7 Things you should know
for Self Defense
Written by Robert Torres
5th Degree Black Belt Instructor
Self Defense Expert
- KNOW
YOUR RIGHTS
You have the right and the responsibility to defend
yourself! If you ever find yourself in a
self-defense situation and ever feel; Scared, Verbally and Physically
Threatened and Un able to escape without defending yourself, or if you feel as
though your life is being threatened, then you know you have no other choice
then to defend yourself at whatever means necessary to escape harm or even
potential death.
You are the most important person in your life. Don’t you think you have to protect this
person more than anyone else? Think of
it this way. Who is the person who goes
to work everyday and puts food on the table?
Who is the person who wakes up in the morning and helps you through your
day? Who is the person that when It
comes time to get things done you can totally and completely rely on? YOU!
And you are your best friend right?
So would you let anything bad happen to your best friend? How can you protect anyone else, (Wife,
Husband, Children etc.) without protecting yourself first?
- KNOW
YOUR WEAPONS
Every day we go through life not knowing when and even if an
attack will occur. Now don’t get me
wrong, you SHOULD NOT go through your day today paranoid about being
attacked by any and every person that walks past you. However you should stay alert at all
times. Knowing where you are, observing
your surroundings and making sure that you can get away in case of an attack /
emergency.
Things like taking note of the exit signs. Recognizing that there is a strange person
following you, and so on.
Your first weapon is yourself. You should always walk strong and with
confidence. Not only will you deter your
attacker, but also you’ll feel good.
Another weapon you can find commonly on your person is your Car
Keys. Keep them out whenever you are
walking to and from your car. If you are
a smoker, a lighter can work as an effective weapon. Not to mention Aerosol cans, from perfume to
hairspray. If attacked, reach for
anything that could be used to distract your attacker for a few seconds. This will give you time to escape. Remember that your life is the most important
thing you have, and there is no one better to protect it like you.
- KNOW
YOUR ATTACKER
In order to defend against and attacker or mugger you should
know what they are thinking and feeling.
This will help you to defeat your attacker long before the attack /
assault happens.
There are three things that your attacker will consider
before actively deciding to confront you and attack you.
- Desire: They feel the need to attack you
(Financial gain, Physical Pleasure, Nothing to loose)
- Opportunity: They find you comfortable in your
surroundings (Lost in a cell phone call) Attackers will find consistencies
in your life and use them to their advantages.
- Ability:
This is the physical advantage they feel that they have over you. The attacker will evaluate you. If you look like an easy target or if
you are large and muscular, appear confident or intimidating.
You may never be able to take away their desire to attack,
but you can take away their opportunity and ability.
- KNOW
HOW TO PREVENT AN ATTACK
Preventing an attack can be the simplest thing you can do to
save yourself many months or years of physical, mental and emotional
torment. Training yourself and your mind
to meet and exceed the level of your attacker will help tremendously. Things like…
- Show
confidence in yourself, walking upright with your chin up.
- Walking
in groups.
- Making
eye contact and greeting people as they walk past you.
- Knowing
where your exits are located for a quick escape.
- Be
conscious of who is around you.
- Knowing
your “Personal Space”. (Arms distance around you)
- KNOW
HOME SECURITY
There are many home security measures you may put into place
depending on where you live. The
following is a list of things that could help you with your own home security.
Physical Security:
- Get
a dog
- Door
Chain
- Dead
Bold (1” deep)
- Door
Prawl (anti Credit Card / Jimmy)
Prowlers in the house:
a. Call
the police and stay on the line.
b. Tell
them the address and phone #
c. Describe
the situation
d. What
room you are in and give a description of the house and intersecting streets.
a. Don’t
“Hunt Down” the intruder
b. Use
a FIRE LADDER
c. Keep
a family Emergency Response Plan and practice it with your family.
d. Have
a Duress Code – Covert “NEED HELP” Signs / Codes and share it with your
immediate family members. To let them
know that you are in distress.
Auto Security
a. Dome
light
b. Lock
your doors
c. Look
under the car when you approach it.
d. Check
the back seat before you get in.
e. Don’t
give all your keys to the parking attendant
f. Leave
confidential information at home or locked in the glove compartment.
e. KNOW
WHERE & WHEN TO ATTACK
There are very effective and non leathal methods to control
a subject. However, there are occasions
when your only reasonable option may be to sue a strike to stun or incapacitate
them for a moment in order to salve yourself or your family from harm.
There are several areas to strike an attacker in order to
stop them dead in their tracks or to physically control them to where they
comply to your command. When using these strikes you should use only the
minimum amount of force nessesary to control the situation. These strikes include:
a. Palm
Heal (to the nose or chest)
b. Hammer
Fist (to the nose or collarbone)
c. Elbow
(to the ribs or head)
d. Knees
(to the body or head)
e. Frontal
Kicks (to the Groin or stomach)
f. Low
Kicks (to the knee foot or shin)
f. KNOW
MARTIAL ARTS
The only way to effectively train your body for an attack is
to study and train daily in the martial arts or by taking a consistent
self-defense course. Before looking at
different schools for training talk to the instructors and watch a few classes
before deciding if it’s right for you.
For more information on self-defense or to start your own martial arts
training visit
www.crescentmoonkarate.com
