Options for Personal Self Protection

Women’s self-defense training is about creating experiences that increase the number of viable options if violently and suddenly attacked. The goal of the Model Mugging Self-Defense program is to equip students with realistic and practical options in the event they face danger. One aspect of a comprehensive self-defense program is that it teaches women how to apply general options during any of the four phases of an assault. Realistic options will be based on understanding the context and dynamics of the types of crimes, from which to seek skills and techniques for effective countermeasures.

Realistic Self Defense Options

Which option is best is dependent on many factors and variables. No one is invincible, no matter how much training and experience they have. However, the greater training and experience better prepare me against fluid and threatening adversity. Methodically applying the Five Principles of Self Defense determines most of the risks women face against potential threats such as rape, dating violence, intimate partner abuse, and stalking, as well as other crimes. Other crimes can also be dealt with more effectively and safely through assertiveness developed through self-confidence gained from fighting experience. Overall, more realistic options can be employed based on the research conducted by instructors of Model Mugging Self-Defense.

Success is when Model Mugging graduates can more realistically and accurately assess changing situations and determine what options better suit their given situation. Within the context of sexual assault, graduates learn the strategies and tactics to counter criminal aggression. Contextual knowledge is an important facet of selecting realistic options and then progressing into most effectively applying those options in the conditions that women are commonly confronted with.

Teaching women to escape as their primary physical defense objective is not always a viable option, and resisting to escape can increase the danger of great bodily harm. There may be situations when women can’t always escape, whereby individual and situational factors require different options, such as substantial isolation or situations involving intimate partner abuse and stalking. Also, beware of instructions encouraging women to assume a combative or martial arts stance may be provoking to a male already prone to inflicting violence on women. These methods were proven ineffective in 1971 through crime research with the evolution of martial science.

Other times, surrendering may be the best option for survival. Fighting back to incapacitate an assailant provides many more options than trying to resist to escape. The full force fighting experiences gained from fighting the padded assailant in reality based self-defense scenarios also enhance de-escalation and boundary setting skills with verbal negotiation strategies.

Model Mugging Self Defense provides women with experiences and practice in applying the full spectrum of options. Model Mugging was the first to provide women with safe and realistic training that mimics full-force situations. Model Mugging Self-Defense also provides women with a thorough understanding of the contexts in which women commonly find themselves, as outlined in the Five Principles of Self Defense. Thereby, students understand the dynamics of crimes against women and can better identify potential options to enhance survival. Model Mugging graduates have also been able to apply their skills to stay calmer and more focused in dangerous and stressful situations.

Proper training using a padded assailant is only one part of the needed training dynamics. Additionally, the progressive development of physical skills necessitates a realistic assessment of the conditions one may encounter in the event of an attack. The combination of understanding options enables the more effective deployment or application of skills for survival.

There are no guarantees, but there are options for self-defense and personal safety. Learning why and how to counterattack is just as important as knowing how to counterattack physically.

Return to Choices in Self-Defense for more suggestions.