The first and best way to feel safe and secure is to have the skills and moves to defend yourself. There are many different self-defense approaches to staying safe. In the unfortunate event that you find yourself in personal danger, especially if you’re a woman, knowing a few simple moves could be the difference between a close call and a traumatic event.
In a world where women are often blamed for the danger that befalls them – why were you walking there? why were you dressed like that? why were you alone? why weren’t you alone? – the only option is to always be prepared!
Krav Maga is a great place to start for learning the basics of self-defense. Krav Maga is a military-based self-defense and fighting system that focuses on real-world situations and practical responses. While the practice includes defensive and offensive maneuvers, I suggest focusing on the defensive maneuvers unless you’re training to become an attacker – in which case, move along!
Krav Maga includes physical training allowing simultaneous attack and defense so you can defend yourself while also disarming your attacker. It also teaches the power of physical aggression allowing physical response to take the front seat when emotional aggression may be involved. It teaches awareness so that you may take the pre-emptive strike when in a dangerous situation by targeting the eyes, neck, throat, face, groin, fingers, and soft organs. While situational awareness is important and a solo woman’s best friend, knowing what to do when the mental alarm bells sound is just as important!
Krav Maga will teach you to strike your attacker, take him down, and keep him down. So you still probably shouldn’t walk yourself home alone at night if you’re a woman in America because men are trash and let one another get away with being trash, but if you have some skills, you’ll feel more confident and safe when you have to.