10 Powerful Self Defense Tips For Women

In the USA, every two minutes a woman is being raped.

A 2011 MSNBC survey revealed that 1 in 5 women have been sexually assaulted or subjected to physical violence.

19% of women aged 18 to 24 experienced an act of violence in the last year.

 Statistics show that one in every four women in will be sexually assaulted in her lifetime.

These are SHOCKING statistics!

In addition to the Black Phoenix Bootcamp, I also teach Reality Based Self Defense.  I teach basic, yet effect skill sets to those with no to very little to pretty advanced skill sets.

Increasing personal safety begins with awareness

Since most women fear attacks of a sexual nature more than anything else most of my street survival tips are geared towards that.

If you are a woman, here is a list of ten simple things that you can do immediately that will increase your safety:

 - When you dress sexy, make sure you can cover up if you start to get unwanted attention.  Dressing sexy will ensure that you attract plenty of attention, including attention from those people with bad intentions. Sure, you want to look and feel pretty and sexy ... but be smart about it.

- Trust your instincts. Women are very intuitive. If you think a situation might be dangerous then it probably is.  The fact that your “uneasy” about the environment should be taken as a hint.  Trust your gut

- Rape and other sexual assault is always increasing. In the event of the worst outcome use your thumb to press into an attackers eyes with one hand while holding on to his head with the other hand.  He WILL seek medical attention and he WILL be easy to find.   

- Drive your car in a non aggressive manner. Nobody appreciates rude hand signs. Remember - you eventually have to stop, even if it’s at a red light. Psycho whack-jobs might follow you for miles "just to teach you a lesson" - all because you made yourself a target “in their twisted minds”.
 

- Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, taking mind altering drugs and leaving ANY food or drink unattended where it may be tampered with is a recipe for disaster. Give yourself an even chance. Don’t be careless.

- NEVER pick up hitch-hikers and ABSOLUTELY NEVER hitch-hike yourself.

- If you live alone make sure that all your mail is addressed by just your first initial followed by your last name. Never allow mail to be addressed to you with salutations like Miss, Mrs, Ms or with your First name. Those letters and parcels pass many eyes before they get to you. Change them. Make them nondescript as to your sex and marital status can’t be figured out. Don’t allow anyone one extra shred of information about you?

- NEVER walk alone at night or at any time in isolated areas. Predators love these locations. Avoid them.  Remember, they pick the time and place.  So, don’t make it easy for them.

- Many sexual acts are committed by people who the victims knew - or, at least, thought they knew! Be friendly and polite by all means but be vigilant for tell-tale signs of "strange" behavior. Do NOT flirt. Be firm about any unwanted attention, particularly in the work place.

- Sexual attack is usually preceded by some visual sign, which is usually preceded by some verbal approach before the physical action. Recognize the sequence: the look - the talk - the attack.

There are too many predators out there.  

Stay alert and stay safe.

Is Martial Arts Effective For The Streets?

The topic of how effective traditional martial arts is in today's world as a way of protecting oneself is still a very sensitive issue to a lot of martial artists. What is even more sensitive is the issue of how realistic and street effective is the newer styles that have come out since companies such as UFC have come into the picture. I am a Registered Black Belt but I love Jeet Kune Do, Krav Maga; as well as the "sport' of MMA.

I know that the techniques I have learned in the dojo/kwan (school) should stay in the dojo/kwan because most of those techniques will only work there.  That also goes with styles such as the; modern day or reality based systems; they are for sport only.  I've had a few competitive, sport oriented fights, but I also teach tactical self defense. Many of my students are black belts or have trained under reality based systems & have learned the hard way that what they learned in the ring or dojo/kwan is not street effective.

Their common question is why didn't their system work? Part of the reason is that if a rule or law is applied to a system it will subconsciously hinder you when your adrenaline takes over in combat. There are no rules in the streets ... your mind should not have to sensor or think can I do this to beat this person? We respond exactly the same way that we train.  Thus, train as close to a real fight as you can.

There is no time to switch gears from sport to tactical. If you are training and your coach or sensei says: "You can't hit there or no contact to the eyes" your mind will remember that and store it for future reference. Your self defense system should take into account your environment as well. Can you kick your attacker in the small space your in? Can you balance yourself while performing a technique on the icy sidewalk?  If you grapple with him what if he has friends coming around, what do you do then?

Street fighting or tactical self-defense should be in the simplest form of fighting. You don't have time to play a chess game, like you would see in a UFC match. Time is not on your side in a street confrontation nor are rules or morals. What we can learn from the UFC or mixed martial arts events when it comes to reality fighting is if it has rules of what not to do, do those things in a street fight because it must be effective.

How You Train Is How You Respond

How you train is how you will respond and react in the real deal. Self-defense is about survival and nothing else.

It is not about fighting fair, clean or being honorable. It’s about doing what you have to do to go home and see your loved ones once again.

You don’t know how a thug is going to react when you connect your first blow to him so make sure you mean it when you attack. He could back off (flight) or become enraged (fight), plain and simple combat is about doing whatever needs to be done so you get out alive. Lie, con, manipulate so you can catch him off guard and administer a tactic.
 
Release the idea from your mind the image of a “DIRTY FIGHTER” there is now such thing!  He is actually a smart fighter who knows how to use violence to his advantage.  Free your mind of that idea, could mean the difference between life and death, it will subconsciously hamper your actions. You have the right to protect yourself and kill when your life is in jeopardy.

When in combative mode your thoughts and actions should be as vile, vicious and violent as possible. Thoughts of legal or moral consequences of your actions should not even cross or enter your mind. If they do it will subconsciously hold you back in giving 100% in your attack and that could mean your kids or loved ones not seeing you again. The importance of training realistically or condition stimulus training could mean the difference between life and death. Training the mind to be accustomed to stimuli that is violent and vile you mean not freezing in violent situations

Here are some tips and dirty tricks

·         HIT FIRST, HIT HARD, KEEP HITTING

·         Always attack in mid-word or sentence i.e.; I will do anything you say, please don’t hurt (ATTACK NOW). The element of surprise is on your side, he is not expecting you to do anything.

·         Practice saying your trigger sentence or word and cueing yourself to attack when you say it. Make sure your speech is smooth and that you are not telegraphing your words or actions before attacking.

·         If you are a woman use the power of sweet talk; get him to believe that you will do as he says, then turn the tables when he least expects it.

·         When speaking use your hands to help you speak, set them up to deflect or to position them closer to the target area you want to attack.