Good Tips for Self Defense
Results of an interview with rapists and date rapists in prison on what they look for
The FIRST thing men look for in a potential victim is hairstyle. They are most likely to go
after a woman with a ponytail, bun, braid or other hairstyle that can easily be grabbed. They
are also likely to go after a woman with long hair. Women with short hair are not common
targets.
The SECOND thing men look for is clothing. They will look for women whose clothing is easy to
remove quickly. The #1 outfit they look for is overalls because many of them carry scissors
around to cut clothing and on overalls the straps can be easily cut.
They also look for women on their cell phone, searching through their purses or doing other
activities while walking because they are off guard and can be easily overpowered.
The time of day men are most likely to attack and rape a woman is in the early morning,
between 5:00 and 8:30 a.m.
The number one place women are abducted from/attacked at is grocery store parking lots.
Number two is office parking lots/garages. Number three is public restrooms.
The thing about these men is that they are looking to grab a woman and quickly move
her to a second location where they don't have to worry about getting caught. Only 2% said
they carried weapons because rape carries a 3-5 year sentence, but rape with a weapon is
15-20 years.
If you put up any kind of a fight at all, they get discouraged because it only takes a minute or
two for them to realize that going after you isn't worth it because it will be time-consuming.
(my note--obviously, a weapon in the rapist's hand changes this)
These men said they will not pick on women who have umbrellas, or other similar objects that
can be used from a distance, in their hands. Keys are not a deterrent because you have to get
really close to the attacker to use them as a weapon.
So, the idea is to convince these guys you're not worth it.
Several self defense mechanisms taught by a self defense instructor
If someone is following behind you on a street or in a garage or with you in an elevator or
stairwell, look them in the face and ask them a question, like what time is it, or make general
small talk, "I can't believe it is so cold out here, we're in for a bad winter." Now you've seen
their face and could identify them in a lineup, you lose appeal as a target.
* If someone is coming toward you, hold out your hands in front of you and yell Stop or Stay
back! ! Most of the rapists in the prison interview said they'd leave a woman
alone if she yelled or showed that she would not be afraid to fight back. Again, they are
looking for an EASY target.
If you carry pepper spray (this instructor was a huge advocate of it and carries it with him
wherever he goes), yelling I HAVE PEPPER SPRAY and holding it out will be a deterrent.
* If someone grabs you, you can't beat them with strength but you can by outsmarting them.
If they grab your wrist, pull your wrist back so your hand is in waving position (palm facing>
forward) and twist it toward yourself and pull your arm away. It is hard to hold onto wrist
bones that are moving in that way. They stumble toward you and you stumble back, so you can
use that momentum to bring the same hand out and backhand them with your knuckles in the
forehead, nose or teeth.
* If you are grabbed around the waist from behind, pinch the attacker either under the arm
between the elbow and armpit or in the upper inner thigh. HARD. One woman in a class this
instructor taught told him she used the underarm pinch on a guy who was trying to date rape
her and she was so upset she broke through the skin and tore out muscle strands - the guy
needed stitches. Try pinching yourself in those places as hard as you can stand it. It hurts.
* After the initial hit, always go for the groin. You might think that you'll get the guy more
angry and make him want to hurt you more, but the thing these rapists told our instructor is
that they want a woman who will not cause a lot of trouble. Start causing trouble and he's out
of there.
* When the guy puts his hands up to you, grab his first two fingers and bend them back
as far as possible with as much pressure pushing down on them as possible.Some people have
been brought to their knees this way.
Of course the things we always hear still apply:
Always be aware of your surroundings, take someone with you if you can and if you see
any odd behavior, don't dismiss it - go with your instincts. You may feel a little silly at
the time, but you'd feel much worse if the guy really was trouble |
