What to do if you’re attacked
The important thing to remember is that you need to GET OUT OF THERE.
Whatever you do, be it scream, fight or hit, these are only tools to use to give yourself enough time to run as fast and as far away as you can.
Whether you’re attacked in the hospital or clinic, or outside while running errands, here are some YouTube videos that show simple techniques that may help you get out of trouble.
Have you ever had someone grab your forearm or wrist and you couldn’t get away? Whether it’s an obnoxious guy at a party or an attacker, there’s a fairly simple technique called the Wrist Grab Release that helps you get your arm back and you away from the other person.
What if someone grabs you by your shirt or lapel of your jacket? That may be a bit tougher to break away from, but there is also a technique for this. Try practicing with someone (without the actual pressure!) until you feel comfortable with the movements it would take.
We’ve all been told that if you need to fight to get away from someone, you need to strike the weak points, called Vital Point Striking. This involves hitting the eyes, ears, nose, throat, genital area or the knee—all of which can cause considerable pain, giving you enough time to run.
Here are five more videos for you to learn various self-defense techniques:
What to do if both wrists are grabbed
What to do if your hair is grabbed from the front
What to do if you’re grabbed by the waist from behind
What to do if someone gets you in a choke hold from behind
The most important thing to do is to make as much noise and as much of a fuss as you can. The attacker doesn’t want attention from anyone except you. It’s been said that if you yell “Fire!” you may get more help than if you shout anything else. But before this, it’s important to work on prevention. The goal is to never need these techniques.
This article is so true. I recently got back into Home Health, and entered a home with a “difficult” client. Out of the blue, he threatened me with a butcher knife he had grabbed off of a nearby table, screaming at me for no appearent reason. Only moments earlier, we were having a good conversation about his daughter, while I did my job. Needless to say, I’ve never felt so terrified in my life, considering he was literally only two feet from me and was threatening to throw the knife to cut me. I grabbed my car keys and couldn’t get out of there fast enough, leaving my gloves and other supplies at the home. This occured almost 2 weeks ago now, but it replays in my head constently. Makes me think Self Defense should be a required pre-requisite for any nurse.
While working in the OR at the Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC, they presented a program to us called “Looking Forward to Being Attacked” which concentrated on all the points you presented and more. I would recommend it.