Self Defense: How to Win
Self Defense — How to Win
LOOK FOR SOMETHING TO USE AS A WEAPON. Keys, a briefcase, a fire extinguisher, etc. Use anything to give yourself an advantage in the fight. Additionally, think of your own body as a weapon. Your arms, legs, elbows, knees and head can be used effectively to thwart an attack.
YELL LOUDLY. Yelling is both a physical and psychological weapon. Loud, unexpected sounds can disorient an assailant and possibly attract attention. Yelling will also help you physically and psychologically to be more aggressive. It opens your breathing and brings more oxygen to your brain and your muscles.
TARGET YOUR ATTACK. Despite a woman’s disadvantage in size and strength, you can hurt an attacker enough to get away by learning a few effective ways to hit an assailant in vulnerable areas of the body:
- Eyes
- Groin
- Insteps
- Windpipe
- Bridge of Nose
- Shins
- Knees
- Chin
- Solar Plexus
- Temples
Incapacitate your attacker as quickly and effectively as possible and then run to a safe place as quickly as possible.
HANDGUNS
In most cases, an untrained person with a weapon will not do you any good and may, in fact, cause you great harm. Having a weapon is more likely to increase the danger to you and your loved ones than it is to protect you from a criminal. However, if you do have a firearm in your home, keep it locked and out of reach from curious children. If you hear an intruder, never investigate with gun in hand. Lock yourself and your family in a safe room and call the police.
Self Defense: When to Fight
Self Defense — When to Fight
You would not normally resort to physical defense or choose to fight back unless you are in imminent danger. That is why the first critical steps in determining any course of action are to assess how dangerous your situation is and the intent of your assailant. If your assailant demands your valuables, comply and give them up immediately. Fighting back is not always the right thing to do. However, there are three situations in which you are better off fighting back immediately, because it may be your only chance:
- If someone is attempting to kill you.
- If someone is going to abduct you and take you to a more secluded place.
- If someone is going to physically restrain you using rope, handcuffs, duct tape, etc.
When you assess the situation and choose to fight back, do so with the full commitment to win. Anything less diminishes your effectiveness.
Don’t Be A Victim: Various Skills
There are other skills you can develop to avoid being a victim:
KNOW YOUR AREA: Know as much as possible ahead of time about the area you will be visiting. If you are forewarned about dangerous areas, you will be less likely to traverse them. It is much safer to go around a potential hot spot than to walk into a hornet’s nest.
BE AWARE: Keep alert to spot potential danger. Pay attention to your surroundings.
DEVELOP YOUR INTUITION: Listening to your sixth sense can be one of your most important self-defense skills. If you sense that something is wrong, it is. That gut feeling you get when something is not exactly right is telling you something and you should learn to listen to that alarm, however vague it may be.
FIGHTING SPIRIT: Knowing you have the desire, ability, confidence and strength to fight back might be all you need to discourage a potential attacker. Develop an attitude that allows you to not be intimidated.
Don’t Be a Victim: Verbal Self-Defense
VERBAL SELF-DEFENSE
The second stage, or testing phase, of an attack usually involves some kind of verbal communication. There are two different kinds of verbal self-defense in response to a threat from an attacker. The first, and most common, is assertive verbal self-defense. Assertive self-defense is used when the attacker is unarmed or does not have physical control of you to the extent that fighting back would cause you greater injury. It is simply an extension of your body language: you are verbally communicating that you refuse to be seen as a victim. The second, cooperative verbal self-defense is used when the attacker has a weapon or is holding you in a way that makes it useless to fight back at that moment. Hopefully, it will make the attacker relax so that he will feel in control. You may use cooperative verbal self-defense if you decide that you don’t want to fight back. Or you may want to use it to trick the attacker. When he lets up, you may have the opportunity to escape or physically fight back.
Confident body language and verbal self-defense can be used in every situation. Stop thinking of yourself as a victim and you are less likely to be targeted as one.
Don’t Be a Victim: Body Language
BODY LANGUAGE
Body language communicates how comfortable you feel about yourself. In self-defense, effective body language conveys a relaxed sense of confidence.
The first phase of an attack is often called the “targeting” stage; the attacker is searching for a victim. During this phase, confident and relaxed body language is critical. There are ways to discourage an attack, just by walking more safely. Keep your head up, look ahead, and drop your shoulders (do not hunch them.) Walk with a relaxed step (not too long or short,) and keep your hands out of your pockets. Compare these two images in your mind: the woman looking down at the ground and the one just described. Who is an easier target? Who appears vulnerable? These changes are small, but they make an enormous difference.
Don’t Be A Victim: Learning Self Defense
Self Defense — Don’t Be A Victim
Americans have a greater chance of being a violent crime victim than of being injured in a motor vehicle accident. (Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice)
Learning self-defense is not just about learning to kick and punch an attacker. Self-defense begins with not thinking of yourself as a victim. Attackers choose their victims the way predators choose their prey. They always go after the sick, isolated, young or old, distracted (i.e. cell phone, children, etc.) because they are an easy kill. If you look strong, alert and healthy, you have a much better chance of being left alone.
