Survivalist’s Guide to Self Defense

In the state that the world is in, you need to know self-defense. When the SHTF, you could be called on to have to defend yourself from someone intending on robbing you – or worse.

Each of your family members need to know how to keep themselves safe as well – including senior citizens and children. By learning self-defense, you can not only protect your supplies, but maybe even your life.

Unfortunately, violence has become a way of life. When a crisis hits, violence will become even more commonplace.

Personal Self Defense

There are several methods, along with tools, that you can use to protect yourself from someone who means to do you harm.

You should learn the basics of self-defense. When avoiding a physical confrontation isn’t an option, you must make a stand. Most attackers who go after someone either think they can take them physically without a weapon or they’re carrying a weapon themselves.

There are different ways to handle each scenario.

When you know someone intends on hurting you, don’t be quiet about it. In a loud, firm voice, say, “Back off!” or some alternative to show the would-be attacker that you mean business and will defend yourself.

For people looking for an easy mark, this can sometimes be enough to make them move on. Though fight scenes in movies are long and drawn out, the truth is that you have seconds to fight off an attacker.

He can subdue you in a matter of seconds and from that point, render you helpless. You can’t let him get the upper hand. Your goal is wound your opponent so that you can subdue him or wound him to the point where you can escape relatively unharmed.

Attack hard and don’t let up. Gouge or punch the areas of the body where people will feel the most pain from a blow or injury. You’ll want to strike the nose, eyes, the center of the throat, the person’s knees or his groin.

Remember that if you can reach him, he can reach you. Do your best to stay beyond his arm’s length and lash out with your fists, the side of your hand or your feet. A hard kick to the groin will take most attackers to the ground.

Always aim to strike what you can reach first with your feet. Kick the person in a vulnerable area. If someone has you by the arms, reach up and with the palm of your hand, bring it up swiftly underneath the tip of their nose with a hard upper thrust.

The hardest bone in your body is the elbow. Don’t hesitate to use your elbow to take your opponent down. Keeping your elbow closer to your body as you deliver a blow will pack more punch than if you extend it out and away from you.

Family Self Defense

It’s not enough for one person in the family to know how to defend themselves because an attacker will often choose the smallest person and the one he considers to be the least risk to himself.

You want every member to know how to fight back – especially your children. There are family programs you can use to teach every member how to fight back when a situation calls for it.

These programs cover things like being aware of your surroundings, not letting yourself be moved from scene one to scene two, where an attacker is weakest and how to break free from different types of holds if you have to.

Make sure your family members know that there are three areas of the body that they can use to fight back against an attacker. These areas are the head, the elbows, and the knees.

These areas are tough and hard and the bones are extremely tough. When used correctly, you can take down any attacker. If someone puts his hands on you and he’s facing you, use your elbow like you would you a fist across the face in a left or right cross.

As the person reels from the blow to the head, immediately bring up your knee with a hard jab into the groin. When you’re grabbed from behind, you can use your head and slam it backwards into your attacker’s face.

You can also use a backward elbow jab to their gut. When you’re fighting off an attacker, it doesn’t matter how big you are or how strong you are because you can use the power of your body’s weight to help your defense.

Always throw your weight behind every strike. You can also use what you have available to strike back with such as ordinary items like keys or pens. There are specific self-defense tools that you can buy to have on hand for everyone to use in the event someone does attack you or your family members.

Self Defense Tools

Pepper spray makes an effective weapon against an attacker. However, you have to be careful that you’re not going to have to remain in close proximity after you use the spray or it’s going to affect you as well.

There are stun guns that you can purchase. Some people don’t realize that it is legal to have a stun gun and use it to protect yourself in most states. There are a few states that require registrations for the stun gun and some states outlaw the carrying or use of a stun gun in any form.

You can find small ones to carry on a keychain, disguised as flashlights, or cell phones, in the shape of a baton and the regular sized stun guns. There are also ring stun guns that will shock your opponent.

There are self-defense knuckles that you can buy and fit right on a key chain. You slip two fingers into the holes and the pointed ends of the knuckles aim at the attacker. These ends of the knuckles are extremely sharp and can penetrate skin like a knife can.

They’re very effective weapons. Knives are self-defense weapons that mean business. You can buy regular knives but you can also buy knives that are disguised as other objects such as a knife that looks like a pen or one that looks like a tube of lipstick from the outside.

There are also key chain knives and knives disguised to look like bracelets. Batons are good weapons to use for self-defense. You can buy the ones that are small and pocket-size but expand into full size for subduing an attacker.

Self Defense When You’re Away from Your House

You have the right to protect yourself wherever you go. The number one priority you want to remember when it comes to self-defense is to pay attention. You should never get so lost in thought or in conversation on a phone call that you don’t know when someone is behind you or coming toward you in a threatening manner.

Attackers, whether it’s a robbery or a physical assault, choose their victims based on several criteria. They consider the location, whether it’s crowded or secluded, the time of day, the manner of the victim, whether they’re distracted or not, and ease of escape or ability to carry out the crime.

If you’re away from home, do your best to not become a target. Keep your eyes and ears alert. Don’t walk in areas that are secluded and don’t block your ability to hear by wearing earbuds.

Do whatever you can do to make yourself less desirable as a target. Remember – if something feels wrong or suspicious, then odds are good that it is. Trust your instincts. Learning how to recognize a threat can often help you to prevent it from becoming one.

If you are attacked, use the self-defense moves you’ve learned to fight. You must own the scene. Take control and don’t allow it to be taken from you. Once someone lays hands on you, strike first and stay on the offensive.

Your goal is to keep from being hurt while making sure your attacker is injured enough to render him a non-threat to you. Sometimes that means fighting until the brutal end, but it’s you versus the other person.

Self Defense at Home

People are comfortable at home. They feel safe. So safe that they often let their guard down. Attackers and thieves know this. While many home invasions are a case of opportunity and random, some are not.

In some cases, the attacker will study the home to learn the comings and goings of the people who live there. This is how some attackers learn when a woman is home alone and then plan their attack for that time.

In a SHTF situation, most home invasions are going to be carried out because the thief is looking for supplies. However, in a time of chaos, some crimes become violent and more severe simply because the victim was there.

This is why it’s important for you and each member of your family to prepare for various scenarios. Don’t make it easy for intruders. Make sure you don’t have dark areas outside your home.

Keep everything well-lit and use sturdy locks on all openings. Despite the precautions you take, if an intruder does make it in, fight back and don’t be afraid to use whatever object you can get your hands on if you have to.

Have a plan before you need one so that everyone knows what to do in an invasion. You’ll need to know how many intruders are in your home. Have a designated room for smaller children to remain in and make sure there is a phone in that room.

Most intruders aren’t expecting the homeowner to fight – especially if they’re armed. If the intruder has a weapon and you know he’s going to use it or he’s been violent toward another family member, your best option is to take him down.

You’ll need to disarm him by grabbing the arm holding the weapon. Using one of your hands, force his arm up with the weapon pointing toward the ceiling. With your other hand, use your palm and forcefully strike him under the nose.

If that doesn’t make him drop the weapon, follow through with a left or right elbow cross to the face. Take the weapon from him and force him to the ground. Twist his arm back up behind him and pin him there.

If you have zip ties on hand, secure his hands behind his back. Every self-defense situation is different and you’ll need to base your actions on that particular situation. If you’re outnumbered and each intruder has a weapon in play, you’ll need to use extreme caution.

In that case, you would chance the risk to fight back only if your life or the lives of your loved ones were in danger. You may have to employ some psychological maneuvers to gain the trust of your intruders so you can make your stand.