There is no such thing as zero risk, especially if you are a woman. You can quickly be confronted with a malevolent person, no matter where you are: public transport, public places, and even at home or at work. Therefore, the first priority is to learn how to defend yourself. Indeed, if you are not sufficiently prepared, you may get flustered because of stress.
Fortunately, a few simple self defense gestures can defuse the situation before it happens and, if necessary, during the attack. How to protect yourself effectively from a malevolent person, that is the question we will answer now!
Table of Contents
Awareness is the best defense against a malevolent person
There are a few things you can do to anticipate an attack or even prevent it from happening. First of all, be aware of the surroundings. Never walk with your head down, without paying attention to what is going on around you. Also, avoid listening to music, as it reduces your awareness. Keeping an alert eye is the very basis of self defense.
Indeed, an aggressive or malevolent person is more likely to attack a target who seems “defenseless” because he is looking for the least risky circumstances to attack you. Whatever happens, be attentive to your environment, because if you see it coming, your attacker will be less likely to take action, since he won’t be able to catch you off guard. Hold your head high, and stay alert. This way, you’ll have time to flee by going to the opposite sidewalk or going to the nearest store, for instance.
One last important point: most physical assaults (mainly sexual) are perpetrated by someone close to you (very often a family member or a spouse). Hence, it can be interesting to know how to defend yourself, especially by learning self defense techniques.
How to react in front of a malevolent person
First, never behave like a victim in front of an aggressor. Whenever possible, don’t look down, be assertive and respectful. Often, this is enough to discourage the aggressors and make them doubt. Indeed, shouting helps reduce stress and exposes them, and they hate that.
From the moment you have to defend yourself physically, it is important not to focus only on the strength of your strikes, as it is most importantly the target that matters. For instance, a punch to the arm might be totally useless, while hitting the jaw might knock him out. Of course, overreacting to your attacker can be detrimental to you, as you go beyond legitimate defense.
Finally, escape should be used strategically. Fleeing at the wrong time can expose you to a physical reaction from your attacker. On the one hand, you expose your back unnecessarily, and on the other hand, it impedes you from seeing the situation. You don’t know what exactly is going on, and if, by any chance, he runs faster than you, you’ve failed.
Self defense teaches you how to protect yourself against a malevolent person
Escape, fight or surrender: these are the only options available when a malevolent person attacks you. In other words, you must be prepared for a possible close combat. self defense allows you to learn how to defend yourself as well as the proper gestures to save your life. You want to neutralize the opponent, not to attack him. Generally, French people think of it as a combat sport or a martial art, but this is only partly true. Indeed, although it adopts gestures and techniques derived from these disciplines, self defense is a discipline in its own right.
Also, we do not rely only on the physical, but also on the mental aspect. Practicing self defense regularly allows you to gain self-confidence and to take control over your stress. Thus, even if you have only attended an initiation to Krav Maga or Pencak Silat, you have developed reflexes that are sufficient, most of the time, to get you out of a dangerous situation.
Why not try self defense as of now?
If you are interested, you can attend private self defense training (or a group training, for those who prefer) very easily. If you want to start today, you can even do so online thanks to the videos I offer you. The ball is in your court!
