Safety: Test Your Self Defense IQ

NEW YORK CITY (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- It happens to almost half a million terrified people every year: a mugging or robbery that steals their sense of security. But are there ways to send off a stay-away signal? You may think you know how to protect yourself, so put your self-defense know-how to the test.

"I looked out my bedroom door, which is about here, and I saw a man coming toward me," Dawn Tomassone recalled to Ivanhoe.

When it mattered most, Tomassone's training kicked in. Her weapons: her eyes…

"I looked at him," she explained. "I knew everything from his shoes, to his mustache, to his hair."

And her voice.

"I took the glass of water and the alarm clock and threw it at him, crazy screaming, screaming really bad obscenities," she said. "I think I scared him at that point more than he scared me and I chased him out of the room," Tomassone said.

The women in this self-defense class are arming themselves for the worst-case scenario.

"A couple of weekends ago I was walking through Astoria park and I was actually mugged," Jennifer Carlson said. "I've lived there for 6 years and it really shook me up."

"It's amazing, we can yell at the people we love about the garbage, about the remote control, but we freeze up around a stranger who's potentially trying to harm us, so learn how to use your voice," Gabrielle Rubin, founder of Female Awareness in New York, N.Y., said. "Learn how to use it loudly. Tone, attitude all this makes a difference."

Put your self-defense IQ to the test. True or false? When walking alone, pretend to talk on your phone to ward off bad guys … False.

"I can't hear someone coming up behind me," Rubin pointed out. "I can't see them because I lose the use of my peripheral vision, and I lose the use of my hand."

True or false? Hand over your purse if someone demands it.

"It's the worst thing you can do, because you never want to be that close because someone can also grab you," Rubin said. "If someone yells, 'Give me your bag!' it's much better to throw it past them, not really heave it, just throw it past them so they turn their back and go after that."

Number three: use your remote car lock to scare away predators in a parking lot.

That's also a don't. It's another way of saying, "That's my car. Follow me." The number of robberies went up 10 percent over the past five years in the United States. Forty-three percent happened on the street. Sixteen percent happened at homes, and in 40 percent of robberies, the perpetrator's only weapon was his hands.

Rubin says only get physical if someone's hands are already on you. Typically, your palm is stronger than your fist

"The palm heel is very effective, even if someone's very tall," Rubin explained.

Your elbow is also one of your best weapons.

"This is almost like your mini baseball bat," Rubin pointed out.

And use your legs.

"My legs are longer and stronger than somebody's arm," Rubin said.

Bad intentions are hard to stop, but being prepared can help you escape alive.

Rubin also says after shopping, try to consolidate your bags into one big bag to keep your hands free. And if you carry pepper spray, make sure you practice using it before you're in a situation where you need to use it.

If you would like more information, please contact:

Gabrielle Rubin
Gabrielle@femaleawareness.com
http://www.femaleawareness.com

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