Today, many people are afraid of being robbed in the street. However, very few really know how to protect themselves from theft. Whether it’s your phone, your purse, your jewelry or your wallet, everything can be stolen. If you have witnessed or experienced an assault yourself in the past 12 months, there are solutions to protect yourself. Fortunately, not all of them require the physical condition of an athlete. As you may have already guessed, it’s self defense.
Accessible to all and very effective in case of physical aggression, violent or not, self defense remains the best asset you can have. Knowing how to defend yourself is a thing, but note that the best tactics are those that you apply before the aggression occurs. How do you protect yourself from theft? Here is the answer and advice from a martial arts and self defense professional.
Table of Contents
5 tips to avoid theft
In the last few years, aggressors have been innovating and trying new methods to achieve their goals. They have no limits, which is why their thefts are sometimes excessively violent and affect everyone. In order to effectively counter their actions, it is essential to adapt to their way of operating. You can choose to carry a self defense weapon (see also: which self defense weapon should I choose?), but it is more advisable to be vigilant to avoid confrontations as much as possible. Here are 5 tips to help you recognize a risky situation.
Tip #1: Talk
Although it may sound crazy, talking with your aggressor can be quite effective. In most cases, opening a “conversation” with your assailant will save you time. You increase your chances of someone coming to your aid or the police being called. Also, it allows you to position yourself properly to defend yourself against an assault. All in all, you become the master of the situation.
Tip #2: Stomach Breathing
If you are in a risky situation, the body reacts naturally with stress. The tip, if you don’t want your emotions to take over, is to breathe through your stomach. Interestingly, this technique comes from martial arts. If you are better prepared to react, you will remain clear-headed and avoid showing the aggressor that you are panicking. Your self-confidence will be much better too!
Tip #3: Develop useful strike reflexes
Instead of putting all your strength into your fists and trying to hurt the opponent, use the palm of your hand. This way, you neutralize the aggressor more easily and you stay in a legitimate defense situation regarding the law. Moreover, these simple gestures are much more powerful and painful than a punch. As you can see, you don’t need to be a black belt in karate to learn how to defend yourself.
Tip #4: Do not stare at your aggressor
Even if you are angry, don’t stare at him. Indeed, if he has bladed weapons like a stick or a knife, the best way to react is to stick to the advice n°1… Then, don’t imagine disarming your attacker, it would useless and dangerous! The main idea is to avoid a close fight and not to counterattack. Don’t put your physical integrity at risk just for your personal belongings…
Tip #5: Hide your personal belongings
Although logical, this advice is rarely applied: put away your phone, hide your money and wallet in the inside pocket of a coat and do not expose your valuables such as jewelry, designer handbags, etc. Avoid taking your belongings out as much as possible and be as discreet as possible. Caution is the best option to avoid being assaulted.
A self defense training can be of great help
If you’re not comfortable going out defenseless, attending a self defense training course is probably the best thing you can do. Share your fears with your instructor so that he can teach you simple and effective fighting techniques to be ready in case of an attack. Instructors will listen to you, even during a group training session. This practice, inspired by martial arts and combat sports, offers you an effective defense. Just imagine a mix between Krav maga, judo, street boxing, Pencak silat, and many others… To learn more, read our complete article: why attend a self defense training?
If you are interested in learning the basics of self defense, find all our free online video training directly on this page! Join the thousands of practitioners already registered!
