This article will give you four practical tips for self-defense and self-preservation during an attack.
But you don't need them, right? Picture the scene: you're walking home one evening.
It's a route you've taken countless times.
You've never experienced any trouble before.
But then, as you pass by that old familiar alley, or under that bridge, or by that thick tangle of undergrowth, the unthinkable happens: some punk jumps you, perhaps steals from you, definitely beats you...
and maybe worse! Everyone has heard a story like this.
You've seen it on the news.
You've read it in the papers.
You've heard about it from friends and colleagues.
...
But nightmare scenarios like these only happen to other people, right? Wrong! Okay, but you'd never put yourself in such a dangerous situation, right? Again, wrong! Life-threatening situations are most often unexpected and unpredicted.
They can happen any time, anywhere.
They happen to people from all walks of life on any given day.
You can minimize the risks by paying attention to your surroundings and using common sense, but you can't eliminate them entirely, nor can you expect others to be around to help you if the worst happens.
What you CAN do is free yourself from fear by learning valuable self-defense techniques that may well save the lives of both you and your loved ones.
Here are a few self-defense tips that might help avoid turning a bad situation into a fatal one: 1) Trust your instincts.
Sometimes little things, almost imperceptible to people who don't have the training to notice them, can trigger feelings of unease.
Chances are, if something feels wrong, it is wrong.
Don't assume that something, or some place, is safe just because other people say it is.
Effective self-defense techniques include threat awareness techniques that can help you to avoid dangerous situations before they have a chance to develop into something even worse.
2) Be visible.
Most attackers are opportunists.
They exploit their victims by intimidating them into quiet compliance.
If you scream and shout and make yourself and your assailant as visible to others as possible, your assailant might flee rather than risk any further attention.
Doing this is not always easy, but the confidence that comes from learning practical self-defense techniques can give you tools to overcome your fear.
3) Keep your distance.
Engaging in a physical struggle should always be the last resort.
If you can, escape a potentially dangerous situation by fleeing to the nearest well-lit, populated area.
Self-defense techniques should be protective, and nothing is a more effective means of self-defense than a safe escape.
4) If given no other choice, offer maximum resistance for a minimum of time.
There are times when none of the above tips will be able to help you avoid a physical confrontation and you will need to resort to hands-on self-defense techniques in order to protect yourself.
Keep your actions simple, keep them furious, keep them brief.
Brief, intense resistance may be enough to shock your assailant or unbalance him long enough to provide you with the opportunity to escape.
Remember that unlike sport-based combat methods, the aim of practical self-defense techniques is self-preservation and the minimization of personal injury, not the physical domination of others.