Women's Counter Assault Tactics...
Helping women to be better prepared for high risk confrontations
What follows is a look at the physical phase of confrontation, where typically women may have to face a predatory aggressor, trying to assault or abduct them.
Now, to the gentlemen reading this, please continue, as many of these insights are relevant, in other types of altercation that affect men, as well.
There are situations when abduction or kidnapping attempts are made on men. Over the years, I’ve worked with clients certainly exposed to that level of risk. Moreover, there might be something here, you can share with your loved ones.
An understandable fear:
During training courses, when I talk to women about personal safety, whether it’s for a company, a family office or organisation with specific requirements, there's often more concern about street situations, involving predatory aggressors than perhaps other forms of crime.
This is understandable. It’s a type violence most often aimed at women. Sometimes, women are familiar with a friend or colleague who was victim or narrowly got out of this kind of hostile assault. Or they’ve heard about such attacks via the media.
Now on this subject of fear, should someone be faced by a hostile aggressor who has managed to close in, with surprise and intimidation, then fear will indeed be one of the mechanisms that if not managed properly, can hinder the person's ability to protect them self.
Fear can cause panic and hesitation. One of the key ways, we help reduce fear is through helping people develop greater familiarisation, with the nature of the situation and typical tactics used by the aggressor.
Also, as a person gets more familiar with movement skills, escape tactics and sometimes even direct counter assault tactics, this makes them more alert, more responsive and confident.
Fear can make the targeted person feel isolated and alone, whilst facing that grim energy which does confront them. Yet it is at this time, when one feels alone, that a quiet type of fortitude can emerge, from deep within.
I also want to stress that any practitioner of self-protection methods or anyone facing a tense situation, must accept that it's ok to feel fear, at times. Fear's appearance is not so much a sign of vulnerability, rather it can be seen, as an indicator that one cherishes life and freedom.
Make peace with fear; yet remind him that it is you; not he that steers the chariot.
Tactics used by predators:
There will be some sexual predators, who will try to use intense, threatening dialogue to get their victim to comply or feel trapped. Others may brandish a weapon, such as a knife. This is why blade evasion has to be addressed, in training.
There will also be those who try to use more deceptive means, from drink spiking to getting the person to drop their guard, through being friendly with them.
The predator may dress a certain way to disarm suspicion or ask a polite question, in order to get close to the person. Something, I will often point out to young people, going on travel trips, is to be careful of third parties who try to cause the group to separate, especially in bars or clubs.
One of the most common methods used, is some kind of grabbing attack. This could be a grab from the rear or choke hold. It could be an arm grab and drag or even, an arm and hair grab.
In some cases, clothes will get seized and used to drag and pull the person. There are also, many haphazard, awkward grabs that an attacker may impulsively attempt so this is another area I will address in training sessions.
In Tri-Tier, we believe that by helping people to understand the different grabs and the way they are initiated, a person has a better chance or evading or escaping them.
They also get to understand the impact grabs have in terms of balance disruption, the effects on breathing and emotions. Familiarisation is critical. It even makes one better at preventing the grab from even being secured.
Understanding grab and drag methods:
One cannot underestimate the psychological and physical impact of the grab, particularly, in those immediate first few seconds. It can cause disorientation, pain and shock.
There is the psychological disruption that comes from feeling trapped. Pain can make a person freeze or tense up. However, with tactical breathing methods, one can do a great deal to relax the body, which makes it less susceptible, to pain and emotional shock.
Sometimes, defence tactics instructors show women, escapes from grabs that work in the dojo but not in the gritty moment, when the danger is real, because they fail to take into account, how grabs will often throw the person's balance off.
For example, those mean looking elbow strikes, taught to fend off an attacker grabbing from the rear, are less effective when you have been pulled backwards.
When your spinal alignment is compromised, it will be difficult to launch counter strikes. The priority should be first to maintain or restore balance.
Students of self-defense must also understand how to feel the direction of the force being applied. Often you can work with the force. It may also be possible to redirect the attacker's momentum or flow around it.
Direct counter tactics:
Movement skills are indeed important, along with this ability to flow, with what the attacker initiates. Yes balance must be maintained and fear managed, yet that doesn't mean there is no place for more direct counters.
Actually, at times you need both. Flow and unleash...Strikes must be effective, at close range, whilst possibly wearing restrictive clothing. They must be accessible in confined spaces, such as a lift, narrow corridor or around or in a vehicle.
Tri-Tier's tactics can be used to deliver very direct and sudden strikes, to shock and injure the attacker, so that the targeted person can then get to safety. A continuous onslaught of strikes, aimed at vulnerable areas, even from a smaller, lighter person, can be devastating, when delivered with speed and surprise.
A good balance:
In Tri-Tier, whilst we respect the serious nature of women’s personal safety, we must keep perspective. When we train, the atmosphere is relaxed. There will often even be moments of humour and laughter.
Yes we can progress to more high intensity drills and scenarios. The point is though, it's important for people to feel comfortable and enjoy the training, otherwise they will simply accumulate more inhibiting tension.
After all, we are aiming to maintain relaxed, calm movement under pressure, are we not? It’s about harmony over fear.
Space management:
We must still appreciate the importance of route selection and being mindful of the space around you, or the setting. We want to avoid the threat. Predatory aggressors may rely on the cover of night, blind spots, such as alley ways or concealed ambush points, from which to attack.
They may lurk in quiet stair ways or car parks. Space management is also about not leaving one so exposed, as they enter their vehicle or house. When we do certain evasion drills, participants get to see just how quickly a determined attacker can close the distance.
Of course, training goes deeper but this type of more overt counter assault training, gives both women and men, the chance to discover their resilience, and see value in the ability to flow.
Also, they get the chance to realise that sometimes, when forced into a corner; you have to fight your way out…
Aran
About the author
Based in London, Aran Dharmeratnam is the founder of Tri-Tier. He specialises in personal safety and resilience. With experience in various areas of the security sector, Aran also works with global security companies involved in private investigations and strategic intelligence. He has been deployed on the ground, in numerous cases. Aran’s insights have featured in The Financial Times, The Spectator, Aviation Security International, and Security Management Today.
For consultations or training contact: office@tri-tier.com