How often do you practice with your weapon or style of choice? When you are in a life or death situation you only do what you practice.

Too many people don’t even think about this.

There are women who actually carry mace in their overcrowded purse, who have never even purchased one extra canister to use in a practice run.

When a criminal attacks it is the WRONG time to fumble around in your purse, then attmpt to read the instructions while he’s strangling you!

Buy extra canisters. Take a day a month and just run through it. Practice as if you were being attacked. Include pulling it out of your purse! Try different directions. Spray something.

If you are using a Taser or a gun practice using it! It’s okay to take your kids along. Just make sure everyone is following proper safety rules!!!!!

I’ve heard people say, “oh, I have a laser site on it. I don’t need to practice.” Well, a laser sight will do you no good if you don’t remember to pull the slide and actually get a bullet in the chamber!

And what about if you choose to be a knife fighter?

Or martial arts…

Do you EVER practice your forms, kata’s etc in the clothes you actually wear in your regular every day doings? 

I can tell you one thing. It’s VERY different doing a kick in jeans than it is in a gi. You will not be effective doing the moves without practicing them in what you REALLY wear.

Your feet move differently in shoes than barefoot. Do you practice your moves in your shoes? You will find it’s more difficult than when barefoot. You don’t spin around to face your opponent the same way in tennies on pavement as you do barefoot in the dojo.

A lot of this is common sense. Unfortunatly too many law abiding people don’t think about these details.

The criminals do.

I asked a gangster once how they ran away from cops in those ridiculous pants they wear. (I was hoping that somehow it would give the cop an advantage.)

He just looked at me for a second, then realized I wasn’t making fun of him, I really wanted to know.

He said,”We hold them up and run.”

Inside I was just busting up a gut! It’s like women of old hiking their skirts!!!

You would think that someone putting themselves in constant danger of being arrested would come up with a more conducive style than that, but…. the point is they have already thought about the limitations their clothes have and know what they are going to do about it to get away.

What are you going to do to get away from an attacker?

Practice stages first, so you don’t forget your most important option — Running away!

Practice in your mind too. If I’m walking; running away. If I’m in my car; driving away or using it as a weapon to protect myself. Then if this happens…. Then if that happens….. etc.

You don’t have to get carried away with this and dwell on it all the time, because the truth is violence never looks the same from one attack to another. You will NEVER be able to plan for the exact event.

It is mostly just an excercise to keep your mind aware of all it’s options, so that when an attack occurs you are thinking logically, or if you’re too scared to think that your muscle memory will already be acting out a plan.

Remember, make time to protect yourself, and you will feel the confidence of being safe!

Eldra McCracken

http://www.beautifulwarriorwomen.com

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