Dead or alive

you decide...

flight” mode which causes the flashbacks and nightmares. Not only are there physiological effects, but there can be physical ones as well. According to VerywellMind, women who had been raped were more likely to experience arthritis, chronic pelvic pain, digestive problems, harsh premenstrual symptoms and non-epileptic seizures. If you are ever put in such a situation, there are things you can do to defend yourself. Using the strongest parts of your body will give you an advantage. Your elbow is super powerful and forced, it makes a great weapon in any given circumstances. It uses the power, sharpness and strength of the bone to wound an individual. Striking the attacker with different positions can cause different damage. The horizontal elbow strike is when your arm is parallel to the floor; striking like this can cause gashes around the eye. If you are grabbed from behind, using the backward elbow strike is a better option. This type of strike will hit the attacker in the face and can temporarily confuse them. The top three places to strike are the nose, throat, and ear/jaw area. These places are the most vulnerable. Hitting the nose will make the assaulter have a bloody nose or watery eyes. If they are behind you, use the backward elbow strike. Using your palm is the best option, if they are in front of you. Senior, Takima Watkins, said, “I’ve been taught about self defense since maybe 5 years old? I was always told that since I’m a girl, I’m targeted more out in the real world. My parents have taught me and trained me to react in different situations whether I’m being harassed, kidnapped, or attacked. The main things I remember are to always travel in pairs, be aware of your surroundings, check inside and beneath your car, and always carry a weapon. If you don’t have a weapon, you need to fight as hard as you can and to use your elbows and knees to hit weak spots.” The throat is a smaller area but is one of the most effective. A strong and correct hit can even kill someone. This is not the goal of a fistfight, but when you are fighting for your life, it is important to know. Your ear/jaw joint is very sensitive. When this area is hit with force, it will cause the attacker to be disoriented. Continued force to this area can break and/or dislocate the jaw. Target the area from the bottom of the ear to the top of the jaw bone since this is the golden area. Small businesses like Fabulyss Boutique sell self defense keychains. Alyssa Collazo, founder of Fabulyss Boutique, sells key chains that have a rape whistle, window breaker, chapstick holder, and pepper spray. She also sells other self defense mechanisms such as kitty knuckles, disguised knives and single pepper spray bottles. The key chains range from $40 to $45 and the add ons range from $8 to $15. Another small business worth looking into is Indomitable; it is a black-owned business that also sells self defense keychains. The founder sells themed key chains, and all her sales are final. Her keychains have all different designs. Some of her most popular ones are the Midnight Black set and the Bubble gum pink set. Her prices vary between $40 and $46. The keychains include chapstick, and the holder, a window breaker, pepper spray and a mini flashlight. Constant worry is the new norm for those who go out at night. Being aware of your surroundings is super important. When getting in your car, be sure to check under it before you get too close. It is known for traffickers to hide under cars and slash the achilles tendon making you immoble. There are very distinct signs of being tagged by traffickers. They will put zip ties around your mirrors, put an open bottle of honey on your car, they sometimes even write “F1” (meaning one female). They often ride in white vans or will have multiple cars sit in a parking lot looking for new victims. If there is a white van near your car, it is safer to go through the opposite door and lock them as soon as you get in. It is better to be safe than sorry so having an escort to your car is something to try. Most importantly knowing what type of people you live around. The Virginia State Police website can list all of the convicted offenders in your area. Not only does it tell you who was convicted, it tells you what tier they are, when they were convicted and what they were convicted for. Knowing who these men/women are is one way to stay safe. There is danger in our daily lives. Being aware and knowing how to defend yourself is the one of the only ways to stay safe. Keep your mind open to new self defense tactics as well as keeping defensive devices on you.