Powerful Strategies for Staying Safe

By:Jennifer Lawler

Why do we need to practice self defense

What is self- defense? It is the art of staying safe in our place of work, our homes, anywhere every day. Not all self defense mean physical. When an electrician, a plumber or the cable installer knocked at our door,we asked for identification before letting them in. We call a cab instead of walking home late at night, and we make sure our doors are lock securely. But no matter how hard we try to avoid danger, life is unpredictable, and no collection of safety tips can keep us safe all the time. That is why l we need to be familiar with self-defense strategies that will help us deal with dangerous circumstances.

For example: What if a woman is not able to hail a cab, or any kind of transport that will take you to safety? Would you feel comfortable walking home alone at night? Or what if it is your boyfriend who is trying to rape you? The lock on the front door cannot p[rotect you from that. That is why you need self-defense strategies.

While some of the information offered quick tps for handling self-defense situations- remember that there are no dos and don’ts- you do whatever you have to do, including consciously complying with your attacker. Women have been successfully defending themselves for eons using their own wits and creativity.

Using any of the techniques alone I am are going to print here won’t be as effective as a combination of verbal, psychological, and physical techniques, so it is best to develop sets of strategies that we can use. Most importantly, being attack is never your fault. Anyone who survives an attack is a success story.

What is at Risk?

Knowledge is key in self defense. If you understand the risks you face and decide in advance how you will respond to danger, you will be more confident and assured- and thus a less attractive target for attackers.

*Decide what is worth defending. If a mugger grabs your purse, it is not worth risking physical harm to prevent it from being stolen. If someone threatens to hurt you or your child or your elderly parent, however, you need to take action.

* Educate yourself about risks particular to you. Women are more likely to suffer harm from men they know than from strangers. Young women are more likely to be victims of date rape than older women. Depending on nwhere you live, violence against women may be more or less common. Understanding these risks will help you plan how to protect yourself./TE