I understand and respect where you are coming from. It is statistically eaiser to victimize women than men, but I don't think that its always a gender issue. I know what its like to live in a bad neighborhood were this sort of thing happens to anybody. Not because you are bad people, but just because your family can't afford to live anywhere nicer (pastors don't make a whole lot of money). So I do understad what it is like to look over your shoulder all day long. Avoid-fu doesn't always work. Sometimes s*** just happens and you need to be prepared.
In the meantime, keep your head down...

fight back
 

Go into the windmill

So? How's it going? Share! :)

m1

Can you expand on that please? I *think* I know what you mean, but I would hate to assume.

m1

It would be better if you kept your head up. SA, you know.

It went really well! There were only 3 women who showed up, so we really got some 1-on-1 time with our instructor. We went back over what we had covered in the seminar, then practiced how to get out of someone grabbing your shoulder from behind and how to hit someone who is behind you.

The thing I found most interesting was how few women showed up. We talked about it in the class, and general concensus was that the area where we live is low-crime, mums-and-dads suburbs and women feel too safe to think about SD. :rolleyes:

Anyway, hopefully there will be a few more this week.

I am really loving it though. I get really pumped doing it, and come home bouncing off the ceiling.

I think what amazed me the most is that I am really enjoying the punching, kneeing, kicking, palm strike etc

I am sooo far from a gung-ho type femme it is not funny, and this really was the last thing I thought I would actually enjoy.

I really went into it because I knew I should have some basic SD skills, but I was really focussed on going in, learning all that I could, and walking away with knowledge and confidence. I kind of looked at it like a uni subject, not necessarily enjoyable, but something you have to know.

Instead, I am having the time of my life and I reckon even now, were I to fall into fighting stance, it would make most men at least think twice about taking me on. ;)

Stateside, self defence can be a "double-edged-sword !! In Texas, if someone "assumes" the stance of someone that is "trained in the martial arts", Deadly Force is authorized !!! The concept behind the law, is that a person licensed to carry a concealed handgun could be overpowered and have that weapon used against them or others. Therefore, deadly force is authorized.

I can only pray and hope, that SD Instructors are aware of these types of provisions in the laws !!!!

Later
Martin

So far in Australia no woman has ever been arrested for using self defence moves to defend herself against an attacker.

However, if, once the attacker is subdued and no longer a threat, she then proceeds to sink the boot in, that's a different story.

Also, as far as I am aware there are no laws authorising deadly force against an unarmed person, regardless of situation.

Actually, so far my "fighting stance" means simply placing my feet, bending my knees a bit and putting my fists up, LOL.

Not exactly a killer martial arts stance, but one which does look a bit more prepared than simply standing there, hands dangling by my sides, feet not planted, waiting for the bad guy to act.

I like to keep my head down and my eyes up. I'm just a humble 03 and not skilled in the ways of the jedi.
You see, I'm not the fine scalpel that you put in the hands of a master surgeon to preform an intricate operation. I'm the baseball bat you put in the hands of a skilled goon when you need to make an example. ;)

If you also keep your head up and on a swivel and present a confident, aware presence, thugs notice this in their target analysis and it may (no guarantees, of course) keep them from attacking you, as you're a 'harder' target than the person shuffling along, head down or staring straight ahead, only aware of what's right in front of them.

I think that I've been miss understood. I meant keep your head down in the figurative sense, i.e. "keep out of trouble", "don't skyline yourself" etc...

Scenario:
You and your pregnant wife, or pregnant husband if you are a woman, have stopped for gas at a gas station in an urban setting. Your wife stays in the passenger seat while you hook up the feed line (gas handle) to your automobile.
Having done that, a car of rap playing junkies roll up behind your car, stopping. They then slightly bump into your car using theirs, repeatedly.

If you walk over and tell them to stop and that you have a pregnant wife in there, they continue and give you the finger.

Otherwise, or if you undo the previous step I wrote, what would you do?

Martin

Remove the nozzle from my tank, and start filling up their car.

Time to flick my BIC?

TR

You should leave her behind the wheel with the motor running. Passenger seat with the motor off puts her in a situation where she has too few options. If someone tries to block you from the front (more likely scenario for a carjacking), she should throw it in reverse and tear ass out of there. Yes, I'm saying she should leave you behind. After all, you're a big boy and you're armed, right?

I like TR's idea if they pull in from behind.

BTW, this is not unheard of. A friend of mine was carjacked in Dallas while coming home from the hospital with her newborn four years ago. She had stopped for gas and the kiddo was strapped into a child seat in the back. She begged for her child while being held at gunpoint, and they eventually gave her the kid before taking off. That was her wakeup call and she now packs everywhere she goes.

I like how you think, Sir. (and btw, you appear to have been right about education choice too)

jatx: This is actually a real thing. It was told on SOCNET by, I think, a Ranger, four years ago. The person in question resolved it by pulling off/breaking the driver's finger.
He did time for it.

[EDITED:] Good point about driver's seat. Although tepeatedly switching seats might cause friction, maybe reducing probability it is actually done.

Martin