I probably won't answer many comments. I'm also not gonna make what I say sound more pretty... Sorry.
I've seen the memes like "trans people have a hell beam that came with HRT" come up more and more often. We do. It's called pepper spray. Please learn from my mistakes and get one before you regret not having one. Carry it with you daily, in a pocket where it is easy to reach, ideally with your dominant hand. It's not a problem for us tomboy- ish cargo pants lovers, but if you are cursed with female pockets, get one you can clip into a pocket or your waistband. If you tuck your shirt in too then consider buying a pepper gun like a guardian angel that you can carry inside the waistband. And I can't stress this enough, you won't be able to find your pepper spray fast enough if you just throw it into a purse.
Regardless if it's someone getting really aggravated at you being trans or if someone starts to masturbate while looking at you on public transport and following you through the train when you get up and leave, regardless if you use it or not. Even just having it as a backup is extremely important.
I didn't bring those examples up for nothing, both things, and even worse, happen (happened to me, friends and family too, trans and cis) and we are just as vulnerable - if not more - than most other people. The only way we can protect ourselves against a guy twice our strength and weight is by playing unfair. If you need to, use pepper spray. If they have you restrained, bite, poke in their eyes, and the first chance you have, run. Speaking of which, learn how to run fast for a short period of time. If you already do running from time and time again, do a sprint at the end of your session.
If you want to learn actually stuff about self defense, I personally can recommend getting some Krav Maga courses. It's a fighting technique that focuses on getting the fuck out of a situation. I sadly don't have the money for it anymore but I will pick it back up.
This world can be cruel and that comes from someone who lives in one of the safest areas in the world. The point of all of this isn't to make you scared of everyone and everything. I'm saying this because I want you to be able to stand tall and proud despite everything because if worst comes to worst, you know how to fend for yourself.
If you have any more useful information on self defense, please comment them.
Stay safe out there <3
It's going to depend on where you are and what groups, shops and orgs you have around you and what your budget is. If you can find a trans or leftist gun club that's probably a perfect start but they are rare, too. If you have an indoor range that offers classes nearby you might drop in in person and judge the vibe.
You need to have practice time safely loading/unloading, drawing/holstering, arming/disarming and firing your weapon.
This is ideally done under supervision at a range by an instructor, but many folks like me learned out in the woods being taught by a friends dad. What's crucial is that you practice until you are confident in your ability to not hurt yourself or innocent folks around you.
You can purchase training rounds that load into your gun and let you safely practice a lot of these skills at home and i recommend that a lot. i use these in all my guns when introducing them to new shooters or practicing quick drawing and you see a real difference at the range when doing it.
I hope this helps, good luck!!