SELF DEFENSE FOR WOMEN rnrnby Yoga Kat aka Katheryn Hoban rnrnIf there is ever a moment that you need to physically rndefend yourself, I say don't hesitate. Fight back. It could save your life. Many physical attacks have been averted because the victim fought back. Statistics indicate thatthe woman who fights has a greater chance of survival andgetting away then a woman who does not resist.
If a man is out to attack you, he is out to do you harm anyway. Fighting him will surprise him and because he wants to get away with the least amount of resistance in many cases he will let go of you to escape himself. An attacker doesn't like a lot of noise, so make a lot of it. Yell as long and hard as you can.
Say things that will attract attention."HELP HE'S ATTACKING ME!" - "I DON'T KNOW HIM!! HE'S TRYING TO KIDNAP ME! SOMEBODY HELP ME" - "CALL THE POLICE HE'S HURTING ME!" "HELP ME THIS MAN IS FOLLOWING ME!".If you are in a public place and you are aware that someone is following you or trailing you. Look fully at his face.
Make sure that he knows you see him. Say in a very loud voice "I SEE YOU. LEAVE ME ALONE NOW." "POLICE!! POLICE!!" He will think twice about jumping you. Also if you are alone and you feel someone is following you don't get yourself coered.
Get into an open place, a public place, near people or a person. If you can ask someone to walk you to your car or train take the company and assistance. Again it could mean the difference between being vulnerable alone or avoiding attack with the company of someone else. These are some of the suggestions to avoid attack.
They may sound obvious but they are for your reference. Avoid going to dark places by yourself if you can. Go with someone when you can. If there is a lit place or a light, stand under it.
Move away from someone who is trying to coer you or crowd you, but don't move to a place that could be more dangerous for you. For instance don't move closer to the tracks of a train, if you don't know what this person is capable of doing. Be aware of who is around you and how many are there. Be aware of people and how they are dressed. Be aware of erratic behavior such as drunkenness, hostility, or confrontational behavior. Be aware of alliances, even if a man is not near someone doesn't mean that they are not a part of a team.
There will be signs of connection if you observe long enough. You will see interaction that they are trying to disguise; you will see signals to each other or looks. But if something starts to go down, they will make their alliance known. They will come after you together.
Also don't assume that just because you see a woman with a man that they cannot be a threat to you. Many times women can be the lure, and when you drop your guard, and then for many reasons, mostly to please the man that they are with, will let the man attack you or they will attack you together. There are lots of Bonnie and Clyde types out there. Just be aware of alliances.
Other suggestions: Don't open your purse in public; prepare your money or keys before you leave a place. Carry a key firmly between your two fingers and your thumb with the pointed end exposed. If you are being coered don't blindly run. Before you go in any direction know if there is an exit or a dead end. When you walk, be aware of the environment. Doorways that someone can hide in, aisle ways, hidden entrances, and natural landmasses that could deter youor is a potential hiding place for someone.
Also be aware of places that have people that can help you. Are there coer stores that stay open late, restaurants, Fire stations, Police Stations. Be aware of call boxes and really observe if they are working or not. If you need to make a cell phone call, be aware of landmarks to give some good directions.
If you carry a purse, it is better for you if your purse has compartments, and you always keep your things in the purse in the same place. Then when you need your wallet, your cell phone, keys or lipstick you can retrieve it with a momentary glance down or without looking down at all. An organized person is less of a mark or target than a disorganized person.
A person who is focused and aware is also less likely to be a victim or a target than a woman who is spacey and distracted. Walk with purpose and direction, not like you don't know where you are going. Have routes plotted out to your home, and school or store etc. But also have alteative safe routes, be prepared to change direction in a moment if need be. The point is if you know a few ways to get somewhere you can take decisive action and not run blindly.
If you are attacked be prepared to fight until you have no more strength left in your body or until he is unconscious.There are three main areas that a man is particular vulnerable his groin, his eyes and his knees. If someone is attacking you, punch, kick, knee, grab, hit, squeeze, strike, claw him or even bite him in his private parts until you can get free. If he drops to his knees from the blow, strike him in the eyes, or grab the back of his head and knee him in the face, or make fists with both hands and drop them on his head as hard as you can until he falls down. Kick him or punch him repeatedly in the groin area. If you go after his eyes, try to claw them out, or squeeze your hands and fingers together like a bird beak and jab your hands and fingers hard into his eyes.
Be prepared that he will lash out at you with his fists or available hand.Brace yourself for any strikes or hits that he may throw at you. He is going to hit you and it is going to hurt. But don't stop, our life is on the line! If he is attempting to hit you in the head or face with something like a hammer or a stick or hard object, cover your head with your arms and your hands. Keep your arms moving over your head to prevent damage to your head and face. It is better to receive hits on the arm than to your face or head.
Kick him with your feet or knee him in the groin while he is attacking you. If you can't reach his groin kick his knee hard with your heel. Keep kicking him until he releases you.
If he knocks you down, curl your legs up to your body and keep your arms and fists by your face to protect your head and face. Look at your target and then really kick out your feet into one of his knees as hard as you can or if you can reach his groin. Forget about trying to reach his head or face, he may grab your legs or feet if you kick out at his face.
Land solid blows or strikes to his knees, groin, and his eyes.If you bring him down, also don't stop now, go on the offensive. Go after him moving with your feet first. Close in on his head or his groin and use your feet like hammers or an ax and chop downward with your heel into his head or his groin repeatedly wherever he is exposed. Jab your hands into his eyes. Don't think that just because he is down that he will not get up again.
Don't think that just because you kicked him in the groin once that he will not be able to get up again. He may be so enraged that he throws off the pain to come after you. So keep on the offensive until he stops, or he is unconscious, or that you can break away and get help. Even though you are unarmed you are not defenseless. Think of everything that you are holding as a potential tool or weapon. You can catch him by surprise.
Even a rolled up newspaper or magazine, can become something of substance if used right. The end of a rolled up magazine or newspaper can be jabbed into his groin area. Your purse can also be slammed into his groin. A wooden umbrella handle can cause some pain if jabbed into his groin. A broach pin can be jabbed into his eye.
A pen or a key can be jabbed into his groin or his eye. If you are wearing high heels, or a shoe with a strong heel, stomp on the instep of his foot. Slam a book or a briefcase into his groin. If he picks you up off the ground, from behind, elbow him repeatedly into his ribs, kick your heel back into his knees or kick up into his groin.
Bite him on his hands. Use your hands like fist and slam your fist down and backwards into his groin area, or up and back into his nose. Use your hands like claws and make your hand firm in that claw and throw the hand back and down into his groin as hard as you can.
Be aware of everything that you might be able to use.If you get a hold of an object that is hard like a rock don't throw it at him, because you may miss and not have another chance with it. Instead hold it firmly in your hand and when he comes at you smash it against his nose, or smash it into his groin. Hold onto the rock because after the first blow, he may not become unconscious, and he may try to use it on you. Don't give him any advantage. You be ready to use your tool or weapon again until he stops, or the tool becomes a hindrance rather than a help to you.
Even if he manages to get you down on the ground the situation is not lost. Keep your wits about you and your focus. He will expect you to fight and when you are down on the ground, you can pretend that you are cooperating, and then when he is sees that you are not resisting, he begins to ease up, then you twist your body out of his grab, roll onto your stomach, get your legs free, tu, look at your target and kick him either in his knee or his groin. If he is sitting on top of your chest towards your head, swing your legs up on either side of him and grab him across the chest with your legs and pull him backwards with your legs.
When he falls backwards, release him with your legs, and once again go on the offensive with your feet, chopping him in the groin, or smash your feet down on his head or nose, since he is now on the ground, he will be lower and more easy to reach.If he takes you down do your best to avoid getting your hands tied or handcuffed, but if that occurs you still have your legs available. Choose your moment, and then fight with all you got. Tell him that you have AIDS or HERPES. Anything to make him think twice. Remember if he is coming after you, it's his life or yours.
His intention is bodily harm. Your intention is to escape or defend yourself, your friend or daughter. When push comes to shove this calls for no-holds bar. There is a great self-defense course that I strongly recommend to all women.
You can lea about a lot or all of the techniques that I have just described. In NYC it is called Prepare Inc, and in Boston it is called Impact Model Mugging. It's website is www.prepareinc.
com. The Boston website is www.impactboston.com. It is a course that is designed for women to fight with everything that they have, and it simulates real attacks, from men that are heavily padded and highly trained so that they can receive your blows and strikes with full force. It simulates all sorts of scenarios such as; grabs, takedowns, one person or multiple attackers, rapes, intimidation, robbery, and even the trash talk that the attacker might say.
They teach you in a safe environment with a coaching system. You are with a coach the whole way who talks you through it, and if you can't handle the simulation, it is halted for you. They teach you how to use your body, feet, legs and voice with power, from a standing position or after you have been pulled to the ground.After the course, you know exactly how to react and what to do, and more importantly how to fight if you need to. It's an intense 25 hour course and at this time it cost about $500.00 to $600.
But you lose your fear and indecisiveness; and develop your confidence. When you finish you know that you can handle anything. It was the best course that I have ever taken and when you are old enough I would certainly enroll you. I have recommended it to my friends and sisters and students. So keep alert and remember keep this article as a reference. It could save your life.
You can reach Yoga Kat aka Katheryn Hoban at katscoolcoer@yahoo.
.Yoga Kat also known as Katheryn Hoban survived just such an attack.This article was written to prevent other women from being attacked. She can be reached at katscoolcorner@yahoo.com or 201 970-9340.
By: Katheryn Hoban
