Self-defense: Playing it safe

Sadaf and her mother were on their way back home from a shopping spree on Tariq Road when they were mugged at gunpoint. Oblivious to their surroundings, gossiping about family, they were caught off-guard when two men stopped their motorcycle right in front of their car, then took out pistols and aimed at them.

“My mind was screaming, Push that accelerator and drive over them!” says Sadaf. “But my body froze and it seemed like there was no point in retaliating.”

Sadaf and her mother handed over all their money, cell phones and jewelry and, before they could even grasp their situation, the two men had fled.

Does all of this sound painfully familiar? If this hasn’t happened to you, it’s happened to someone you know. Phone snatching, gunpoint robberies, muggings – these are the disadvantages of big city life. We are often sharing stories of how that aunt or friend got mugged, how a person at a nearby roundabout got shot or how crime has risen in general.

Mr. Ahmed Chinoy, the Chief of Citiziens-Police Liaison committee PLC, agrees: “There is no doubt that street crime exists extensively in Karachi. Mobile snatching and kidnapping are at their peak and a concentrated effort is needed to eradicate them.”

He concedes that greater efficiency on the part of authorities is required but he also puts the onus on citizens, saying that almost all common incidents of mobile and purse-snatching go unreported.

While heading out to town with our girlies, we repeatedly check our clothes, accessories and our cell phones but often forget to check on our basic safety. But considering the rising crime rate, knowledge of some basic measures can come in handy.

Prevention is the best self-defense

Women often present an easy target for criminals out for some quick gains, since they are physically vulnerable and often loaded with jewelry and cash. Some common-sense safety tips that we tend to disregard include:

1. Parking your car in crowded and well-lit areas. You are more likely to be attacked in a desolate spot than in a bustling marketplace where you can shout for help and attract a crowd.

2. Avoiding using cell-phones in public places. According to Chinoy, “Using cell phones at public places – something that women often do – attracts direct attention and can endanger them.”

3. Chinoy adds that it is in the best interest of office-going people and college kids to use different routes. If their route is seen as a routine, it is likely to attract unnecessary attention and cause trouble.

4. Avoid wearing flashy jewelry. While most women feel accessorising their outfit is a necessity, tone down your jewelry or wear something you can easily part with if need be. Instead of piling on gold when headed to a wedding, get hold of those equally intricate silver trinkets that can substitute for the charm of gold to complete your wedding attire. Those of a more traditional bent believe bangles and gold are the necessary accoutrements of a married woman. If you’re one of those who simply must wear them, hide that glitz and glitter till you have reached the insides of the wedding hall. Mrs. Samina Ejaz says, “I never take my gold bangles off because they were given to me by my parents in ‘jahez’. When I am going to a wedding, I make sure I cover them up with my dupatta so that they are not visibIe.”

Be aware and trust that inner voice

Despite all these precautions, you might find yourself in a threatening situation. When you are out, be aware of your surroundings and alert to any changes in them. All too often, we are so preoccupied with other thoughts – kids, work, dinner plans – that we barely register what is happening around us, particularly when running routine chores. However, it is imperative to glance around before sitting in your car. Does someone appear suspicious? Does anything feel out of place? Make a note. Once you are inside your car, make sure you immediately lock all your doors before you think of doing that grocery check or counting the shopping bags. SSP Amir Farooqui suggests keeping a mental record of everything you are carrying including the model number and edition of your cell phone. Additionally, he says, “Every cell phone has an IMEI number that is its unique identity number. One must always keep a record of that as you can easily track the whereabouts of the cell phone through it.”

As women, we are naturally intuitive and can smell danger but often these instincts are blurred by our emotions which are manipulated by predators. When you are carrying heavy bags or have that punctured tyre, it may be tempting to accept a man’s help. That may not be a good idea and this is where your intuition and judgment come into play. If there is the least hint of suspicion, do not ask a stranger for help. If your car is parked in a secluded or distant area, do not take help. If that helping hand asks for a favour in return such as a lift, either take a moment and walk off to the nearest public place to get help or make up an excuse and drive off.

Use those vocal chords and stiff muscles

If you are certain that you are about to be attacked, fight back! Yell as loud as you possibly can and push the attacker back. This will immediately gather attention and signal to the goon that you are not easy prey. An unpublished National Institute of Justice (U.S.) report suggests that physical defensive strategies such as biting, hitting, forcefully escaping and other physical self-defense techniques are more effective in countering attacks than strategies such as crying and pleading. Showing forceful resistance can actually be successful in driving away the victimiser.

According to Qasim Sulaiman, the country head of Shotokan Karate Schools as well as the country representative of International Tsunami Karate Federation, even a trained six-year-old girl can disarm a grown man if she attacks one of the nearly 10-12 pressure points in his body. These pressure points include the jaw-line and testicles. He gives an example of one of his students, a working woman who was a regular on cabs. About to be kidnapped by the cab driver, she instantly applied two to three tricks with her fingers and elbow and was able to disable the kidnapper in three seconds. However, proper training and regular practice is necessary for such a move to be successful. These tactics will only work on an unarmed attacker.

Most importantly, assess your situation prior to any kind of reaction. If you have a gun pointed at you or you are travelling with a baby, do not act like a Raani of Jhaansi. Sharfuddin Memon, adviser on law and order to Sindh government, emphasises, “It is best not to resist when facing a gun. Any kind of resistance will only trigger them to take action.” Just hand over your purse or whatever the attackers want. Your belongings are not worth more than your life.

However, in the case of an unarmed attacker, it is a good idea to put up some resistance. Do you see a rock lying on the ground, did you carry that nail filer in your purse, can you smash your window? Whatever is it that you can get your hands on, use it as your weapon. Both Memon and Chinoy strongly recommended the use of pepper spray to ward off the attacker. Unfortunately for Pakistani women, pepper sprays are not readily available in our country but luckily for you, we have an easy recipe.

1. Take about 100g hot chili powder, and 200ml ethanol.

2. Mix the two together in a container.

3. Filter off the mixture using a sieve to make sure there is no solid chili powder left.

4. Cook the mixture in a container until the ethanol boils and evaporates and an orange wax-like solution remains

5. Now add 20ml of baby oil, or vary till you have a viscous liquid.

6. Put the solution in a spray bottle and disarm that attacker!

It’s only a little preparation and shrewd thinking that can save you from being a victim to that hawk-eyed attacker. The bottom line is, it is only you who can best analyze the level of your situation. Think carefully into what is negotiable and what is not. Make that investment in a self-defense training class; you will definitely learn something worthwhile. Till then all the best and stay safe!

Published in The Express Tribune, Ms T, February 10^th, 2013.

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