No one wants to think about being the victim of a violent crime, but sticking your head in the sand isn’t the solution — especially if you’re in a more vulnerable group. The fact is, three women die each day in the United States at the hands of their significant other, and 1 in 5 women will be the victim of an attempted rape or rape over the course of their lifetime. Studies show that LGBTQ+ people are also disproportionately affected by violent crimes, with transgender people experiencing violence at 2.5 times the rate of cisgender people. Race also plays a role. In 2020, the number of reported anti-Black hate crimes in the US increased by 49 percent from the previous year, while anti-Asian hate crimes went up by 77 percent, according to an FBI report.
These are all horrendous statistics. In a perfect world, no one would ever be in a situation where they have to worry about protecting themselves from another person. But until that ideal becomes a reality, we have to work together to find solutions, which includes educating ourselves, being aware of the problem, and learning how to protect ourselves when necessary. If you ever find yourself in a dangerous situation, it could save your life.
The point is, you never know if (or when) you could become the victim of a crime, so why not prepare yourself for the possibility? You don’t need to become an expert fighter— you just need to learn a few simple moves that can catch an attacker off guard, giving you the opportunity to get away and save your own life.
Self-defense is crucial to learn, and it’s not actually as complicated as you might think. In fact, there are six basic moves you can start with to protect yourself, and we enlisted a true expert to explain them. Keep reading and allow Jarrett Arthur, a Krav Maga expert, lead instructor for M.A.M.A. (Mothers Against Malicious Acts) Self-Defense, and co-founder of Jarrett And Jennie Self-Defense, to explain how to defend yourself in dangerous situations.