Self Defence Tips

Just in case . . . 10 minutes spent on reading these tips could save your life.

 

Let’s start with the most obvious ways you can avoid a life threatening situation:

1. Trust your instincts
 If it doesn’t feel right, either don’t go or take someone with you. 

2.  Always carry an equalizer
We’re not advocating guns or violence, but we do recommend carrying pepper spray, mace or a stun / Taser gun.  These devices are only meant to incapacitate someone long enough for you to get away to safety.

3. Stay away from danger
The best defence is prevention. So you should always stay away from dark alleys and bad neighbourhoods. You should also never accept food or alcohol from strangers.

4. Always be very aware of your surroundings and never let your guard down
Even if you are surrounded by people, you can still become a target. For example when you go to the bathroom alone at a nightclub or big party where you don’t know everyone.
Always walk with your handbag away from the road. That makes it difficult for motorcycle snatch-thieves to attempt a grab. Walk against traffic if possible so you can see what is coming towards you and react if you sense danger.

Be especially aware of your surroundings when getting in or out of your car. If you suspect anything, ask someone - a security guard for instance - to accompany you. Better to be safe than sorry. Lock all doors the minute you get into your car.

If you feel you are being stalked while walking, head for a public place. If you believe you are being stalked while driving, drive quickly to the nearest police station.

5. Be prepared
After dark always carry your cell phone with you - fully charged – and in hand when outside.  Have 911 programmed into your speed dial and don’t hesitate to call for help.

Let someone else know where you will be and who you are meeting with.

 Attend a self defence course if possible.

If you are attacked, these tips from Mike Delaney of musclenet.com could save your life

All are based on simple common sense, but, most of us would never think about them unless someone pointed them out.

6. Use your head
First, stay calm and think. When adrenaline kicks in, everything will seem to happen in slow motion. Your mind processes thoughts so rapidly that it will seem like you have hours to make a decision about how to react.

Second, the human skull is a really powerful weapon. Bashing your forehead into an attacker’s nose is far more effective than bashing your fist into it.

If you are grabbed, bear-hug style from behind, don't waste your time trying to aim for your attacker’s toes, ribs or groin. Chances are you will end up doing little more than angering him. Rather try bashing the back of your head into his face or collarbone. All you have to do is connect once or twice to really hurt him.

7. Have a tool handy
Always, always, always have something easily and quickly accessible to use as a weapon. If someone surprises you, there should be something instantly accessible to aid in your defence. It can be a pen, keys, a can of vegetables, or an umbrella -- anything.

If you remember this one absurdly simple rule about weapons fighting, you will see the potential weapon in virtually everything around you AND be able to effectively use it:

Hard goes to bone, point goes to soft tissue --remember this rule, and you will never be without a weapon again.

For example, a stick or can of vegetables would target bone: the face, skull, hip, shin, elbow, and kneecap. It would be less effective to use these against, say, an attacker's abdomen.

Conversely, a knife or pen is much more effective targeting the throat, eyes, crotch, armpit, or belly than they are targeting the kneecap.

Only if you have nothing else you can use as a weapon, should you try these self defence techniques:

A. Eye scrape or finger spear
This is not a ‘Three Stooges’ two-finger eye poke, though that may work too. It’s a very quick finger flick just trying to touch the eyeballs. When the eyeballs are touched the eyelids close and the eyes water making it difficult for that person to see for a few seconds. With this time you can escape or seize the upper hand.

B. Palm heel strike
This can be delivered to the attacker’s nose if you are about the same height or to his chin in an upward motion if he is taller. A strike to the nose will also cause the eyes to water. A strike to the chin will push the head back and force the attacker to stumble back on his heels. This strike can be delivered repeatedly until the aggressor has given up.

C. Elbow strike to the side of the nose, eye socket, temple, ear, cheek bone, or the side of the neck
This method is so powerful it doesn’t require the same accuracy as the two above in order to be effective. This strike, made popular by Thai boxing, uses the entire body to deliver one of the most powerful strikes the human body is capable of. And the elbow is a strong and durable tool, unlikely to break on impact.

D. Ear box
Not delivered with two hands as in the old kung fu movies, this strike is delivered with one hand in a very direct motion; possibly even from a relaxed standing position to the attacker’s ear. If performed with a relaxed and lightly cupped hand this will force air into the attacker’s ear, and when the compression is released the eardrum will explode. The ear is also the source of our equilibrium, so when the ear is attacked, a person’s balance is shaken. Don’t try this at home.

One more thing . . . It’s either your life or your attacker’s so if you fight back you must detach emotions of pity and mercy.

8. Move along a triangle
When it comes to self-defence, there is one tip that is so important that entire martial arts systems are based upon it. What’s the tip? Don't get hit.

Moving along a triangle goes a long way toward the goal of not getting hit. One of the most dangerous mistakes the average person makes during a fight is to move in straight lines, either forward and backward, or side to side.

This is because an attacker will be mentally committed to striking to a particular target. His brain has sent the signal to his fist that the intended target is located at a particular distance in a particular direction. When you change the target's coordinates, it spoils the effectiveness of the attack.

The attacker may be able to recover from a change in target location or change in target distance alone, but changing both factors is your best bet. Then, even if it does connect, the strength of the attack will be greatly diminished.

9. Unless you can escape, always advance instead of retreating
During a fight, as during a game of chess, the experienced player is already planning the second or third move before the first one is even completed. In fact, many of the experienced fighters' moves are used solely to get the opponent to react in a predetermined manner.

Fight your natural instinct and do not back up! Your natural instinct is wrong.

Imagine you are throwing a flurry of jabs at me. In your mind, you "know" exactly what I am going to do: backpedal to escape your jabs. In fact, you are counting on it, and then you'll pound me into a liquid, right? How surprised are you going to be when I step forward, along my trusty triangle, and not backward? You'd be very surprised because I'm not "supposed" to step into an attack, rather away from it.

Since, in this scenario, I've stepped forward along the triangle, while you are busy trying to figure out how to handle this unexpected happening, I am now inside your defences, and facing your unprotected ribs, armpit, neck, head, abdomen, flank, and knee – all good targets.

Then, unless you can flee, it's back to the tip: hard goes to bone, point goes to soft.

Stay Aware…Stay Alert…Stay Alive!