Outdoor Safety - FACING DANGER
Survival Strategies for Women
When facing robbers, rapists, or kidnappers outdoors, these survival strategies can dramatically improve your odds. Knowledge is power - and situational awareness is your strongest defense.
Recognizing "pre-attack indicators" can help you escape a threat before it becomes physical.
STAY ALERT
No staring at your phone. No earbuds. Keep your head up and calmly aware of your surroundings. Make solid eye contact momentarily and do not look down submissively. A deadpan poker face conveys confidence.
Casually hold pepper spray and a personal security alarm in plain sight and easy reach (preferably on a wrist-strap). A predator will likely not choose you as a target. But If one or more approach you menacingly, as soon as possible, set off your alarm and flee. Also see Spotting Danger and Purse Snatching for more insights.
ROBBERY: Give Up Your Money – Carefully
If it's too late to flee from a robbery, do not fight for your money. Say you are reaching for your money – then move slowly! Then throw down your wallet (or purse), yell "Take my money!" and suddenly flee while activating your alarm. If he already has your money, he's less likely to chase after a noisy target.
See Outdoor Safety - Pickpockets for how to keep your money and ID inside your pants - so you do not lose those.
Do NOT Go With A Kidnapper
If a criminal uses a gun and demands that you go with him, do NOT go! It's unlikely that he'll shoot you on the street because a gunshot will draw witnesses' attention and they'll probably call the cops. He's hoping that just the sight of his gun will intimidate you to go with him to a hideaway where he'll decide your fate. Instead, your odds are better if you just suddenly flee while activating your alarm.
See Kidnapping, Fighting Options, and Victim’s Options Overview for related survival strategies.
SET YOUR BOUNDARIES
Don't turn your back on anyone you don’t trust – that invites an attack you won’t see coming. If he begins to approach you, take an aggressive stance, raise a hand in a “STOP!” gesture, and firmly demand, "Stay away from me!"
If he keeps moving toward you – that's your early-warning-sign that he may be a predator – and be very ready to activate your alarm and use your pepper spray. Or flee - while activating your alarm.
Here's a Deeper Dive into Your Options
"Fight or flight” are the two most famous options. Martial arts' theory often adds surrender to the mix. I’ve added two more options: posturing and outsmarting, and aligned them all with FBI advice (and cleared up their confusing terminology):
1. Posturing as a tough target. If that doesn’t work:
2. Fleeing. If that's not possible:
3. Outsmarting: by talking your way toward escape. If that doesn’t work:
4. Surrendering and hoping to survive; or... better - set up an escape:
5. Fighting fiercely to allow your escape. Stun & run.
A sudden threat forces you to make split-second decisions. Nonetheless, understanding your options now will help your intuition choose an option then.
Btw, females commit approximately 20% of violent crimes (per the FBI). So evaluate ALL strangers by their behavior and red flags.
Sometimes, females commit robberies alone or help male partners, so know that it's far better to feel mild guilt at walking away from a potentially legitimate request for help rather than being "set up" for a crime.
Also know that predators (male or female) often begin with a "request for help" (or an "offer of help"). You should firmly say, "Sorry, I'm busy." If they persist, furioulsy demand "Stay away from me!' And again, be ready to flee - with your alarm shrieking. Be safe - not sorry.
If He Reaches For A Gun
Handguns are notoriously inaccurate beyond close-range (0-3 feet), especially by untrained users. Police miss ~75% of close-range shots; criminals miss even more (~96%, per Sanford Strong, police SWAT team instructor and author of “Strong on Defense” ). A moving target is even harder to hit.
DOJ stats cited by J.J. Bittenbinder (police detective and author of “Tough Target”) indicate only a ~12% probability a criminal will fire a gun in a populated area - and even lower odds of a fatal hit.
Knives are stealthier and silent. But if he pulls any weapon, (again) throw down your wallet (or purse), yell "Take my money!" and run away as you set off your Personal Security Alarm. If he has your money, he's less likely to chase after a noisy target. Also see Kidnapping and Kidnap Survival.
Your STUN & RUN combo (if there's only ONE criminal):
Just give up your money and run toward a populated area! But you might need to first Stun & Run! See Verbal Self Defense to see how to verbally distract him before launching your surprise “Stun and Run” combination of:
#1 Eye Whips disrupt vision and snap the head back - for a:
#2 Throat Punch - greatly impairs breathing - then a:
#3 Knee to Groin - causes intense pain and greatly incapacitates.
#4 Heel Stomp - damages his foot to stop pursuit.
Practice the full combo fiercely for one minute daily so it'll become automatic. Goal: subconscious reflex, not martial arts mastery.
WARNING - Graphic Content: If fighting for your life, here's a last-resort counter-attack: hug him tightly (as in a Clinch Attack) while you ferociously BITE OFF his nose, or lips, or tongue, or cheek, or ear, or finger, or anything! Or, claw/gouge his eye and/or grip his ear and rip it off! See Rape Prevention.
Gruesome? Yes! But that's exactly what an innocent victim may need to finally escape from an evil criminal - when you're desperate to survive!
Also, Grip/Rip a rapist’s genitalia (as in Rape Escape Options – Ultimate).
See more on Eye Whips and Clinch Attack on Fighting Options – Self Defense Techniques.
It’s far better to know this and not need it – than to need it and not know it.
Your Key Takeaways
► Stay alert
► Set boundaries
► Carry alarm/pepper spray
► Distract & run, or if need be:
► Stun & Run
Share With Your Loved Ones
Most criminals are looking for an easy target. By learning the realities on this page, you move yourself out of the 'easy' category and into the 'too much trouble' category. Stay aware, stay prepared.
Share this with your loved ones.
Crime-Safety-Security > Outdoor Safety Overview > Facing Danger
