Real world self-defence tips from Edward F. Gomes of Tactical Krav Maga Bangladesh

The truth is most women face some form of harassment on roads every day. And unfortunately, there is no perfect way or specific self-defence trick to fight back. However, there are some effective tips to follow and some habits that you can practice to defend yourself in an emergency. We spoke to Edward Francis Gomes, an instructor in Tactical Krav Maga Bangladesh to compile some basic tips and tricks based on some common scenarios of harassment.

How can I realise if someone is stalking me? And is there any way to prevent such a situation?

Statistically speaking, most of the stalkers know their targets before. In most cases, they are someone close to their targets or know their daily routine, whereabouts and important information too. To get rid of these types of stalkers, prevention is better. For instance, you should not share your daily routine or contact details without knowing the person properly. If possible, do not share your address too much specifically such as flat or floor number with the delivery man too. Go downstairs to take your parcel and do not call them to come up directly. But still, if someone starts to stalk you and you want to be prepared to realise that and fight back, the first thing that you should do is to practice 'Situational awareness'. It is one of the skills which may help a person to scan the environment to find out the threats in the present or projecting the threats into the near future. There is a four-colour system which provides a framework for moving between the non-aware to ready-for-action state. In Condition White, you are completely unaware of your surroundings and unprepared to defend yourself in case something dangerous starts to play out. You move into Condition Yellow when you are aware of your environment and realise that something bad might happen. In Condition Orange, you have specifically identified a person or persons as a potential threat. And in Condition Red, you are fully aware of and prepared to fight in case anything goes wrong. You might need to jump into Condition Red from Condition Yellow if things suddenly get worse. If the worst happens, you need to go to Condition Red directly.

Now I am in Condition Red or Condition Yellow, but I need to do something for my safety. What can I do to save myself?

When you get failed to prevent and you are in Condition Red or in such a situation where you need to do something, you can try to avoid your perpetrator(s) at first. If you are suspicious about someone around you, then try to go to any crowded place such as shopping mall, stationery shop, market or even to any building where there is a chance to get support. The next thing you can do is to negotiate with them or to juggle them by talking. Meanwhile, try to call someone who can help you or give a call to any national emergency helpline or activate the emergency SOS system. If possible, share your location with your family or friends in this kind of emergency. The last stage is to run away or fight back. If there is a chance, run away from the place as fast as you can. But if you fail to do so, just fight back as much as possible. This is 'do or die' situation.

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Self-defence training against gender-based violence

Suppose I need to fight back. So what can be the improvised self-defence weapons in this regard?

Many women do not realise that they have so many accessories with themselves, which can be used as weapons in an emergency state. For example, when you realise there is a danger and you need to fight back, take off your bangle and grip it tightly before punching them. Or everyone has keys with them when they are out of the home. You just need to grip a key between your knuckles keeping the sharp point outside like Wolverine's claws and punch the offender in vulnerable parts of the body such as eyes, nose or ears. You can even turn a newspaper or magazine into a weapon by folding it tightly. Just strike this folded paper below the ear or in eyes as hard as possible. Besides, a woman can use her vanity Bag to slam and scarf to choke or lock the perpetrator or hit him with high heels. You can use a safety pin to prick someone who tries to touch you inappropriately. There are so many things as potential weapons. Even if you have absolutely none of these things, pick up some brick pieces and pebbles from roads and start to throw those in case someone tries to harm you. Moreover, spraying body spray or splashing some water from your water bottle on the perpetrator's eyes can buy you some time to run away.

What if I am in an enclosed public transport?

It seems too hard to fight back when you are in an enclosed area like public transport. However, you still can do so if you work smartly without being frozen. Suppose, you are in a CNG and you somehow get to know that the driver has an ill motive. To escape away from this, you need to hold the grilles strongly and stretch your feet before kicking directly to the point where the knob is. If you are in a taxi or Uber, always keep the car window open. In case, the driver suddenly tries to close the window even after your denial, somehow put the bag handles in between. Kick the centre of the window with strong kicks or strike it with your keys provided that he manages to close the window. It is possible to break the window in this way. In a bus, there is an opportunity to bang the head of the perpetrator on the seat handles or just stand up on your seat to kick in the face.

In the end, a gentle reminder is that all of the mentioned tactics must be used to defend, not to harm anyone innocent.