I have been involved in a MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group this year, which I have really enjoyed. Each meeting is a time of fellowship with other moms and includes a presentation of some relevant topic. 
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This week's meeting was self-defense class. It was really fun! We learned a lot of techniques for keeping ourselves safe.
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The first thing we all need to do is to try to avoid making ourselves a target:
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- Be aware of your surroundings. Look around before getting out of a car or leaving a building. Wearing earphones or talking on a cellphone lowers your awareness.
- Be prepared. Have your keys in your hand when leaving a building. Try not to have your hands too full so that you couldn't use them to defend yourself.
- Some of the tips were obvious: lock your doors (at home and in the car), park in well-lit areas, etc.
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He then showed us some ways to physically defend ourselves if anyone does attack us. We practiced them with others in the group.
Only use offensive techniques if absolutely necessary. If you hurt someone, you will make them mad and more likely to retaliate, but here are some tips, if you must use them.
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Use the palm of your hand rather than your fist (you'll have a greater chance of hitting your target) and hit him square in the nose. It doesn't take a huge amount of force to break someone's nose and cause a lot of pain.
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Other target areas are the solar plexus (stomach), groin, top of the foot, or hitting both of his ears with the palms of your hands. Use your hands, knees or feet and use as much force as you are able to.
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We practiced hitting a board that broke in half if we hit it hard enough. I broke it on my first try. 
I encourage everyone (men or women) to take a class like this if you ever get a chance. It was fun and I learned a lot of new skills which I will hopefully never have to use, but it never hurts to be prepared.
