IF ATTACKED OR THREATENED - This is not a manual of fighting skills or techniques so the following just gives advice on how to get out without getting hurt or damaged.
1. Hand something over then run.
Many schools recommend a good loud guttural scream in the mugger’s face once you know you’re under threat and then hit them and run or just hit them. This might work for some people but not for everyone nor does it work in all circumstances.
I much prefer the following: carry readily available a purse or wallet with some coins in, some notes, preferably foreign, and an old mobile phone. Throw this to one side of the attacker, say “there, have it” and run hard the other direction, scream loudly then by all means, hopefully he’ll pick up the purse quickly and then run off away from you.
Some people recommend full co-operation with street robbers but bear in mind that more and more attacks these days are accompanied by violence even after the successful theft: it’s a judgement call given the circumstances but I would recommend that, unless wholly impossible, get away from that situation as soon as you can.
2. If taken down or grabbed, struggle like hell.
Various figures are quoted, but in general it is believed that about 70% of women who struggle violently against potential rapists avoid that hideous assault. Most of these ladies have had no formal training, they’ve just gone for it, made a lot of noise, bit, scratched etc. Obviously it’s good if you have some self-defence background to fall back on in these circumstances but even if you haven’t, fight back to give yourself a chance.
3. Finally, learn to use everyday objects as weapons.
Minimal training is necessary to make the following effective. Carry readily available – maybe in the emergency purse or wallet described above – a strong biro which has run out so you can expose the nib, putting this through someone’s eyeball will ensure that they do not chase you for a while.
A credit card cut in two with a nice serrated edge is a very useful weapon if applied with a hooking strike to the carotid artery on the side of the neck (but only if you live in a jurisdiction in which you are allowed to carry something like this). A set of keys is OK to use but nothing like as traumatic to an aggressor as the pen nib and the credit card.
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