Self Defence Lessons from the Real World: Woman Fights Back from Assault in Bathroom
The irish times recently reported that a man was jailed for an assault on a woman in the ladies bathroom.
After she went to use the bathroom, he followed...
Unfortunately, the cubicle lock was broken enabling him to force the door open.
She bravely fought him off and escaped. The man has now been sentenced to 4+ years in prison.
Some important points we can take from this:
- While the woman was going about her normal social life, a predator was watching her.
- He applied the ACE principle; Where could he get
- Access to her
- Control her
- Prevent exit
- Fighting back decided the outcome
The Advantage Predators have is their willing to act in a way that shocks us,
we can fight back by owneing the ACE
Predators operate in plain sight. They target people going about their normal lives. They wait for an opportunity to attack when their targets are at their most vulnerable.
They may have already staked out and prepared where they will commit the crime and are just waiting for the opportunity.
They may target a specific individual or just whoever happens to be in the situation.
We should consider the possibility that he previously damaged the cubicle door, preparing for this assault.
Own The ACE
Always remember we want to control the ACE:
Assaults happen when
- they have private ACCESS to you
- they can exert CONTROL
- and prevent EXIT
Key Lessons
- Be aware of your surroundings and who might be watching you.
- As much as possible, try not to be isolated in risky locations.
- What most consider a "normal" situation, predators consider a hunting ground.
- Take small problems seriously, like the latch being broken on the door.
- Always fight to escape: Fighting can deter, delay and allow escape.
- Know how to fight in restricted spaces: Escape is always the priority, but situations can occur where you have to fight first to enable the escape.
This woman's ordeal demonstrates the unpredictable nature of assaults and the power of self-defence.
Predators are around us. They are looking for situations where their victim is most vulnerable. They will stay hidden and masked until the situation favours them.
They may know and have prepared the “hunting ground".
Always be aware of your environment. Take small things seriously and know how to fight effectively.
These are skills that can be learned.
