In a crisis, personal safety is paramount. Whether you’re facing an aggressive individual or navigating a chaotic situation, knowing basic self-defense techniques can help you protect yourself and your loved ones.
In this guide, we’ll cover essential self-defense skills, recommend gear to enhance your safety, and link to helpful videos and books from our Survival Library. Let’s get started!
Why Self-Defense Matters
🥋 Confidence: Knowing how to defend yourself boosts your confidence in any situation.
🛡️ Safety: Quick, effective techniques can help you escape danger.
🧠 Awareness: Self-defense training sharpens your situational awareness.
Basic Self-Defense Techniques
1. The Run, Hide, Fight Strategy
This three-step approach is a cornerstone of self-defense:
🏃 Run: If you can escape, do so immediately.
🚪 Hide: If running isn’t an option, find a secure place to hide.
🥊 Fight: As a last resort, defend yourself with everything you’ve got.
▶️ For a visual guide, check out this Run, Hide, Fight training video:
2. Striking Techniques
Learn these basic strikes to create distance and escape:
✋ Palm Strike: Use the heel of your palm to strike the nose or chin.
👂 Ear Slap: A hard slap to the ear can disorient an attacker.
🦶 Front Kick: Aim for the groin or knees to incapacitate.
3. Escaping Holds
Practice these moves to break free from common grabs:
🤜 Wrist Grab Escape: Twist your arm toward the attacker’s thumb to break their grip.
🐻 Bear Hug Escape: Drop your weight, stomp on their foot, and elbow their ribs.
4. Using Everyday Objects as Weapons
In a pinch, everyday items can become tools for self-defense:
🔑 Keys: Hold them between your fingers for a makeshift weapon.
🖊️ Pen: Use it to strike sensitive areas like the eyes or throat.
🧴 Spray Bottle: Fill it with vinegar or pepper spray for a DIY deterrent.
Essential Self-Defense Gear
Every prepper should have these items on hand for personal safety (Note: Check local guidelines for legality!):
- Pepper Spray: A non-lethal deterrent for close-range threats.
- Tactical Flashlight: Bright enough to disorient an attacker.
- Personal Alarm: A loud alarm to scare off threats and attract attention.
- Self-Defense Keychain: Compact tools like kubotans or cat ear keychains.
- Stun Gun: For a more advanced level of protection.
🔗 Check out our [Self-Defense Gear Guide] for product recommendations.
Recommended Books from Our Survival Library
📖 Krav Maga Tactical Survival by Gershon Ben Keren
Learn proven techniques to disrupt, disarm, and disable your opponent from one of the world’s most effective self-defense systems. (Read our full review!)
📖 The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker
This book teaches you how to recognize and respond to danger, making it a must-read for personal safety. (Read our full review!)
📖 The U.S. Navy SEAL Survival Handbook by Don Mann and Ralph Pezzullo
While focused on survival, this book includes valuable self-defense techniques used by elite operatives. (Read our full review!)
Self-Defense Playlist
To help you practice these techniques, we’ve curated a playlist of beginner-friendly self-defense videos:
- Basic Strikes and Blocks
- Escaping Common Holds
- Using Everyday Objects for Self-Defense
▶️ Watch our curated Basic Self-Defense Techniques playlist:
Final Thoughts
Self-defense is about more than physical techniques—it’s about awareness, confidence, and preparation. By learning these basics and equipping yourself with the right gear, you’ll be ready to protect yourself in any situation.
🔙 Return to Self-Defense & Protection -or- Prepping 101 for more beginner-friendly guides.
📚 Explore our Survival Library for in-depth resources on preparedness.
