Awareness
Awareness is defending yourself by avoiding danger altogether by thinking ahead, or making good decisions. Examples include parking in a well-lit area, not wearing music headphones while jogging (so you can use your sense of hearing to pay attention to your surroundings), or looking under your car/in the backseat before entering to ensure there is no one waiting for you.
Due to its non-physical nature, awareness is emphasized heavily in women's self defense classes where it is assumed that the attacker will probably be larger and stronger than the victim.
Awareness: http://tinyurl.com/mah5w
De-escalation
De-escalation is the use of voice, tone, and body language to calm a potentially violent situation before violence actually ensues.
De-escalation: http://tinyurl.com/mah5w
Physically Defending
****LEARN TO TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS****If you choose to run away from your attacker, be careful to make sure to run to a safe place, where other people are that can possibly help you.
****If you do run your attacker will be behind you and you will not see what and where they are****
****There is the possibility of your attacker being able to out run you****
Men and women have different socializations. A man expects a man to stand up to them, and an assailant will use this to talk the man into a fight. Men who choose to attack women are cowards but dangerous. A man does not expect a woman to stand up to them, and a male assailant will often back down when she does.http://tinyurl.com/mah5w
