Personal Protection and Self-Defense Strategies
The unfortunate reality of modern urban living is that it is fraught with risk. While inner-city neighborhoods and large urban centers tend to have higher crime rates, the reality is that violent crime can strike just about anywhere at any time. Women can be particularly vulnerable, so it’s important to know how to recognize risky and potentially dangerous situations; since they can’t always be avoided, it’s equally (if not more) important to be prepared to defend yourself in the event something bad happens.
Self-defense experts say there are three things you need to do to keep yourself safe at all times: the ability to spot danger, the know-how to avoid it and the means to defend yourself if you can’t.
Spotting danger is often a matter of combining common sense with trust in your instincts. Sticking to well-lit and populated places at night while avoiding dark, isolated areas will do a lot to help keep you safe. Even so, if your gut tells you there’s something fishy about that parked car along the street or that guy who seems to be hanging out in front of the all-night gym, you should listen to it. You’re always better safe than sorry, and staying safer is often a simple matter of taking the extra time to avoid such a situation rather than risking it because you rationalize that “nothing’s going to happen.”
Taking aggressive preventative action is an excellent avoidance strategy. For example, if you’re parking in a lot at night, seek a spot near a lamppost or close to the entrance of the building you’re going to. If you can’t, scan the distance between your car and the building in all directions for any sign of potential trouble, and exercise extra vigilance and caution when walking to and from your vehicle.
Despite all your best efforts to avoid trouble, it may still strike – that’s why you have to be prepared. Many women already carry pepper spray in their purses, and personal-use Tasers and stun guns are selling in record numbers. If you live in a sizeable urban center and have a job or a lifestyle that requires you to be active at night, these potentially life-saving products are well worth investing in.
It’s also a good idea to learn, at the very least, some basic self-defense maneuvers and techniques to use if you’re ever physically attacked. Though instructional DVDs or self-defense classes, you can learn how to fight off a complete range of physical attacks. Some of the defensive techniques you can learn include warding off surprise attacks, from both the front and behind, as well as techniques for escaping choke holds, tackles and other common strikes. More complete programs also demonstrate how to use pressure points and inherent body vulnerabilities to stop an attacker in his tracks.
If you’re committing to a personal safety initiative, you should never forget that home security is a very important part of a complete program. Home security extends far beyond the door alarmsthat are standard in many homes; to protect yourself fully, it’s wise to invest in complete protection. Other home self-defense products you can use to discourage intruders include security cameras, motion sensors, driveway alarms and home monitoring systems. Improvements in wireless technologies have made these products much easier to install and maintain, and they’re very affordable, especially considering the protection they provide.