tl;dr take an actual training class in self-defense. I did and I highly recommend it. Please don't use nylon "knives" for self defence. A quick google will sho

tl;dr take an actual training class in self-defense. I did and I highly recommend it. Please don't use nylon "knives" for self defence. A quick google will show you that they're advertised as "perfect for cakes and won't scratch your cookware" which also means they're not going to scratch an attacker either unless you're being attacked by the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. Mace is better than nothing, but people hopped up on drugs aren't going to be immediately feeling that pain. If they're not on drugs, great! But its sort of like when you've tied a few on and go to Taco Bell, it's not immediately a bad idea. People who aren't feeling the pain still can be incapacitated by mace if you get it in their eyes, but otherwise, you need to use it before they close the distance. Once they're on you, everyone gets affected by Spicy Air, and if they're on drugs, you're probably hurting yourself just as much as you're hurting them.