Self Defense for anyone.

No matter who you are the rules for being safe are nearly the same.

The basics of traveling alone for a woman, or in and around city life day in and day out lend a person to pay attention to surroundings.  Noticing vehicles around you, is a start. Pay attention to people who may be following you and trust your gut instinct as well.  

Traveling strategies for me include taking only critical credit cards I know I want to take, so leaving at home 80% of my cards.  When I go out for an evening, and take a travel purse, I take along a small stash of cash and having a stash of fake bills isn’t a bad idea wrapped around a wad of regular smaller bills.  Being able to throw the stash to the ground (accidently of course) so that you have extra time to run. Be ready with “this is all I have on me” or “I hardly have any cash at all but here take it” can be on your mind, most often the attacker wants your money.  

Whatever credit cards you travel with, keep the front and back of those stored safely at home in a safe so you can be ready to call the card companies when needed quickly.

Women.

There is no bigger fear for a woman than the fear of being abducted, attacked, raped or robbed. There are many options a woman can utilize to protect herself.  From being ready with a loaded gun to being ready with a sharp object, being ready and being proactive is the first step to defending yourself in a moments notice.

Youth/Teens.

Having been a part, at a young age of a classmate in 6th grade being abducted, Ms. Wiederkehr wrote this blog with the intent to educate vulnerable people about the ways to protect yourself in the event an event/abduction or worse is about to occur.  This page we dedicate to Cathy Kohm in part but to all of those loved ones anyone has lost to the selfish acts of mentally disturbed attackers. Cathy was abducted in small town USA, Santa Claus, In in the late 1970s and Ms. Wiederkehr kept speaking and teaching in her adult years on many topics related to entrepreneurship.  Those audiences were often women and children/teens and teens about to go to college.

Elderly.

All of these tips and suggestions apply to citizens of all ages, gender, etc. Other concerns I address in another blog for elderly wrap around concerns of financial abduction and being more vulnerable seem to be elderly.  Scam artists find unsuspecting, trusting people in the aging class and prey on them. Find more about how to protect yourself financially in my blog, vickiwiederkehr.com

Men.

Although most believe in the category where men come into this discussion, the worry is not as severe.  Being overly confident you are safe can be the beginning of the problem. These rules apply to everyone, and being smart about being ready, and proactive is the entire message of this blog.  Men, pay attention to people who are at risk, while watching out for yourself. If your partner is coming home at 11 p.m., be sure she makes it indoors. If your child is going off to college be sure they know checkpoints to give you all the way until they get inside their apartment or dorm.  Looking out for each other doesn’t have to be a dying fad.

How do we protect ourselves?  Tools and strategies.

Guns.  

Small handguns are being utilized across the globe more now than ever.  In many territories the laws are strict, and some they are forbidden. IN America state law does prevail and while it is wise to abide by your laws, it is also wise to be protected.  A person has to weigh out the potential outcomes of a would be confrontation if you are carrying a firearm in a restricted area. Use your own judgement to make that final call. Flying via aircraft, guns must be unloaded and checked in a locked box most often.    

Pepper Spray.

Simple enough and in many variations, pepper spray is the go to for young ladies for many reasons.  Some users carry it for fear of a large dog being an issue on a walk. I believe if you have young people in your life who are left home alone, pepper spray near the front door is just smart.  Teaching your young people how to defend themselves gives them the chance to have a basic amount of control if someone knocks on the door, and attempts to enter the home.

Pepper Spray comes in many options, and some are quite high powered.  High powered examples in the shape of a plastic ‘toy’ gun causes much controversy as if you draw a pepper spray gun, and it is taken as a gun an attacker may also draw then a real gun, and you are not at all prepared for the outcome.

Calming tactics so as to avoid conflict entirely when possible.

As odd as it may seem, many people subscribe to the talk yourself out of a bad deal.  There has to be some merit to this, however if you sense the threat is life or death, don’t mess around!  If you want to negotiate the deal, judge the urgency and intensity of the attacker as quickly as possible.

TOP ways to talk to an attacker:

• Don’t take the attack personally. Try to detach yourself, recognizing the attack as more about the attacker’s needs and communication skills. The attack is not a reflection of anything you have done.  It is about the attacker satisfying a need.

• Detach from the need to have everyone’s positive regard.  Don’t worry about this person liking you, this is a time to get serious fast.  Assess the situation and the attackers need without concern of anything positive coming from the situation, other than being ready to give up your wallet or going to an ATM machine to get them more money.

• Accept that it is normal to be angry when you are personally attacked. It’s what you do with your anger that counts and it will be the anger that will allow you to act and move for 

• Check in with Your Values. Personal attacks may cause you to question your values. You may feel shame, pain, anxiety, sadness and rejection. Reacting in this space may see you take actions that are not consistent with your values, and end up confirming the perspective of the attacker. Instead, use this experience to solidify your values and recommit yourself, to become that much stronger in what you believe. This will ultimately make it much less likely to be shaken from your values and thus be able to handle the attack with the best outcome possible.

Self Defense Moves  
Throat punch (Strike).  

The self-defense technique you are about to learn can kill.  The first self-defense technique is a strike called: “The chisel fist.” The second is an open hand strike to the throat, and a few other techniques are mentioned below.

The chisel fist.

The positioning of your hand to form the chisel fist is much the same as the standard fist formation. The only difference is, at the knuckles. The bones that make up the knuckles are kept straight. But, your fingers are closed and your thumb is tucked in hard against your pointer finger.

Finger Tip Strike.

A properly executed finger tip strike may cause laryngeal spasms. These are spasms of the vocal cords. They may be short in duration or may last up to an hour. First aid is to extend the neck as you would in CPR except pull slightly more to hyperextend the neck. Oxygen is next and medical treatment might be required.

Vomit Move.

One other interesting strike is directed up and where the chin meets the neck. This can elicit the vomiting reflex. Properly applied pressure may do the same and this may be your best choice to stun and run from the victim as quickly as possible.  

Article Link: https://lifehacker.com/basic-self-defense-moves-anyone-can-do-and-everyone-sh-5825528

Would you be able to defend yourself and your loved ones if someone were to physically attack you? It’s a question most of us don’t want to consider, but violence is, unfortunately, a fact of life. Thankfully, regardless of strength, size, or previous training, anyone can learn several effective self-defense techniques. Here’s how to prepare for and stay safe in common real-world violent situations.

Prevention Is the Best Self-Defense

First, remember that prevention is the best self-defense. Attackers, whatever their objectives, are looking for unsuspecting, vulnerable targets. So be sure to follow general safety tips like being aware of your surroundings, only walking and parking in well-lit areas, keeping your keys in hand as you approach your door or car, varying your route and times of travel, and other personal security precautions.

Apart from avoiding confrontation, if you can defuse a situation (talk someone down from physically assaulting you) or get away—by handing over your wallet/purse or whatever they want, do that. Hand over your money rather than fight. Nothing you own is worth more than your life or health.

Get Loud and Push Back.

As soon as the attacker touches you or it’s clear that escape isn’t possible, shout loudly (“BACK OFF!”) and push back at him or her (for simplicity’s sake we’re going to use “him” for the rest of the article, although your opponent could be female). This does two things: it signals for help and it lets the attacker know you’re not an easy target.

The Most Effective Body Parts to Hit

When you’re in a confrontation, you only have a few seconds and a few moves to try before the fight may be decided. Before an attacker has gained full control of you, you must do everything you can—conserving as much energy as possible—to inflict injury so you can get away. (This is no time to be civil. In a physical confrontation that calls for self-defense, it’s hurt or be hurt.) So aim for the parts of the body where you can do the most damage easily: the eyes, nose, ears, neck, groin, knee, and legs.

How to Maximize Damage

Use your elbows, knees, and head. Those are the parts of the body that are most sensitive when hit.

Use everyday objects. Everyday objects you carry around with you or things in your environment can also be used to your advantage as weapons. Hold a key or pen between your middle and ring finger while you’re walking home in the dark for more assurance.

Leverage your weight. No matter your size, weight, or strength in relation to your opponent, you can defend yourself by strategically using your body and the simple law of physics.

Link: https://www.scoopwhoop.com/12-Basic-SelfDefence-Tips-That-Every-Woman-Should-Know/

1. Keep to busy roads.

Always drive with all your doors locked and windows rolled up. If you are being followed on the road, remember to stay on busy streets with lots of people around so that help is imminent when needed. 

2. Keep an inflatable tire kit in your car.

Dealing with a flat tire in the middle of nowhere can be quite a nightmare. Instead of running around for a fix, keep an inflatable tire kit in your trunk to help you take care of a flat in a jiffy!  In the USA having a travel roadside safety policy with AAA is very smart as well and is normally a fast solution to get you to a safe area, and with a fix to your tire quickly.

3. Push back & yell loudly!

The first thing you need to do as soon as you realize that you are being stalked. If you sense trouble, act promptly.  Scream and run toward more people, run toward a gas station, a public area that you can enter quickly. DO NOT run to a dark area unless it is your only option to hide in a bush.   If attacked, push your assaulter aside and shout as loudly as you can. It might not dissuade them, but it will definitely make you seem like a difficult target. Also, it will rouse the attention of people around you and get help to you faster.   

Be ready to make yourself vomit if necessary, vomit is so disgusting it can cause many to lose their control as well.

4. Use the heel of your palm to strike the attacker at the nose.

When you’re cornered in a deserted area, a swift blow to the nose will help you escape. If your attacker is charging towards you, hit their nose with the heel of your palm using all the strength you’ve got. This will cause immense pain and will temporarily disorient them, allowing you time to call for help or escape and escape quickly of course.

5.  Use everyday objects as weapons

 You can fashion weapons out of anything around you. Like any other weapons, a set of keys wedged between your fingers like brass knuckles can deliver a crippling blow. If you are attacked at home, run to the kitchen and grab anything like a rolling pin, heavy ladle or a knife. Just remember to be quick and try to hide what you have in your hand as best as you can!  If someone is in your home, the best weapon is a staircase to shove the attacker down while you leave the home and RUN.

How to get out of a wrist-hold.

If your attacker has you in a wrist-hold, here’s an easy way to break free. Instead of struggling, squat down, lean forward and then bend your elbows all the way towards their arm, till they can no longer hold on. Or simply rotate your wrist to the point where their finger and thumb meet and pull your wrist free. Their grip will be the weakest at that point and a sharp tug will help you escape quickly.

Essentials to keep in your car.

A simple survival kit can be your best friend when you’re driving long distances. Keep items like first aid kit, jumper cables, sharp pocket knife, flashlight, a fully-charged power bank, Hornets spray, matchbox, a thick rope etc. in your kit and you’ll always be prepared to face any situation on the road.

Strike with your elbows,

If the attacker is trying to pin your arms down, this can be a useful strike to incapacitate them with. So yank your arms free of their grapple and hit their head with your elbows as hard as you can. With enough force to the temple, you elbows can potentially cause severe bruising and unconsciousness, crippling your attacker for several minutes.

Link: https://familyprotectionassociation.com/6-best-self-defense-weapons-for-women/

First, don’t be the soft target. Most criminals, or nefarious people who might be out to take something from you or hurt you don’t want a fight. They are looking for easy targets that will fear them enough to give in to any and all of their demands. So don’t be the easy target. Don’t be the woman walking down the street alone while engrossed in a text message conversation, or the drunk woman stumbling out of the bar at 2 am. You know what they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! But, if you do get attacked or threatened, you must be prepared, mentally and physically, to defend yourself. 

Below are some great self-defense weapons.

1. Pepper Spray/Mace

One of the advantages to pepper spray is that the person doesn’t have to be right on top of you for it to be useful. Most canisters will spray 10-15 feet. I recommend you buy two or more canisters and practice with one (outside away from your home/car) to become familiar with disengaging the safety mechanism, how it sprays, and practice aiming.

2. Tactical Pen

A tactical pen to the eye, neck, and/or face is a very strong deterrent and will likely thwart an attacker or give you time to get away. The disadvantage is that it requires very close contact and a strong attacker might be able to block the attack and overpower you. Surprise is therefore important.

3. Pen Knife

A pen knife is a knife disguised inside a pen body. Generally they have a working pen on one end and the top can be removed to reveal a narrow sharp knife blade. A pen knife is likely not something that you attacker is expecting…

4. Self Defense Keychain

There are some awesome self-defense keychains out there. Check out the Wild Kat design for right around $5.

5. Handgun

A handgun is the ultimate equalizer and is arguably the greatest self-defense tool ever created. That being said, like all self-defense tools (even more so actually) it is very important that the bearer has ample training in effective use and safety. If you are interested in getting/carrying a gun but are not trained, find a good firearms training course in your area.

6. Stun Gun or Taser

Stun guns and tasers can be very effective tools to subduing an attacker. It is important to note though that there are really big differences between the two. A stun gun is held in the hand and requires direct contact, meaning you have to be much closer to the attacker for effective use. A taser looks similar to a pistol (similar price too!) and fires wires that attach to the attacker and stun them from a distance. Stun guns are much cheaper than tasers but only stun and stop working the moment the stun gun is shut off or removed from the individual.

With all self-defense weapons it is important to train yourself in their effective use as well as their advantages and disadvantages.

Link: https://www.tbotech.com/self-defense-weapons.htm

1. Tactical Knife.

Only at the last second will your attacker realize that your hairbrush or pen is actually concealing a sharp weapon. Stabbing your attacker at close range is actually more damaging than a bullet because you have more control over the placement of the injury and its severity; a penknife can literally attack with the surgical precision of a scalpel. Most tactical knives can also clip onto your belt, or clothing, or the inside of a purse so that you can place it on your person for maximum effect and grab it quickly when something goes down. Follow the 3/3 rule when selecting a blade: 3mm thick and 3 inches long. That’ll keep your knife light enough but sturdy enough to inflict damage. These knives are also much easier to get through unnoticed than a gun is, so you can bring it just about anywhere.

2. Tactical Pen.

Like a tactical knife, an attack pen is easily concealed. In fact, tactical pens work perfectly fine as writing instruments, meaning that for all your attacker knows, you don’t have anything worse to come at him with than a ballpoint.

However, a good tactical pen has not only a good heft but a point that can easily punch a hole in a sturdy cardboard box. Ever seen someone opening a shipping container like this? It makes a deep hole, and when you pull back will rip right open. If you are in extremely close range this is the one to go with. It will almost disappear inside your hand until the moment you need it!

3. Pepper Spray / Mace.

This is the classic personification of female self defense weapons, easily able to blind your attacker long enough to get away. The even better news is that technology has improved the delivery output quite a bit: they’re inexpensive, easily portable and long-lasting, and they can also be camouflaged as a normal item in your purse — say, a lipstick case.

If you want a less obvious can for protection, hornets spray is wonderful. 

4. Stun Gun.

Stun guns are low-cost self defense weapons. They work best at very close range. The electrical shock only lasts as long as you maintain contact, however. Their design also makes them easier to hide out in your purse as a seemingly everyday item. And they’re still pretty potent: a stun gun masquerading as a lipstick case can deliver millions of volts into your assailant, whereas a larger one that looks like a cell phone can deliver even more. Be sure to check your state’s laws on stun guns, though, because they’re not always legal to use.

5. Taser.

Like the baton, mace and a stun gun, the Taser is a technology developed in police and security forces and eventually allowed to go public. The sheer power of one is hard to deny: unlike a stun gun, which merely causes intense pain, the Taser has the capacity to shut down the nervous system entirely, completely incapacitating your attacker. Tasers also have a better range of 10 to 12 feet in most cases. All of this makes tasers more expensive, but they also are the best self defense weapons available.

6. Tactical Keychain.

They can sometimes look cute and harmless, but a tactical keychain is really just a revisitation of the old brass knuckles concept. Modern technology takes the heavy weight of brass out of the equation, however, leaving you with a durable plastic keychain with holes to fit your fingers through and sharp spikes on the outside. Walk around with one wrapped around your fist as you go to your car and you’ll be ready for whatever happens. They also come in a variety of colors!

7. Alarm.

Speaking of weaponized keychains. Personal alarms weren’t usually thought of as effective deterrence to physical assault, but technology has stepped up to save the day. They can be as loud as 130 decibels. It’ll definitely get everyone’s attention in the area!

8. Flashlight.

Flashlights don’t seem like much of a deterrent either — until you realize that a modern handheld flashlight that can fit in the palm of your hand is capable of delivering up to 500 lumens of powerful light. That’s 6 times the normal level of what is considered temporarily blinding! Again, police use these powerful flashlights to illuminate an entire area while keeping themselves unseen. The process can work much the same for you.

9. Spikes.

The high-tension plastics used to create tactical keychains can also apply that brass knuckle effect to just about anywhere on your body. That ring on your finger could flip up with just one quick motion to reveal a potentially damaging spike, or the concealed spikes in your shoelaces could be used to deliver a swift and debilitating kick to anyone foolish enough to try and overpower you.

10. Monkey Ball.

If you’re still thinking about weaponizing that keychain, look into this: a long nylon cord with a seemingly innocuous ball of yarn at the end. It looks like the kind of thing your cat would love to play with. In reality the Monkey Ball, as it’s known, is an inch thick and made of pure steel perfectly capable of knocking an attacker unconscious with the flick of a wrist. These can go anywhere you like, inexpensive and effective and in a variety of colors. Loop one to your belt or your keychain and stun your assailant before he knows what hit him.

Owner of Cardinal Selling Services, and founder Ms. Victoria Wiederkehr believes traveling with a large dog is perfect protection.  Her company deals with selling valuable assets, from entire restaurant lots to fine jewelry. Vicki believes the intimidation factor of having a large dog by her side gives her as much protection as a loaded gun, which she also carries in states where it is reciprocal to her Indiana license.