Rule One: Don’t put yourself in Bad Situations
Sounds like common sense right? After all, avoiding conflict is something most of us are taught when we’re young.
Unfortunately, as we grow older many of us forget this common sense piece of advice and continually put ourselves in sticky situations. The best way to defend yourself from an attack is not to put yourself in a situation where you are likely to be attacked. Prevention is always better than cure when it comes to self-defense.
Rule Two: Confidence is Key
Believe it or not, most criminals are pretty damn good at what they do. And when it comes to selecting victims, they can smell fear from a mile away.
One of the best ways to prevent an attack is to make sure you project an image of strength. Now I’m not talking about walking around, chest puffed out like Billy Badass; I’m talking about developing your self-confidence and not projecting an image of weakness.
Criminals are experts at picking victims, and they tend to go after people who they feel are weak or vulnerable to attack.
Rule Three: Situational Awareness is more important than actual fighting skills.
Since the easiest way to prevent an attack is not putting yourself in situations where you might be attacked, awareness is something that is probably more important than your actual ability to fight. The first and most crucial aspect of self-defense is awareness. Being alert and aware of your surroundings can help you detect potential danger early on and avoid it.
- Become an expert at body language. How an aggressor is standing, looking, or motioning can give you clues as to what he is about to do.
- Always keep an eye on the people who are around you. Staring at a cell phone screen does little to let you know what’s going on in your environment.
- Be aware of what’s in your area. If you are in a situation where an attack is imminent, having a good idea of where the exit points are and what you can use as a weapon are all things that can help get you out alive.
Check out our full article on How to Protect Yourself by Developing your Situational Awareness.
Rule Four: It’s Important to Control the Situation
Don’t react, ACT.
The person who can control the situation is usually the person that will come out on top. Unfortunately, during most self-defense situations the unprepared person usually allows their emotions to dictate the outcome.
Rule Five: Hurt them First
If a fight is unavoidable, and you really feel like you are in danger of bodily harm, you are going to want to take the attacker out before they can hurt you. Your goal is to immobilize the attacker and physiologically defeat anyone who may be thinking about joining the fight. Check out our article on immobilizing and defending yourself from attackers.
Rule Six: Get the hell out of Dodge
As soon as you can, get away… Far away! Don’t let your ego get you killed; remember, if you’re dead you didn’t win the fight. The moment you can make your way to safety, you need to take that opportunity and get out of Dodge.
Rule Seven: SELF DEFENSE HAS NO RULES
In a life or death situation, all rules go right out the window. There is no such thing as a self-defense rule book, and there certainly isn’t something known as a fair fight.
You need to use everything at your disposal to stop the attacker. Eye gouging, biting, throat strikes,and groin attacks are all fair game when trying to defend your life. Do whatever it takes to win!
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