Every single day we read about some crime or the other inflicted upon women. A recent incident which happened in Delhi; the CCTV footage of the crime shows how the victim, a 34-year-old woman was brutally stabbed to death. It reminds us of Swathi and Dhanya murder cases. Thereafter and even before, many such crimes targeting women have been happening in our society. In spite of all the heated discussions which follow every bloody assault, we find nothing changed. Women still remain vulnerable to deadly crimes like rapes, acid attacks, and murder.
While what the government, law enforcing agencies and judiciary are doing to prevent crimes against women is essential to look into, what a woman can do to save herself in the event of an attack is something we should talk about candidly. This will help them stay prepared to handle any extreme situations. Rather than countering a situation in a state of shock, expecting a potential attack and countering it with alertness will increase the possibility of surviving the attack manifold.
The first step to safeguard oneself would be to prevent such situations. Keeping current realities in mind, it is safer for women to avoid 'time, place and circumstance' that give a leverage to criminals. Many of these crimes on women were inflicted by people known to them. So sharing information on new acquaintances or introducing them to one's friends and family can create a safety network. We are living in a century where being candid should be seen as a virtue.
Taking time to befriend people, will again provide adequate time to expose mal-intentions of any acquaintance. If a woman grows suspicious of the behavior and actions of an individual or if she finds herself stalked by someone, informing family members and well-wishers in the preliminary stage itself can help the individual take necessary precaution and seek support. In such cases, it is advisable to register a complaint with the police without further delay.
While anticipating untoward situations and staying prepared is essential, it should not become a psychic condition where an individual is paranoid over every assumed threat. All one has to think is, "No matter what situation may arise in life, I will confront it with exceptional courage." And it's an advantage if girls are trained in martial arts right from their young age. It will give them the required strength and confidence to handle such situations.
Self-defense techniques to face an attack
Self-defense tools you must carry
It's advisable to carry a pepper spray or a pouch of chili powder and know how you are going to use them. Keep them in practice even if you may end up cleaning your floors. Carry small sized interlocked Nunchaku rods. You don't have to be an expert to use one. It will fit inside your handbag. You can use it like a simple rod. Keep GPS enabled gadgets that can send SOS to cops and to your emergency contacts with the push of one key. You can also stay connected with your family on a reliable location tracker App in your smartphone. Carry all these self-defense equipment and keep them at a quickly reachable distance. In addition whenever you are in a public place spot anything that can be instantly used as a weapon.
Practice your moves
Knowing your self-defense moves in advance will keep you prepared and make your moves swifter. There are a number of simple, but powerful martial arts blocking techniques, which you can learn from a martial arts school or self-learn by watching martial arts videos on the YouTube, also by watching Kungfu movies. You can also learn some pushing techniques that will make an opponent lose balance, trip, and fall. The more you practice them, swifter your moves will become. They will be of great help as your first line of defense.
Escape the attack
If you are someone who is already facing a threat, stay watchful when you are in a public place. It will help you spot the attacker from a safe distance. Save yourself from the first attack or try to escape with minimum injuries. This will give you the much-needed confidence to take on the assaulter. Always try to keep yourself outside the range of the weapon the assaulter is carrying, say a sickle or knife.
If you are already in the range of a weapon and you notice it just moments before the knife or sickle could reach you, try to scuttle the attack. Pull yourself backward or to a side where you won't get hurt. An assaulter would have preplanned his crime, enacted the scene of crime several times in the mind before he commits them in reality. So when you create an unexpected escape scenario, you will weaken his initial momentum. Ideally, that's the right moment you should make a counter-attack. To be precise, before the assaulter pulls back his weapon to make his second attempt.
Counter-attack
The thumb rule is, do not hesitate to make a counter-attack in self-defense. You will lose precious moments to save your life. We have to understand that many a time, within the ambit of self-defense, an offense is the best form of defense. So make your counter-attack as quickly as you can and be precise. You may not get many chances. So, the moment you create a chance for your counter-attacks by scuttling attacks made by the assaulter, that is, within the moments he takes to recover back, hit him.
Your first move should be stealthy and precise. It should weaken him or push him off balance. You could use your pepper spray or throw open a pouch of chili powder on his face. If you have to use a rod, stick or even a stone, hold it tight and aim for his bone joints like wrists, back of the palm, elbows and knee caps, wherever you will not miss the shot. It will cause excruciating pain and partially paralyze the attacker. If you have a strong clinched fist, punch right on the eyes or nose. It will make his vision hazy and his further attacks inaccurate. In the worst case, when it's a do or die moment, aim for his vital organs. And remember all these things can be used by an attacker too. So stay vigilant to defend yourself.
Bystanders
Bystanders who watch an incident of crime are often unsure of what they should do. But the moment they see you making bold moves to fight an assaulter, their hesitation will go and they may join hands with you to take on the assaulter. Nevertheless stay prepared to secure your initial moments of safety or until you get help from bystanders or cops you alerted with an SOS.
What does Indian laws of self-defense say?
Indian laws of self-defense state that "Nothing is an offense which is done in the exercise of the right of private defense." But you may have to prove it to the courts that your intent was not to voluntarily cause any hurt or to kill a person. So, in places, you visit often, in places you have to wait like bus stops or railway stations, spot a CCTV camera in the vicinity and stay in its view, particularly if you face a threat to your life. It will help you prove it to the courts that your counter-attack was clearly a case of self-defense.
Suggested reading on Indian laws of self-defense
https://www.quora.com/Is-it-legal-to-kill-someone-in-self-defense-in-India
http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/killing-another-in-selfdefence-is-ones-right-sc/433689/
While what the government, law enforcing agencies and judiciary are doing to prevent crimes against women is essential to look into, what a woman can do to save herself in the event of an attack is something we should talk about candidly. This will help them stay prepared to handle any extreme situations. Rather than countering a situation in a state of shock, expecting a potential attack and countering it with alertness will increase the possibility of surviving the attack manifold.
The first step to safeguard oneself would be to prevent such situations. Keeping current realities in mind, it is safer for women to avoid 'time, place and circumstance' that give a leverage to criminals. Many of these crimes on women were inflicted by people known to them. So sharing information on new acquaintances or introducing them to one's friends and family can create a safety network. We are living in a century where being candid should be seen as a virtue.
Taking time to befriend people, will again provide adequate time to expose mal-intentions of any acquaintance. If a woman grows suspicious of the behavior and actions of an individual or if she finds herself stalked by someone, informing family members and well-wishers in the preliminary stage itself can help the individual take necessary precaution and seek support. In such cases, it is advisable to register a complaint with the police without further delay.
While anticipating untoward situations and staying prepared is essential, it should not become a psychic condition where an individual is paranoid over every assumed threat. All one has to think is, "No matter what situation may arise in life, I will confront it with exceptional courage." And it's an advantage if girls are trained in martial arts right from their young age. It will give them the required strength and confidence to handle such situations.
Self-defense techniques to face an attack
Self-defense tools you must carry
It's advisable to carry a pepper spray or a pouch of chili powder and know how you are going to use them. Keep them in practice even if you may end up cleaning your floors. Carry small sized interlocked Nunchaku rods. You don't have to be an expert to use one. It will fit inside your handbag. You can use it like a simple rod. Keep GPS enabled gadgets that can send SOS to cops and to your emergency contacts with the push of one key. You can also stay connected with your family on a reliable location tracker App in your smartphone. Carry all these self-defense equipment and keep them at a quickly reachable distance. In addition whenever you are in a public place spot anything that can be instantly used as a weapon.
Practice your moves
Knowing your self-defense moves in advance will keep you prepared and make your moves swifter. There are a number of simple, but powerful martial arts blocking techniques, which you can learn from a martial arts school or self-learn by watching martial arts videos on the YouTube, also by watching Kungfu movies. You can also learn some pushing techniques that will make an opponent lose balance, trip, and fall. The more you practice them, swifter your moves will become. They will be of great help as your first line of defense.
Escape the attack
If you are someone who is already facing a threat, stay watchful when you are in a public place. It will help you spot the attacker from a safe distance. Save yourself from the first attack or try to escape with minimum injuries. This will give you the much-needed confidence to take on the assaulter. Always try to keep yourself outside the range of the weapon the assaulter is carrying, say a sickle or knife.
If you are already in the range of a weapon and you notice it just moments before the knife or sickle could reach you, try to scuttle the attack. Pull yourself backward or to a side where you won't get hurt. An assaulter would have preplanned his crime, enacted the scene of crime several times in the mind before he commits them in reality. So when you create an unexpected escape scenario, you will weaken his initial momentum. Ideally, that's the right moment you should make a counter-attack. To be precise, before the assaulter pulls back his weapon to make his second attempt.
Counter-attack
The thumb rule is, do not hesitate to make a counter-attack in self-defense. You will lose precious moments to save your life. We have to understand that many a time, within the ambit of self-defense, an offense is the best form of defense. So make your counter-attack as quickly as you can and be precise. You may not get many chances. So, the moment you create a chance for your counter-attacks by scuttling attacks made by the assaulter, that is, within the moments he takes to recover back, hit him.
Your first move should be stealthy and precise. It should weaken him or push him off balance. You could use your pepper spray or throw open a pouch of chili powder on his face. If you have to use a rod, stick or even a stone, hold it tight and aim for his bone joints like wrists, back of the palm, elbows and knee caps, wherever you will not miss the shot. It will cause excruciating pain and partially paralyze the attacker. If you have a strong clinched fist, punch right on the eyes or nose. It will make his vision hazy and his further attacks inaccurate. In the worst case, when it's a do or die moment, aim for his vital organs. And remember all these things can be used by an attacker too. So stay vigilant to defend yourself.
Bystanders
Bystanders who watch an incident of crime are often unsure of what they should do. But the moment they see you making bold moves to fight an assaulter, their hesitation will go and they may join hands with you to take on the assaulter. Nevertheless stay prepared to secure your initial moments of safety or until you get help from bystanders or cops you alerted with an SOS.
What does Indian laws of self-defense say?
Indian laws of self-defense state that "Nothing is an offense which is done in the exercise of the right of private defense." But you may have to prove it to the courts that your intent was not to voluntarily cause any hurt or to kill a person. So, in places, you visit often, in places you have to wait like bus stops or railway stations, spot a CCTV camera in the vicinity and stay in its view, particularly if you face a threat to your life. It will help you prove it to the courts that your counter-attack was clearly a case of self-defense.
Suggested reading on Indian laws of self-defense
https://www.quora.com/Is-it-legal-to-kill-someone-in-self-defense-in-India
http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/killing-another-in-selfdefence-is-ones-right-sc/433689/