Impact Martial Arts – Team Dewitt attracts students for a wide range of reasons. Some adults are interested in getting in better shape. Others are looking for a positive environment to work towards new goals. And many are looking to improve their ability to defend themselves. Here are some personal safety tips that we share in self-defense seminars!
Stay aware of people in your surroundings
Not surprisingly, criminals exhibit predatory behavior in preparing to attack. They will try to pick a casual location to look for victims. They will look at their intended victim far more and for longer periods of time than social norms. They will move when the prey moves. They will stop and look around for witnesses. They will often make several passes by the prey in a sort of ‘dry run’, seeing if the victim will react or to get a sense of how the attack might work. Pay attention! Who is looking at you? Has the same person or car passed by you twice? Does someone appear to be moving with you?
Stay with people, go to people
Do not ever let yourself be taken somewhere. Cops call it the “secondary crime scene” and most of the time it will be where your worst nightmare resides. If you are approached in a public place do not get in a vehicle with anyone. Do not walk around the building to the alley — STAY where others can see you. An attacker’s worst fear is the fear of getting caught, so you should drop to the ground if you need to in order to prevent them from carrying you away. On the other hand, if you are in your house or another location that is private, you need to GO to people. Again, an attacker’s worst fear is the fear of getting caught — run out the door to a neighbor’s. Crawl out a window onto the roof. Drive your car up to a diner or convenience store. Go where there are lights and others.
Keep a barrier between you and the bad guy
Use a barrier to block attackers or use distance to gain time. Keep your doors locked. Stay in your car. Force them to get through a barrier before they can get to you. Use a barrier of pepper spray. The more difficult you make it, the more time it takes them and that means they might be discovered.
Attract attention
The first thing attackers will say to you is “don’t scream or I’ll kill you”. They are telling you exactly what will ruin their plan. Go ahead, ruin the plan — create a disturbance, scream, throw things, blow the horn. If you think you should yell “fire” go right ahead. You can’t count on others coming to your aid, but you want to appeal to the fear of getting caught and make them think that someone could hear you and be coming.
Use your strongest weapons against their weakest targets
An attacker’s weakest targets are those that are most valuable, yet ironically, cannot be entirely strengthened. Eyes, throat, groin and knees are your primary targets. Your secondary targets are the face and abdomen. Strong weapons that you can employ are your kicks using the bottom of your feet, your elbows, hammer fists and palm heel strikes.