The world today can be a scary place for a woman. Walking home alone at night can feel risky, even in a good neighborhood. Women have enough to worry about in their everyday lives; their own safety should not be one of those things. Being able to defend yourself, even if it is just to the extent of being able to run away, is vital. Read below for some basic self-defense tips that every woman should know.
CARRY PEPPER SPRAY
Many women carry it, but leave it at the bottom of their purse. This is deemed essentially useless, as it is very rare that you will have the chance to grab it out of your bag. It is recommended to keep a key chain of pepper spray on your car keys. This is great if there happens to be an assailant harassing you as you are trying to get into your car. Your car keys also tend to be towards the top of your bag for easy access, meaning that the pepper spray will be as well.
DO NOT BE AFRAID TO SCREAM.
If you are ever in the unfortunate situation of being attacked, yell very loudly. This may sound obvious, but many times you become paralyzed with fear and forget to yell. Most assailants want easy targets that will not put up a fight. Yelling brings attention to the situation, which will make many attackers run away in fear of getting caught.
THROW YOUR PURSE DOWN FAR AWAY FROM YOU.
If someone threatens you for your belongings, throw it far away from you to the ground. The key here is to throw it as far as possible. Creating this distance between you and the purse will allow you the extra time to run away. Most likely, the assailant is after your belongings and not you, so he will run towards the bag and give you the chance to run.
WHEN IN DOUBT, GO FOR THE CROTCH AND EYES.
Kicking any man in the crotch, hard, will automatically debilitate him. This will offer you time to run away. If given the chance, the eyes are great targets as well. Ideally, if you have keys or any object in your hand, gouging them directly into the eye sockets will incapacitate him enough to escape. Any sort of defense against the attacker is effective. It is unattractive, and the offender is likely to give up.
If you are ever in the unfortunate situation where you come into contact with an attacker, the key to survival is to make a scene and run away. Remaining calm and remembering these tips is essential to coming out safely. Most attackers are after your personal belongings. Do not risk your own life by trying to save material objects. Cell phones and wallets are replaceable; your life is not.
Taking preventative measures is also ideal. Sign up for a self-defense class at your local gym—many offer them specifically to women. Also, do not forget to pick up your pepper spray, tasers and all of the equipment for your self-defense needs at Self Defense Superstore.
