The Best Defense is No Self Defense
There is an old saying in martial art classes – the best defense is your head, not your fists. The best self defense is doing everything possible to avoid letting a situation escalate into a physical confrontation. When you’re attacked the assailant is already pumped up on adrenaline, and trying to fight physically can make the attacker more angry and violent. An important skill in teen safety is a method negotiators call deescalation. Deescalation is the skill of knowing how to speak or act to prevent a situation from becoming physical. For example, if you are in a public area when attacked shout keywords such as “Police”, “Help” or “Fire”. Chances are this will draw unwanted attention to the attacker and force them to leave. If you are being robbed and the attacker demands your money, give it to them. Remember that everything that you own is replaceable and not worth the risk of getting hurt over. Life doesn’t work like in the movies, often trying to defend yourself physically can have devastating
results.