MENTAL SELF DEFENSE
The first and most important step to self-defense takes place in your mind. Determination, common sense, alertness, and good judgment can help keep you out of trouble. When trouble comes looking for you: you'll see it coming, and if you can't get out of the way, you'll meet it head-on.
MAKE UP YOUR MIND
An animal of prey seeks out the weakest of the herd, and so will a human attacker looking for a victim. No one in their right mind would want to start a fight they didn't think they could win. If you look weak or unsure of yourself, you are fair game.
In social situations, there are nonverbal ways to show people that you don't want to be approached. The same goes for the street. Show that you don't intend to be mugged. Always look like you know exactly where you are and where you are going. Keep your step firm and decisive, your gaze serious, businesslike. You want to show that you are sure of yourself. Don't go so far as to appear aggressive, that may be taken as a challenge.
USE YOUR COMMON SENSE.
If you use basic common sense, the likelihood of getting into a confrontation will be lessened. Vary your routine. Take a new route to the office once in a while. Park your car in a different spot now and then. Go to the market at a different hour. If you set a reliable daily pattern, an attacker will know where you are and when. By just watching you for a few days. Think about whom you give your house or apartment keys to. Don't give them to workmen or neighbors you don't know very well. Change your locks now and then.
When you go out, let someone know where you will be and when you plan to return. Leave a light on for when you get home and to make others think someone is home. Don't call attention to yourself; if people notice you, it's for a reason, your clothes, your mannerisms, and your voice. Don't stare at other people or let your annoyance show in your eyes and on your face. Eye contact and facial expression may be taken as an invitation or a challenge.
Be aware of where you are and who is around you. Don't be paranoid, but try to see everything. Be alert, look around before you open your car or apartment door--someone may be lurking on the other side or may have followed you. Make sure you check under your car sometime perpetrators may be hiding beneath the car. It's common for muggers to follow people with an armful of packages or groceries, and wait for them to open their door, and then grab them from behind to push them through the door.
Look before you go into public restroom or elevators. It's better to turn around and walk out and perhaps feel foolish than to be trapped in a small space with someone you don't trust.
Don't think that because you are in a "safe" neighborhood nothing will happen to you. There are rotten people everywhere. And if you were a crook, would you go to bad neighborhood to rob someone? Not likely. Keep your eyes open and be aware of what is going on around you whether you are in the city or the suburbs.
Avoid potentially dangerous situations. If you are unsure of an area and you don't have to go there, don't take a shortcut down a dark alley just because it's shorter, walk the extra distance around. It won't take more than a couple of minutes of your time and it may keep you out of danger. ..
Keep your distance from strangers Stay at least a step and a half from people you are talking to. They'll have to step before they can reach you, which gives you more time to react. When you stand within arms reach you can't possibly avoid a punch or a grab even if you are expecting it.
If someone swears at you or threatens you, just walk away. If someone lunges for you or punches at you, step to the side, not straight back. They'll not only miss, they'll be disoriented and likely fall, and they'll have to stop and turn before they can try again. That can be your moment to get away.
If you have to defend yourself physically, make up your mind right now that you intend to fight for keeps. Fighting back will surprise your attacker and may give you an advantage. Fight fiercely you may be fighting for your life. Don't worry that you'll hurt your attacker if he has tried to hurt you; he has no right to your consideration. If you have second thoughts about what you are doing, you may be returning the advantage to your opponent.
When should you fight back?
If you are confronted, the most important thing you need to remember is to remain calm and stay focused, so that you can think clearly. Take deep breaths, and listen to your inner voice. So that you can remember what you have learned in your training. An attacker, like an animal, can sense when you are afraid, Ask yourself if you are really being threatened, or if nothing more than your pride is at stake. You would be a fool to stake your life on your pride. When you can't get away, the best defense is a good offense. If you see that someone is winding up punching you, strike back first. The first person to strike often wins the fight. If you get hit you may not be standing afterward to fight back. Don't worry about the legal consequences of fighting back, your life may be in danger so you have to try to make sure that your attacker will not get back up to try again. If you try to control him or only to parry his blows or to hit him only hard enough to stop him, you will likely just make him mad. Fight for keeps. Plan on doing injury. It's a horrible thought, but it would be even more horrible to let someone injure or kill you because you were hesitant to hurt someone. One thing you can do against a knife is run. If something is pressed into your back push back slightly against it. If it's a knife, you'll feel its point and if there is room to do so and you are sure of your own speed, you can run faster than he can stab. Remember, how you apply your training and utilize this information is up to you.