We can’t deny that the streets aren’t that safe these days (not that they were originally completely safe), but a lot of stories are coming out about people being attacked, and I think its really high time for us all to take self defense techniques seriously
I did a quick search on the Internet, to find some reasonable things that I can do to defend myself, and I’ll share them with you, may you never use them J
Many people think of self defense as a Karate move to stop the attacker, but self defense means doing EVERYTHING to AVOID fighting the attacker, because probably such a person would have more physical strength than us. Self-defense is about how to use your brains, and not your fists
1. Rule of thumb, always try to RUN if possible, if they want your money, just hand it to them (salamtak 2a3la men felos el donya) otherwise, if you try to fight, the attacker will get more angry and will probably knock you off and rob you anyway
2. Rely on your gut feelings and common sense, if you feel you are followed, maybe its your instinct telling you to take care, in that case it would be better to get to a place where there are some people (el 7asa el sata)
3. Don’t wear jewelry that can attract thieves
4. Leave your laptops and valuables at home, and no need to show off with your phones while walking down the streets
5. Don’t act or look as if you are weak or scared, act like you know how to defend yourself, and maintain eye contact with the attacker. He would probably decide to pick another easy target instead of you
6. Scream (we shabab masr ged3an elhamdulellah), scratch, (that would probably be the time for you to let your nails grow a bit), bite (but keep this your last option), hit them with a bag or any thing you have at hand
7. NEVER get in a car even if that person is pointing a gun or a knife at u, run if you can, the attacker would probably drive away and look for an easy target, remember that he will harm u for sure if you get in, but if you run away there is still a good chance that he won’t harm you
8. Use sprays, any kind of sprays pointed to the eyes, hair spray, perfume
9. Safety is usually in numbers, so if you need to wait for a bus or for someone, stay in well lit populated places, and don’t walk alone lot please
10. When walking, walk against the traffic so you can see who is coming in your face, be aware of everyone passing you, don’t put your headphones on, and be aware of places you can run too if you were attacked, (like shops or restaurants)
11. Don’t wear heels, or restrictive clothes, because you won’t be able to run, wear them only when you are 100% sure that you’ll be with friends ALL the time
12. Wear clothes that allow ease of movement, like jeans & sneakers
13. In public transport, don’t sit next to the window, sit on the side for quick escapes, also sit near the door or behind the driver
14. In the metro or train ride in the populated compartments, or in the one immediately after the driver (make sure that its not the women compartment first if you are a boy J)
15. If you have a private car, always approach it with your keys ready, so you can get in quickly, (no need to spend half an hour looking for your keys in your beg, do you hear me girls), don’t park in isolated places, and never leave it open even if u are near it or doing something that would just takes 5 mins
16. Make sure to lock your car from the inside, and if you need to open the window, make a small opening that doesn’t allow for a human hand to get through
17. While driving, don’t stop if someone tries to stop you, just keep driving if you can (unless the road is blocked, that is another story), eve if that person seems friendly and tells u el 3agala nayma ya basha, sanya keda we 2a3ayrhalak
18. In taxies, be aware of central locks, and don’t sit behind the driver as it would be easy for him to turn around and lock your door
19. Its better to order Cairo Cab, as these driver are easy to trace and they know that
Sometimes you can carry on you weapons that you can use, like
1. Belts, use them as whip, especially if you can hit with the buckle
2. Coins can be thrown in the attackers face
3.
If u have a jacket, take it off and use it as a whip too
4. Lipsticks can be used to poke in the eyes
5. Hair brush can be used to scratch the eyes
6. Most importantly, again, use your imagination, think about the daily things you carry with you, and try to imagine how they can be used as weapons, and try to practice how to quickly find and use them, and always consider the different angles and targets to use\
if you are still in for fighting, or the situation forces you to fight back than please watch these 2 videos, there are much more on Youtube of course
May you always be safe
please add more tips if you can
