3 Things to Know if You are Attacked in Public!

General

In our previous article, Amerson’s Taekwondo and Fitness taught you the steps you needed to take to avoid being the victim of a public assault. But no matter how cautious you are, there still may come a time when the unthinkable happens. If you are attacked in public, remember these 3 things to remove yourself from your assailant’s grasp.

Continue to Draw Attention to Yourself

If you are untrained or out of shape, you are likely to tire quickly when placed in this intense situation. You have 30 seconds or less to act before fatigue sets in. Use this time wisely.

  • Make lots of noise! Scream or shout “NO!” or “BACK OFF!” to make your presence known to others in the area.
  • Stay focused on your goal to break free. Your energy and demeanor count as much as your attacker’s.
  • If you can, run to a safe place for you and your family until help arrives. This is not like a scene from a movie. Running to safety is always your best option.

Make it Count!

If you have to try striking an attacker to create an opportunity to escape, make sure you hit hard and fast to an effective area.

Common areas to strike an attacker are:

  • Eyes
  • Groin
  • Nose

Less common/obvious areas to strike an attacker are:

  • Ears
  • Inside of the Knee
  • Throat

Your attacker may be ready to block strikes to common areas, so being comfortable with the less common options will be helpful in removing yourself from the situation. Strike hard, strike fast, and get to safety!

Use What You Have as Weapons

There are a number of everyday items on any given person that can be turned into weapons to help you escape:

  • Keys. Lace them between your fingers and use them as claws or clench one in your fist so it juts out the bottom.
  • Pens. Clenched in your fist, they become a potent jabbing device.
  • Loose change. Small coins can be thrown in an assailant’s face like sand.
  • Water bottle. Squeeze an open bottle to squirt the water in the eyes of the attacker.
  • Magazines. When rolled up, they can be used as a makeshift baton.

Even with one of these weapons, remember that your goal is to strike fast to create a chance to get to safety.

Train Yourself for the Future

If you have not been trained in self-defense, your goal is to escape as quickly as possible. At Amerson’s Taekwondo and Fitness, we hope you never have to use the methods we teach, but believe they are important to learn for the continued safety of you and your family.