Self-defence

I think it’s a good thing to be prepared for not necessarily the worst but at least a dangerous situation. I went to France as a school trip a year ago and we planned on Dad teaching my friend and me basic self-defence before we left in case anything happened. That didn’t eventuate, but I have started using the punching bag regularly over the last few days (partially because it's fun and, out of my holiday exercise regime, the easiest thing to commit to doing - seriously, we bought a Wii and Zumba ages ago and I only feel comfortable using it if I'm alone or if only my brother is home, because he tried it out once and knows how awkward it would be to do with others - and partially because if I'm ever assaulted I want to be able to punch without breaking my thumb) and my brother has retaught me the correct way to punch. People don’t all need to know different moves and have practice sparring etc if that doesn’t interest them, but I think it’s important to at least know how to punch, places to aim and other basic knowledge in case something does happen. For example, if you’re being put in a headlock you should drop your chin to your chest so that the person can’t get their arm to your neck and strangle you. The armpit area is really sensitive and pinching there is extremely effective, while not long lasting. You need to be aware of the positioning of your thumb, and whether you’re going to roll your wrist, when punching to make sure that nothing gets broken. Things like that, little tricks that won’t necessarily win you a fight or immediately get you away from a bad situation but might give you the opportunity to distract the assailant for a few seconds or get out of their grip or at least delay you being strangled, could be the thing that allows you to last until you can get help or that minimises your injuries.