| If you watch the news, you've probably seen the | | | | Surviving requires putting up a fight immediately. |
| recent rise in street assaults. Even those who | | | | 4. Your defense is up to you. In your time of |
| have self defense training or are counting on their | | | | need, you can't count on a police officer being |
| 'tough' appearance to dissuade an attacker are | | | | close enough to help you while the attack is in |
| not immune to violent crimes. No matter how | | | | progress. You are your own first line of defense, |
| careful you are, it is impossible to completely | | | | and you must be prepared for this. |
| avoid the chance of a violent attack. With this in | | | | 5. Getting away requires control of the situation. If |
| mind, here are 7 things you must know to | | | | you are caught unaware by a surprise attack and |
| survive a violent attack: | | | | are never able to get your attacker's hands off |
| 1. The attack will happen quickly. This is especially | | | | you, you have no way to get away. A self |
| true if you're not paying attention to what is going | | | | defense device like pepper spray will provide a |
| on, allowing someone to sneak up behind you | | | | clear advantage when it comes to gaining control |
| unnoticed. A situation can change from two | | | | over the attacker. To stand the best chance of |
| strangers passing on a dark alley to you being on | | | | escape, gain the upper hand by using self defense |
| the ground, the victim of a violent crime, in | | | | products against your attacker. |
| seconds. | | | | 6. Assume you're fighting an armed assailant. |
| 2. Street self defense isn't like a movie fight. Too | | | | Sure, this isn't always the case, but it often is. |
| many people think that real fights happen like the | | | | Being up against a knife or gun is one of the |
| choreographed fights they see on TV. It won't be | | | | scariest possible scenarios, but it happens |
| that easy. Your attacker has come prepared for | | | | hundreds of times every day. This is another |
| a fight, and will not give up easily. Real fighting isn't | | | | situation in which carrying a stun gun or pepper |
| pretty, and you will probably end up injured no | | | | spray canister is particularly helpful, enabling you |
| matter who wins. If you must physically fight | | | | to level the playing field by providing you a way |
| your way away from an attacker, don't expect | | | | to fight off the assailant, reducing your chance of |
| to simply use memorized kicks or punches. | | | | injuries. |
| 3. Fighting back requires a quick response in a | | | | 7. Escaping the situation requires fighting dirty. |
| moment of fear. Even those whose self defense | | | | When you're attacked, there's no such thing as a |
| techniques are well practiced find that during the | | | | "fair fight" or a "clean fight." Use anything you |
| moment an attack begins, they are frozen with | | | | have to your advantage. If you aren't carrying a |
| fear. As your heart is racing, you'll need to | | | | self defense device, use your car keys, your |
| instinctively move into action to protect yourself. | | | | fingernails, and everything else you can think of. |