Gervasi - Fight like a girl ... and win : defense decisions for women

All of the names have been changed. This book is for informational purposes only. It should not be deemed advice for any particular individual or situation. Circumstances that may call for self-defense vary as to the setting and the capabilities of the attacker and the defender, and the laws on permissible self-defense vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. As a result, neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for any injuries arising to the reader or others from the use of any of the self-defense techniques described in this book. Further, Web sites may have changed or disappeared between when this book was written and when it is read. The fact that an organization or Web site is referred to as a citation and/or a potential source of further information does not mean that the author or the publisher endorses the information the organization or Web site may provide or recommendations it may make.

O n the playground of my elementary school, the fistfights used to break out over things like a push, a dirty look, an angry word, or someones attempt to cheat at dodgeball. Usually, a few boys instigated the scuffle, but before long every kid in the school would gather to witness the two of them as they duked it out. One time I heard someone heckle from the sidelines, You fight like a couple of girls! That comment was quite possibly the most damaging blow of the whole day. A direct hit to the nose couldnt have done more destruction.

Its been a long time since Ive witnessed one of those school-yard battles, but that remark still resonates in my mind. I now know that fighting like a girl is anything but negative. Quite the contrary, it is a massive, potent power that Ive come to admire and embrace in my own life. I also recognize that power in others. Ive seen the unique ways in which women are naturally able to fend for themselves. But women require knowledge and encouragement in this area. We need to be reminded of our innate talents for survival. We need to dive deep within ourselves and summon to the surface the subtle truths weve always known but have never before utilized. We need to learn more, decide more, and put more of our abilities into position on the front line of our own self-defense. We have to decide that we wont be vulnerable and defenseless, and we need to choose to fight for our lives.

To fight like a girl is to wage a war by using our innate female skills. Our personal arsenals are stocked with qualities such as quick thinking, decisiveness, intelligence, and finesse in dealing with people. We use our minds. We analyze. We carefully observe and draw conclusions. We size things up. We think on our feet. We prepare. We use intuition to our advantage. We manipulate and compel. We talk a mean streak. Heck, we have a mean streak. We get those gut feelings. Deep down inside, we know when something is about to go down. We just do. We outwit our opponents. We go ballistic. We know who we are.

This is a book about preparing for the worst. Thankfully, most of you will never experience in the real world the threats described in the following pages. Some of you will adopt the advice you find here, apply it to your lives, and watch it go to work for you immediately, often in mysterious ways. Others will ward off would-be attackers without even realizing youve done so. Unfortunately, statistics indicate that every two and a half minutes, someone is raped or sexually assaulted in this country. Some of you will encounter attacks, violent or otherwise, and after reading this book, you will have the vital tools you need to deal with those assaults in a fast, decisive, and fully defensive manner. It is impossible to know which group you may fall into one day, so its a good thing that youre reading this book.

Preparing for the worst doesnt mean living in fear, being paranoid, or dwelling on the dreadful things that could happen to us. The concept is simple and straightforwardwe take the time now, in a quiet moment on an uneventful day, to consider an unpleasant situation, knowing that someday, in the midst of danger, our bodies will know exactly what to do.

For years I have been on an empowering journey preparing to fight like a girl. After graduating from UCLAs Television/Film School, I began employment as a journalist at television stations in Los Angeles, and I enjoyed an eleven-year career working mostly as a newswriter and producer. I also appeared on air as a weather-caster and as a cohost for Jack LaLanne and You. I married and gave birth to a son. When my second son was born, I quit working in order to be a full-time mom.

It was then that I enrolled in a karate class. I was hooked from that first training session. I began to practice diligently at home in between class sessions. As time passed my husband transformed our garage into my own private dojo (karate studio) with carpet on the floor, a heavy bag, a huge mirror, and all of my weapons hanging on the wall. Every morning for several years, I spent two or three hours in my dojo while the rest of the family was still asleep.

I studied a style of karate called Traditional American Karate, which is a linear hard karate style (with blocks, chops, punches, and kicks) based on conventional methods such as Okinawan Shorin-Ryu, Japanese Shotokan, and others. It took me seven and a half years to progress to the black belt level. I performed various drills and exercises. I studied dozens of katas. I padded up and sparred with other students on the mat. I learned to use weapons such as the bo (a tall wooden staff), the escrima (a pair of lightweight sticks), the sai (a pair of pronged, twenty-inch-long spears), the swords, the nunchaku (usually pronounced nunchucks, which is one set of double wooden sticks connected by a cord), and others. I broke bricks and wood with my hands and forearms. My favorite part of class was when we worked on self-defense techniques. One person (the uke) would attack while the other person (the tori) would defend. Then wed switch roles. We studied hundreds of self-defense techniques at our dojo in this manner.

Webster s describes self-defense as the right to defend oneself with whatever force is reasonably necessary against actual or threatened violence. What does this mean for you and me? How does it apply to women who are just trying to get around safely in the world these days?

Its up to you. You need to do whatever it takes, using whatever force is reasonably necessary.

In the martial arts world, there are various ways that instructors break down the concept of self-defense. Teachers often invent their own insightful definitions to share in the dojo. Some call self-defense an attitude or a lifestyle. They might describe the quiet warrior approach to life that holds a mysterious power of keeping attackers away.

Two of my instructors broke it down to these main components. One taught that self-defense was 90 percent common sense . Another described self-defense as 90 percent awareness .

Each of these definitions is truly correct, providing an excellent route to achieving increased personal safety. But if you combine these two elements, common sense and awareness, you can take your security measures to new heights and bring about your greatest potential for invulnerability yet. When called to the front line of your defense system, this combination becomes your most efficient ally. Common sense allows you to evaluate situations with intelligence and clarity, discerning what is reasonably necessary in danger. Awareness gives you a mindful perception and intuition beyond your normal senses.