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3 Common Self-Defense Scenarios You Should Prepare Yourself For

3 Common Self-Defense Scenarios You Should Prepare Yourself For

Guest post by Evolve MMA, Asia’s premier championship brand for martial arts. It has the most number of World Champions on the planet. Named as the #1 ranked martial arts organization in Asia by CNN, Yahoo! Sports, FOX Sports, Evolve MMA is the top rated Martial Arts gym in Singapore.

If you’re like most people, you probably hope you will never find yourself in a self-defense scenario. Unfortunately, things are not always under your control. Someone might decide to get physical with you for a number of reasons like they do not like something about you, they want to get something out of you or the person is looking for someone to take out all their anger and frustration on.

One of the most effective things you can do to prepare for such confrontations is by visualizing potential self-defense scenarios you might find yourself in. It is easier to see all your options clearly when the pressure that comes with real-life confrontations is not there. When you go over potential scenarios in your head, you react better to real confrontations instead of feeling overwhelmed and freezing up.

Here are three common self-defense scenarios you might find yourself in and how to deal with them.

 

1) The Drunken Tough Guy/Girl

This is one of the most common self-defense scenarios, particularly for young men. You are having a good time at a bar or party and someone there is focused on you for whatever reason. Such confrontations are typically spurred by feelings of envy and jealousy.

It might because you are getting more attention that they are at the party or because you dress really well. Regardless of the reason why this person is focused on you, their intention is to ruin your night.

You don’t have to allow them to do that though. Confidence goes a long way when it comes to preventing and avoiding such confrontations. When you project confidence, the person is less likely to attack you since they know you will probably fight back.

You should also be aware of your surroundings when such a person approaches. Does the person have a weapon in their hand like a beer bottle? How many of their friends are around? How many people in the area will be on your side?

Little details like this will help you to see the big picture. As a general rule, you want to do everything possible to avoid a physical confrontation in this scenario since there are so many variables. The attacker’s friends might jump you or the bouncers might think you are the trouble maker and throw you out. That can end up leading to a more dangerous situation if you find yourself outside the establishment with the attacker afterward.

It is very important that you conduct yourself appropriately in these scenarios so it is clear who the aggressor is. If you are being just as obnoxious as the other person, all bystanders see are two jerks getting ready to fight each other.

You want to clearly state your preference for a peaceful solution and you should not do anything to aggravate the other person. Talk calmly, firmly and let them know you want to be left alone. If you have to leave the place and go somewhere else, that’s fine. Do whatever you can to remove yourself from the situation before things get physical. Never let your ego get the best of you. That just opens up Pandora’s box.

 

2) The Stealth Attack

Some people are just horrible. They go around looking for excuses to harm others and they tend to pick on non-confrontational people. These types of people are extremely cowardly so do not expect a fair fight with them.

What you need to understand is that such an attacker wants to catch you off guard, and they will typically escalate the silliest things. You think someone just wants to talk to you about something trivial and a strike catches you flush. The attacker would typically follow up with more strikes while you try to figure out why you are being attacked in the first place.

That’s why it is important that you set personal boundaries when you interact with others. When a person shows clear signs of aggression, you need to be ready to react appropriately. Don’t get fooled by the person doing things to make you drop your guard like putting both of their hands behind their back. Always remember things can get physical regardless of how silly you think a confrontation is.

Keep your feet apart and stand in a ready stance whenever you are approached. Your hands should be up in front of you and not resting by your sides. If the person moves into your personal space, you need to engage immediately, then decide if it is best to continue your attack or run away. Never let someone who is confronting you violate your personal space. It makes the person feel more confident that they will be able to physically dominate you and it puts you in a poor position to defend yourself. Establish your personal boundaries during a confrontation and do not allow anyone to disregard it.

Most people who want to sucker punch you will change their mind if they feel you are waiting for it and ready to pounce on them.

 

3) The Small-Time Mugger

Movies are filled with characters like these. It might be a drug addict who needs money for their next fix or someone who just prefers to rob people rather than work for a living. These criminals scan their environment for the easiest victims. They target the old lady walking home by herself or the guy who slouches and stares at the ground as he walks.

These people do not necessarily mean you any harm. They just want to take your things. You can reduce your risk of being targeted by such people by being confident and aware of your surroundings. You should also try to avoid things that put you in situations where you might encounter a mugger.

It’s no secret muggers like to choose isolated places where there are no bystanders to help you. Plan your daily activities appropriately so you don’t end up in this position. If you end up becoming a victim to such a person, it is best to cooperate and give them your things. There’s no point fighting the person if all it takes to get rid of them is to hand over some money or jewelry.

 

You never know when the day might come when you will have to defend yourself. Preparing yourself to defend yourself if the need arises is responsible and important. Training martial arts on a regular basis is the best way to ensure that you know what to do if attacked. Give martial arts a try today!