5 tips to defend yourself
You are quite shocked when someone attacks you and intends nothing but harm. You don’t want to be overwhelmed, but maybe you don’t know what to do to defend yourself. The following five tips can help you then.
Tip 1
The basis of self-defense is a strong attitude and appearance. First of all, make sure you stand firm when you see the attacker approaching:
- Stand up straight.
- Bend your knees slightly.
- Place your feet slightly apart with the toes straight out.
- Look straight ahead with a taut, penetrating gaze.
Tip 2
If a strong stance doesn’t deter the attacker enough, don’t hesitate and yell, spit, scratch, kick and hit. The attacker can recoil from this. In this way there is an opportunity to flee.
You can hit the attacker in several ways:
- With your palm or side of your hand.
- With your elbow, for example in the face, against the jaw or in the stomach.
You can also stick your fingers in the eyes or try to squeeze the throat.
Spades can also be done in different ways:
- With the foot, knee and heel. It is especially important to kick with sufficient speed and power. Concentrate well and aim for the right spot.
Tip 3
Another way to defend yourself is by using objects. Some examples:
- Pen/Pencil: Hold the pen or pencil with the index finger extended toward the tip. You can now poke the attacker’s eyes. You can also stab in the face, neck or hand.
- Key: clamp a key (from a bunch of keys) with your thumb. You can pull this key hard and quickly along the face or over the hand of the attacker, causing a cut.
- Umbrella: put the umbrella in the crotch or swing it up between the legs. You can also put the umbrella in the stomach.
Tip 4
When the attacker has a (stabbing) weapon, it is better to defend yourself with words. You can try to use logical arguments or play on the attacker’s instincts.
Tip 5
Do you really want to be sure of your case? Then take a self-defense course. During a course you do targeted exercises and build self-confidence. You can take a self-defense course at martial arts schools, the folk university or the women’s school.
Sources
– ‘Self-defense in practice. Manual based on budo techniques’ by Rinus Tegelaar. Publisher Elmar BV, Rijswijk, ISBN 90 389 05580
– ‘If no is not enough’ by Marijke Foncke and Corinne de Beer. HB publishers, Baarn, ISBN 90 5574 363 1
– http://www.cursus-zelfverdeding.nl/members/book/index.html
– http://members.quicknet.nl/cpj_jansen/zelfdefence.htm
