Make Some Noise & Be Heard

Self-defense is more than blocking and striking. It’s using our brains—common sense is the first step to self-defense—and heeding the warning when your intuition feels something is off. Is also about using VOICE. Voice is such an important weapon in self-defense that there is a name for it: Kiai (Kee-eye).

You might recognize a kiai as the “hiya” from karate movies. However, it can be any word or sound that you want to make. Swearing a string of profanities counts. Same goes for shouting “Fire!” or a child yelling “Stranger, stranger, 911!” It doesn’t matter what sound you make. Just make some noise.

Kiai is a spirit shout, and it has a few purposes.
 

1. It helps draw attention to our situation. If someone hears you scream or shout, they can intervene or call the police. Remember, an attacker doesn’t want to get caught. Drawing attention is the last thing they want.
    
2. It can scare your attacker. A loud, unexpected yell can short circuit someone’s brain for a moment allowing you a second or two to strike or break from their grip.  
    
3. It tightens our muscles to prepare us to take a hit.
    
4. It fires us up. Many athletes do this before a competition. “Come on!” “We got this!” “Go Team!” are among the more mild versions of kiai.

Just like singers and drill instructors train their voices, so must martial artists. Many beginner students struggle to kiai, as they feel silly or self-conscious. Counting our basics out loud and with enthusiasm helps them develop the kiai. The sound you make isn't as important as using your voice to fight back.

~KM Fawcett
Author and martial arts instructor
Romance for the Rebel Heart
www.kmfawcett.com

Spring Break - Party Safely!

Spring is almost here! You know what that means? Spring Break and time to let loose! If it’s been a while (a long while for some of us) since you’ve partied during spring break, these tips are good to remember at any time.

PLAN A: There is safety in numbers, so go out with a group of friends you trust, stay together, and leave together. Don’t leave--or let your friends leave--with a stranger. Be sure you have a designated driver. If you decide to stay out later, leave earlier, or realize your designated driver has been drinking, switch to PLAN B: Call someone you trust to come get you or call a taxi, Uber, or Lyft. Remember to fully charge your cell phone before going out and have emergency cash.

PLAN A: Don’t share too much personal information (phone number, birthday, address) with people you’ve just met. Don’t trust someone just because they’re attractive. Serial killer Ted Bundy (who kidnapped, raped, and murdered dozens of women in the 70s) was an attractive, college-educated, and charismatic man. If you really like the person you’re getting to know and want to talk again, go to PLAN B: Get their number instead.

PLAN A: Know how much you're going to drink before going out. Once you’re buzzed, you quit making good decisions. If you’re going through your drinks faster than you anticipated, try PLAN B: Alternate alcoholic drinks with non-alcoholic drinks. No one needs to know your third and fourth rum and Cokes are only Cokes or that you filled up your beer bottle with water.

PLAN A: Don't leave your drink unattended. If you leave to go to the restroom, the dance floor, or to make a phone call, then implement PLAN B: throw out that drink when you return. You can always buy another one. Aren’t you glad you brought that extra cash now?

PLAN A: Drink only from bottles or cans you have opened or have watched the bartender pour. Don't accept drinks that are in punch bowls or other open containers. Never accept drinks from strangers or people you don’t absolutely trust with your life. If you didn't see what went into your glass, assume anything can be in it. Your nonalcoholic drink could be spiked with alcohol. Your alcoholic drink could be laced with drugs. Even if it isn't drugged, the person buying you a drink may think you now owe them something in return. You don't. PLAN B: Get help immediately from someone you trust with your life if...
When going out to a party, club, or bar, make a plan and stick to it. If, for some reason, things change during the night, have a backup plan.

• Your drink tastes bitter; is unusually salty; has a strange color, odor, or has foam or residue on the surface. However, it may be difficult to tell if your drink is cloudy or has an unusual color in a dimly lit room. Also, BE AWARE that many date rape drugs are colorless, odorless, tasteless and can dissolve quickly in liquid.
• You begin to feel usually drunk for the amount of alcohol you've consumed.
• You feel dizzy, nauseous, drowsy, ill, confused, have slurred speech, have trouble moving or controlling your muscles, have trouble breathing, hallucinate, or pass out.
• Your friend acts in the above manner. (Remember your buddy plan to watch out for each other?)

You or your friend may have been drugged and may be alert for only a moment longer. Call 911 immediately!

PLAN A: Stay with friends and make sure they stay with you. Don’t wander off alone even if you need to find a quiet place to make a phone call. Buddy up when going to the restroom. If you get separated from your friends and someone starts bothering you, go to PLAN B: find help from someone you trust or an employee at the bar. If you can't get away or the person refuses to stop harassing you, implement PLAN C: DEFEND YOURSELF!

Party smart and stay safe! Or better yet...stay home and read FEARLESS (The Survival Race #2)  ;-)
  
When a soul jumper embraces a gladiator warlord’s darkest secrets, their destinies unite in a fight to save their loved ones. But victory will demand they surrender more than their hearts.

Pre-order your copy now for a March 25th release. 

Amazon  *  B&N  *  Kobo

~ K.M. Fawcett
Author and martial arts instructor
Romance for the Rebel Heart
www.kmfawcett.com

DON'T BE EASY

What do the people in the following scenarios have in common? 

Someone exits a store looking at the receipt from their latest purchase. A woman stands in the parking lot rummaging through her purse in search of her car keys. A man walks, jogs, or runs with headphones. A friend is texting while walking to work or school. 

People photo created by rawpixel.com - www.freepik.com

Each person is distracted and unaware of their surroundings. To a predator, they might as well have “Easy Target” written on their foreheads, making them easier to mug, hurt, or rape. 

Criminals fear two things: being caught and being hurt, which is why they look for an easy target in the first place. 

It takes a predator seconds to zero in on an easy target. Fortunately, you are not easy. You're a Hard Target because…

• You are aware of your surroundings.
• You walk with your head up and with a purpose.
• You look confident.
• You pay attention to the people around you.
• You make eye contact letting people know you see them, but you don’t stare so as not to challenge them.
• You wear headphones when exercising at the gym, NOT while exercising outside.
• You have your keys in hand when going to your car.
• You park in well-lit areas. You know who poured your drinks.
• You don't leave your glass unattended. You protect your personal space.

The first step to self-defense is common sense. But what can you do if you're attacked? 

1) Posture: Posturing is making yourself appear confident, strong and intimidating to your attacker so they lose their will to fight before the confrontation even begins. It is both a fighting position and attitude.

Perhaps you’ve seen someone who was about to get into a fight stand a little taller, puff out his chest, stick out his chin, shout, swear or flat out take a fighting guard. This is posturing. 

2) Voice: Our voice is so important to self-defense that martial artists have a name for it. Kiai (Kee-eye). This spirit shout has a few purposes:

• It helps draw attention to our situation. Someone may come help or call 911.
• It can scare our attacker.
• It tightens our muscles to prepare us to take a hit.
• It fires us up. (Don’t athlete’s do this before games? “Come on!” “We got this!” “Go [insert team name here]!” Of course, they do.

You might recognize a kiai as the “hiya” from old karate movies. However, it can be any word or sound that you want to make. Swearing counts. Or shouting, “Fire!” or maybe for a child, teaching them to scream, “Stranger, stranger, 911!” It doesn’t matter what sound you make. Just make noise. 

3) Fight Back: Fighting back doubles the chances that the assailant breaks off his attack. Remember the two things criminals fear: getting caught and getting hurt. There’s more than one way to stop an attack. The important thing is stopping it. 

4) Weak Targets: No matter how much someone trains or lifts weight, there is nothing they can do to increase the strength of their weak targets - eyes, throat, groin. Fingers to the eyes, a punch to the throat, or a knee to the groin may be enough to make the attacker stop or flee. At the very least it will shake them up so you can continue to defend yourself or escape.

These are only a few tips to help you protect yourself. If you’ve never taken a self-defense class, I urge you to take one. It could be the single most important thing you do! If you have taken a self-defense class, take another one. Repetition, repetition, repetition will help you fight back with confidence and effectiveness.

Don't be easy! Be a hard target and tell your loved ones how to do the same.

~K.M. Fawcett
Author and martial arts instructor
Romance for the rebel heart 
www.kmfawcett.com