Amal Al-Sibai
Saudi Gazette
Violence against women is a cross cultural phenomenon, whether the assailant was someone the woman knew or a complete stranger. And it can happen anywhere.
In a report released by the United Nations, according to a 2013 global review of available data, 35 per cent of women worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual violence. Women and girls represent 55 per cent of the estimated 20.9 million victims of forced labor worldwide. Women in urban areas are twice as likely as men to experience violence.
The other side of this grim picture is that women can learn to defend themselves, so if they ever become victims of an attack, they can fight back. The following safety tips and self-defense techniques can make the difference between life and death.
Sempai Shelly Blanco has been teaching children, teenage girls, and women self-defense techniques for years, empowering women to defend themselves if the need arose. In this report, we share with our readers these life saving tips.
Sempai is a Japanese honorary title given to a person, which means mentor or senior.
She hadn’t always been so strong and confident. Sempai Shelly Blanco began practicing Martial Arts after having been brutally attacked in her apartment. She wanted to learn how to defend herself and also to alleviate the fear that she carried with her after that attack. She began to study martial arts; she learned hard-core self-defense that gave her the confidence to know that she could defend herself, and destroyed the fear that she had been living with for so many years.
Now, Blanco is a full-time martial artist and instructor and co-owner of a martial arts center in her town.
What every woman needs to know:
1. Walk with a purpose. Whenever you are walking alone, down the street or in an empty parking lot, be attentive and do not look distracted. Do not talk on your phone, check text messages, listen to your I Pod, or touch up your nails when you are alone in a public place. Pay attention to what is going on around you. By being aware of your surroundings and walking with a purpose, you are sending a message to any would-be attacker that you are not someone to mess with.
2. Cross the street or step into a busy store if you think someone is following you. If you are in an elevator, or on the stairwell, or in the parking lot and a man makes you feel uncomfortable or unsafe, look him straight in the eye and try to give off a confident attitude. An attacker is looking for an easy victim, someone shy and distracted, who will not stand up for herself. By looking him in the eye and appearing unafraid, you are showing him that you will stand up for yourself and fight back. You can also identify the person’s face to the police, which makes you a less desirable target to this predator.
3. Use your voice. If someone is chasing you or grabs hold of you or if you feel in danger, use your voice. Holler as loud as you can, “Call 911!” Do not yell, “Help!” or “I’ve been robbed!” because that will only cause fear to any onlookers, and they may freeze from the fear and not know what to do. If you shout, “Call 911!” you are giving people clear directions, and telling them what to do.
4. Do not get out of your car in a dark, empty parking lot. You can always request a security guard or someone you trust to escort you to your car if you are afraid or if you are alone outside at night.
5. If a robber confronts you and demands your wallet or your purse, you should give it to them immediately. In most cases of street robbery, the robber turns violent only after the victim refuses to comply. Nothing is worth your life. Money comes and goes and it can be replaced.
6. Strike and strike hard. If you are ever in a situation where an attacker grabs hold of you and your life is threatened, fight back. The idea is to inflict enough pain or damage so that you have time to run away to safety. Areas to strike at are the eyes, nose, the hollow base at the neck, and the knees. Grab hold of his finger and bend it backwards, and break it if you can.
7. Your elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you get close enough, use it. Don’t be afraid to fight if you feel threatened in any way. Statistics show that women who don’t resist are more likely to be assaulted and sustain more serious injuries than women who fight back. Again, your goal is not to stay and fight; it is to break away from your attacker so you can run for help.
8. Never get in a stranger’s car. If you are walking and anyone drives by and tells you to get in their car, whether they have a weapon or not, do not get in the car. The reason the attacker wants to move you to a different location is probably because he has something horrendous planned and wants to take you to a place where he thinks he could get away with it. Your answer must be no; never get in the car.
9. Do not open the door to your house unless you know exactly who it is. Even if it’s someone who claims to be from the electric company, if you’re not expecting them, call the company first and verify if they have sent anyone to your house, why, and who the employee is. The minute you open the door, your home, yourself, and your family are vulnerable.
10. Enroll in a self defense class; you can never know when you may be in a position that you need to defend yourself or your family. Learn self-defense strategies, practice them regularly, and stay physically fit!
