Culled from womenshealth magazine.
Your biggest problem as a woman is not that you may be smaller or weaker than a typical sociopathic criminal. Your biggest obstacle is that you assume a set of potentially life-threatening beliefs about what to do in dangerous situations.
Myth #1 You should reason with your attacker.
You've probably never pulled out a knife and demanded someone's watch. That's a good thing, of course, but it illustrates a vital point: Someone who would do such a thing doesn't think like you. Deep down, you probably believe there's a way to resolve a problem without anyone getting hurt. Attackers aren't playing by the same societal rules you are, so you can't react as if they are. All you can ever really do is level the playing field.
You've probably never pulled out a knife and demanded someone's watch. That's a good thing, of course, but it illustrates a vital point: Someone who would do such a thing doesn't think like you. Deep down, you probably believe there's a way to resolve a problem without anyone getting hurt. Attackers aren't playing by the same societal rules you are, so you can't react as if they are. All you can ever really do is level the playing field.
Myth #2 If you're attacked, scream for help.
You don't have time to wait for a hero. During a truly violent encounter, you have about five seconds to act, and the safest self-defense technique to take in a violent encounter is to cause an injury. Mistakes usually come from some hesitation: pausing to see how things are going, lacking the will to really kick a man, or jumping around in a fighting stance. These are opportunities for him to recover and hurt you. The reverse is also true—if your attacker hesitates or makes a mistake, it gives you a critical moment that you must use to survive.
You don't have time to wait for a hero. During a truly violent encounter, you have about five seconds to act, and the safest self-defense technique to take in a violent encounter is to cause an injury. Mistakes usually come from some hesitation: pausing to see how things are going, lacking the will to really kick a man, or jumping around in a fighting stance. These are opportunities for him to recover and hurt you. The reverse is also true—if your attacker hesitates or makes a mistake, it gives you a critical moment that you must use to survive.
Myth #3 You need to cause pain.
In order to be 100 percent effective, we have to discard the notion of pain as a useful tool in violence. You don't want to "hurt" him; you need to injure him. Anything you do in a violent, life-threatening situation that does not cause an injury is worthless to you.
In order to be 100 percent effective, we have to discard the notion of pain as a useful tool in violence. You don't want to "hurt" him; you need to injure him. Anything you do in a violent, life-threatening situation that does not cause an injury is worthless to you.
Myth #4 Being fit can save your life.
No matter how fit or strong you are, the best way to hone your self-protection skills is to focus on targeting key points of the body. After that, improving your fitness level can increase the force you deliver to the targets.
No matter how fit or strong you are, the best way to hone your self-protection skills is to focus on targeting key points of the body. After that, improving your fitness level can increase the force you deliver to the targets.
Myth #5 You need technical self-defense skills.
Technique without injury is only a cool trick, and injury, regardless of how it occurred (with technique or by accident), will always be more effective. It's not important how the injury happens, only that it happens. His ribs don't know if they were broken by a boot, a stick, or a curb; they just know they're broken. All you need is force and a target.
Technique without injury is only a cool trick, and injury, regardless of how it occurred (with technique or by accident), will always be more effective. It's not important how the injury happens, only that it happens. His ribs don't know if they were broken by a boot, a stick, or a curb; they just know they're broken. All you need is force and a target.
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