Defend yourself – defense in an emergency: tips & assistance

The horror scenario par excellence: while jogging, you are harassed in a lonely park, or while sleeping, you wake up to the sounds of a burglar. But what if escape or getting help is no longer possible? Then you have to defend yourself or incapacitate your opponent in order to escape.

In this article we present how you can successfully defend yourself with self-defense techniques or weapons.

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In everyday life, there are numerous situations that can turn into real emergencies within a few minutes due to the given circumstances. In the following, we present 6 typical situations.

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1. Alone at night: The way home from the club..

• On the way home after a disco or club visit, there is definitely a situation of increased danger. As a rule, the streets are poorly lit at night. Furthermore, there are significantly fewer people on the road and some of them are intoxicated. Darkness is the best companion for offenders.
• Nurses, restaurant or gas station workers who go home late at night after finishing their shift are also forced into an emergency situation.

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2. Lonely and unsafe areas: The dark underpass..

• However, emergency situations are also present during the day. These include passing through a dark underpass that suffers from a lack of lighting even during daylight hours. Lonely subway stops are also among the popular places where perpetrators seek out their victims.
• A walk in a city park is not dangerous at first. However, the protection of the community is missing and the encounter with only one confused person can be enough.

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3. As a tourist: Alone in strange streets

Tourists who are in a foreign country increase the likelihood of getting into an emergency situation many times over.

• On the one hand, this is due to the fact that they usually have less command of the local language or a much poorer command of it than the locals, and on the other hand, they are less familiar with the vacation area.
• Moreover, perpetrators are very good at spotting and recognizing tourists. And the fact that they always have to have their belongings with them – makes tourists all the more attractive as a target.

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4. Alcohol & Drugs: Without inhibitions!

• Alcohol is one of the means that can turn a harmless situation into a real dangerous one. This is especially true for offenders. Their inhibition threshold drops significantly and they are quicker to commit criminal acts. Alcohol is definitely one of the personality-altering drugs that encourage people to commit crimes.
• Of course, other drugs are also a source of danger. They attract a criminal clientele and have a real pull effect on criminals.

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5. Sexual offenses: by acquaintances and assaults by strangers

• Sexual offenses and rapes are in principle possible anywhere and by anyone. They can also happen during the day. Furthermore, the perpetrators are often acquaintances. However, these dangerous situations usually arise spontaneously.
• But there are also other circumstances and dangerous situations: Young women who are out alone after the club and groups of young men who are under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

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6. Burglars: being surprised at night..

• Uninvited guests such as burglars are also among the troublemakers that create an emergency situation.
• This is especially true if the burglar is surprised by the homeowners. In this case, there is a risk that the burglar will use violence to avoid criminal proceedings and charges.

When you’re about to fall victim to a vicious attack, a few seconds can be crucial. By acting quickly, you have a chance to escape, fend off an attack, or even incapacitate the attacker with a surprise attack.

Once the attacker is standing in front of you with a weapon in his hands, defense is difficult. The attacker is definitely in the better position. In such a case, self-defense could backfire.

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1. Is escape an option?

• Where are you located: In an open field, in an underpass, or in a room?
• What are your chances of escape: what condition are you in, and what condition is the attacker in?

However, you should definitely try. The attacker may not want a chase or you may run into a passerby.

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2. Call for help!

• Attacked persons can pick up the phone themselves and press the emergency call button. Thanks to GPS, employees of the emergency call center are able to locate the cell phone and the person.
• In addition, it is worth calling out loud. In this case, passers-by in the vicinity can also alert the police or help send the perpetrator fleeing.

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3. Bringing opponents to their senses?

Victims should also ask themselves whether the attacker can be made to see reason. However, this depends on the situation and who the perpetrator is.

In addition, it also depends on finding out what the perpetrator wants. If it is an acquaintance who is about to rape his acquaintance, an appeal to reason could work wonders. If it is a stranger who wants money, neither appealing to his conscience nor putting up a fight is worthwhile. In this case, the wiser one gives in to emerge as the winner.

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4. Fight back against multiple opponents?

In self-defense courses, trainers do mention that several attackers do not attack a person at the same time, but one after the other. In order to defeat them, the victim would need a good condition as well as a pronounced physical strength. Therefore, attack victims should think twice before getting involved in a fight.

That is why experts advise them to have an escape plan and to take their legs in their hands. Most of the time, perpetrators do not feel like playing catch, because they are aware that on the way to escape, passers-by could save the person.

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5.Fight back!

Fighting back should definitely not come first. First you should try to escape and call for help. But it might come to a point that you have to fight back or surrender to the attacker – with an uncertain end.

And that’s what the next section is about: what if nothing else helps and you have to fight back?

Opinions differ on whether or not weapons should be used sensibly for self-defense. We also disagree because, as is often the case, there are some advantages, but also disadvantages.

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Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages

• In general, physically weak people benefit from using weapons for self-defense. For example, a pensioner can defend himself against a robber who is clearly physically superior to him.
• The range with weapons can be significantly greater than without. A shotgun is effective at several meters.
• With pepper spray, one can defend oneself against several opponents. Without weapons, this is possible only for very skilled people.
• You have more time to escape because of the surprise and possibly the initial effect of the weapon. Possibly the attacker is also incapable of fighting.

Disadvantages

• Weapons are never 100% reliable. Weapons can also malfunction, run out of battery, or run out of ammunition. In addition, you do not always have a weapon at hand at the moment of the attack. Then you have to use plan B.
• Also, you should always keep in mind that the perpetrator can take the self-defense weapon and turn it against you.
• If the weapon does not serve its purpose, you may be taking the assault to a “new level of aggression.” After all, the attacker may have “just wanted your money.” After the counterattack, he may be enraged and resort to violence.

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Self-defense with weapons: What else you should consider

• Familiarize yourself beforehand with the legal regulations governing the acquisition, carrying and use of weapons. Germany has strict gun laws.
• In addition, experts and police officers advise the use of the chosen self-defense weapon, to practice intensively. In an emergency, the person should not use the weapon for the first time, because then a successful defense is definitely doomed to failure.
• In addition, the type of weapon is related to the number of opponents. A stun gun is almost useless in the presence of several attackers, because the others would not idly watch a victim defend himself with this weapon. The only advantage in the user of a self-defense weapon is the element of surprise. If assaulted persons, use this skillfully, they can emerge as “winners” from this fight.

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List with weapons

The following list represents suitable self-defense weapons:

• Stun gun
• Quartz gloves
• Pocket alarm
• Kubotan
• RAM pistol
• Defence flashlight
• Knife
• Baton
• Defence umbrella
• Pepper spray
• CS gas
• Stun gun

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Which weapon is suitable?

• Defense umbrella, flashlight, kubotan and stun gun are self-defense weapons that require physical fitness. For this reason, only physically strong individuals use them.
• Stun gun and defense umbrella are excellent for all parts of the opponent’s body. The flashlight targets the eyes and limbs (as a striking tool). Whereas the pepper spray and the gas pistol target the respiratory tract and the face. If the Kubotan is used, the hands, joints, and face are the strike zone, whereas the pocket alarm is fixed on the ears.
• Before individuals decide to buy a weapon, they should also consider the range, effectiveness and number of opponents – more on this in the comparison of self-defense weapons. Each weapon has a different effect and targets different areas of the body. Since some also require physical fitness, it is obviously clear that not everyone can use a weapon that suits them. The object of choice must be in harmony with the physical conditions of the individual.

Everyone can fight back: With his hands, feet, teeth, etc. Of course, you are much more defensible if you have mastered a martial art or participated in a self-defense course. Because then you know the main points and also the technique of how to strike an effective blow.

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Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages

• You cannot run out of ammunition and you cannot forget your weapon at home – you are the weapon 😉.
• Training will make you physically fit. This is important for an escape or a confrontation.
• The training, sense of achievement and physical fitness make you more confident. The attacker notices this and may deter him from choosing you as a victim.
• The element of surprise is on your side. If you do not appear athletic and able to defend yourself anyway, it will not necessarily be assumed that you are able to defend yourself.

Disadvantages

• In order for you to use a martial art for defense, you must have participated in training for at least a few months – preferably a few years.
• Fitness, reaction speed and agility are also required.
• In addition, the number of opponents plays a role. With several strong opponents, using a martial art or a self-defense technique is complicated – but so is using a self-defense weapon.

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Which martial art?

• The question of a suitable martial art for self-defense is difficult. That is why experts advise to take a self-defense course. During the course, experienced martial artists teach effective self-defense techniques that are suitable even for physically weaker individuals. However, individuals who attend a course only once tend to forget the techniques. They need to apply them regularly in order to be able to use them in case of emergency.
• However, in principle, it does not matter which martial art arouses your interest. Once you practice a martial art, defense and attack techniques as well as practice fights will be on your training schedule. This and your growing experience will be crucial in the end.

1. When it comes to self-defense, the principle is to avoid getting into dangerous situations in the first place. And if you do get into one, try to escape first and make others aware of your situation. Defending yourself against attackers comes last. Martial arts instructors always advise their students to stay out of the way of a fight. They preach the phrase, “The mind is stronger than the fist.”
2. Martial arts is your wild card: it makes sense in any case to train your body and be able to defend yourself. No one can take that away from you and these lessons are important for life. Take a class and get a basic understanding, all further training is up to you. Acting out the emergency is also important. This can help in an emergency, not going into a paralyzing state of shock.
3. A self-defense weapon that does not require physical fitness, like the pocket alarm or pepper spray, fits in any pocket and can never hurt. Especially if you suddenly face several attackers, you hardly have a chance without tools.

Update: 2023-05-28 / Affiliate Links / Bilder von der Amazon Product Advertising API