Nothing says happy holidays like a conversation about punching, kicking and stomping. But if it means runners can prevent or avoid attacks that save their lives, then I’d say talking about self-defense classes deserves some jingle all the way. Last month, I took a personal safety self-defense course – something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. Running safety has been on my mind a lot, especially after my training partner was attacked while running and a woman was brutally attacked on a local running trail near me earlier this year.

After a long run with my friend Tricia at the end of November, we headed over to meet Jennifer Riis-Poulsen of Powerhouse Self-Defense. Jennifer, a second degree black belt, started her company in 2011 in response to increasing statistics on the number of females attacked and assaulted each year. Powerhouse self-defense classes are about empowering and educating all girls and women about personal safety by teaching emotional, verbal and physical self-defense techniques that build courage and confidence.

I attended one of her 3-hour self-defense classes (I paid $40), and I truly feel more educated and confident about what I would do if I was ever attacked while running (or doing anything). However, the biggest thing I learned is that it’s most important to take steps to prevent ourselves from ever having to use the physical parts of the training.

Today, I wanted to share a few of the things I learned from Jennifer and her team at Powerhouse Self-Defense. I hope these lessons are helpful to you, and I encourage you to take a self-defense class in your area as one of your goals for 2015. Even if you have taken one before, refreshing your memory and practicing your skills is so important. Like CPR and first aid training, practicing self-defense tactics can help us from freezing up in a dangerous situation.

Emotional Self-Defense: Tips to Prevent an Attack

• The 10-second rule: I asked Jennifer if she could tell female runners just one thing about staying safe, what would it be? She responded with the 10-second rule. The idea is to do a 10-second scan of your surroundings before you do anything, like get out of your car, walk into a parking garage, leave a building, etc. Spend 10 seconds looking around you. Do you see anyone or anything suspicious? Is there anything dangerous that you should be mindful of? Jennifer reminded us that if we start looking down at our phone to text or tweet, we need to start the 10-second scan over again so we are not distracted. Observation is one of the most important tactics that can help prevent us from being in a dangerous situation.
• Use your peripheral vision. If you see something out of the corner of your eye or if you even hear something, turn your head completely when you sense movement. Make sure the person sees you. Do not assume that footsteps behind you are another runner out for a morning run. That extra second or two of awareness can help you be better prepared in the instance of an attack.
• Know where you are at all times. Have you ever gone on a long run with a group (or even alone) where you are following a queue sheet or in an area you’re not familiar with? Know where you are at all times, especially if you’re driving or running in an area you aren’t familiar with. Remember street names, look for landmarks. In the case that something should happen, you could relay this information to police or 911 operators who have a better chance of finding you quickly if you can give them a sense of where you are.
• Walk tall. Looking strong and confident may help dissuade a potential attacker from identifying you as a target. When you are walking, walk with confidence – shoulders back. Just looking stronger may prevent someone from choosing to attack you.
• Don’t switch off. Be aware of your surroundings at all times. As runners, many of us listen to music (I almost never run without music). Listening to music can be dangerous because we switch off and tune out of our environment. Sound is so important. Run without music, with one ear bud or with a vest that you can keep your music on but out of your ears.
• Use your voice. Sometimes just shouting or saying “no,” “please stay back,” etc. can protect us. Potential attackers don’t expect us to react. We don’t have to be polite to someone if we think they are suspicious. Saying that someone is making us uncomfortable is ok. I also love this personal alarm from SABRE that I’ve shared before to make a commotion.
• Channel your animal instincts. Jennifer counseled us to NOT deny our intuition. She said we should go back to our animal instincts and trust our gut if we are feeling fearful or uneasy about something. Fear can often protect us. If you’re about to head out on a run alone and something doesn’t feel right, don’t go until someone can run with you or run indoors at the gym on the treadmill. Trust your gut.

Physical Self-Defense Tips

At the Powerhouse session, I learned that there are 4 key self-defense moves that we can and should use if we ever find ourselves in a personal attack where someone has grabbed us or pinned us to the wall or ground. The goal of physical self-defense is to get the attacker off-balance or disabled so you can run away, not to beat them to a pulp. We practiced using these 4 moves in numerous scenarios and situations during the class. We used them in combination and worked to string them together based on specific scenarios as well.

1. Heel of the palm
When you think about hitting someone, you probably think about punching, like we see in so many movies and on TV. However, Jennifer taught us that using the heel of the palm is more effective to prevent hurting ourselves (e.g. breaking the hand, wrist, etc.). With the hand slightly cupped, we would use the heel of the palm in an upward motion to hit the chin to the nose and follow through, or to strike the side of the face right below the ears on the neck. Your whole body should come forward as you strike.

We practiced doing this while shouting “No!” Again, the goal is not to keep hitting an attacker, it is to disable them so you can leave/escape. You want to train both arms to be able to do this in case your dominant arm is the one grabbed. When you think about an attacker grabbing you by an arm while running, you could use the heel of the palm to strike with the other hand to the face or neck, delivering about 7 pounds of pressure. Jennifer also suggested grabbing the attacker’s ear and pulling/ripping it off. Eek, I couldn’t even imagine doing that but she said it is effective. She also suggested grabbing the attacker’s hair so you can pull some DNA.

2. Elbow Strike
Using the front of the forearm and upper arm, you can strike an attacker in the face, sternum, ribs or groin using your full body force. This move can also be helpful if you were ever to be grabbed from behind while running bear-hug style. If you are able to move your arms, you can punch them backward toward your attacker.

3. Knee Strike
This is the most powerful of all the physical techniques because our legs are 5 times stronger than our upper body. Using the force of your entire body, you drive your knee (patella strike) into the groin or ribs of an attacker. Be sure to grab the attacker’s shoulders so you don’t fall backwards.

4. Stomp
Of all the moves I learned during my Powerhouse Self-Defense class, this is the one I never really thought to use but the one that would probably be one of the easiest to implement. Essentially, you use the heel of your foot to stomp on the instep or knee cap of an attacker. If your attacker was on the ground, you could also use the stomp to crush the groin or lower back (ouch!). Like everything else, don’t stick around to finish the job. Disable and LEAVE!

Finally, a note about pepper spray: Jennifer told us that it is just a back-up tool and is good to use before someone has their arms or hands on/around you. If it is knocked away, use your physical techniques that you learn and practice in a self-defense class. I carry this pepper spray for runners from SABRE. You can also purchase practice spray so you can be ready if you ever have to use it and prevent getting it used against you.

Have you ever taken self-defense classes? What additional tips or insights did you learn?