Self-defense can help students feel safer as they explore campus, meet new people, and move from one spot to the next. It’s important to know how to defend yourself against any attacks or threats so you have a higher chance of avoiding danger and coming out safely.

Around 73% of women in the United States use, or have used, some form of self-defense tactic in their lifetime. Unfortunately, it is a necessary tool to learn in order to stay safe and out of harm’s way. 

Being on a college campus usually entails long walks, dimly lit parking lots, lots of activity, and many people around. But when you feel confident in your ability to defend yourself, you’ll feel safer as you navigate the day-to-day.

In this post, we’ll go over a few different self-defense tactics you can use to protect yourself whenever necessary.

4 Self-Defense Techniques

Self-defense isn’t just raising your fists ready to brawl against your attacker. It’s also staying alert, being smart, prioritizing fitness, and having confidence. 

There are many different scenarios you could find yourself in while on campus, and many ways to steer clear of danger. Let’s go through a few. 

1. Be Alert While Walking Around Campus

It’s crucial to always be aware of your surroundings, even if you’re with people you’re familiar with. You never know who could be around or come into the picture at any time. While you shouldn’t have to constantly monitor your surroundings, it’s still important to look around every so often and assess your environment.

Choose shorter pathways to and from your destination and try to stay in well-lit areas, especially at night. Avoid solely paying attention to your phone or wearing headphones so you can clearly hear around you. Walk with a friend so you have someone with you. 

You can also share your location with friends or family and let them know when they can expect to hear back from you. That gives those you know a chance to hold you accountable for getting back home safely, especially if you’ll be alone. 

   2. Learn Basic Techniques

You don’t need to be a master martial artist to disarm your opponent. Here are some of the most common defense tactics you can use.

1. The Guillotine Choke

Perhaps one of the most famous chokehold techniques, The Guillotine Choke uses one arm to go over your opponent’s head to then grab your other arm to apply pressure to their neck. A blood choke restricts oxygen to the brain and an air choke restricts air flow through the windpipe.

  2. The Push Kick

The Push Kick is an extremely common strike used in Muay Thai. It’s low-risk and can be used to keep opponents off your body and off balance. 

To perform this tactic, raise your foot to hip-level and push forward, giving your hips momentum. At full extension, press on the ball of your foot and bring your leg back to a fighting stance by reversing the movement. 

  3. The Mount Escape

The Mount Escape places your opponent beneath you on the ground with very limited movement. It gives you an opportunity to swing at their face and upper body while their defenses are restricted. 

But what do you do if you find yourself at the bottom? 

First, control their arm in the same direction you plan to disarm them. Then, bring your feet close behind you while keeping them flat on the ground. Roll your hips off the ground as much as you can and roll until you’re finally in the top position.

   3. Keep Safety Tools on Hand

Nowadays, there are plenty of devices on the market for personal safety, especially for women. However, some of them may not be permitted on college campuses depending on where you live. It’s best to confirm with your college beforehand. 

A few safety tools include:

• Tasers: Also called stun guns, tasers incapacitate your attacker by delivering a high-voltage shock through their system. 
• Sound alarms: These devices emit a loud alarm noise when activated, alerting those around you about an attack. 
• Pepper spray: When sprayed in someone’s face, the capsaicin in pepper spray will leave their eyes, skin, and lungs burning and cause temporary blindness and pain. 
• Self-defense keychain: These are keychain attachments that usually come with brass knuckles or spiked tools. They’re used mainly to strike an assailant’s eyes and throat, and require lots of force. 


   4. Sign Up For a Self-Defense Class

You don’t need to be a master of martial arts to incapacitate your attacker and keep yourself from harm. Believe it or not, even taking one beginner class can help you learn enough technique to stay safe and do so with confidence. 

At Fitness By Maryam, we offer Fight Fusion every week: a striking class with trained professionals that mixes kickboxing, Muay Thai, and Taekwondo. These techniques, combined with high-intensity workouts, train you to build strength, improve agility, and enhance your overall endurance. 

Whether you’re a beginner or quite familiar with martial arts training, Fight Fusion is a great way to mix technique with skill all while burning calories. It provides a comfortable environment for women to learn and practice prevention, risk reduction, and awareness as they master the basics of hands-on defense training. 

We’re also hosting our first-ever public self-defense class at the FBM facility on August 22nd. You don’t want to miss it! 

Join Us at Fitness By Maryam!

Any questions? Feel free to reach out to us via email, phone call, or stop by the gym for a tour!

You can also check out our upcoming events for this month on Instagram at @FitnessByMaryam or here.

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• Personal Training
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