Learn how to defend yourself

VIWE NDONGENI-NTLEBI

THE constitution guarantees the rights of queer citizens in South African, but that does not guarantee their safety.

Over the past few weeks, queer South Africans have been brutally killed because they are simply queer.

As these killings continue, LGBTQIA+ citizens live in fear and uncertainty.

With all this, you need to learn how to protect yourself. Howcast gives us three things to keep in mind:

Keep calm.

It’s very easy to fall into the trap of panic and fear, especially in tense situations. But when people panic, they tend to make mistakes – something you want to avoid when defending yourself. Take deep breaths and remember to keep calm, no matter the situation.

Keep it simple.

When you’re defending yourself, you don’t need to use elaborate moves or patterns. In reality, two or three simple punches or kicks will usually be enough to keep your attacker at bay. The key is to calculate your moves in advance and make sure they count.

Get out quickly.

In a truly frightening situation, it may feel important to beat up on your opponent for as long as you can. But remember that the best way to protect yourself (both physically and legally) is to leave the scene as soon as possible. Once your opponent is down, flee to a safe area and contact authorities if needed.

Areas to target:

It doesn't matter how big or heavy your attacker is – you can beat anyone if you know where the most vulnerable spots or pressure points are. Popular pressure points include the knee cap, back of the knee, the groin, the ears, the eyes, the nose, and the throat. If you have access to any of these areas, give it a good punch or kick.

Victor Lyalko, a martial arts master who wrote a book in which he described the most effective methods of self-defence, shares the simplest and most effective moves:

Grabbing the wrist. Grab his little finger and his ring finger with one hand, and his middle and index finger with the other and bend the wrist forward.

Hit him with a fist or with a finger between the collarbone or into his Adam’s apple.

The most obvious area for an attack is the groin. Hitting this area will literally paralyze the attacker and you will have just enough time to escape.

If you still feel unsafe, here are legal self-defence gadgets you can invest in and carry every day:

Pepper spray: Pepper spray remains one of the most commonly used nonlethal self-defence tools.

Flashlight: When you point a bright flashlight on your attacker’s face, he may lose vision. This may give you the chance to run away. There are some flashlights with a stun gun feature.

Stun gun: These guns are typically loud and bright. You can scare your attacker without using it on them.

Tactical pens: These multi-purpose writing tools can serve as self-defence tools. They are small and easy to carry around.

Healthline, a health portal, also notes essential principles of prevention which include:

Awareness: Make sure you’re aware of your environment. Limit distractions when walking from place to place or in other public settings. Don’t constantly stare down at your phone. Make sure you can hear around you. Have keys ready. Walk with purpose.

Boundaries: Make it a point to ask yourself why somebody makes you uncomfortable. Be verbal with them.

If you’re carrying selfdefence tools, make sure to get training on how to use them. You can also use more common objects as weapons, including a purse, umbrella, phone, pencil, book, or rock. Anything blunt that can be used to hit, throw, stab, or swing can be very effective.