Empowering Women Through “Danger Awareness” Education & Training

When most women think of “self-defense”, thoughts turn to the martial arts and most women don’t want to spend years of training to master a fighting system.

 

In truth, self-defense takes on many forms.  The first form is that of simply being “Danger Aware”.  When you are aware of your surroundings, and don’t inadvertantly put yourself in a position where you are at greater risk of attack, you are practicing a practical form of self-defense.  

Maintaining Distance

 

It is important that women understand the “distance rule” when dealing with strangers.  A general rule of thumb is to maintain a safe distance rule of 8-10 feet between you and a stranger, especially when you are isolated or alone.  This allows you to read their body language and maintain time to react should they suddenly approach.

 

Wear Comfortable Clothing

 

When going out of your home, wear comfortable clothing and shoes.  Avoid tight-fitting clothing that restricts your movements.  Wear a fanny pack or carry your purse under your arm, rather than dangling it by your hand.

 

Fighting Back

 

If you must fight back, try not to panic.  Use whatever you have at your disposal (keys, purse, shoes, sticks, rocks, trash can lids, etc.) to seek to gain an advantage so you can escape.   Your goal is to escape, and you must fight to win.

 

Key Striking Points

 

There are several vulnerable areas on the human body that can be exploited should you be attacked.  Among these are:

 

    •  Eyes:  Gouging you fingers in an attacker’s eyes can cause temporarily blindness and disorientation.
                  Remember, if an attacker cannot see you, he cannot attack you.

 

    •  Ears:  Cupping the hands and slapping the ears can cause a concussion.  Twisting, pulling, or ripping the ears
                 can cause tremendous pain and disorient an attacker.  If he is disoriented, it is easier to escape.

 

    •  Throat:  Punching or striking the throat, or grabbing and squeezing the trachea can cause an attacker to choke.
                    If an attacker cannot breathe or is choking, he cannot effectively attack you.
 

    •  Groin:  Kicking into the groin, or grabbing and crushing the testicles of a male attacker can cause excruciating pain.
                  Again, if the attacker is disoriented and in pain, it is easier to escape.

 

Self-Defense Training

 

While no system is perfect nor can guarantee you’ll never be the victim of an attack, there are a number of excellent books and videos on self-defense.  These can provide you with some excellent insight and resources to protect yourself.  The more knowledge you can gain on the subject of Danger Awareness and Self-Defense, the better.

 

Training in the martial arts is also an option, and provides valuable health benefits as well. But many martial arts schools do not focus on “real” self-defense and as such present techniques that simply won’t work or are too complex to learn in a short amount of time.  If you plan to train in the martial arts, make sure the Instructor is Women-Safe certified.

 

Remember, these are no substitute for the training you can receive from a qualified self-defense instructor.  Our Women-Safe instructors are trained to provide holistic, practical training in self-defense.  Contact our office to enroll in a self-defense program, or to schedule a training workshop for your group or organization.  You will find our program  both educational and informative.  

 

The confidence your women will gain from  participating in a Women-Safe event is something they will appreciate.

8  Simple Self-Defense Techniques

1. Fingernails are a weapon.

If you are getting attacked, good women self defense tactics that you can learn involve using your nails to slash at the person who is attacking you. If you are getting assaulted, just use your finger nails to slash at their face. Not only does this hurt them, but law enforcement can also use the DNA as evidence.

2. Strike with your palm.

Striking with your palm is one of the best women self defense techniques. The best way to do this is to use the palm of your dominant hand to aim at your attacker’s nose, which could break. Thrust your palm upward as you hit the portion of the nose near the nostril as hard as you can. This will cause bleeding and a broken nose, and their eyes will start to water. Once the eyes water, you can run away.

3. Kicking.

The legs are strong. That’s why another great tactic amongst the women self defense techniques is to use them to kick various places on your attacker’s body such as the shin, knee, and groin. The idea is to kick with as much force as you can so they are too injured to fight back.

4. Choking defense.

If someone is choking you and they are doing so from the front of your body, you can use one of the women self defense techniques to get out if it. If the assailant is choking you, chances are your arms are free. Using your strongest hand you can press your pointer finger and middle finger in the soft part of their neck underneath the Adam’s apple. This succeeds in choking them. They’ll be surprised and may let go of you. Use this opportunity to kick them so you can flee.

5. The environment that you’re in.

When it comes to women self defense techniques, think about the objects that are around you that you can use. An example of this is if you are being attacked and see a rock, grab it and punch at the attacker. This is not always a good idea, however. Sometimes you’re better off to simply flee.

6. Strike with the elbow.

Using the elbow for some women self defense techniques are good because it is so strong. You can only use an elbow strike if you are close to the attacker and your elbow isn’t pinned down. Your best bet is to aim for spots on their neck, face, or you can use the elbow to break their ribs.

7. Run after you disable them. It is important to keep in mind that the goal of any of the women self defense techniques is that you need to be able to run away. The idea is to do enough to disable the attacker so you can run. So, if you kick them in the groin and they fall to the ground in pain, use that opportunity to find safety instead of use more techniques.

8. Defend against weapons.

Some of the potential situations you may get in will be with an attacker who has a gun, knife, or other weapon. That is why you need to learn some women self defense techniques that will help keep you safe. It is a good idea to take a course in this case.