Jiu-jitsu Sensei on the Radio

Today I received a call from CBC Radio asking me questions regarding self-defense and street awareness in connection with the rash of recent muggings in the South Vancouver area. You can read about the story on CBC's website. They are also bringing me into the studio tomorrow morning to interview me on the radio at 6:40am.

My suggestions on preventing and dealing with muggings as a victim are as follows:

Avoid walking alone late at night.If it can't be avoided, take well-lit roads, preferably ones with more pedestrian and street traffic. Call someone to let them know that you're walking home, what route you're taking, and about how long it should take for you to get there. Then call them again when you get home. If something does happen to you, they'll know immediately and they'll also know where to look for you.

Be aware of your surroundings.If you're walking alone, especially at night, keep your head up and constantly monitor your surroundings. Don't walk with your head plugged into your MP3 player or while talking on your cell phone. Focus on getting home safely.

Trust your instincts.If you get a bad feeling about an area or people near to you, don't ignore it. Take a different route. If you think someone may be following you, get to a place where there are other people, a store, restaurant, or even a house that has lights on. If none of these options are available, cross to the other side of the street and dial 9-1 on your cell phone. If the person continues to follow you, then dial the last '1' to get help.

Don't fight unless you have to.You never know how your attacker will react, how much force he'll use or whether he's carrying a dangerous weapon. Give them what they want and only use force to defend yourself in response to physical attack.

For those of you who may be interested, I'm holding a women's personal safety and self-defense class on Sat. April 26. See my website for more details.