How to Avoid Trouble Using Self Defense

wrapitup4me, Great to hear another story proving the power of self defense training. I feel great learning Krav Maga. My oldest brother is a Marine and he himself has taught me some very powerful self defense techniques. I'm a small lean 5'10" he is a very large man of 6' 5" he can pick me up and toss me around like a rag doll, BUT not now that I know these contact defense moves. Thanks for your great contribution to self defense.

What a great story Jo tells.
Katie, did you know that "Krav Maga" in Hebrew means "Contact Battle" - but backwards - krav is battle and maga is contact. I have a friend who learned it and she is tiny. She managed to protect herself very will against a guy who threatened her serious bodily harm.

Jo, What a great example of the value of self defense, thanks for sharing your story. I'm so glad you and your friend never saw the inside of that van. At just over 100 pounds you did very well. Self defense training really does work. As they say the bigger they are the harder they fall, so we wee lil lassies bess git out the way :)

Ooops sorry! Last night went yampy. But I'm here now.

*jumps in time machine and goes back nearly 20 years* Me and my friend went to self defense classes at the University. It was all basic stuff, but it gave us a lot of confidence out on the streets.

A few weeks later, we were really to put it to the test. We managed to thwart being abducted.

My friend is Asian and, after Uni, she was destined to have an arranged marriage. She didn't want one. She wrote to her parents to say as much. Next thing we know, they were on our doorstep (we were house-mates). Lots of pleading and emotional stuff later, she was persuaded to get into the car.

But she didn't trust the promises that she was hearing and asked me and a male friend to come too.

All three of us got into the car and we were driven, not to the restaurant as planned, but to a quiet road. There was a transit van waiting. Her mother rushed to open my friend's door, but I'd had the foresight to surreptitiously lock it. My side was open. They had to wait for me and my male friend to get out before they could make a grab for their daughter.

There were three large men and a large-ish woman (all family members) trying to get to my friend. The male with us was immediately side-lined. I was ignored because I'm tiny and female. Slight error there.

Both me and my friend used our self defense to really good effect. We were beaten and battered, but we are using tricks learned in those classes not to be dragged into that van. We could hear her father saying, in Punjabi, that he was going to hit me over the head with a jack. They'd take me too and dump me in a service station.

Just then, the police arrived. We were all taken safely to the cells and got medical treatment.

My friend never did go home. She eventually married a man of her own choice up here; and lived as happily ever after as reality allows.

I'm not telling this story to make any judgement on how different cultures sort out their marriages. It was merely to demonstrate how a 5ft 3" girl, weighing 7 stone 2 oz at the time, could fend off all comers. It was all due to self defence classes.

Oh great Jo, looking forward to reading your real life self defense story. Thanks :)

In my self-defense classes, I was told that number 2 on your list is THE most important aspect. But knowing how to back up that confidence causes the confidence in the first place.

I'm just rushing off, but I'll be back later to share a story with you about self-defense. It saved me.

Thanks Ragtimelil, Good common sense can keep us safe, we just have to remind ourselves of these practical methods.

Excellent. Number 2 on your list is really important.