Women are more likely to be attacked because they tend to be less physically imposing than men. In the aftermath of Kim Kardashian’s robbery in Paris, we would like you to know how to protect yourself.
Keep your head
You will probably feel panicked when facing your attacker. Find some way to shake it off, like by focusing on little details. What color are their pants? Can you see their face? Are they carrying a weapon? This kind of information will also help you identify them to the police later.
Breathe. Stay in the moment. Don’t catastrophize yet. Figure out what you’re up against, and use the following advice to get yourself out.
Don’t waste words
Reasoning with them should not be your go-to move, especially if they’re a stranger or if they have a gun, knife or other weapon.
Can you imagine pointing a gun at someone? No? Then you’ve got nothing in common with the person trying to attack you, and finding commonalities is how the best diplomats make successful negotiations.
Carry weapons
Having decided not to reason with them, move to option two. Do you have a weapon on you?
This can be pepper spray, a personal alarm or a stun gun. If those aren’t available to you, think about day-to-day objects that might work. Hold your keys between your fingers when you punch, or a pen/pencil if that’s all you have.
Fight back
Don’t give up. If someone grabs you, fight back. A vigorous fight early on may dissuade your attacker. Their goal is to control you, and if you don’t make it easy for them, they may decide you’re not worth the effort and leave you alone.
Here are five places to aim that will hurt and stun your attacker:
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Eyes: Scratch, claw or gouge at their eyes. This will not only inflict pain, but may also temporarily alter their vision, allowing you to get away.
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Nose: Imagine you are trying to push their nose into their head, and use the heel of your palm to drive your hand upwards against the bottom of their nose. If they are behind you, use your elbow, throwing your weight into it.
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Neck: The neck is extremely vulnerable due to the presence of major blood vessels. Punch or grab the trachea, just under the jaw, and push up.
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Knee: The knee is difficult to defend and vulnerable from every angle. A well-aimed kick, especially from the side, can inflict substantial damage.
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Groin: The groin is a sensitive area on both men and women, and a great target for a kick or elbow.
Another potentially viable location is at the juncture of the shoulder and collarbone, at the meaty part of the neck. Pinching hard with three fingers on the pressure point there can numb your attacker’s entire arm and bring them to their knees with the pain. However, if your attacker has strong shoulders (they’re a football player or a swimmer) this will not work.
Know Your Weaknesses
If you ever have to use this knowledge, keep in mind that you are likely going to be smaller than your opponent in both height and weight. You want to get in and out of this encounter as quickly as possible because you are in danger every second that you are within arm’s reach of your attacker.
You may not want to hurt your attacker. Maybe you don’t like causing pain, or don’t like the sight of blood. This is a dangerous way of thinking: any move you make that does not cause them pain is useless to you because depending on how you strike, you may open yourself up to further attack and they will take advantage of it.