Articles
Self-Defense
The national news the past few days has had a story about a young woman who was abducted. She was on her cell phone when it happened and according to the reports it sounds like she complied with her attackers demands to go with him. Many of you may have heard this before, but it doesn't hurt to be reminded of the following:
- Never go to crime scene #2. Statistics show that if you comply with an attackers demand that you go with him to another location the chances you will be subjected to physical harm dramatically increase.
- Create a scene, draw attention to what is going on. Creating a scene does two things for you. First it may discourage the attacker from continuing the attack. Secondly it draws attention to what is happening, possibly creating witnesses. Statistics show that if someone is abducted the sooner law enforcement knows about it the more likely the victim will be recovered.
- Fight back. Use everything you have. You have the right to be safe and the right to defend yourself if you are threatened or attacked.
We live in what is perceived as a very safe area, but I cannot tell you how many times a year we get calls from people who have been attacked in Escondido, Poway, and yes even in Ramona. We don't talk about it because we don't want to seem like we are selling fear. However, the thing that breaks our hearts the most is said in almost every conversation. "I didn't know what to do."
Living in a safe community is like building a fence around your pool. You do it because you want your kids to be safe - so that they won't accidentally fall into the pool. But most parents don't stop there. They teach their kids to swim. It doesn't really take a huge time commitment to give them the tools to escape the danger of falling in a pool. The same is true with self-defense. A lot can be learned in a short amount of time.
Put yourself in this situation: You are good friends with someone who has a pool. They have built a fence around it. But they didn't teach their kids to swim. When you ask them about it, they say "Well I have the fence up and we are just too busy."
Are you the kind of person who would say to your good friend, "You need to make time for this, it is important."? I hope you are. Ask someone you know to come to learn self defense with you. Try a class or a seminar. If you have kids, bring them along. Help someone you know not to be the person who calls us and says, "I didn't know what to do."
By Jeff Martin
Brand X Martial Arts
Ramona Sentinel
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