State lawmakers are giving Texans the option of finding new tools to protect themselves.

Starting September 1 some self-defense weapons will be legal to carry in public.

Donna Palmisano has been teaching Martial Arts for 16 years and says she tells her students to use whatever tools they can to defend themselves.

“You have self-defense tools on your body. It’s called your arms and your legs,” said Palmisano. “A lot of people carry keys between their fingers in order to protect themselves. That’s kind of what the Wild Kat is, a substitute for your keys.”

Right now, self-defense weapons like Wild Kat keychains and brass knuckles can land you in jail for up to a year and fines up to $4,000. The new law will change that.

Palmisano says she supports the change but still thinks those who plan to carry these weapons should learn how to use them properly.

“If you have a self-defense weapon and you don’t use it properly then they can just turn around and use it on you,” said Palmisano “That’s a bad situation and that’s the one you don’t want to be in.”