Self Defense for Females

Alright, so let’s take a minute and look at things from a female point of view. How many of us ever sit down and think, “What type of danger can I get myself into today?” Hopefully the answer is none of us. I guess you never really know, but chances are no one wants to have to fight off an attacker, defend ourselves from harm’s way or help save someone else who is faced with a similar situation. However, from a realistic stance, these things are all too common.

In my own life, there have been several instances where my friends or family members have been faced with unbelievable circumstances. Let’s talk about one of my best friends. We will call her “Molly” (just to be on the safe side). Coming from a small town, believe it or not, it’s possible to be a little naïve. With that being said, the short story begins. “Molly” moved away from home right out of high school. She was one of those people that always said, “As soon as I hit 18 I will get a place of my own.” And that she did. And her own place was miles from our little hometown in rural Ohio. New York City, an aspiring fashion designers dream. There are plenty of big name companies with a design studio around every corner. But, as I said, “Molly” was living her dream and couldn’t have been happier when she arrived. She soon found that it was way more difficult that she had imagined (could’ve told you that), and settled for a waitressing job at a small bistro on a not so great part of town. Now, you would think that knowing that she was on a bad part of town that “Molly” would have been prepared. That statement could not have been more false. So to make a long story a little shorter, here it is. Late one Friday night, “Molly” headed to the subway for the short ride home from work. It turned out to be not so simple. As she stepped foot on the sidewalk “Molly” was attacked. She was pushed from behind and landed face down on the sidewalk. Her attacker flipped her over, put his hand over her mouth, took her hard-earned money and dug through her purse for credit cards and who knows what else, and proceeded to beat her until she was unable to move. A little later, “Molly” woke in the hospital. She was hospitalized for 2 days before she was released, and soon after moved back home to Ohio.

Now, “Molly’s” body made a full recovery from the attack, but her mind probably never will. She lives with her attack every day of her live. She thinks about it almost all the time, even dreams about it at night. She has gone through some therapy and it has helped a little. The sad thing is that the attack could have been prevented, or at least less traumatic than it was. Since then I have compiled a short list for females to live by:

1. Be aware and be cautious. Always be very aware of your surroundings. Even in a familiar environment things can go wrong. Look at the people around you, the buildings, anything that could be hiding reality. Believe me, even in rural Ohio, bad things happen.

2. Be prepared. You really wouldn’t believe how many self defense classes are available. Karate, Taekwondo, there are even classes designed especially for women. You can also carry simple protective gear with you. A simple pepper pen can go a long way. You can buy pepper sprays from several places and they are usually very affordable.

3. Be strong. It is a common thought, although completely not true, that women are weaker than men. Carry yourself in a way that is confident and self assured. If a situation arises that is uncomfortable, let your adrenaline lead to protecting yourself instead of fear. Kick, punch, scream; whatever you need to do to escape.

Honestly, it’s simple. You are never going to be able to know what will happen every second of every day, and you can’t always be protected. But if you are smart enough to know that, you are better off than most.

By Marko Johnson