Self defense for women is of paramount importance in the world we live in today. Personally, I am a strong advocate for everyone to learn basic self-defense, because everyone, not just women, is at risk of becoming the target of a life-threatening or life-altering attack. However, women are easier targets in general, which is why I strongly believe that all women should learn some basic self-defense moves and carry a self-defense weapon that they feel comfortable with.
Why are women at greater risk of experiencing certain violent situations such as rape? The reason is that they are easier targets, in general, than men. Women are smaller in stature, less muscular and also have a different hormonal balance which leads them to be more affectionate and less aggressive by nature. If a man chooses a male target to attack, he usually chooses someone smaller than himself. This is an overwhelming fact of violent crime: a big, strong man chooses a small, weak woman to victimize. This is why women’s self-defense is so important.
However, the above statement also gives women a distinct advantage if they ever clash: To a large extent, men don’t see the need to learn self-defense, or even how to fight properly. Men don’t feel the need to carry pepper spray, a stun gun, a Taser or anything of the sort. Because of this, women can turn tables on their attackers very easily. Your attacker won’t expect you to knee him in the balls without hesitation and run to safety. He won’t expect you to calmly take your deck out of your bag and empty it into his eyes. This element of surprise, and superior technology and preparation can be the difference between becoming a victim or not.
Self defense for women encompasses a wide range of elements. However, as I mentioned, the two main ones are 1) what you know (knowledge) and 2) what you have (technology).
- I think it’s simple ignorance for a woman not to take a basic self-defense class. My friends have spent years going to salsa classes, which of course is a lot of fun, but they’ve never considered taking a month or two of self-defense classes. I have been training in Krav Maga for 3 years, but if my friends took 10 basic classes, they would have a huge advantage over their attackers and would be much more prepared.
- I still can’t figure out why every woman on the planet doesn’t carry pepper spray in her bag. This is one of the most basic self defense products, it costs around $10-$15 and is about the size of a stick of lipstick. There are more advanced self-defense products, such as stun guns and Tasers, and complementary products, such as personal alarms, that can make a woman more secure and confident. Any father who loves his daughter should buy her a self-defense product.
The above may be a bit blunt and may even come across as rude, but I have learned that this is necessary to convey the seriousness of self-advocacy for women.
Self defense for women. it is very important that people understand it and take it seriously. Once broken down, the steps you need to take are simple, easy, and inexpensive:
1) Spend $50 on a couple of sessions at a local self-defense class and
2) spend $10 on some pepper spray or $300 on a Taser, take it with you and be ready to use it if needed.