Protecting yourself against a potential sexual predator, assailant, or abusive partner can feel quite complicated. There are so many variables to consider, and most girls and ladies aren't taught how to deal with all these variables, and it can become overwhelming. But the real truth of the matter is that anyone can learn to defend themselves and become a master of avoiding dangerous situations with some basic knowledge.
Today I want to share with you five things you need to know about you and self-defense. In no particular order, number one is knowing that you have the right to fight back. You have the right under the law to defend yourself from physical harm, or life-threatening situations. No one has the right to harm, threaten, or abuse you. In the words of EMPOWERED co-founder, Cheryl Sanders, "You have the right to defend yourself, and you are worth defending."
Number two, you must know your strength. You are much stronger than you might think. The human body is quite amazing. It can take a lot of physical abuse and pain and still keep going. But more importantly, nature has given you naturally strong weapons to defend with. Such tools are various strikes with the hands, elbows, knees, and feet. With well-placed hits to the right areas of the attacker's body, you stand a good chance of defending yourself and escaping.
Number three is trusting your intuition. We all get butterflies in our stomach or that weird feeling that something is not quite right. It is there for a reason, and you should listen to it. Nature gave us that gift of intuition so we could survive dangerous situations. Without it, the human race wouldn't have survived all this time against the wild beasts found in nature.
Number four, not thinking something bad could happen to you. Far too many times, we all will hear or read about something horrible happening to someone else, but we shrug it off, saying it won't or can't happen to us. Well, the reality is that other people think that too and horrific things do happen to those people. You need to realize that something terrible could happen, and you need to be prepared for it when it does.
Number five is looking and acting confident. Subconsciously, predators look for potential victims that lack confidence and appear to be lacking awareness of their current situation and environment. Having the ability to project your confidence is one way to warn off predators into choosing you as their next victim.
In my book EMPOWERED, I go into detail about these topics and many more concepts and strategies that you will find useful in reducing the risks of falling victim to an assailant's sick desires. It is what I believe is an essential read for all teen girls, ladies, and moms and dads of daughters.
Master Jonathan Field
Posted July 6, 2020