9 Self-Defense Tips You Should Know To Protect Yourself
It’s a sad reality, but it’s true: the world is unsafe. And it seems to be getting more unsafe by the day—every day we hear about bad things happening. Especially if you are a woman, BIPOC, disabled, or a member of the LGBTQ+ community. While the problem lies with those who do harm, those of us in a vulnerable situation will feel better knowing some self-defense tips.
It’s gotten so bad that people are never guaranteed their safety—we even need to take precautions when going on dates. So, while self-defense may not be fun to learn, you do need to learn how to defend yourself in dangerous situations.
We’ll be going over various techniques and tools you can use to protect yourself. Get ready for some great self-defense tips!
Tools You Can Use
1. Panic whistle
A panic whistle will alert any people close by to the fact that you are in danger. This will prompt them to come to your aid or perhaps call the police if you are unable to.
Even better, most attackers will flee if faced with a group of people instead of an individual. The whistle itself may also scare off the attacker even if there’s no one near.
2. Pepper spray
Pepper spray is one of the most common and effective methods of warding off attackers.
Keep in mind that carrying pepper spray on you isn’t legal everywhere, so be sure to check before you head out to buy a can. However, if it is legal, it’s a great way of defending yourself.
Over time, pepper spray quality has improved a lot. The chances of you or someone innocent getting hurt while you spray your attacker are far less. This is especially the case if you use something more advanced like pepper spray gel.
3. Panic button
Having a panic button on you is a great way to alerting people if you’re in an emergency.
They work similarly to a panic whistle. However, depending on the situation, you may not be able to blow a whistle. Panic buttons work with just one touch.
If you’re in danger, press your panic button and it will alert the necessary people as well as telling them your location.
4. Car keys
While a few people argue that this isn’t the most effective method, sometimes your car keys are your only option. You may have noticed that many people—particularly women—walk with their car keys in their hand. This is especially common at nighttime.
In a pinch, a sharp car key can be used to defend yourself against an attacker. It might injure them enough that they let you go and you can escape. This isn’t a flawless method, so you can learn how to correctly use your car keys for self-defense here.
Tips and Techniques
5. Don’t look your attacker in the eye
As a general rule of thumb, avoid making eye contact with the person attacking you. There’s some discourse about whether this actually works, it’s still worth keeping it in mind.
The theory is that if your attacker knows you didn’t look them in the eye, they think you won’t be able to identify them in a lineup. Therefore, they’re less likely to see you as a threat and more likely to let you go. It’s not an exact science, but when you’re in a vulnerable position, don’t you want to do everything possible to help yourself?
6. Don’t fight
This may seem like a counter-intuitive tip for a self-defense article, but the truth is that you should avoid fighting at all costs. Your attacker was most likely prepared for a fight, and may even have brought a weapon. So, if you see any alternative at all, take it.
Run, get in your car and drive away, hide–anything to get away from the attacker. If you’re being hijacked or robbed, don’t try to hold onto your possessions, even though it may be your first instinct. Rather, let them have your items and let you keep your life.
You should also make as much noise as possible. Research shows that attackers tend to flee as soon as their victim makes noise.
7. Learn basic self-defense moves
Not everyone has the time to go to a self-defense class. For some people, the information given in a self-defense class may be overwhelming, leading to them freezing during a confrontation or attack.
If this is the case, you should at least learn some basic self-defense moves. These are things that you would probably do instinctively when attacked, but knowing how to do them properly could make all the difference. Even if you just learn five simple self-defense moves, it’s better than knowing none.
8. Take a self-defense class
If you feel up to it, learn how to defend yourself by taking a self-defense class. You will learn the best way to get out of a hold as well as how to injure your attacker.
Your instinct may be to blindly attack back, but with the right knowledge, you will have a better chance of injuring your attacker or getting away.
You might not want to go to an in-person class, especially if you’re a newbie. No worries! You can take an online class right at home with Grokker. All you have to do is search for self-defense classes and away you go. Sign up with Grokker today!
9. Travel in a group
One of the most common tips for ensuring your safety is to travel in a group. It’s that common for a reason: attackers tend to take their chance on lone individuals. And if they do take on a group, you have a much better chance of taking them down if there’s more than one person fighting back.
