Self-defense techniques can help women when in a dangerous situation. It makes them well-prepared to respond to any form of aggressive attack and stun their attacker.
You are returning home late after an office meeting or a party with friends. You are walking down the street and get the creepy feeling that someone is following you. Your reflexes tell you to run and you do, but a strong hand grabs you from behind and pulls you into a dark alley. Before you let out a scream for help, a hand covers your mouth, making you breathless. Panic and fear cloud your mind and envelope your heart. Your attempts to free yourself from your attacker’s grip prove to be fruitless and you are helpless.
You can never imagine such a horrible act of violence happening to yourself. Assault, domestic abuse, rape, etc., are depicted in movies and read about in newspapers. But ladies, these things are taking place and the world is no longer safe for anyone. Self-defense has become a necessity for every school or college going girl, working women, and even a homemaker. Therefore, it is very important for every girl and woman to know basic self-defense techniques.
By knowing these simple techniques, you can have an upper hand and can make a quick escape from the clutches of your attacker. In this article, you will be introduced to some techniques that you can use in case of an emergency. These tactics are tried and tested and will work every time you apply them. However, you need to practice them regularly to master them.
Some Tips and Tricks
You can never be sure when danger will creep up and you have to face a life-or-death situation. It is always better to be able to put up a strong fight than to be subdued against your wishes. But this is easier said than done. The following basic self-defense techniques will help you stun any would-be attacker and give you enough time to run to safety or call for help.
Situation #1 ~ Someone Trying to Paw or Touch your Body
You are standing in a crowded bus and someone tries to take advantage of the situation and tries to paw or touch your body. You should immediately step closer to him and stamp his foot hard. Simultaneously, as a counter-attack, with the palm of your hand, forcefully shove his chin back. This will not only make him panic but others around you will also become aware of his ill intentions. You can use this technique not only in a crowded place but at any place if a pervert tries to touch you.
Situation #2 ~ Someone Pinning your Feet Down
In a situation wherein your feet are pinned down and your hands are free, you can reach up with your hands and jam your fingers in his eyes. You should press in with such force that you feel his eyeballs pop inside his skull. This will, for some time, loosen the attacker’s grip and you can make a run for it.
Situation #3 ~ Someone Sitting Next to you Tries to Touch your Legs
You are sitting in a train or a movie hall or a concert and the man next to you begins to feel your legs. What do you do? Get up and change your seat? No way, ladies. This is not the time to back out. Instead, teach the pervert a lesson. With force, sharply jab your elbow into his side. This ought to teach him a lesson. Or else you can hold his hand with both your hands and yank his thumb backwards as far as possible.
Situation #4 ~ Someone Grabs your Wrist
You are walking down the street or are alone in an empty office and someone tries to grab your wrist. Immediately raise your captured arm as high as you possibly can and give him a strong knee kick in his genitals. You can even flip his wrist backwards, or slip your body under his arm and with a grip on his wrist, try bending his arm the wrong way upwards.
Situation # 5 ~ Someone Puts his Arms around your Chest from Behind
You may face this situation when walking down the street, waiting for a bus, in your office or home: an assailant sneaks up from behind and puts his arms around your chest. Do not worry how strong or big the attacker is, just grab his left wrist with your left hand and jab your right elbow into his ribs. Simultaneously, stamp his feet with your heel. Stamp them with force and then hit him under the chin with a sharp elbow blow. This will make him go off-balance and give you a chance to run.
Situation # 6 ~ Someone Forcing You into an Embrace
If someone’s getting too touchy and wants to pull you into a forced embrace, just poke his eyes with your two fingers and with one hand forcefully deliver a knife slash to his neck. Stamp on his feet as hard as you can and once he loosens his grip, run.
Situation # 7 ~ Someone Trying to Kiss you in the Back of Your Neck
This type of sexual advance is very common in workplaces. The best move in such a situation is to immediately deliver an elbow blow into the assailant’s ribs and slap him as hard as you can. In case these unwelcome advances take place in your office, immediately sue the person for sexual harassment and press charges for sexual assault.
Situation # 8 ~ Someone Trying to Put Hands Around your Waist
You are trying to have a nice time on the dance floor or looking around at stuff at a crowded fair. A depraved man tries to take advantage and puts his hand around your waist. Here’s what you should do: give a sharp side blow with your elbow, turn around and deliver a knife slash on his neck.
Situation # 9 ~ Someone Trying to Pull you Towards his Body
You may face such a situation especially with someone you know, who tries to take liberty with you. The best technique for someone caught in such a situation is to move in and deliver a strong, swift kick to the groin or genitals. Once the attacker steps back in pain, run immediately.
Other Simple Techniques
These are a few general self-defense tactics for women that you can apply in any situation.
- When your attacker attacks you from front, you should forcefully kick his knees or shin.
- If the attacker grabs you before you can kick, you should jab your knee into his groin.
- If your hands are free, punch his head, eyes, ears, mouth, and nose.
- If you think you can’t throw in punches, then jab your fingers into his eyes. You can even grab his lips and pull down sharply. You can even pull his hair or grab his Adam’s apple and dig your fingers deep into his throat and pull his windpipe.
- You can even kick his knees with your heels and stamp on his foot.
- On being attacked with a weapon, immediately duck your head and with your full body weight led by your head, throw yourself at the person, hitting his solar plexus (the region under the breastbone and between the first few ribs).
Weapons you Should Keep Handy
Women can choose from different self-defense weapons to help them during an emergency. You can use mace spray or pepper spray as non lethal weapons. You should spray the attacker on the face, especially near the eyes, to have the desired effect. You can even use items like heavy flashlights, umbrellas, walking canes, sticks, or anything you can grab and hit hard with.
If you have nothing to help you out as a makeshift self-defense weapon, then use your own body as a weapon. Just kick hard with your knees in the shin, groin or genitals. A small pocket knife can prove to be a very effective weapon. You should not brandish your knife as a threat. This will give the attacker a chance to pull it out of your hands. Instead, surprise him with a sharp jab or slash on his wrist, face or neck. You should aim at regions of flesh that are exposed.
Penetrating a small pocket knife through clothing requires a lot of training. Scream as loud as you can to alert others to help you out. Try to claw at your attacker with your nails. Claw down deeply into his face, as this will prove helpful in three ways. First, it will stun and injure the assailant to some extent; second, it will be easier for the police to identify the suspect due to the scratches and wounds; and third, you will have some of the assailant’s skin stuck under your nails, that will help confirm his identity by DNA testing.
Apart from these basic techniques, you should always be alert about your surroundings. Keep a watch for someone who is staring at you a lot (if his stares give you jitters, trust your instincts and get out of there). Never stray away from your friends or people you know when you are visiting new places. Always remain in areas where everyone can see you.
Attackers usually look for secluded places to attack, as they do not want to be recognized or have witnesses. If the attacker tells you, ‘Don’t scream, or I’ll kill you’, well, that’s exactly what you should be doing. He does not want to draw attention to his crime and get caught. When you scream he may panic and try to flee. Never ever think twice about creating a scene in case of an attack.
When at home, never open a door without looking through the peep-hole. If you do not recognize the person standing outside, open the door with the safety chain on. If you let someone like the cable guy or plumber inside your home, never lock the main door. Always stay in the main room. Never let the unknown person out of your sight. If possible, call over a friend to give you company till the person finishes his work.
When you are walking through a parking lot, keep your car keys in your hand. Do not waste precious time in case of an attack, looking for your keys. Make sure your car tank is always (at least) half full. Before you get into your car, glance around for suspicious people. If you are traveling, always let someone know your plans. Call someone before you leave and tell them what time you will be back. If possible, always travel with someone. Keep your cell phone battery charged at all times.
It is very important for women to know and learn self defense techniques, as these can prove to be lifesaving tips. There are many forms of attack that a woman may face. The best solution is to be prepared for an untoward situation. When you fight back, the attacker is taken aback. When you shout and hit him, it generally throws him off guard and he panics. Once you have incapacitated your attacker or stunned him even for a few minutes, just run for your life. Never stop and look back to check if he is still down or following you. Just run towards a crowded area, screaming and calling for help.
