Women Defense Tips and Moves | Be more stronger Woman

5 Ways To Defend yourself 

Move #1: Straight punch

If someone is in front of you and you've ID'd him or her as a threat (read: you've used verbal communication to try to get this person out of your personal space, or his or her hands are on you), a straight punch can be very effective. 

Push from the ball of your foot and thrust your hip and fist forward at the same time, which will maximize your strength, says Campbell. "Really drive from the ground, and don't let your elbow flip up; your contact area should be the pointer and middle finger knuckles, not your ring and pinky finger knuckles." Also, keep in mind that aiming your punch for a vulnerable area—for example, your attacker's eyes, nose, or throat—will be most effective, says Campbell.

Move 2: Front kick to the groin

Similar to the straight punch, the front kick to the groin is a powerful move to a vulnerable spot that can help you go on the offensive, says Campbell. To deliver this kick, drive your hips forward with your knee bent and heel back, then extend your knee and leg with force, making contact with your attacker's groin area with the top of your foot (the area where your shoelaces are, if you're wearing running shoes). Practice lunging to strengthen your legs for this move.

"Imagine that your kick could travel through the attacker's groin and out the top of his or her head," says Campbell, "as if you were going to split that person in two from the groin up." After you've kicked, recoil your leg back to its original position as quickly as possible. "This strike can give you enough of an opportunity to get away, or might catch your attacker off guard so that you're able to deliver a few more blows to other vulnerable areas, such as the eyes, ears, or throat, to finish the fight," she says

Move 3: Knee kick

If the person is close to your body, the attacker may be too close for you to throw a straight punch. If that's the case, kicking with your knee can be very effective, says Campbell. "Use this if someone is in front of you, inside your personal space, and powerfully drive your knee straight up to hit the groin of your attacker," she says. Keep in mind you want to use the bony tip of your knee, not your thigh—this will cause more pain. If possible, before you throw the knee kick, try to grab your attacker between the person's neck and shoulders, and hold on to as much skin, muscle, or clothing as possible. This will give you more leverage to knee-kick harder.

Move 4: Bear hug defense

If your attacker tries to "bear hug" you—a common type of move when it's a male attacking a female, says Campbell, where the attacker grabs his victim from the front or behind around the shoulders—your first reaction might be to grab his elbows to try to pry arms away from your body. However, your best defense is to drop as low as you can toward the ground and squirm as much as you can to wriggle out of your attacker's hold, advises Campbell. 

"Think about how a cat would respond if you put it in a tub of water," she says. "You want to act like that cat—be as difficult as possible to control." Lowering your center of gravity has another big benefit: It makes you more stable and harder to lift, and it gives you a new angle from which you can knee-strike, groin-kick, or throw a punch or elbow to your attacker's eyes, throat, neck, or ears, giving you more time to get away. (Got 10 minutes? Then you've got time to lose the weight for good with Prevention's new 10-minute workouts and 10-minute meals. 

Move 5: Choke defense

If your attacker starts to choke you, there's a good chance you'll immediately move your hands toward your neck. However, instead of trying to pull the attacker's hands off of your neck—a feat you're unlikely to succeed at, especially if you're smaller than your attacker—use your hands like hooks (with your thumbs against your pointer fingers and hands in a "C" shape) and "pluck" at your attacker's thumbs. (If possible, kick at the same time.) If you're able to pluck your attacker's thumbs away, it'll be harder for him or her to maintain a choke, giving you time to strike back and get away. "Keep in mind you only have between 3 and 8 seconds to get your attacker's hands off your throat before you start to lose oxygen and pass out," says Campbell.

10 tips for Self Defense 

1. Mentally Prepare Yourself

Preparing for a violent attack is no different than preparing for any other emergency and denial can cost you your life. In the book You Are Not So Smart, author David McRaney tells the story of a couple who survived a large plane crash. The husband had mentally prepared for the emergency and was therefore able to quickly take action during the few moments between the plane hitting the ground and the explosion that followed, while his wife and the rest of the passengers were frozen by fear. He grabbed his wife’s hand and ran for safety, as everyone else sat in their seats unable to process the reality of the plane crash. By simply opening himself up to the possibility of danger, the man empowered himself to take action when the “unthinkable” happened.

Do you know what you would do if you awoke to a man in your bed trying to rape you? Have you ever allowed yourself to consider the possibility or do you hide from such thoughts? Force yourself to think about what you would do if someone were attempting to rape, kidnap or rob you. By mentally preparing yourself, you will be less likely to become frozen by fear and unable to defend yourself if the “unthinkable” were to happen.

2. Have a Plan

A black belt in martial arts isn’t required for you to defend yourself against an attacker. Take a self-defense seminar, or at the very least watch some videos online. Practice the techniques you learn and use mental imagery to plan a strategy for different scenarios. By contemplating threatening situations in this way, you are training your body and mind to act from a place of power instead of weakness and paranoia.

2. Follow Your Intuition

The best weapon you have is your sixth-sense. Although every animal is born with survival instincts, humans also have the ability to add judgment and everyday experience to our base intuition. This should make us superior to animals, but our judgment can sometimes get in the way. If we can’t explain our “gut feeling” in a logical way, we tend to brush it off as paranoia. By trusting your intuition, you will be able to learn the difference between real fear and worry. If you have a sense of foreboding, don’t second guess yourself. It is better to be safe than to ignore your instincts and become the victim of a violent crime.

3. Be Aware of Your Surroundings

Don’t talk on your phone or listen to your iPod when you’re alone in a public place. Pay attention to what’s going on around you. If you think someone is following you, cross the street or step into a store. If that isn’t possible, look the person straight in the face and ask what time it is. By being unafraid, you show that you will stand up for yourself and fight back if attacked. You can also now identify this person in a line up and this makes you a less desirable target. Predators are very cunning and want to avoid as many risks as possible.

4. Don’t Look Like a Victim

Predators go through a victim selection process. They are most likely to go for a woman with a ponytail, braid or long hair that can easily be grabbed. They also look for clothing that will be easy to remove quickly, like short skirts or anything with straps that can be cut. A woman who is distracted is also an easy target. You can make yourself a harder target by controlling your accessibility, setting and circumstance. Stay in areas with more people, walking with confidence and purpose. Don’t be distracted by looking through your purse or have your hands full of bags. Sometimes just looking like someone who is not to be messed with can deter a would-be attacker.

5. Be Car Smart

Predators target parking lots and cars to plan their attacks. Have your keys in your hand before you leave the building. For extra protection hold a few of them in between your fingers to use as a weapon if needed. Wait until you are close to your car to unlock it. If you unlock it from across the lot, someone can easily hop in and hide without you noticing. Once you’re in the car, lock the doors and start driving. Sitting in your car too long gives predators the opportunity to make their move. Also, if a van is parked on the driver’s side of your car, get in on the passenger’s side. The safest option would be to never walk to your car alone. If no one is leaving when you are, ask someone to walk you to your car.

6. Predict Dangerous and Controlling Behavior

Realize that 99.9% of people have no intent of harming you; the rare few who do want to harm you will give clear signals. Most attackers don’t begin with brutal force. They begin by coaxing a woman into a secluded area and forcing her to relinquish her control. In his book The Gift of Fear, Gavin de Becker calls these signals Pre-Incident Indicators (P.I.N.S.).  According to the book, not only will your instincts help you avoid dangerous situations, but you can also determine someone’s intent by knowing what to look for. These are the P.I.N.S. to look for, and examples of each. In the scenario, a woman is faced with a strange man in her apartment building.

P.I.N.S.:

Forced Teaming — When someone tries to pretend he has something in common or is in the same predicament as you when it isn’t true. (“Let me help you with those bags of groceries. We don’t want that ice cream to melt.”)

Charm – Being polite and nice to manipulate someone. (“I can’t let you carry all these bags by yourself. Let me help you get them inside.”)

Too Many Details – If someone is lying they add excessive details to make them seem more credible. (“I’m going to your floor anyway. I’m meeting a friend, but I’m running late – my watch stopped working. So, we need to hurry. Come on. We have a hungry cat waiting for this cat food.”)

Typecasting – An insult to get you to talk to someone you otherwise wouldn’t. (“There is such a thing as being too proud. Now stop being silly and hand me another bag.”)

Loan Sharking – Giving unsolicited help and expecting favors in return. (“I’ve carried your groceries up four flights of stairs; just let me put them on the counter.”)

Unsolicited Promise — A promise to do (or not to do) something when no such promise was asked for; this usually means the promise will be broken. (“You can leave the door open, I’ll leave as soon as I put the bags down, I promise.”)

Discounting the word “no” — Refusing to accept rejection.

During the entire grocery bag incident the woman repeatedly told the strange man that she didn’t want his help, but he ignored every “no”. She gave him control of the situation and was raped for three hours. The full story can be found in book, The Gift of Fear. The book also emphasizes that “no” is a complete sentence and requires no further explanation.

8. Know Your Strengths & His Weakness

Your elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you get close enough, use it. If you end up on the ground, use your legs to kick free from your attacker. Go for his four weakest points: eyes, throat, groin and knees. If you are grabbed around the waist from behind, pinch your attacker under the arm, in between the elbow and armpit or in the upper inner thigh… HARD. You can literally pull the muscle away from the bone in these areas. If you are forced to comply before you can fight, grab his balls, then PULL, TWIST, YANK. He will be unable to rape you after being castrated.

9. You Have the Right to Fight

Don’t be afraid to fight if you feel threatened in any way. A decent man won’t approach a woman in a place that she would feel vulnerable, especially after she yells for him to stop. Statistics show that women who don’t resist are more likely to be assaulted and sustain more serious injuries than women who fight back. When under attack, adopt the Cobra Kai code “Strike first! Strike hard! Strike fast! No mercy!” Don’t wait for things to escalate. Your goal is not to stay and fight; it is to break away from your attacker so you can run for help.

10. Don’t Be Relocated

Do whatever you have to do to prevent getting taken to a second location. Predators need to get you away from people and to a location where they are less likely to get caught. Even if someone has a gun pointed at you, there is still a chance to get away. He isn’t going to shoot you with several witnesses around. His plan is to have a quiet, uninterrupted assault, not to go to jail. If he points a gun at you from a distance, run in a zigzag pattern. In the unlikely event that he does shoot, the chances of him hitting you are slim, and the chances of him hitting a vital organ are even less likely. Although you run the risk of injury, if you are taken to a second location, you are guaranteed injury or even death.