When teaching self-defense to women, it’s important to emphasize from the start that the tips we’ll cover are suggestions. They are not ironclad, as every situation is going to be different, and women must assess for themselves if they have any fighting chance.

It’s also important to emphasize the fact that if a woman didn’t follow any of the steps you’ll teach her, she didn’t necessarily do something ‘wrong’. (There may be women in your class who have been bullied in the past, and you don’t want to sound like you’re attacking her behavior.)

To be clear, it’s really a sad state of affairs that we even need to address this issue. No woman deserves to live in fear for her safety. The sad truth is that there are many sick people in this world and they take advantage of the meek.

With that said, here are some tips women can employ to make themselves less likely to be victims of assault.

1. Do business during the day and avoid unlit areas at night.

Women are much more likely to be attacked at night in areas where an assailant can easily hide. Always park close to your destination and in well-lit areas.

2. Travel in groups.

2 women are much less likely to be attacked than a single person. The more the better, and the chance of being attacked is drastically reduced.

3. Always tell someone where you are going and when to expect them to arrive.

Time is of the essence if you are kidnapped or injured due to an attack.

4. Carry your keys in your hand.

This will allow you to get into your car faster and they can be used as a weapon if needed. Take them between your fingers to hit them if necessary.

5. If you are confronted, make eye contact and study the description of your assailant.

This is vital to finding the bad guy and will help prevent him from doing it again. There is a very fine line here. Let them know you see them and are aware of their presence, but some guys will take too much eye contact as an invitation.

6. Make as much noise as possible if you are attacked.

You never know who might be around to help you, and most attackers will run away if they think they can be caught.

7. Never allow someone to change your location.

Allowing someone to take you where they know they won’t be disturbed will never end well for you.

8. Be aware of your surroundings. Make a mental note of escape routes.

Make a game out of it. I always do this wherever I go.

9. Carry yourself with confidence. Don’t look like a victim.

Attackers generally look for those who will go easy and put up no fight.

10. Do not wear expensive jewelry or flaunt cash in public.

Particularly on vacation, people are attacked because their assailant is looking for easy money. Also, dress moderately. Unfortunately, there are sick people who might be prompted to attack you based on what you wear. (Again, it’s important to emphasize that this is a sad reality, but dressing provocatively doesn’t mean it’s okay for someone to attack you, it may attract someone who is unstable.)

11. Being in good physical shape.

You will have a much better chance of surviving an attack if you can fight HARD for more than 30 seconds.

12. Prepare yourself mentally to fight for your life.

Decide in advance that you WILL NOT BE A VICTIM. Be determined to get away from any attacker at all costs.

13. Scratch

Leaving a mark on your attacker and having his DNA under your fingernails is helpful in prosecuting the right person.

14. Cock

This is not a ‘fair fight’, use all the resources you can to save yourself.

15. Look for items that can be used as weapons.

Use stones, sticks, your bag… ANYTHING that can help you escape.

16.EXECUTE

Get away from the situation as quickly as you can. You are not in a fight. If you can get out of the situation, do so.

17. Find and attack inherent weaknesses.

MY eyeball is not stronger than yours. Puncturing the eyeball is a great target to help you escape. Other inherent weaknesses are:

A. Throat

b. nose

c.temple

D. Eardrums

E. Solar plexus

f. groin

g.shin

H. Fingers and toes

18. Hit correctly.

You can insult yourself as much, if not worse, than your attacker if you hit incorrectly. Practice punching with the first two knuckles, wrist straight. Gain power incorporating your torso and legs.

Use elbows and knees as well as stomps and kicks.

19. If you carry pepper spray or any other weapon, PRACTICE MAKES PERFECTION.

Don’t carry a weapon you’re not proficient with. They can take any weapon from you and use it against you. Be aware of your surroundings if you use pepper spray.

Wind can blow pepper spray back into your eyes and incapacitate you. It would be better to spray it on your hand and wipe it on your assailant’s eyes.

20. Be a survivor

Mike Tyson once said, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.”

Know that a physical altercation is going to be difficult. Keep your wits about you and focus on surviving the attack.

Once you’ve reviewed these tips, it’s good to open it up for the class to share some of their ideas. This list could easily be twice as long, and it’s helpful for you to think about ways you can stay safe.

Discussion Topics:

1. At home, never allow someone inside your house to use the phone or for any other reason if you are home alone. Answer with a firm ‘NO’. Do not participate in a conversation.

2. Never tell someone on the phone that you are home alone.

3. Never accept a trip from strangers

*If he approaches you, speak in a firm voice, ‘NO, I have a trip on the way’, and move on. Do not participate in a conversation.

(OPTIONAL) Next, I take them through a 2-minute “warm-up” phase where I make them huff and puff by doing simple jumping jacks. He informed them that they were only going for two minutes, and that they were just doing jumping jacks, not fighting for their lives… ‘look how tired you are’. I encourage you to get into some kind of fitness program.

Finally, I teach basic punches and a chokehold.

1. Fighting Stance

Hands up. Tucked chin. Feet shoulder width apart. Comfortable walking position. Stand on the balls of your feet. RELAX your shoulders.

*** Getting into a proper fighting stance alone could deter an attacker.

2. Palm heel strike

I teach this because someone is less likely to get hurt while learning the basics. Flick of the palm towards the nose. Hitting your nose will make your eyes water. If they can’t see you, they can’t attack you. Wear focus gloves to practice.

3. Front kick.

Point with your knee. Pull your toes back and strike with the ball of your foot. Adjust it towards your target ad and remove it. The groin is a perfect target. Use shields against kicks to practice.

4. Knee strike

Target = groin. Point your toes toward the ground and lift your bent knee toward your intended target while pushing your hips forward for more power.

Put it all together. To defend against a grab, raise your hand in the air. Down it. This will make your opponent move their head closer. As he does so, smack him in the nose with your open palm, then kick or knee him in the snout, depending on how close he is and run.

5. Strangle (weather permitting)

Teach him a simple gi choke. Demonstrate that it can be done standing or on guard, wearing a jacket or t-shirt. The right hand grasps the necklace behind the neck. The left hand grabs the neck just below the right hand (similar to holding a baseball bat). The right hand reaches over the head and squeezes, using the forearms to cut off the blood supply to the brain.