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Sign up for
our free e-zine "Martial Arts Perspectives":
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| Before
anything else, before we dive into the
studies of successful self-defense by women: Both as a man and a martial
artist, I would like to offer my
sincere apology and support to all women who have
suffered from male violence of any kind.
There are no excuses; it will not
and shall not be tolerated.
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it is essential to get the message across
that these stories in no way indicate
a criticism toward those who did not
succeed, or who may feel they did not
succeed, in defending themselves. It
is so easy to be wise after the event!
Anyone who has been a victim of
a violent assault, do what they are
capable of doing there and then! Let
noone tell you what you should
have done! We will discuss this in detail
other places. Just keep in mind that
these stories are there as a reminder
that there are those who fought back,
and that these stories can serve as
an inspiration to us all.
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Choking teen, 17, wrestles attacker: |
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From:
http://www.unionleader.com
(April
26, 2006):
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New Hampshire -- "When people find you, you will be decomposing."
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That
was the threat that the 17-year-old girl told police spurred her into desperate
action; she decided she had to strangle her assailant before he strangled
her.
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As he choked her in the front seat of his pickup truck on a back
road in Auburn, she managed to grab an orange cord and wrap it around his neck,
tightening it until the 45-year-old Manchester man gasped for air and she heard
a gurgling sound. |
According to court records, after she released the cord
the man sliced his wrist with a box cutter and then began begging the girl not
to go to police.
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From:
http://www.wiat.com
(April
26, 2006):
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An elderly Decatur woman refuses to become a victim,
fighting off an intruder who barged into her home!
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74-year-old Thelma Carter sent a man in his twenties running
out of her house.
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Carter says there was no way she was giving in without a
fight, “chocking the daylights” out of the man after he broke into her home
April 23rd.
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"I was right up there at him, and I reach around his neck and
I choked him, and I kept choking him, I didn't turn him lose either!"
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The retired motel clerk says: she took a self-defense course
a few years ago. And she credits that knowledge with helping her react to the
situation.
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But personal protection specialist, Richard Coon says:
avoidance should always be the first priority.
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He says taking the proper posture could help save your
life.
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"If the bad guy believes we're going to fight back, he'll
choose someone else because the bad guy doesn't want to fight he wants to take
what you have, beat you up, that idea."
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But, Coon admits, there are situations where fighting back is
the only way to survive.
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"We train our students how to do some very specific skills
that will come naturally whether it's using elbows or palm strikes to the face
things that are very simple not complex motor skills based movements for
students." |
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Bad idea - trying to abduct 14-year-old karate student: |
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From:
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/health/9073047/detail.html
(April
28, 2006):
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A 14-year-old brown belt in Karate said she was walking home from grocery store
last Friday when a 30-something-old man tried to talk to her. When she refused
to converse with him and told him to leave her alone, he grabbed her, she said. |
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"Before karate, I would have frozen up and simply stopped breathing,"
said Brittney Richardson. "Instead I calmly turned around and struck the man in
the face. He then fell to the ground and I ran. As soon as I was safe in my own
home I called the appropriate authorities." |
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Read
the rest of the story on Thedenverchannel.com
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Women tackle, pin carjacking suspect: |
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From: http://www.local6.com/news/8009886/detail.html
(March 14, 2006):
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Two women in Orange County, Fla., fought off a suspected carjacker by tackling
and then pinning the man to the ground on his stomach until deputies arrived,
according to a Local 6 News report. |
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Investigators said Shannon Corley drove her car into the River Oaks Bend
apartments located at 2284 River Park Circle in Orlando Tuesday night and
noticed a young man watching her in the parking lot. |
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As Corley exited her car, the man, who police identified in a report as
Morgan Piggee, 21, allegedly ran at her and attempted to grab her car keys. |
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Veneil Kleiber, who did not know Corley, heard her screams for help and
rushed over to help. |
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Both women then attacked and knocked Piggee to the ground, police said. |
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"She (then) fights back and screams," Local 6 reporter Erik von Ancken
said. "Another woman comes over and they both tackle this guy, we are talking
arm locks, and get this guy down on the ground." |
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Corley and Kleiber held the man on the ground until a sheriff's deputy
could arrive, according to the report. |
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Orange County Sheriff's Cpl. Dallas Christopher said the women's actions
were impressive. |
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"They had one arm behind him and he was on his belly and they were on his
back and he wasn't able to get away from them," Christopher said. "I think they
were proud on one hand and they were nervous and the adrenaline was hitting them
afterwards. Their biggest concern was getting hurt. They did a great job." |
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Piggee was transported to Orange County Jail where he faces carjacking,
battery and criminal mischief charges. |
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Ill teen fights off armed intruder, smacking him
with drinking glass: |
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From: http://www.mysanantonio.com
(February 28, 2006):
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Wearing hot-pink flip-flops adorned with large plastic flowers, 15-year-old
Stephanie Jo Giddens doesn't look like the type who could fend off a
knife-wielding attacker. |
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But that's what she did Monday morning when a man appeared in her home, to the
surprise of the Taft High School student. |
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Although police said the man is at large, he escaped the scene more bruised than
when he arrived — Stephanie smashed a drinking glass above his eye, said police
Sgt. Kevin Reser. |
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"I've been an athlete all my life, so I'm pretty strong for my age," said
Stephanie, a member of the school's diving team. |
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Sick and at home alone, Stephanie was preparing something to eat when she came
upon the spiky-haired intruder looking at family photos in her living room. He
wore black gloves and said nothing, she said. |
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Officers said the man may have entered the home unnoticed through an unlocked
sliding glass door. |
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After seeing him, Stephanie ran into the kitchen. The man followed and threw
her on a table, where, she said, they struggled, leaving Stephanie with a large
scratch across one thigh and multiple scrapes on her arms.
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The man never told Stephanie what he wanted, and officers said they found no
signs he took anything from the home. He only yelled at her to stop screaming
and keep quiet, Reser said.
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At some point during the struggle, the man showed a knife. Stephanie
countered by breaking a drinking glass over his head, the sergeant said.
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That gave her a chance to escape and lock herself in a bathroom, where she
used a cell phone to call police.
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The man fled; officers were unsure if he left on foot or in a vehicle, Reser
said.
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If found, the man faces burglary and assault charges, the sergeant added.
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Crying and stroking her daughter's hair, Stephanie's mother, Doris Giddens,
prayed that police would eventually catch the man.
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"For someone to have to go through that, any woman — it's just unbearable to
get a phone call like that," her mother said.
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As evidence technicians photographed a gash in the leg of her sweat pants,
Stephanie was shaken but tough.
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"She fought back pretty hard," Reser said.
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From: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au
(February 10, 2004):
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Bangkok - A 73-year-old Thai grandmother dusted
off her martial arts skills and floored a would-be robber with a few swift kicks
to the groin, local media reported on Wednesday. |
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Prapai Sroysing
surprised both herself and purse-snatcher Noi Namjumjung, 40, when she protected
her bag filled with 7 000 baht ($179) by repeatedly kneeing the assailant at a
market in Samut Prakan province outside Bangkok. |
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Noi, who is unemployed,
told police that he targeted Prapai because he had not expected an old lady to
fight back, the Nation newspaper reported. |
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"She shouted for help and at
the same time kneed me in the groin sending me to the ground," the daily quoted
him as saying. "I tried to struggle away, but somehow she was able to pull me
toward her and gave me both fists and knees until passers-by caught me." |
Prapai said she had learned martial arts moves from her brother, an army
colonel, who had told her that below-the-belt tactics were above board when it
came to self-defense. "But I never imagined I would ever have a chance to use
the technique," she said.
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From: http://www.ksee24.com
(January 27, 2006):
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Child fights off attacker |
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The Valley is dealing with another case of attempted kidnapping. |
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Fresno
Police say just before 7:30 p.m. Thursday, a man jumped out of the bushes and
tried to grab an 11 year old girl as she walked home from the Boys and Girls
club at Clinton and Fresno. Little did the attempted kidnapper know, the girl
had learned some self defense moves at the youth facility. |
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"She kicked him in
his groin area once and was able to get away from him,” says Sergeant Sean Biggs
with the Fresno Police Department. Those moves made all the difference in
keeping the girl safe. |
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Authorities are warning parents to talk to their
children about protecting themselves. |
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As for the suspect, he’s described
as a Caucasian, or Hispanic man, who was last seen wearing a dark hooded
sweatshirt that covered most of his face. |
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From: http://www.nbc10.com
(July 13, 2005):
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Woman Fought Back
Against Man Who Tried To Choke Her |
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PHILADELPHIA -- Police are still looking for a suspect who
attacked and choked a woman outside a Philadelphia hospital.
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The victim, Dianne Fineberg (pictured, left), told NBC 10 News reporter Kristen
Welker the harrowing story of her frightening attack.
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"It was the worst experience of my life. It was just so frightening," Fineberg
said.
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Fineberg said she is haunted by her near-death experience Tuesday.
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"I thought he was going to rape me and then strangle me to death," Fineberg
said.
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Fineberg, 57, is a nurse at Friends Hospital. She said that she was on her way
to work when a man mumbled something and then became violent.
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"He was so muscular. He picked me up like I was a feather and pulled me into the
bushes, and then he pushed me to the ground and then there was something around
my neck," Fineberg said.
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Police said that the thing around Fineberg's neck was a piece of wire, but as
she started to lose consciousness the image of her late father came into her
head.
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"My dad always told me if someone tries to hit you, fight back as best you can
and I was just thinking, 'Daddy, help me,'" Fineberg said.
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Somehow, Fineberg was able to fight off a man nearly twice her size.
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"I don't know where I got the energy from, but I started fighting like a cat,
and I got up and started to grab his pants and fight and next thing I knew there
was a sting on my arm and I started punching his leg and he took off," Fineberg
said.
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The man took off with about $60 and left Dianne with scratches. But Fineberg, a
mother and grandmother said she was just happy to be alive.
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"I have so much to live for, I wasn't going to give up," Fineberg said.
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Fineberg had this advice for other women.
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"Fight like hell. You have to fight like hell and I think that's the only thing
that saved my life," Fineberg said.
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From: http://www.heraldnet.com
(December 14, 2005):
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EVERETT - A would-be thief found out just how strong a mother's love can be
when he picked the wrong car to steal. |
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Laneil Trapp ripped the man out of her car as he attempted to steal it while
she was pumping gas at an Everett station on Monday.
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Inside the car was her 8-year-old daughter.
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"I couldn't let him get away with my daughter. He could have my car, just not my
daughter," Trapp said Tuesday.
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The suspect, 42, was arrested after two bystanders chased him down. He was
booked into the Snohomish County Jail for investigation of attempted kidnapping,
attempted theft and assault. He was being held in lieu of $75,000 bail.
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Police describe the incident like this:
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Trapp stopped for gas about 5:15 p.m. at the AM/PM at 4030 Rucker Ave. She
noticed a man check out an unoccupied car at a gas pump and walk away.
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She didn't think anything of the man when she went to pay at an automated
machine about 7 feet from her car.
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But the man noticed Trapp. While she was paying for the gas, he jumped in the
front seat of the unlocked vehicle.
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Trapp, 27, ran to her car, thrust her hand in the door before he was able to
close it, and clamped onto the man's jacket. She was screaming at him, yelling
for help and pulling at the man as hard as she could. The suspect started the
car, revving the engine.
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Trapp's daughter, frightened by her mother's screams and the "bad man's
swearing," jumped out of the car.
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Trapp, who is about 7 inches shorter than the suspect, pulled the 6-foot,
160-pound man out of the car, losing a shoe in the struggle.
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The suspect seemed stunned by the woman's strength, witness Amber Rotherick
said. He looked at Rotherick and yelled, "This woman is crazy."
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The suspect ran from the station, but onlooker Glenn Magnuson wasn't about to
let him go. Magnuson, 24, had heard the commotion while he was pumping gas, saw
the man stumble from the car and run.
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He checked to make sure Trapp and her daughter were not injured, then
followed the suspect.
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"I didn't want him to get away. I have three little sisters. That little girl
would have been gone. I thought he deserved a least to go to jail," the
Marysville man said.
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Magnuson and another man followed the suspect around the back of the gas
station. The man eventually walked back toward the station, and Magnuson yelled
for police.
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Trapp's daughter called Magnuson a hero.
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Her daughter is a hero, too, Trapp said. She did the right thing in a crisis.
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Trapp, her arms still sore from wrestling with the suspect, hopes her story
will be a warning to other parents to lock their car doors and never leave their
keys in the ignition. And her daughter will be pumping gas with her from now on,
Trapp said.
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"I want people to be more aware of their surroundings," she said. "It sounds
horrible, but be suspicious of people."
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From: http://www.lerumstidning.com
(November 30, 2005):
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In
the central part of Floda, Sweden, the 13-year-old girl was on her way back to
school on Thursday afternoon following a violin practice in a local church.
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Even
before going into the church she had noticed the man. When she walked up some
stairs behind the school, the 31-year-old man attacked her from behind.
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The
assailant held her in a strong grip, pushing her face to the ground and trying
to remove her jeans.
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However
the girl managed to hit the assailant with her violin-case, breaking free. She
ran with the man a few meters behind, but he gave up the chase and walked away.
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The brave
girl was not physically harmed apart from some scratches and bruises.
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From: http://www.pub.tv2.no
(November 1o,
2005):
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A woman
who had trained martial arts fought off two male attackers in Oslo, Norway.
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Just past
4 a.m. Thursday morning the two men in their thirties attacked the 36-year old
woman at a place called Carl Berner. At knife-point they attempted to force the
woman to the ground.
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The woman
defended herself by kicking one of the assailants in the groin. She further
punched one of the perpetrators on the nose so that he started to bleed.
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The two
men were forced to flee from the scene. The woman received a minor cut to the
face and was visibly shaken by the ordeal.
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From: Romerikes Blad
(May 11,
2005):
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On her way back home from work
this woman was attacked and attempted
raped by a large and strong male.
It was close to midnight and in a populated
area close to where she lived (a suburb
outside of Oslo, Norway).
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He pushed
her over from behind, and started to
tear her cloths off with brute force.
After
a periode of struggle she managed to
kick the man in the groin, so that he
fell. The woman managed to run away
and alert the police.
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From: TT News Agency
(April 29,
2005):
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A
Thursday night 12.30 AM a man jumped the
woman in Stockholm, Sweden, attempting to
rape her. He pulled the woman to the ground
and laid on top of her.
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Being
an amateur boxer, the woman instantly fought
him, punching him to the face. All the same
time she was screaming at him. According
to the media, the attacker saw no other
option than to run.
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Woman,
65 years old, and her daughter:
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From: Adresseavisen
(March 30,
2005):
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One
Sunday afternoon in Trondheim, Norway a
man presents himself at the door of the
65 year old lady, claiming he is from the
local electricity company. The woman is
carefull, but the man, in his mid twenties still
manage to gain access to her apartment.
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The
lady asks for som ID, but he says he has
forgotten it in the car, and continue to
say that he has to check the whole apartment.
When asked to leave, he takes a knife
form the kitchen sink and threatens the
woman, saying he want money. Upon being
confronted with the knife, the woman
falls over backwards and into some furniture.
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Luckily
her daughter and grandchildren are on a
visit in the apartment below. When hearing
the noice from above they rush upstairs.
The grandmother now forgets about her pain,
being worried for her daughter and grandchildren.
So she just jumps the robber, and grabs
him in a stranglehold.
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So
now the daughter joins in... She is trained
in Martial Arts, and goes directly into
a fighting stance to help her mother. This
proves too much for the robber, who takes
off without further ado.
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From: http://www.dagbladet.no
(March 2005):
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The
well-known female sports figure was out
walking on a forest track in Oslo,
Norway (October 2004). She was listening
to music (sic..) and did not hear the attacker
approaching from behind.
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The
man grabs her and start to pull her away
from the track, into the forest. But the
tiny woman immediately began to resist and
fight her considerably larger attacker.
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For
a period of time there was a wild struggle
between the female athlete and the man.
She was kicking and fighting, and the
attacker did not manage to bring her to
the ground or into the woods.
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Eventually
he was forced to give up and run away.
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From: TV 2 - Nettavisen
(February 19,
2005):
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Some
time between 3.30 and 3.45 AM Friday Night,
the woman was attacked close to her home
in Tiller, south of Trondheim, Norway. She
had taken a taxi to her home after a trip
to town, when the tall, medium built man
showed up.
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According
to the police the man attempted to rape
her, but she managed to fight him off
until he fled from the place.
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From: Dagbladet
(August 13,
2003):
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This
woman had spent a week on Holidays in
Spain. At 4.30 AM one night she awoke
when a man threw himself on top of her
in her bed. He pulls her out of the
bed by the hair, pressing her face into
the mattress. He also tries to gag her
by pushing rags into her mouth. He beats
her and places his hand over her mouth
and nose.
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The
woman gets hold of one of the mans fingers,
and bite him so hard that she can discribe
hearing a crushing sound. This makes
the attacker release his hold and flee
from the scene.
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According
to the reporter the man had probably
followed Lene-G. and her friend
after a visit downtown, entering the
bedroom through an open window.
In
her own words: "I was saved by
becoming angry, afraid - and very strong".
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| Click
here to read moresuccessful self-defense by women (continued)
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