Welcome back to the next installment on basic self defense. Over the course of this series, we’re going to fill you in on all the top tips that will ensure your safety, day or night.
Last week, we gave you an introduction to basic self defense, talked about the general roles of physical fitness and self defense, and discussed how awareness is the first step in avoiding being victimized. At the bottom of today’s post, you’ll find links so you can read them during your next break.
Below, we’ll be showing you how to become a bad target. These tips will hopefully help you deter criminals from even attacking you in the first place. Keep reading to learn more. If you’re looking for affordable self defense, BJJ, muay thai, or mixed martial arts in Raleigh, Call Gracie today, and ask about our free classes.
Being a Bad Target Helps You Avoid Getting Mugged
Most things in life come down to risk versus reward. Same holds true with committing crimes against people. Predators will often pick their targets based on these factors. They’ll seek out someone that will provide them with lots of rewards with the least amount of risk of getting caught.
This is why you very rarely hear about policemen being robbed. However, this is also the exact same reason that well-dressed people, who are not paying attention to their surroundings, are most often the victims instead. Carrying an expensive purse, wearing lots of jewelry, and wearing headphones are all traits that these perps look for in would-be targets. However, there are some things that you can do to increase the risk and lower the rewards for a would-be attacker. Below, we’ll discuss how to accomplish this.
How to Be High Risk
Gender, age, and height are the three things that you cannot change about yourself. Consequently, these three things also play into a predator’s targeting assessment. If you appear to be an easy mark who will yield a nice reward, then you might get attacked. How do you defend against this? Let’s take a closer look.
Paying Attention – First off, you have to pay attention to your surroundings. If an attacker thinks they can catch you by surprise, they probably will if you cross paths. That means unplugging from your headphones and putting your phone away. That’s right; no music, no texting, and no talking on the phone. Just pay attention to what’s going on around you, especially if you’re in an isolated area. We touched on this tip a little more in our last post. Click here to learn how to be more aware of your surroundings.
Stay Sober in Public – Don’t get drunk in public. You’ll become the perfect victim for all sorts of crimes. Perpetrators look for drunk people, especially late at night. If you find yourself drunk and out in public, be sure to have a sober friend around to help keep you from getting victimized.
Buddy System – Piggybacking off the above tip, always have a friend with you when you’re out in public. In fact, being with a group of friends is even safer. Groups are very rarely attacked because there’s safety in numbers. So when you’re out and about, travel in packs.
No Confining Clothes – What you wear could affect your chances of being targeted. After all, the crooks are going to look for an easy target. Try to wear clothes that allow you to move well, without being hindered. If you have to run for your life, it’s easier to do in running shoes than high-heels.
Being Physically Fit – Most people that get attacked are the ones that look like they will not fight back. On the other end of the spectrum, people who are visibly physically fit are often passed over as targets. Being physically fit gives a person many mental and physical benefits. Not only will you look strong, but you’ll feel more confident in everything you do. This will make you a high risk target, and one to be avoided.
Visible Deterrents – This is a tip that is really beneficial for women; invest in pepper-spray and carry it openly. Carrying a visible weapon can significantly decrease your chances of getting attacked. Just be sure that you know how to use it.
Put Yourself in the Attacker’s Shoes – That’s right, it’s time to pretend for a moment. Put yourself in your attacker’s shoes. Now visualize the type of person you would mug if you were one of these criminals. If you need money today, and robbing someone was the option you chose, what type of person would you target? What behaviors, qualities and characteristics would you look for in a victim? Now, do the same for the type of person you wouldn’t attack.
How to Appear to Be a Low Reward Target
Like we mentioned above, there are only a few things that you cannot change about yourself. That means there are several things that can be changed. Changing certain aspects of your behavior that will lower your reward appearance while increasing your risk factors will reduce your chances of being victimized. Following these tips below will help.
Reduce Your Public Profile – Try not to flash lots of jewelry or cash while you’re out. This will sometimes attract the criminals looking for money. The type of clothing you wear can also attract unsavory individuals. Wearing a pair of rare sneakers, or dressing in too revealing of a manner, could make you a target.
Reduce Your Public Worth – Continuing with the above tips, reduce your public worth as much as you can. If you’re going out for a early morning or late afternoon run, leave your valuables at home. If you’re going to be walking around for hours shopping, don’t carry your most expensive purse. Carry a generic bag for your belongings instead. The more you show off, the more you’re actually advertising to criminals that you have nice things.
Valuable items that criminals look for are laptops, smartphones, expensive handbags and purses, watches and all jewelry items, luxury sunglasses, special edition sneakers, and more.
Be sure to check out the other posts in this series. You’ll find lots of great self defense tips that will help keep you and your loved ones safe.
If you’re looking for affordable self defense training in 2017, please keep reading to see why Gracie Raleigh should be your number one choice.
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