I made this acronym for A.W.A.R.E. that I use as my mantra… Always Watch And Remain Engaged. This can be an essential piece of advice for people needing to defend themselves against an immediate danger. 

Learning self-defense helps you to be ready to protect yourself and fight back against an attack. With self-defense, you can familiarize yourself with some skills and moves like mixed martial arts, which are necessary to defend yourself when an attack strikes, especially when walking alone at night or in a secluded place.

But what if self-defense started before you even left the house? There are plenty of conscious decisions you can make that can lower the chances that you will be attacked.

Common sense can be the best line of self-defense. Being aware of your surroundings is key! That means “keeping your eye on the road” so to speak. Focus on what you are doing. Predators look for easy targets. Women who are not paying attention to what they are doing.

Here are 3 things you should stop doing immediately:

1. STOP Texting while walking. It’s crazy how addicting texting can be. I see it all the time and have been guilty of it myself, but I can’t stress enough how important it is to stay focused on your surroundings. If you are focused on texting, you will not be aware if someone following and is coming up behind you. Your safety is more important than texting your friend about that cute boy you will never get to meet… because you’re dead.

2. STOP Looking through your purse while walking. When you are looking down in your purse, you are focused on that and not on your surroundings, giving the attacker the advantage he needs to catch you off guard. Have your keys in your hand ready to open the door to your car or house. As a side note, if you hold your keys between your fingers pointed out, they can also be used as a weapon if need be.

3. STOP Looking down while you walk or as you pass someone on the street. You should look people in the eye as you pass them and walk with your head up and arms swinging naturally at your sides. First, you will look confident. Second, predators don’t want to be identified. So if you are making eye contact with someone who might do you harm, and you are walking with confidence, they will re-think you as a target.

text-walk

Remember the mantra. A.W.A.R.E. Always Watch And Remain Engaged. When you do, you will lower the chances that you will become a victim, and you will feel more empowered.

Moreover, aside from being aware of your surroundings, it may be an excellent idea to invest in a weapon for protection. Thankfully, many weapons can perform a great job protecting yourself against a hostile attacker. These can include knife rings, tasers, or even pepper sprays.  

However, if you want something more lethal, having a gun can be an effective means of self-defense. Hence, if you want to build your own firearm, you can do so with the help of some tools like the 80% Arms lower jigs. These are a set of tools and guides that can assist you in building your gun out of an 80% lower receiver. Once you’re done, you’re ready to defend yourself during unsafe situations.  

Conclusion 

Knowing what to do and what not to do is crucial to safeguard yourself from being a victim of an attack. Thus, keep the information mentioned above in mind to avoid becoming helpless and vulnerable.

helen gordon

Helen Anzalone Gordon
3rd degree black belt
You Can Fight App creator

For more great self-defense tips for women follow me on Twitter @dojochik or Facebook at www.facebook.com/youcanfightapp.

Get the You Can Fight APP now at the iTunes App Store (http://bit.ly/18YrYQj) or at Google Play (http://bit.ly/1613R28).

2 thoughts on “Self-Defense or Self-Offense: Three Tips for Remaining Safe”
  1. I thought my safety was the job of the police/government?

    :–))

    When seconds count, the police are only minutes away!

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