packinnova, I think you're spot on about how quick a trained-with tool can come out, but I'm leery about assisted openers. I guess to me it's one more thing that can fail, however justified or not that statement is. I suppose I should consider one...
Anyway,
Limatunes, even though you're fairly small some hand-to-hand training that lets you emphasize grappling (the most likely scenario a woman would use hand-to-hand) might surprise you at what can get a person off you. As long as things like eye gouges, skin twists, and jamming fingers into sides of ribs is something you're cool with.
-B