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1. Simply running away solves a lot of problems. FBI studies show that would be victims who simply ran from a potentially violent encounter survived, even when the assailant used a firearm! Rarely were the victims even fired upon. Less than 12% were even shot at (not hit, shot at). An in the small percentage of victims that were actually hit, all of the wounds were only superficial. When the time comes, your greatest chance is to drop everything and hit the bricks!
2. Never Trust Your Assailant. No matter how reasonable and logical the proposition sounds. Never do what he asks. The real and obvious reason your assailant wants you to move is because he can't do what he wants to do to you in your present location or condition. And since he can't physically put you where he needs you, he'll persuade you. Remember the BTK killer Dennis Rader, who terrorized Wichita for 31 years? He named himself BTK for "bind, torture, and kill". Rader would convince his victims that he was only going to rob them and steal their car, but he needed to tie them up so they wouldn't call the police right away. Once the victim was tied up, he was able to do as he wished. So stand your ground and put the fight on your terms.
3. Your assailant will have a distinct advantage. Like you, criminals want to make their job as easy as possible so they pick perceptually easy marks. They pick the method, the time and the place. Chances are you will most likely be alone and out numbered and injured or distracted in some way. Whether it's a weapon, accomplices or sheer size; you're assailant feels they have a distinct advantage over you. You're chosen as a mark because your attacker feels he has a great chance of imposing his will on you. You're not to blame: you're just in the wrong place at the wrong time. That's it. Your assailant already has a plan. So you better have one, too.
4. Empty hand combat is your last option. The idea of dispatching all comers with a flick of a finger is a romantic fantasy at best. But it is a fantasy none-the-less; people who know better, prepare better and so should you. If you look at how jujutsu practitioners of the 1800's armed themselves, you will see that they had no misconceptions about survival. In Serge Mol's book "Classical Fighting Arts of Japan: A Complete Guide to Koryu Jujutsu" you will see that these men carried a variety of knives, horse stirrups (used as brass knuckles) medal fans (used as a black jack), spiked rings and throwing shuriken or spikes. This is proof positive that even these highly skilled martial artists knew that when it came to hand to hand, it's better to be armed. So just like the samurai warrior, you too, should take advantage of personal protection devices. These will allow you to escape and survive any situation. It should be noted that the less lethal your intentions the greater the risk of your failure. Pepper foam and pepper spray, personal alarms, edged weapons are the next step up from empty hand methods. As my judo instructor and martial arts legend Yonezuka Sensei once said, "If you're really serious about self defense, buy a gun." You may not want to or be able to go to the length of firearms, but you better prepare a little nasty surprise for anyone who makes the mistake of picking you for an easy mark.
5. The myth that weapons can be taken away and used against you. A lot of so-called "experts" subscribe to this myth. The idea of opting not to use a weapon and going to hand to hand technique is simply insane at best. People who promote this type of behavior should stick to movie choreography and romance novels. The use of a knife is the prime target of this comment. I suppose if you were to spar with the knife or even threaten with the knife like in the musical West Side Story, maybe it could be taken away and "used against you". But they would have to be VERY lucky and you would have to be very foolish. But if you are angry, and down right pissed off, you grip that thing like you were strangling it to death and proceed to plunge it into your target over and over again. I don't think there's a 'Grand Master' out there that will be able to take it away from you. And in a grappling situation, as we say in Jersey, Fageddaboudit, a knife is your best buddy. By the time the skel realizes he's being carved up like sushi, it's too late.
6. You will be in for the fight of your life. It will not be clean, look pretty or feel good. You will have to scrape, bite, gouge, kick and claw your way to safety. You will be injured and you will be exhausted. Keep in mind, a burst of adrenalin lasts about 30 seconds and then you need about 3 minutes to recharge. So you better make those 30 seconds count.
7. Specific Defenses don't work. The idea that you will be able to recall a specific response to each individual situation or attack is not going to happen. The idea that each attack you may face has to me met with a specific response. If your attacker grabs your wrist you do one thing and if he grabs your arm, you do another thing. This is the primary and fundamental mistake made by 99.9% of all martial artists. The fact is, you may be able to recall these types of responses in the dojo, with a willing partner. But a 1:00 in the morning, after you've worked a 15 hour day, you will be luck enough to recall a handful of techniques. And when the rush of hormone induced fear washes over you, you will be lucky to have your gross motor skills. Any technique you practice must be convulsive and instinctive. It must apply to a variety of situations. You must be able to recall these methods under extreme stress. And the methods must be non-target specific and must allow you to inflict the most damage with the least amount of injury to anywhere on your assailants body.
8. Plan for the worst and hope for the best. The other night I was discussing the merits of pepper spray with one of the guys I train with who is a Port Authority police officer. He was recalling times when he sprayed targets and the pepper spray had little or no effect. The common misconception about pepper spray is that it will end a fight. As you may or may not know, a lot of emotionally disturbed persons (EDP) will just walk off the pepper spray and in a lot of instances it only serves to enrage them further. Now what?
Should you throw out your pepper spray? Of course not! But don't expect the pepper spray to end the fight. Do expect the pepper spray to afford you an opening to inflict greater damage on your target or escape. Even if the spray simply causes your target to blink, that may be all you need to find your exit.
All you have to do is create an opening, a little hesitation in your assailant's plan of attack; just enough to let you seize the opportunity, gain the advantage or escape. When you train in close quarters combat/self defense, you always train with multiple, lethal strikes and have a variety of weapons at your disposal. You can't depend on every technique you throw to hit its intended target or end the fight. You will always miss a lot more than you hit, that's why you train with OVER KILL.
When you practice, you should go about two or three steps past what you would normally perceive as the "end" of the fight. Remember, it's better to be pleasantly surprised that gravely disappointed.
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