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.
Tags: self defense, self defense tips, self defense training
Posted by admin on Jul 18, 2009 in
Health,
Training I still go to the gym when I can- which is anything from once every two weeks to three times a week. I can tell you that half way through an aerobics class, when the instructor announces that she wants to check to be sure everyone’s heart is REALLY beating, it has an entirely different meaning for me than it does for the 25 year old on the step next to me. But because I still show up and I take “reasonably” good care of my health, I’m not often totally outdone just because I have an easy 20-25 years over most of the people in the room.
Why am I thinking about that today? Because right now on television is the third round of the British Open at this ornery course in Scotland and Tom Watson at a stunning 59 years old is leading the pack. I think that at 46 Jack Nicklaus currently holds the title for the oldest person to win a major. So 59 really will be an achievement. The point being - of course that if you take care of yourself and keep your body and your mind active your health and your training will trump for age for a long time still.
Good food, good exercise and a high level of antioxidants in your system to reduce cell damage from the free radicals that life and toxins and even exercise will create and maybe we’ll defend ourselves from the ravages of time as well.
Tags: antioxidants, British Open, fitness, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Training
Posted by admin on Jul 15, 2009 in
Health,
Self Defense Ideas,
Training If you’re planning to devote any part of your life to studying the arts of self defense, it’s important that you take good care of your health and if you’re working out hard, you had better be able to help your body cope with the damage that free radicals cause.
Free radicals are created as a result of strenuous exercise and left unchecked can create a cascading pattern of cell damage. Because they can neutralize free radicals, antioxidants are important to your health and that’s why the body’s master antioxidant - glutathione is so important.
When you have the antioxidant glutathione present throughout your body, it is neutralizing the free radicals it comes across. It’s also helping your liver to remove toxins and other waste products from your body. Glutathione is a great energizer and lets you do more every day. With higher levels of glutathione in your system you’ll recover from your workouts faster and be less prone to suffering from fatigue. Gluthathione also helps fight against things like lupus, and diabetes and actively supports your immune system. While the body manufactures Glutathione, production falls off when you leave your twenties and to date, studies have shown that the body does not readily absorb glutathione when administered as an oral supplement. However, a glutathione precursor like MAXGXL will provide your body with the building blocks it needs to produce more glutathione.
Tags: exercise damage, glutathione, good health, high energy
Posted by admin on Jul 4, 2009 in
Uncategorized OK I confess, it’s something of a smart alec title, but I’ve seen some people do some remarkbly stupid things lately and I’ve been holding this rant back long enough. I run a few different web sites and one of them sells a wide range of safety and security items that include self defense products. They run the gamut from personal alarms to tasers.
I also sell a really good - common sense based self defense dvd, which spends more time showing people - mainly women - how to stay out of trouble than what to do once you’re in a really stupid situation you didn’t need to go near in the first place.
I don’t understand why more people don’t buy the dvd and instead of learning something about what is safe behaviour, want to know what’s the best stun gun for Granny.
I’m serious - “My mother is 73 years old and I’m nervous about her travelling on the subway and want to know what kind of stungun she should carry.”
Do you have any idea how hard it is when you sell the things to ask a potential customer if they’re right the (several expletives deleted) out of their mind? There is no good stun gun for a 73 year old woman. It’s a contact weapon for heaven’s sake. You need to be able to hang on to the thing to use it and you need to be quick.
And if you’re’so worried about an old lady riding the subway, don’t give her a weapon she can’t manage- give her a ride.