Security and Safety, Personal Protection Courses for Women

Personal Safety for Women
Have you ever felt intimidated, scared or frightened when you are out walking alone? Have you ever wondered what you should do if approached by an attacker or mugger? Have you ever worried about someone breaking into your home or car while you are present? Unfortunately, we live in an increasingly violent society in which, although in some areas of the country crime is low, the fear of crime is high.	Security and safety has become an issue of importance for everyone but especially for women. Concerned about the rise in violent crimes including muggings, sexual assaults and domestic violence, Alan Bell began teaching self defence classes and conducting personal security/safety seminars in 1997 After a career in the military and as a close protection officer (bodyguard) in civvie street, he saw a demand for reliable safety and security information coupled with the need to expose the widespread myths regarding self defence.
The following points are 8 things every woman should know about security and safety and are covered in Security And Safety courses.

1. Personal Awareness : Your first line of defence.	2. Woman's Intuition - Use it.	3. Self defence training.
Most people think of knees to the groin and Bruce Lee moves when they hear the term 'self defence'. However, true self defence begins long before any actual physical contact starts. The first, and probably the most important, part of self defence is personal awareness. Awareness of yourself, your surroundings, and any potential threat or danger. Remember, a criminal almost always adopts the element of surprise to their advantage. Studies have shown that criminals will choose targets who appear to be unaware of their surroundings and what is going on around them. By being alert, confident and aware of your surroundings most confrontations can be avoided.	Women's intuition, deja-vous, sixth sense, instincts. Whatever you want to call it, your intuition will invariably help you subconsciously 'feel' good or bad about a situation or person. All of us, but especially women, have this intuitive feeling but very few of us pay attention to it. Learn to trust your intuition and use it to your full advantage. If a person or a situation makes you feel unsafe or uncomfortable - get away from it. Your intuition may be trying to tell you something, so listen to it.	It is important to evaluate the practical usefulness of any women's self defence programme before you sign up. Here are 3 tips: 1) Avoid martial arts clubs unless you specifically wish to train in traditional martial arts techniques. Most techniques taught will work well in a dojo or classroom environment where there are strict rules and regulations, but will rarely work in a street confrontation where there are no rules or referees. Many women's self defence programmes teach variations on martial arts techniques. These are usually complex and difficult to remember under the stress of an actual attack. 2) The self defence programme you choose should include simulated assaults with a fully padded instructor who will put you through realistic rape and attack scenarios thus allowing you to practice the simple techniques you've learned. 3) If you really want to see if your proposed self defence instructor is up to the job - see if their courses are recommended by your local Police. Most police forces will gladly recommend instructors who teach 'practical' self defence (usually incorporating the 'Bash & Dash' principle of self defence) but steer you away from the martial arts or the more dubious instructors. Recommended instructors will also be able to supply you with testimonials to support their training. Security and Safety has testimonials from Metropolitan Police, Northern Constabulary, Women's Aid and various schools and universities.
4. Get away - FAST.	5. Your right to defend yourself.
What if you are confronted by an attacker who demands that you go with him? It may be in a car or into a deserted side street or into a hedgerow. It would seem prudent to do as you are told but it should be remembered that you are far more likely to be killed or seriously hurt if you go with your attacker than if you run away. At the first opportunity - escape. Run way, scream for help or better still shout "Fire". Research has shown that more people will come to your aid or to see what is going on if you shout "Fire" than if you shout "Help". Do whatever you can to attract attention to yourself and your situation. Attackers do not want to be identified or disturbed, so let's not make it easy for them. If your attacker is after your personal belongings be it your handbag, car keys or jewellery, let them have it by throwing it in the opposite direction of where you run.	Unfortunately, no matter how much we practice personal awareness and violence avoidance techniques, we may find ourselves in a physical confrontation. Whether or not you have self defence training and no matter what your age or physical condition, it is important to understand that you can and should defend yourself physically. You have both a moral and a legal right to do so, even if the attacker is only threatening you and hasn't struck first. Many women worry that they will anger the attacker and get hurt even worse if they defend themselves but statistics clearly show that your odds of survival are far greater if you do fight back. Aim for the 'T' area of your attacker. (The 'T' is an imaginary letter drawn on your attacker - horizontally from one eye to the other and vertically down the bridge of the nose to the groin. Hit your attacker anywhere in the 'T' with as much force as you can muster and he is going down. Remember you may only get one chance to stop an attack, so use the element of surprise to your advantage and make your strike count.) Your self defence instructor should also be able to teach you the Law concerning your right to defend yourself as well as the use of 'Reasonable Force'.
6. 'Weapons' for defence	7. Avoiding bogus callers.
A self defence aid such as a personal attack alarm can be a useful, however it is important to understand that there can be drawbacks to its use. If you are carrying it in your handbag you will not only waste time trying to locate it but you will likely alert the attacker to your intentions while you fumble for it. Various 'weapons' found on your person can be used to stop an attacker or give you a few vital seconds to escape but make sure they are handy. These include: Your keys (used to stab if a Mortise key or slash if a Yale key), belt buckle, shoes (especially high heels), coat (to throw over and disorientate an attacker giving you a chance to escape), coins (to throw at an attacker's face), a rolled magazine/newspaper, your handbag - the list is almost endless. But never depend on any self defence aid or 'weapon' to stop an attacker. Learn to defend yourself using your own body and your wits. Use your hands - to strike your attacker with an open hand (slap), the heel of your hand or the side of your hand (karate chop). Never try to punch your attacker unless you have been trained to do so as you will inevitably break the small bones in your fingers as well as a few knuckles. You can also use your elbow, head, knee or foot but NEVER kick above the knee as your attacker may grab your leg leaving you off balance. (This only works in Kung Fu films.)	Criminals will use every trick in the book to gain access to your home, whether out or in. Never open your door unless you either are certain you know who's on the other side or you can verify that they have a legitimate reason for being there. Bogus callers may resort to dressing up - from everything from a repair person from the Gas Board to a Police Officer checking you home security. If in doubt, check them out. Ask them for identification and call their boss to make doubly sure that they are not bogus callers. In the event of an intruder breaking in while you are at home, you should have a 'safe room' in your house to which you can retreat to. This room should have a strong door with a deadbolt lock and contain a telephone (preferably a mobile). Most people will find that this 'safe room' is their toilet or bathroom. Be prepared to use seemingly everyday items as 'weapons' so that you can get away from your attacker / intruder. The list is again endless but here are a few examples- Be prepared to use seemingly everyday items as 'weapons' so that you can get away from your attacker / intruder. The list is again endless but here are a few examples-	Kitchen: Rolling pin, pots & pans, kettle, kettle cord, boiling water, fire extinguisher, salt / pepper. Pepper spray may be illegal to buy in this country but you can legally make up your own - 2 ounces of curry powder + 2 ounces of pepper in 1/2 pint of hot water. Put into a spray bottle, keep it somewhere handy and 'hey presto' an effective deterrent to be used against any attacker. You will get similar effects with washing powder mixed with water in a spray bottle. Note: Due to the potentially lethal damage they can cause, knives are not seen as a good option for self defence. Lounge: Poker, golf clubs, rolled up newspaper, ashtray, standard lamp, flower pot. Bathroom: Towel & soap, aerosol sprays, toilet brush, toilet roll stand. Bedroom: Baseball bat, socket end of bedside lamp, sock filled with 2 or 3 golf balls (this one is really effective as lying near to your bed it just looks like a sock - until you hit your attacker with it).