If there is one thing you cannot control in this life, it’s the actions of those around us. In the United States alone, up to 3.2 million men and 1.9 million women are victims of physical assault on an annual basis. While these numbers are alarming, you don’t have to be just another statistic.
With a few helpful self-defense tips in your repertoire, as well as a keen sense of awareness of your surroundings, you can improve your odds of fending off an attack or an assault.
Check out the rest of this blog for some basic self-defense ideas to ensure you know how to protect yourself in an unforeseen situation.
1. Use At Least One Personal Safety App
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In today’s day and age, we have technology on our side to help protect us in nearly every type of situation. So, if you’re not using a personal safety app, then it’s high time you downloaded one onto your mobile device.
Some of the most popular personal security apps to consider include One Scream, Family Locator, and bSafe. These apps allow you to track the movements of your loved ones and friends, and send out distress signals when necessary.
2. Defend Yourself With What You Have On-Hand
Sure, there may be a situation where you don’t have your pepper spray or mace on hand, or you’re completely caught off-guard (which is the case 99 percent of the time). In this type of situation, you need to think quickly and use the materials you have on your body to defend yourself.
For example, this could be your purse, a rucksack, a scarf, an umbrella, heavy books, or your car keys. You may not have time to reach into your backpack for your pepper spray, but if you have something on hand that can deter your attacker, uses it, even if it only gives you a few extra seconds.
3. Invest in Self-Defense Accessories
This brings us to our next point — self-defense accessories you should own. But if you’re going to use these types of accessories or gadgets, make sure you know how to use them first. If you don’t know how to use a Taser or activate a mace gun, then what’s the point? Especially when you’re caught up in the moment.
Some self-defense items worth investing in:
- An alarm or whistle to alert others in the area of an attack — but don’t rely on this as your only self-defense accessory
- A stun gun that uses high volts of electricity to literally stun your attacker — check out TBOTECH for more
- Pepper spray or mace — sprayed into the face of an attacker, this substance gives you valuable seconds to escape
A good place to keep your pepper spray or mace is on the keychain of your car keys or house keys. This way, it’s easy to find in a purse or a backpack. Or you may even be carrying it in-hand when an attack takes place.
It’s also wise to remember that stun guns are not legal in every state. So before you invest in one, make sure it’s legal to own one in your state.
4. Remember These Self-Defense Tips for Fighting Back
When you’re approached by an attacker, it’s not always easy to assess how you’ll react, i.e. whether you’re a fight or flight type of person. But if you build up the courage to fight back, there are some vulnerable areas of an attacker you want to keep in mind.
First and foremost, you might not be as strong as your attacker, especially as a woman. In this case, the element of surprise is what could save you. If you plan to strike, you want to strike a blow that is hard and swift.
You don’t want to think about the blow for too long, or you’ll lose the element of surprise. Key vulnerable areas you want to strike, and strike hard include the eyes, the nose, the throat, the groin area, the knees, and the shins.
If your attacker grabs you by the hand, keep the ”rule-of-thumb” in mind. You can generally break free from this type of grip by rotating your hand towards the attacker’s thumb with a strong, quick movement, much like a jerk.
Once you feel their grip loosen, strike one of the vulnerable areas mentioned above. Or, use all the power in your legs to pull away from them and run as fast as possible.
5. Always Remain Alert To Your Surroundings
If you’re walking to and from a destination, listening to music or a podcast may be your preferred way to pass the time. But this is not always the safest means of commuting. You want to remain completely alert to what’s around you at all times, especially if you’re walking somewhere after dark.
Try to keep your music turned down low, or not wear earphones at all. Avoid keeping your head down and staring at your phone screen. Make a habit of looking around and try to be as observant as possible to those around you, too.
By using this type of awareness you can improve your odds of noticing an oncoming attack or defending yourself where possible.
6. Don’t Be a Hero, Run
While you just never know how you might react in a situation of attack, the last thing should do is don a superhero cape and try to take on your attacker. This is not the time to test your physical strength or stamina.
Your main objective should always be to escape and do so in one piece. There are three main steps to remember: wrench yourself free from an attacker, disorient your attacker, and run.
Make General Knowledge Your Power
With these self-defense tips, you may not be able to fully fend off an attack, but at least you will be far more aware of one taking place — and improve your odds of fighting back and getting away, injury-free. Awareness is one of the most important tools you can have in your self-defense kit, don’t forget it!
Looking for more informative articles on health, lifestyle, business, or technology? You’re in the right place. With enough general knowledge on your side, you can feel empowered to not only protect yourself but others too. Click through for more!
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