Self Defense For Women

A STREET CHASE

If you are walking alone in the dark and you find someone following or chasing you. You may choose to Scream "FIRE!", and not "help". People don't want to get involved when people yell "help", but "fire" draws attention because people are nosy.

Consider breaking the window of a home that appears occupied by throwing a rock. Consider kicking the bumper of an expensive car on the street to set off an alarm. Most importantly run.

If the aggressor is closing in on you (within ten feet), find an obstacle, such as a parked car, and run around it, like "Ring around the Rosie." This may sound silly, but works.

Your last hope is getting under the car. Once you are under there, are tons of things to hold on to, and he will not be able to get you out, and will most likely not come under for you. Usually they give up by this point. In order for this to work you must practice getting under the car.

If someone is following you from a distance - never go home. It might be a natural instinct for you to do this because home is a safe place, but DON'T!  When you go home, you are telling your aggressor where he can find you.  He might back off temporarily, but chances are very good that he'll be back. 

If you are on foot, go to a busy area, change directions - if he persist do not hesitate to contact the police.  As we've said before, go to a public place.  Call for help, beg someone to help you, do whatever you have to do in order to keep yourself safe.  Be persistent; don't let people off the hook.  Tell them you are being following and/or chased and that you need help - NOW!

If someone is following you while driving, do not go home. Drive to a busy area:  a police station, a mall, anywhere that you will have people around you. If you have a cellular phone, contact the police immediately.  It's better to be safe than sorry!

When considering your car, some things that might discourage potential avengers include tinting your windows.  In some states, this is illegal, so you should check with local law enforcement to make sure you aren't breaking the law. 

The idea here is to mask who you are while behind the wheel of the car so a potential aggressor can't see you and target you as his next victim.

Also consider wearing a hat to help conceal that you are a female.  As we have said before, the majority of violent crime happens against women, so being "sexually ambiguous" will protect you more in situations where you might be in danger.  We're not advocating androgynous behavior all the time.  By all means, you are allowed to dress up and have fun as a woman.  What we are saying, however, is to be aware that how you dress and act can open you up to a potential attacker. 

Be prepared in all situations and be ready to defend yourself!  Of course, many people advocate martial arts as a means of self-defense in this arena.  Yes, this might be the secret to defending yourself effectively.