Ten self defence tips everyone in New York City should know about

By Yevgeniy Grigoryev

Effective Self Defence Classes such as Krav Maga (Israeli self defence) are becoming increasingly popular in NYC. You don’t have to be a tough guy to be able to defend yourself effectively. Anyone can do it with the right training and knowledge.

1) Being aware of your surroundings – awareness is one of your best self-defence strategies. Do not walk outside with headphones on or play with your smartphone. Not only is it not safe, you just lost two of your senses. Smart phones make you a prime target for criminals.

2) Your first lesson in a self defence class in nyc should stress the importance of prevention. New York City is home to a lot of diverse characters, good and friendly and sometimes, not so friendly. Aggressors look for easy targets, not calm and confident ones, so use your body language to project confidence, while staying alert and lucid. The sooner you perceive danger, the sooner you can escape it. Remember, an average-sized man can close a distance of 20 feet in under 2 seconds.

3) Trust your intuition. If you have a funny feeling about going into an alleyway or a parking lot in NYC, you are probably right, take another route – it is best to be safe than sorry. Be especially aware of dark and isolated areas, such as alleyways or parks after dark, and always identify potential paths of escape if you take a shortcut like this.

4) Know when to fight – always give the aggressor a way out before a situation escalates. If they ask for your money, give them your money. However, sometimes this is not enough. If there is an imminent threat to your life or the life of your loved ones, fighting may be the only way out.

5) When under attack, distract, disorient and startle the attacker. Talking to your attacker can calm them down, distract them, attract attention from passers by and give you the time to respond appropriately.

6) Fight back – make your initial response overwhelming. Don’t give up, do whatever it takes to fend off the attacker and don’t stop fighting until you are free.

7) Be explosive and disable your attacker as quickly as possible – hitting the eyes, throat and groin will always be effective no matter how much stronger they are than you.

8) Utilize any available object to your advantage – keys make for a good improvised weapon, a bag can double as a shield and a rock can be deadly. Other improvised weapons include a cup of hot beverage, umbrella, water bottle, belt, loose change, teeth, fingernails, saliva, etc.

9) Stay on your feet – going down to the ground significantly diminishes your survival chances and ability to defend yourself, especially against multiple attackers. Most modern forms of self defence such as Krav Maga lessons encourage you to avoid going to the ground.

10) Get away and call for help – Don’t put yourself in a situation where there is no escape. You should try to escape as soon as possible and call for help. An active and aggressive victim is more likely to discourage an attacker from pursuing than a passive one. Remember, when your life is on the line, you must do everything to guarantee your survival.