Self Defense Tips For Seniors

Life/Recreation - General

By: thingsilike 04-Sep-2012

Introduction:

Self defense is important for everyone, that's even more true for senior citizens. Attackers are cowards and often target a senior for mugging them. These are some tips to help seniors stay safe.

Prevention

The first step in self defense is prevention. This means that you should not walk around in unfamiliar areas or at night where there is poor lighting. If there is something on your agenda, you should wait until day time or to where you can drive or be driven in a safe area with safe parking. In day or night always keep valuables hidden, this will lessen the chance of an attack. If you find yourself in a situation where you are walking alone and see someone who is a potential threat, it is wise to make eye contact with that person. Don't stare the person down, just make them know you are aware of their presence, this will deter attackers a lot of times for the fact they are cowards.

Bring a Friend

There is always strength in numbers. The more people who walk together creates a lesser chance of a mugging. You should always have at least one person to escort you to your destination. An attacker will usually target a singular person over multiple people. If the mugger still decides to attack, having the extra person increases both victims chances of survival.

Personal Alarm

A personal alarm is a device that sounds off a loud screeching noise, or other types of alarm noises, that will help to attract attention to you. The last thing a mugger would want is extra attention, this type of device may deter him completely. Another benefit for a personal alarm is that it is not weapon is the classic sense, so it can not be taken away from you and used as a weapon on you. You may also want to carry a whistle as well, which is also a great deterrent.

Krav Maga

Krava Maga is a type of self defense technique that Israeli soldiers have used for a while now and has become very popular in the U.S. for law enforcement and everyday people to use as well. Krav Maga doesn't use any fancy moves, it teaches what has the most impact on an opponent with the least effort, such as simple eye gouges or scrapes or the impact points of the body. It also teaches you to use your surroundings and what you have with you as a weapon. If you use a cane for example, you can learn to strike with it with enough impact to break an attackers, wrist, ribs or jaw. If you find yourself on the street, you will be conditioned to see a normal object as a weapon, such as a glass bottle or a rock. There are many places that teach Krav Maga specifically for seniors.

Weapons

There are different types a self defense weapons, some of the more popular ones are stun guns and pepper sprays. Weapons are a personal choice to carry. I would suggest that you only carry a weapon if you have the proper training and confidence to use one, if you don't, weapons can easily be taken away from you and used against you.

Final Thoughts

In all cases you should give a mugger your valuables and not provoke a physical attack, however, if you are being attacked or the threat of attack is real, you should protect yourself by all means. It is also a good idea to attend self defense and attack prevention seminars that many police departments host.

Give this list a high five!

Comments

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kenpaxton 9/17/2012
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I am glad that I stumbled upon your site on Bing. I really enjoyed your post. If you are interested in swapping links with each other's sites, let me know. I'd love to get on each other's blogrolls.

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goodselfme 9/10/2012
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WEll shared techniques for survival. Congratulations on the front page spot!
LillyP 9/10/2012
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Very interesting list.
jseven 9/10/2012
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Some interesting techniques. I so miss the old days! Congrats and H5.
duckletshut 9/7/2012
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thats really interesting - congrats on front pg
Wasatch 9/5/2012
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Krav Maga sounds interesting.
dptstretch 9/5/2012
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good list and important information! H5 and congrats on the front page too!
MiddleSister 9/5/2012
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Krav maga is new to me. I'll look into it.
hummingbirdee 9/4/2012
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It is sad that we can't be safe anymore and have to learn these techniques, especially as we age.