some may have a single small caliber that they have not used in years if ever).

Let's get some ideas.

CCW is hige in my eyes. That would be the first step along with some form of training on how to use the weapon properly. After that maybe a touch of some sort of hand to hand personal defense.

CCW would of course be a good idea and for minimal training and ease of use a revolver but which one?

Hand to hand would need to be very basic for older folks, low kicks, basic punches and a lot of blocking at least in my opinion.

How do we feel about training in cane fighting? This is something I’ve been kicking around. My knees are loosing cartilage, but I’m too young for knee transplants. We’re injecting a material made from cock’s combs that lubricates and cushions the joint. A series of five injections is lasting me about a year, and as they are wearing off I develop a “rolling” gate. I’m considering affecting a cane (don’t need it at this point) so I have something in hand in those places were I can’t carry. My concern is that the cane makes me appear more vulnerable. Thoughts?

I think it depends on the use of the cane in regards to you appearing more vulnerable. If you are heavily relying on it then I would lean towards yes.

I have previous martials experience. Some involved fighting with a staff. A cane is shorter but it could be used with the same principals.

+1

If you need a cane then might as well train in using it as a weapon.
It's not just about physical abilities anyhow, one could be like Arnold physically but without the mental toughness to go with it then it wouldn't be much of a deterent.
I think the BG's look for a victim based more on opportunity and body language though of course physical limitataions also figure in.

Act like a sheep and be treated as one, act like a wolf even a limping one and be treated like one. Personally I wouldn't mess with a limping wolf.

This is exactly right

Being a big guy, I look more like a Rino.

I'm a pretty big guy myself and workout 6 days a week BUT there is always someone bigger and badder. Or at the very least bigger.

I feel that one can be bigger than an aggressor but if your body language says victim then that's what you'll be.
I've run into people personally that were bigger and even bullies but when it came down to hammer time they backed down once they realized that being smaller I wasn't backing down.

Growing up in South Philly and visiting my brother in North Philly taught me alot about aggression.
Growing up in a tough neighborhood and visiting another tough neighborhood where I was one of a few, very few caucasians, I had to learn and learn fast.

Being a big black Rhino in my hood works most times except when you run into other big black Rhinos .... then its all about looking like a carniverous Rhino to wit they think you're crazy and leave you alone.

I like that, carnivorous rhino. lol

Honestly, I think it boils down to awareness and your attitude.
If You are aware of your surroundings (and despite how it might seem to be a tough thing to manage, its not)
I concur on the CCW, but it really boils back to being aware and your physical attitude.

The cane idea, even though having one, might be portrayed as a "weak" point, but that littlte begnign object can and could be used as a defensive weapon when used in the right manner. If you go that route, prepare to train for using it that way. And using it, doesnt have to limit it to cretin on two legs. Dogs can attack, for whatever reason as well.

For dogs, I personally use a bright [hiney] SureFire G3 LED light for those dogs: blind them, they only see the light.

Getting old ain't for sissies!

I am 60.

I have had two back surgeries and one series of injections to control pain. That means i can not pick up a lot of weight, as in "throwing around a bad guy". Nor can I take a chance on being thrown around and suffering more injury.

I have had one heart attack of the "death's door" nature. during the rehab phase I was unable to move about quickly (as in running away from trouble).

That being said I am in good shape for all practical purposes. I walk 2 miles a day and work out in the downstairs gym in my rec room. I hike and backpack, camp, run several survival courses during the year and I am not on any life sustaining medications. I plan on being healthy for a long time, but i never planned on having a heart attack or two surgeries and a life filled with pain either.

sometimes trying to stay in shape is not possible as you age. Sickness slams your butt into inactivity for extended periods and you have absolutely no choice in the matter. Your reflexes slow down and your muscle tone evaporates, and sometimes it is not going to come back. My 65 year old next door neighbor went from a healthy active 6'5", 220 pound retiree to a crippled shell within 2 weeks due to a brain tumor.

Cane fighting sounds great, as long as you don't fall down while you are whacking at the fool in front of you.

punching sounds good too, unless you are so weak and slow the jerk soaks up the punch, laughs at you, then pushes you down and stomps your elderly butt into a puddle.

At 50 you have not even begun the aging process. The next decade is going to scare the hell out of you! you are too young to get replacement parts or the good pain meds. Once you hit 60 you can get new knees, shoulders, hips and the docs are not worried about giving you the strong pain killers you really need to move around each morning. Those old folks in the retirement community are not healthier than you, they just get the good drugs!

One day you will look at a situation and know that if what you think is about to happen actually happens you are going to have to shoot someone. You are too old to fight, take a beating or run away. Putting a bullet in the fool is your only choice.

You may also see the day when you can no longer cycle the slide on your autopistol. Your hands will not grip the slide and your arms do not have enough force to overcome the springs. Have you ever had a thumb so sore with authritis you could not move the safty on or off? It happens to people every day.

My father-in-law got his ccw at 73. I reworked the trigger on his snubnosed revolver for him. He snags reloads from me every chance he gets and shoots as often as he can.

Come to think about it, now that I am 60, 73 does not sound all that old!

CCW for my vote. My parents are older - in their late 60's and early 70's. My father is a retired LEO. They relocated from Michigan to eastern Tennessee. Small town, everyone knows each other, in a neighborhood filled with retired/current LEO's. It is a quiet neighborhood, with a low crime rate (though Meth heads are changing that fast). My father is alert to his surroundings and will defend his home if he has to. My mother though, has never fired a weapon in her life. If/when my father passes on, I am already planning on moving her in with us. Criminals often target older women by themselves. I knew of several horrible attacks on older women when we were living in Michigan.