Women Self Defense

In addition to learning different types of self defense techniques and carrying self defense weapons or tools for self defense, it is always advisable to avoid the ‘dangerous’ places for crime attacks.

Some of the most dangerous places to avoid especially at night or exercise extra caution:

(1) Automated Teller Machines (ATM) – Since the attacker many are aware that soon he will withdraw money from ATM machines that are vulnerable to robbery or theft. The best thing is to go to the ATM.

(2) Shops and retail outlets – Often, female attacker in the parking lot hanging shops and gas stations, because they know that people go to places that bring them money. It is best to plan ahead before going to these places. Make sure your vehicle is filled during the day, lock your car and do not leave valuables on the front. Station, make sure your feet back to your car to something behind you. Always look around to ensure it does not run into you.

(3) Mall Parking Lot- This place is the second most dangerous place for women because the attacker or attackers have a great opportunity to carry out their crimes. When parking your car in public parking, make sure you act quickly. Close and lock car doors as soon as you enter or exit. If you need to carry your luggage, you should carry by hand instead of placing it under his arm. Be easier for an attacker to carry the bag when placed under the arm.

(4) Campus – College campuses are the fifth most dangerous place for women. It is best to avoid walking alone on campus, especially at night. Women are also encouraged to take advantage of the escort for free, offered by the campus police department if those friends are not everything.

(5) Home – Most women think that home is the safest place. Otherwise, home is the number one most dangerous, especially for women. This is because the attacker knows that guard down once you are in your area. They realized that people have the chance to relax once they get home. So women can be easy targets for robbery, theft, or raped in their homes.

Attack occurred in the home often due to lack of preparation or too easy. It is best to close the doors and windows of the house after coming to you. It would be much better if you can invest in a security system or a system of closed circuit television to keep attackers away from home. Another way to follow if a person is inside and outside the house to leave a $ 20 front and rear doors. If money is left in place, sure that nobody goes home. Once the money is gone, you know someone is near your home and prepare for any attack. Most attackers instinctively take the money.

When to go to these places, make sure you are aware of your surroundings. The attackers or criminals often target people who are not familiar with the place they are in. You should also consider the remaining light. Like vampires, the attacker can not afford to show their faces. Finally, it is important to keep calm. It is convenient to emphasize the loss of something. For example, if the attacker wants your wallet, he / she has it. These things can be replaced but your life or honor cannot.

There are many different self defense lessons and classes that teach various types of self defense techniques and methods. Many of  these self defense techniques and methods are originally developed more for sports, health and body well-beings.

One of the important criteria to consider before selecting a self defense lessons or classes is whether you are able to perform or execute whatever you have learned during the self defense lessons in an extreme fear and critical situation.

Self Defense should be simple. A lot of people may assume it is just to make self defense techniques, moves and steps  easy  to remember.

However, the more complex a technique is and then more steps involved, then more difficult to execute under pressure.

Most people simply cannot process complex motor skills when placed in high-stress situation, therefore, an effective self defense technique  should be a simple for effective execution under extreme pressure.

What kind of simplicity we’re talking about justifying  a self defense technique being classified as gross motor skills?

Here are some example:

Well, if you can get over her shoulders and touched the center of your back with your hand, then you have all the skills and mechanisms needed to perform elbow strike to the jaw or nose. Now how easy is that?

Let’s look at some daily gross motor actions that can be compared to simple strikes:

(1)    If you can take the right hand and reach over your left shoulder, just like the action of grabbing the belt for the first time you got in the car, then you have all the motor skills required to execute front elbow strikes.

The fact that you can perform these typical everyday actions; shows that you have the motor skills required for some simple yet devastating strikes

(2)    Every day, opened the kitchen cupboard and look over a cup , glass, or something similar. This reaching actions are exactly the same mechanism needed to perform an open hand strike.

(3)  Anyone who wears lace-up shoes will lift their knee and place it on step to tie their shoe laces, this raising of the knee is the very same mechanics required to perform a knee strike, or a stamping kick to the instep.

(4)    If you can kick a ball, then you are capable of executing an effective shine kick.

These comparisons may seem too simple, and that’s the point. Get some simple, everyday actions, adding a touch here and there,  and you already poses some very simple effective strikes that you are already more than capable of performing.

By Sharon Cash

Self defense or self-protection is a way of protecting yourself against a person, or persons, who may be intent on causing you harm by hurting you or stealing from you. Self defense is about survival and begins a long time before any attack take place.

There are a lot of common misconceptions about self defense, about the philosophy behind self defense and about the teaching of self defense. The most common misunderstanding among women about learning self defense. Many women think they will be taught a martial art, such as karate, tae kwan do etc. However, noble these arts are, they are not in and of themselves, programs of self defense, although many of the physical techniques involved in self defense have their foundation in those arts. Martial arts are concerned with form, knowledge, discipline, exercise and sport. Whereas self defense is concerned with SURVIVAL.

Another common statement made among women is ‘..why learn self defense? If a big man grabs me I would never be able to get rid off him….’ This  feeling of being defenseless is related to another misconception about self defense, i.e. about the physical technique at the point of attack. In fact, self defense begin a long time before any attack occurs. The most successful prevention measure you have against an attack is confidence projection; assailant rarely attack someone who appears to be high confidence, instead they will look for those who appear to be insecure and weak.

In fact, when it comes to an actual attack, the BEST defense you can ever have is NOT to be there! This may sounds like flippant response to what is, after all, a very serious matter. Nevertheless avoidance is always the BEST defense.

4 CRUCIAL ASPECTS of SELF DEFENSE:

(1) The most important aspect of self defense is AWARENESS. Many walk through this world completely oblivious to their environment, to what inhabits that environment and, more importantly to who represents a danger in their environment. This is where the real danger lies. By observing the environment and those who inhabit it, you can tremendously reduce the opportunities that an assailant may have to attack you. Besides, you need to aware of your own capabilities, strength as well as weaknesses,  in other word, awareness of YOURSELF.

(2) Another aspect of self defense is Psychology. There is a whole panoply of psychological states and influences involved in any confrontational, or potentially confrontational, situation. Not only is there your own psychological state but also that of the assailant.  Sexual assault, street robbery are all about an assailant asserting control and power over their chosen victim. The tool that an assailant will use to obtain control is FEAR. This often engenders panic in the victim rendering them unable to think, or act, effectively. The more someone panics, the easier it is to control their actions. However, if you are able to stay calm and react consciously to an attack, thus not letting control to the assailant. Sometimes all you need to do is negate a threat is alter the mindset of the assailant, denying him the ability, or opportunity, to control.

Body language can play an important role here. A lot of women often adopt defensive postures when they are alone, particularly when walling down the street or in car park etc. This is exactly the sort of body language that someone of a predatory nature will pick up. Most attackers do not want to tackle someone who is going to fight back, they want a woman who is easily controlled. By adopting a more confident and assertive profile you are more likely to deter any potential attackers, who will then look for easier target.

(3) Another crucial aspect of self defense is AVOIDANCE.

Two typical examples:

(a) Avoidance of dangerous places. Obviously there are places that cannot be avoided. However, for example if it is not necessary to walk down a street on your own, late at night, then don’t. Again Awareness comes into this point. A little bit of forethought and assessment of your environment will enable you to take decisions that keep you safe and avoid potentially dangerous areas.

(b) Avoidance of dangerous situations. If for example, an abusive and violent partner comes banging on your door demanding to enter your premises, your best course of action is to keep the door locked and to call the police. By keeping that physical barrier between you, you can avoid direct confrontation and maintain a line of control. There are many instances where women would answer the door, thus perpetuating his control and acquiescing the abuse. At times people through their own actions, lead to their own victimization.

(4) The 4th aspect is Physical. This aspect is not only involve techniques that relates to martial arts. In fact, the best and easiest reaction to any dangerous situation is to RUN AWAY, to escape and to evade. This may sound prosaic but it really the safest course of action to take. Nevertheless, it is not always possible to run away, that’s where the techniques come in.

There are techniques that a woman, regardless how apparently frail she may be, can employ so as to defend herself. All men have vulnerable places – genitals, throat, ears, eyes – that when struck, especially repeated with force, can render them momentarily incapacitated. This momentarily incapacitated provide opportunity to escape, not to fight.

Get more self defense moves knowledge and tips at ‘Learn Self Defense Moves Blog’.