Sadly, we live in a world in which women have to carry pepper spray in their purses, and walk with their keys between their fingers. It’s a world that has women afraid to wear their hair in a ponytail because it makes it easier to be grabbed by an attacker. We live in a world where articles like this one are necessary. Sandra Bullock taught us to SING in Miss. Congeniality, but here are some other self defense tips to keep in mind.
- Trust your instincts. If something feels off to you it probably is. Get out of there. Take a different route home.
- A first instinct may tell you to throw a punch; however, if you do not throw it properly, there is a greater likelihood of doing damage to yourself rather than your attacker.
- Your head, knees and elbows are some of the greatest self defense weapons that you possess. You can use these parts of your body to force an attacker off of you. If someone tries to grab you from behind, you can twist your entire torso and drive your elbow back into them. You can knee someone in the groin. Or you can headbutt somebody.
- The body is full of sensitive places to target. Among them are the eyes, nose, ears, neck, groin, and knees. However, you never want to bring yourself closer to your attacker than you have to. Be sure not to step in to reach them.
- Eyes- You can do things such as poke them or gouge them. Not only will this hurt your attacker, but it also gives you better odds to escape because it will intefere with their vision.
- Neck- Keep your hand flat with your fingers together, your thumb should be slightly bent, right below the knuckle line. Then strike at the side of the neck, by bringing your elbow up to shoulder height and pushing outwards. This gives the strike extra force.
- Nose- A palm strike to the nose is very effective way to get space from an attacker. The further away you are, the more force you can get.
- Knees- The knee is a very vulnerable spot on the body. If you hit it with enough force you can cause your attacker to fall, giving you time to get away. If you want to kick at your attacker keep it low. It might be tempting to try and kick their face in, and if your flexible enough for that lucky you, but if they grab your leg you are now more vulnerable than before.
- Keep in mind your surroundings, and know what you have with you. You can throw sand or dirt into an attackers eyes, if you have perfume in your bag that will also sting. These things can provide you precious moments to get away from your attacker.
We don’t always make the smartest decisions. Sometimes it’s late, we just want to get home, and there’s a shortcut through a sketchier part of town. You’re at a house party, or at some club in Ybor, and some guy doesn’t understand the word no. You’re walking in a dark parking garage, and someone wants your purse. We all think we’re untouchable, and that nothing can hurt us. Until it does. These are some helpful ideas to keep in mind, if you ever find yourself in a situation. So stay safe this holiday season colligettes!