Some karate wisdom from my tang soo do instructor; thought you may be interested in having this useful advice. :D
What to do if encountered by bully/antagonist
1.
Make friends. Treat the attacker as a friend instead of an enemy. Remember the golden rule of treating others the way you want to be. Bullies aren't used to being treated with kindness and may not know how to respond.
2.
Use humor. Turn the threatening situation into a funny one. Tell a joke, but be careful that the antagonist doesn't think you are trying to make him look bad.
3.
Trickery. Fool the attacker by pretending either that you're sick, or speak in some foreign language, etc. The idea is to get the attacker to think of something else besides hurting you. You are trying to prevent a fight, not escalate it.
4.
Walk away. Though you may feel angered, frustrated, or that you have to fight back, does it really solve anything? It isn't right to fight back straight off.
5.
Agreeing. It is difficult to argue with someone who is agreeing with you. If someone calls an insult, wait and let the hurt feeling go away. You can also say something in agreement like, "You know what? You're right, I am short!"
6.
Refuse to fight. It takes two to fight, even though you may feel angry or want to cry. It takes alot of strength to just refuse to fight.
7.
Standing up to the attacker. This means telling with words, with your body, how you present yourself, that you do not want to be bullied. You might think that this would make the antagonist come after you more, and it might, but often times it surprises an attacker and he becomes unsure if you are such an easy target. This works best if there isn't a crowd around.
8.
Yelling. This is very powerful. It may shake this attacker up a bit and help reinforce your own confidence. It could be a
"kiai!" or words, such as "I won't let you hurt me!"
9.
Ignore. Pretending an attacker is not there may work for some attackers and not with others. This works well in combination with walking away or trickery.
10.
Using authority. This could mean showing the attacker you are not afraid and will not allow him to hurt you. It could also mean getting someone else to help you, such a policeman or parent. (Remember, {teaching this too little kids} there is a difference between tattling and telling; you have a right to protect yourself.)
11.
Reasoning or talking it out. It can be effective for people who are comfortable talking in clever ways. Use your brain and keep the attacker talking. It gives him time to think and see you as a person.
12.
Take a karate stance. This should be used as a last resort. It means you tried other alternatives and you feel that this is the last option. You are showing the attacker you are prepared to defend yourself physically if need be, and this might make the attacker back down if he sees you might know how to handle yourself in a fight.
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Prevention- Don't allow yourself to become a target. Use confident body language and respect others to show you will not be an easy victim for an attacker. Don't isolate yourself.
Prepare- Use your mental self-defense to get out of a situation before it becomes physical. Remember the twelve strategies.
Protect- As a last resort, use your physical self-defense skills when there is no way to talk the attacker down. No one has the right to physically or mentally harm you.
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Thanks to Amy Cote.
Artwork by DanieruLumiere of DeviantArt.
Current mood:
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