Have a Self Defense Plan

Give some thought to your day and consider some of the possibilites where it could go wrong. You may not realise it but you already have all have all the necessary tools and self defense skills but are you ready to use them yet?

Visualise a situation and visualise the strategy you would use to successfully defend yourself. What would you do if you had an intruder in your house, discovered someone in the back of your car, attacked on a bus or train, attacked outside your home, attacked at work etc etc

• What would you do?
• What potential weapons are in reach?
• What targets are available?
• Which strikes would you use?
• Where would you go for safety?
• and so on...

Many Corporations have an evacuation plan in place for employees in case of emergenies such as fire, everyone is very familiar with the plan and know what they need to do. This alone helps panic from setting in.

In a similar way, consider what you would do if confronted by an attacker, Create a Self Defense Plan of your Own. Have an idea of how you would like to react. What are your options? If you have an idea about how to react, this can prevent you from getting into a state of panic.

It does happen so don't think it couldn't happen to you because it could.

Your first option should be to avoid putting yourself in vulnerable situations through increasing your awareness. However, there are times when we all let down our defenses so if you were to find yourself in a tricky situation, the next option would be to Escape using whatever force is necessary to do that.

Learn to trust your instincts, in fact not only trust in them but to listen to them and take evasive action if required. We all have that inner feeling when we know that something is wrong without knowing why. If something feels wrong then it probably is. This feeling of intuition can play a big part in avoidance.

By giving some attention to your Self Defense Plan of action, is helping you to be pre-active and not reactive. Action is Always quicker than Reaction!

Targeting and Striking - is a great starting point for physical technique. Stick to the basics and keep practicing until you become very confident at them. Discovering how and where to strike is a fundamental aspect of Self Defense.

You will seriously increase the effectiveness of your strikes by applying some of the simple strategies laid out in our Free Self Defense Tips.

Avoid or Escape!

Would you choose to hang around to see how you faired in a situation where the odds are stacked against you? If there's a front door take it, if there's not then take the back door and if there are no doors then make one. Any opportunity to avoid or escape a situation should be taken if the situation allows.

You do not want to be the guy remembered for taking on 6 guys and didn't make it. Avoid, Escape and Attack should be your options, in that order. Your increased awareness will help you to avoid many situations; if you do find yourself in a situation then escaping is your first option. If escape is not an option and de-escalating is not working then you fight with everything you have.

It's all part of your Self Defense Plan!

Training - Take your training to another level. Build on your foundation by learning some Ground Defense, Escapes, Take downs, Hold downs and more but first let's learn how and where to strike. You never know what situation may arise so training has to vary to cover many possibilities.

Setting up your strike is an important skill to develop. A passive stance is an important part of the set up as it does not telegraph your intention to strike; catching the assailant off guard will also make your strike more effective. A passive stance also indicates to any bystanders that you are the non-aggressor.

You can create an opening to strike verbally too, for example, asking a question that will engage the brain of your assailant momentarily can be very effective.

Give some consideration as to how far would you go in order to protect yourself? Everone is different!

Fight Fire with Water, not Fire! - Being passive in your reaction to a verbal assault can help to diffuse or de-escalate a situation. On the outside you want to look and sound passive, calm or even submissive, but inside you are planning the demise of your attacker, should the situation become physical.

Your passive look will make the attacker over confident and unsuspecting of a physical retaliation from you. Unexpected strikes have a far greater effect.

Techniques are simple to learn but will take a little longer to perfect. It is through repetition and teaching to others that makes you ask yourself the necessary questions to help you really understand the techniques. When you are learning, don't be in too much of a hurry to rush on and cover the next techniques. Take your time and allow the concepts to be absorbed.

You do not have to wait to be struck in order to defend yourself. Do not give the attacker the upper hand by giving them that opportunity.

Action is quicker than reaction. He who strikes first knows that he is going to strike but the other has to process what is happening, and then decide what it the necessary reaction will be and then actually move.

If you have to defend yourself physically then look to strike a number of blows with everything you have and then get away to safety as quickly as possible.

Your Self Defense Plan is about Survival not fighting!

Train Smart - Fightwize!