Protecting yourself without getting physical is the optimal way to avoid a potentially dangerous situation. When you are strong verbally and can use your definitive voice in a confrontational situation, this can help you escape and diffuse the situation. How can this be possible? For the most part, a criminal will not just arbitrarily grab any woman off the street to assault or rape her. They will scope out a situation or even stalk someone so that they feel comfortable with the situation and the likelihood they can escape. If it is too difficult of a situation, they will avoid it.

Criminals target those females who are timid, weak and don’t project the image of confidence. Therefore, if they see a woman with these characteristics and the opportunity presents itself, they will grab it. However, if you walk as if you own that sidewalk or street, with your head held high, you are projecting an image of strength. A criminal is not going to want to overtly exert themselves to subdue you because it is too much trouble.

What you want to do is keep your eyes at the ready at all times. Always be on the lookout for someone suspicious or even someone harmless looking who may be approaching you. Look people in the eye and make sure they see you taking stock of their appearance. This tells assailants that you could identify them and are therefore are not worth the trouble to grab. Also, being verbally strong, telling someone to step back or stop will also be a deterrent. Your actions tell the criminal that you are not afraid and are willing to defend yourself.

Setting boundaries with a look or words should be your first line of self defense. Many women who practice this after learning about it in a self defense class are amazed that it actually does work. Will it work all the time? No one knows what will happen, but you can definitely do your part in protecting yourself by trying it. To reinforce your verbal and visual boundaries, carrying pepper spray can be an additional deterrent. While many people have never experienced the pain of the burning and stinging, they would not likely want to chance it either. Of course, when you make your verbal stand, you need to have the pepper spray in hand so the criminal can see it.

If you want to rely on a self defense tool like pepper spray with your verbal and visual boundaries, you need to know how to use it. Some ladies will buy it and put in on their keychain and forget about it. Then when they are in a dire situation and need it, they are fumbling in the purse for it or trying to operate it. Learning how to operate the pepper spray before hand is essential. You want to be able to whip it out and use it as if it were something you do every day. In fact, this scenario applies to any self defense tool whether it is a stun gun or taser too.

Practice makes perfect when protecting you from the criminal element. If necessary, take self defense classes which will teach you how to properly use your tools in specific situations, especially if you are in the visual and verbal defense stages. In addition, you need training so you know how you will react in an extreme situation (i.e. fight or flight). Getting past the stun stage is important and you could lose precious escape time if you are frozen to the spot. Therefore, it is important to practice scenarios, especially what to say at the beginning of a tense situation that could turn deadly. All the self defense preparation will provide a sense of empowerment as well as confidence that you can protect yourself.

Traditionally, the martial arts in self-defense have retained a strong link. Some have always used martial arts in order to defend themselves in situations that call for self-defense. However, if you are just coming into the exciting and diverse world of martial arts, you should know that there are many purposes for these arts. Self-defense is just one of these purposes, although it remains one of the most popular reasons for martial arts training. Martial arts for self-defense is a specialized form of training. If you’re interested in learning martial arts for the specific purpose of defending yourself, you will need to enter the realm of martial arts with this idea in mind from the very start.

In general, most kinds of martial arts will teach you to defend yourself. At least, you will learn to defend yourself indirectly. Most forms of martial arts will teach you to gain better control of your body, become more flexible, stronger, and increase your body’s ability to endure in the face of punishment. These are all characteristics of martial arts that can help you in the realm of self-defense. But is there more that martial arts can do for you in order to teach self-defense? If you are interested in martial arts solely for the purpose of self-defense, there are a few fundamental things you have to consider.

What sort of techniques should you learn if you want to use martial arts for self-defense? First, you’ll want to make sure that you are learning efficient and simple ways for dealing with common attacks. Whether it is surprise attacks, punches, kicks or whatever it may be, you want to learn how to deal with many of these basic the attack moves. Good martial arts training will also teach you how to deal with pain. No matter how well you train or how fast and strong you are, eventually you’ll probably get hurt. It is important to train for the inevitable pain and damage that comes with defending one’s own body. There are many techniques for minimizing pain and avoiding comment attacks. Make sure that your martial arts training helps you train for these.

Good martial arts training will also keep up with the latest forms of attack. As strange as it may sound, common weapons and attack moves come in and out of fashion. At one time, knives were the preferred weapons of choice. Now, firearms are often used to attack. Make sure you understand the most common methods of attack.

Next, martial arts training for self-defense needs to show you how to react. If you find yourself in a situation where your own safety is under threat, you need to be able to make swift and clear decisions on a moment’s notice. This means they must train your body to understand how to react, and when to react. You will also want to train yourself for making fast decisions about how to de-escalate a fight.

There is a strong psychological component to martial arts training and real street fighting. One of the most important things that martial arts can teach you is how to be in control of your body. Not only does this mean in control of your physical self, but also your mental self. Good martial arts training will teach yourself confidence. It will also teach you how a stand up for yourself and how to remain attuned with your environment. Understand that your body is always worth defending, but let the philosophy of martial arts guide you. If you can get away from a confrontation without coming to physical blows, this is a very smart thing to do. 

Ladies, your motor vehicle can be a prime spot for an attacker to target you. Therefore, you should be aware of the hidden as well as the obvious dangers so that you can avoid being that target of choice. Being cognizant of your surroundings is the key to protecting yourself whether you drive into a parking garage, a drive-through window at a fast food place or even a well-lit and secured parking lot in front of a police station. Danger is everywhere and being prepared for it is something you can control over.

1. Be at the ready with keys in your hand, even if you have a remote locking mechanism for your vehicle. Keys make for an excellent weapon and if you move quickly against an attacker, they will not be prepared for it. Having the keys in your hand and pointed outward gives you the advantage straight off in case of a confrontation.

2. Leaving your car and approaching your car are two elements of potential danger for you. Being aware of these two areas, you can take steps to ensure that you are covered safely. At home, park your car in a locked garage if possible. When parking on the curb or in a driveway is the only option, make sure the area is well-lit to remove that element of hiding for an attacker. If there are bushes or anything else that can obstruct your view around your car, remove them.

3. Never leave your car unlocked as this invites opportunities for an attacker to hide in your car. It doesn’t matter if you are just dropping off a movie in a drop box or running into the corner store for a drink, always turn off your car and lock it for safety.

4. Check inside your vehicle before you open it. An attacker could try and hide in the backseat waiting for the driver to come and start the car. It is the perfect opportunity to hold a knife to your throat or a gun to your head to get you to drive them somewhere, perhaps even somewhere isolated so you can be raped or carjacked. You might want to peer under the car as well, especially larger vehicles like SUVs, to ensure no one is hiding below.

5. Ladies, hide your purse in the trunk or at least under a seat so it is not visible should someone peer into your window when you are at a stop light or parked. If your window was open and the purse in your seat (as this often times happens) someone on a bike or motorcycle could easily stop by and grab it.

6. Keep your windows up and doors locked to avoid unwanted attackers trying to get into your vehicle. This just invites trouble to you, especially carjackers trying to find an easy mark.

7. Whatever you do, if someone is in your car and is holding a weapon on you, do not get into the car. Run away while you have the chance. Yes, there is a possibility that you could get hurt, but if you get into the car at gun or knifepoint, you will definitely not be leaving it unscathed. By running away, the only thing the criminal get is your car instead of your life.

8. Do not pull off on the side of the road whether it is a country road or a busy one just because someone is pointing and saying that your tire is low or flat or any other thing is wrong. This could be a ruse to isolate you and attack you or steal your car. Should this happen, nod and then pick up your cell phone as if making a call. The cell phone alone will usually deter someone from trying to hold you back as they might believe you are calling the authorities. In addition, you want to drive to the nearest public, well-lit area you can find (obviously police stations are good and even fire stations) as a safety measure.

9. If you are unsure about walking back to your car at the mall, parking garage or anywhere else for that matter, ask for an escort. Shopping malls and centers usually have security guards patrolling and will be happy to provide an escort to ensure your safety. If no one is available, ask a co-worker to walk with you or a last resort, called a loved one to pick you up.

You are walking down a dark street at night and you sense someone walking behind you. You don’t want to appear paranoid, so you avoid turning around to face them. Is this what you should do? Or let’s say that you are at your favorite bar and a man will not stop pestering you. What do you do? When you are faced with the sudden prospect of a potentially dangerous confrontation, you are immediately thrown into a whirlpool of decision-making. Should you act? Should you turn away and run? What should you do? Here are some tips for how to avoid potentially dangerous confrontations.

What to do when you are feeling paranoid

The question goes something like this: to follow or not to follow your instincts? This can also be phrased as: are you being overly paranoid? When you are feeling paranoid, the best thing to do is to follow your own instincts. The basic truth is that you are probably feeling paranoid for a reason, and you are probably always better off following your instincts than trying to suppress them. Will there be times when your instincts appear to be completely wrong and you feel silly for being so paranoid? Most certainly, yes, your instincts will sometimes be completely off. But in the long run, you should always do what you feel most comfortable doing, even if you suspect that you are being paranoid.

Get away, now, and as fast as you can

The best thing you can do when you are faces with a potentially dangerous confrontation is to flee as fast as you can. This need not be a dramatic movie-type escape that leads to a high-speed chase. No, getting away as fast as you can may simply mean that you excuse yourself from the bar and move to a different table. If you find yourself stuck in that nightmare scenario of walking down an abandoned alleyway with a shadow on your tail, don’t be afraid of appearing paranoid, strange, and rude or whatever it may be. Go ahead and cross the street. If the shadow behind you also crosses the street, maybe it becomes evident that you have good reason to be suspicious.

Use your cell phone to your advantage

Most of us carry and use personal cell phones with us as if our life depended on it. The thing about cell phones is that they can actually make the difference between life or death. If you feel caught in a perilous situation, do not be afraid to use your cell phone to your advantage. Open it up, dial and talk to someone. This display of communication can often be enough to keep potential predators off your track. Even if you are not really talking to someone on the cell phone, don’t be afraid to whip it out and at least pretend to be talking on it.

Avoid the potentially dangerous confrontation with a little help from your friends

One of the best ways to overcome a potentially dangerous confrontation is to buddy up with a friend or a group of friends. You are much less likely to be attacked or approached if you are traveling in a group. Enlist a group of friends for going to bars, nightclubs, parties or other places where you think you may be susceptible to strange or potentially dangerous encounters. If possible, you should try to come up with a signal that you and your friends share. This secret language of signals can be used to indicate any number of things, including signals for wanting to leave, needing assistance, or any other type of communication.

Presentation is half the battle when it comes to fending off potential attackers interested in you. A criminal with their eye on you does not want a female willing to fight, make noise and generally cause trouble because that puts their nefarious acts in jeopardy which could lead straight to a jail cell. Do you know how to present yourself in public so as to avoid unwanted attention? Do you even realize that you may inadvertently be presenting a demeanor that invites trouble from criminals? Here are some things to watch out for or do in order to present the façade you need in order to avoid a criminal act committed against you:

Perk up that self-esteem and self-confidence. Nothing says “pick on me” more than a timid little mouse of a woman with slumped shoulders and head down with the air of someone who is carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. If you do this, you are just begging for trouble. Focus on the positives or at least pretend to the outside world while you are out in it that you are confident and unworthy of criminal attention.

The best way to portray self-confidence is to walk tall. Hold your shoulders back and head held high. Look ahead; greet people by looking them in the eye. Don’t cross your arms but hold them loosely by your side. Women who take martial arts or some type of self defense class ends up walking tall with confidence because knowing you can defend yourself is empowering and this is what turns criminals off.

Do not walk with your hands in your pockets or your arms crossed. This ties up your hands and prevents you from protecting yourself should an attacker confront you suddenly. But if an attacker should approach you, your arms would be free to defend yourself and you have a better chance of escape. You cannot grab and twist a man’s groin area to immobilize him nor can you jab an eye out or impede his breathing with a well-placed hit to the throat if your arms are otherwise occupied.

Make sure that you make as much eye contact as possible when you are walking in public. Assailants do not like that because you could potentially identify them. Eye contact is a common problem with both men and women these days – they do not tend to do it while in public. This makes them one step removed from the action and therefore they are vulnerable. If you conduct a little personal experiment on your own by walking in your local mall or even grocery store, trying to engage eye contact, you will discover that less than half are forthright enough to look you back in the eye. The result is quite staggering!

If trying to portray confidence to the public is very difficult for you, you will have to do something about it in order to defend yourself. While it may go against the grain your being, half the battle is mental. You have to tell yourself that you are worthy. Choose an activity that empowers you; a self defense class, of course, would be optimal. Think about this empowering activity while you are out and about in public.

Portraying self-confidence is not always easy so you must practice it. You will discover that holding your head high and looking people in the eye costs you nothing, however you gain not only more self-respect but also a greater security. Remember, how you feel is half the battle and what you show is the other half. Work hard to try and meld the two together.

If you are considering checking into a self defense class especially for women, you are not alone. Self defense classes tailored towards women have been on the rise since the 1980s, when increased education about street violence and sexual assault began to enter our houses via the nightly news. This has been an overall positive trend that has allowed millions of women to become more comfortable in their own bodies ability to protect them from harm. If you are considering enrolling in a self defense class for women, what should you be on the look out for? Here are just some factors that you may want to consider if you want to check into a self defense class.

What kind of physical activities and self dense tactics are being taught?

By far, one of the most important questions you will want to answer before committing to a self defense class is what kind of tactics are being taught. Are you comfortable with the movements in the class? What sort of training and experience does the instructor have? In general, you can almost always ask for a preview class, or ask to sit in on a class before signing up for the whole course. This is a good idea, especially if you are new to the world of self defense training. You may even want to consider touring several different facilities and exploring the various philosophies there are about self defense training.

Choose a self defense course that allows you to move naturally

In general, if you have to look for one thing, you will want to make certain that you choose a self defense course that is tailored exactly for the way a woman’s body moves. You will probably find that there are several philosophies of self defense. In general, you want to choose a course that allows you to move naturally. The last thing you want to do is to have to become a near-Olympic athlete in order to learn the moves that are being taught in the self defense course. A good self defense course and instructor is prepared to allow the students to use their own bodies in a natural, flexible and imaginative manner that allows them as much control over their surroundings as possible. You may be intrigued by the notion of becoming a master of the martial arts, but some individuals have found this study to be too rigid when applied solely to the goal of self defense.

What kind of community does the self defense course offer you?

Another important factor to keep in mind has to do with the community being offered by the self defense course. In general, you will want to choose a course that allows you to become familiar with a nurturing environment. You will want to choose a course that integrates the notion of establishing feelings of confidence and community in the practice of self defense. Remember that you are much more likely to learn and grow as a student if you are in an environment that you feel comfortable in. You are also more likely to learn in a diverse environment, where you can interact with women from all kinds of backgrounds and of different ages.

Choose a self defense course that allows you to build feelings of confidence

It is important that you practice and learn self defense in an environment that helps boost feelings of confidence and self-worth. Remember that you are always at your best when you are feeling strong and confident in your abilities to protect your self and thrive under the most difficult circumstances.

Are you interested in becoming safer in your life? Do you want to feel greater security in your environment? Despite the newspaper reports about growing crimes of violence, there are many ways to avoid becoming the victim of a terrible crime. Here are some tips that can help you understand better what predators look for, and how you can head them off.

What exactly do most predators look for? The answer of course, depends on the type of predator. Child predators look for young children who appear vulnerable. Predators who attack adults are actually looking for much the same thing. The best way to avoid becoming the victim of a predator is to avoid the appearance of being vulnerable. This may mean any number of things depending and your specific situation. If you are forced to walk across a long, dark parking lot late at night after work, try to consider the things that make you vulnerable. As hard as it may be, try to put yourself in the shoes of a potential predator. What is a predator looking for? If you think about it, a predator is looking for someone who is an easy mark. This means that they are probably distracted; appear to be someone who can be easily overtaken, someone who is not prepared to fight back. Think about these things, and try to become the opposite.

Predators look for people who are distracted. This means that in order to avoid becoming the victim of a predator, you have to appear alert and in control at all times, or at least in those situations where you are most likely to fall victim of an attack. If you’re walking down that hypothetical dark parking lot, you’ll want to be the person with keys ready in hand, a flashlight attached your key ring, and a bottle of mace, if possible. Stay focused in your environment. This means you’ll have to put the digital music players away, stay off the cell phone, and avoiding in general doing more than one thing at a time.

Predators also look for people who are alone. Think about it: if you were a predator, who would you rather attack? Would you rather attack the huddle of teenage boys, a lawyer in the parking lot, or the lone woman, busy on her cell phone and digging around her purse for her keys? The answer is pretty self-evident, but that doesn’t mean that you are automatically target because you are a woman walking alone at night. However, you are probably much more safer if you choose to buddy up with someone. If you are forced by your job to be in a less than safe location at a less than safe time, try to counteract the inherent dangers of such a situation staying in a group, or at least buddying up with another person. Statistically, you are much less likely to be attacked if you are in a group.

Predators also look for people who are in the wrong place at the wrong time. It is often difficult to choose where we work and to fix our own work schedule. But we can nearly always make our own decisions about where we choose to play. Avoid late night destinations with reputations for being unsafe. If you must frequent these types of places, make sure if you do so in a group, and that you can avoid the worst times. If you feel like your place of employment is potentially unsafe, create strategies that allow you to feel more secures. For instance, you can arrange to have someone pick you up closer to your building so that you don’ t have to walk across a long, dark parking lot. You can arrange for someone to escort you to your car, and you can buddy up with another person who is on the same shift.

I am interested in learning boxing for self defense. Does anyone know if it is effective, and hard to learn? How do I find out more?

(In the U.S) I’m young and I’ve been thinking about having my Mother and Sister take a self-defense course and then have them carry a non-lethal weapon (for self defense) in case anything were to happen.

What are some self defense weapons other then tasers and stun guns? and how much would a self defense course cost?

Thanks.

It’s a given that most attackers of women are of the opposite sex and most men will have more strength to subdue them. Therefore, it is in a woman’s best interests to learn self defense and really “hit them where it hurts” so that they can successfully defend themselves against an attack. However, part of the success of blocking an attack is the knowing exactly where to hit a man to make him the most vulnerable so that you can get away from harm’s way.

The groin is the area on a man that will provide the most intense pain but you have to know how to accurately apply a hit, kick or any other type of contact there in order to buy time to escape. The first thing that you do not want to do is to try and kick your attacker in the groin. It would be too easy for him to retaliate by grabbing your leg or foot, putting you off-balance and vulnerable to his nefarious attentions. Your hands, elbows and knees are your best bodily weapons against the groin.

With a groin attack, you will want to try and align your body to the side of his when you strike. This allows the attacker’s body to fall forward without falling into you and hindering your own escape. When possible, use your hand to grab the testicle area and squeeze hard as this is the most direct and successful of injuries. Often times though, you may not have this self defense luxury so an elbow or knee can be used to strike a blow to the groin.

The eye itself is yet another vulnerable area to strike your attacker. The bones on the face, including the eye socket are rather thick and sturdy but the eyeball is a gelatinous blob just ripe for injury. When the attacker grabs you, he is using both hands. And unless he has both of your hands, you can use one hand to grasp his neck and jerk it down and with the other, you can use your thumb or index finger to grind into the corner of his eye. If keys are in one of your hands, this is even better as you can scrape up the attacker’s face and try to gouge the eye area. The attacker’s instinct will be to let go of you to protect him self. While both hands are near the eyes to protect them, it is the perfect time to employ the groin attack!

The throat, particularly the windpipe, is a fragile area which can be easily injured with just a few sharp jabs of the heel of a hand, elbow or other body part. When the opportunity presents itself, use an open hand and hit the front of the throat with all the force you can muster. Envision trying to knock his tonsils right out of his throat. Do not waste the opportunity to strike the throat with a shoving match as this gives the attacker time to readjust his assault on you. Rather, go full force with a hit to the throat area.

You may also wish to try and grab the windpipe itself to inflict enough damage to escape. Submerse your fingers and thumb into windpipe or larynx area and squeeze as if you were trying to make your fingers meet in a fist. During the squeeze, pull with all your might. This maneuver can be performed effectively even if your hand and upper body strength is not very strong.

While there are a few other defensive maneuvers to execute like bending a finger backwards to the point of breaking, the eyes, throat and groin are the most vulnerable. You do what you can self-defense wise depending on the position you find yourself.