How many of us have seen this viral video of a young woman getting attacked at a gym by some weirdo she encountered while she was working out. There's a lot wrong with this in addition to the crazy guy trying to rape her. The guy was later caught and he admitted he wanted to rape her.
I noticed that in the video, the dude didn't strike her one time it seemed. She did well in resisting and fighting back continually, and she tried to run from him as well as use her cell phone to call for help.
Again, the video went viral and everyone praised her for fighting back. She is a body builder not a fighter. She admitted in an interview that she didn't know what she was doing with regard to defending herself but regardless, she fought back. Good for her!
This could have gone A LOT worse.
The concern I have here is more about PREVENTION. In general, women need to be that much more aware about their physical well being than anyone else because attackers are more likely to be male, and men are often a lot physically stronger than women.
She being alone in the gym, should NOT have opened up to him or in the least, LEFT, as soon as he walked in and observed for her safety.
The media put a lot of attention on her "fighting back" but once in that situation, with nowhere to run, that's all a anyone CAN DO.
A woman or anyone who feels that they might be in a vulnerable situation must carry something to strike with - mace, a stick, etc. The first thing a person must consider is which way to run If something were to go down.
Escaping should be the FIRST line of defense AFTER PREVENTION.
-Be weary of being in public spaces alone.
-Always carry mace or have something near you which can be used as an effective striking weapon.
-Always let people (family, friends, etc.) know where you're going and what you'll be doing if you can't have someone with you at all times.
-Take up a practical and effective martial art for self defense in STRIKING AND GRAPPLING AS WELL AS HOW TO USE WEAPONS.
-Consider dressing down and less flashy or less provocative in public spaces especially after dark, and in certain locations, neighborhoods, etc.
*Don't EVER think you can beat up a man despite what our ultra-feminist - Marvel comics culture of fantasy has put into the minds of many.
The best self defense for women and ANYONE is:
-prevention
-martial arts skill
-common sense (commonly known as street smarts)
-hit hard, effectively and run fast!
That's it.
Evil continues to increase.
Be safe and God bless!