Sure, it's unlikely that you'll ever find yourself in a life-or-death jam. But bad things can happen. So what to do? Don't live your life in fear - learn some basic self defense, commit it to memory, and bust it out if you ever need to.
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1. Use your head.
Your head is big, hard and armored. A well-placed headbutt can work wonders, much more than punches or kicks. Aim at the bridge of your attacker's nose and you can do some serious damage.
2. If someone attempts to abduct you, scatter your belongings.
If the worst-case scenario happens and you're forced into a vehicle, try to drop as many of your possessions as possible (minus your cell phone!) Leaving evidence at the scene of the crime could help investigators track you down.
3. Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.
Take it from Muhammad Ali: The hardest target is a moving target. Standing still makes you an easy target. If you're able to keep moving, you can avoid attacks — and give yourself an opening to make your move.
4. Those feet be realfast!!!
5. Learn some pressure points.
Don't fight hard, fight smart. If you know exactly where to strike, a fight can be over before it's even started.
6. Home invasion? Head for the kitchen.
If there's no other escape, go to the room in your house that's full of potential weapons: Your kitchen. You know exactly where you keep your sharp knives while the intruder doesn't.
7. Let your hair down.
Ponytails and braids are easy to grab and hold onto. Leaving your hair down until you get to your destination can make it much harder for a potential attacker to gain control of you from behind.
8. Toss your wallet.
No one wants to give up their wallet. But if you're in a situation where you're forced to surrender it, don't hand it over — throw it a few feet away. Chances are good your mugger values grabbing the wallet more than keeping you at bay. Tossing it will give you a window to run away.
9. What to do if you feel threatened in an elevator.
Press as many buttons as possible. Opening the doors at every floor will increase the chances of the attacker getting caught. It will also slow their progress if the attacker has a destination in mind.
10. Don't be afraid to yell.
While carrying a whistle can be handy, the sound of a whistle might not signal "emergency!" to people nearby. Try a more direct route: Yell "HELP!", "ATTACK!", or "911!" These words have more urgency than the sound of a whistle.
11. Know how to escape zip ties.
The thought of being tied up is terrifying. If your attackers use zip ties, there's a way out. You can leverage your body against itself and break the restraint. This YouTube tutorial gives a great outline.
12. Take a self-defense course.
While these tips are useful, there's no match for knowing some basic self-defense. Taking a course will train you to be aware and instinctively take action if you're ever in a rough spot.
13. The igloo effect can help you survive a blizzard.
A Swedish man survived two months inside his car, including nights that reached 30 below, after his car got buried. The insulating effect of the snow around the car kept the temperature inside closer to freezing. He had a sleeping bag and good clothes, and he ate snow to stay hydrated. Passing snowmobilers thought they had found a crashed car and dug through a meter of snow and found the man weak and thin, but just barely alive.
14. If you're being followed, take action.
If you're on foot and suspect someone is following you, try to head to a public place. If you're in your vehicle, go to the nearest police station.
15. Pull on your attackers ear.
Ears are very sensitive and quite easy to grab hold of. If your attacker is in close, reach up and grab those ears and pull. If you're lucky, you'll have an opportunity to turn and run.
16. Kick the knees to get away.
Use the bottom of your foot to strike the knee. A kick to the knee is nearly impossible to block and can have a great impact. Use this opportunity to run away. Your attacker will have a much more difficult time chasing you while hobbling on one leg.
17. If you and your car happen to be sinking in water, don't touch that car door.
After impact, undo your seat belt and roll down your window as quickly as possible. At this stage, the door is unlikely to budge.
18. Believe it or not, a tampon wrapper can be exactly what you need to make a fishing bobber.
By taking the tampon out of the wrapper and tying up the open end, you may just increase your chances of survival if you're stuck in the wilderness and need something to eat.
19. Yes, somewhat bizarre, but a condom can be very useful when you desperately need to store goods that have to stay dry (matches, for example).
Try not to use them all so you have a few available.
20. If you're stranded in the wild, knowing if a storm is coming can save your life.
High pressure pushes the bubbles to the edges of a beverage (expect good weather). If they move to the middle, you might want to find cover.
21. When you first sit down on your flight, count how many rows separate you from the nearest exit.
In the event of a fire, you will be able to stay low and count the rows while evacuating.
22. Even though you may want to, don't flip the bird at that angry driver next to you.
It's entirely possible that you are flipping off an unstable individual that may escalate violence further. Simply not worth it.
23. People sitting at the back of the plane have the best chance of surviving a plane crash.
Popular Mechanics crunched the numbers from more than 40 years of flights and found that those sitting at the rear of the plane were 40 percent more likely to survive a crash than those sitting up front.
24. If you are caught in a rip tide, our instinct is to swim directly back to shore. This is not what you want to do.
Instead, swim diagonally to shore to get away from the rip tide.
25. Wear dual purpose jewelry.
This decorative ring, for example, really packs a punch.
26. Intoxication helps you survive traumatic injuries.
Multiple studies have shown that, with the exception of burn injuries, people with alcohol in their bloodstreams had a lower mortality rate than those without. Of course, alcohol consumption also greatly increases the risk of injury, so you shouldn't get carried away.
27. You can literally fight fire with fire.
In 1949, a horrible wildfire claimed the lives of 12 smokejumpers, except Wag Dodge, who lit a big fire and stood on the ashes in order to survive. Two other smokejumpers survived by finding refuge near a rock slide. Wag's technique of lighting a 'backfire' became a standard survival method taught to smokejumpers.
28. In the event that you're being attacked in an elevator, try to press as many buttons as possible.
Not only will this prevent your attacker from getting away, bystanders may end up noticing on other floors as well. Plus it'll be easier to get away.
29. Don't inflate your life jacket on an airplane as soon as you put it on — this may cause more harm than good.
Always wait to inflate the jacket until after you exit the plane to prevent being trapped inside.
30. If you're being pursued in public or even attacked, do everything you can to scatter your belongings.
While you shouldn't ditch your phone, scattering things like ID or cards in your wallet could help determine your original location.
31. Know how to determine true north.
First, put a stick in the ground that casts a shadow and mark its location. Wait 15 minutes, and connect a line between the first and second shadow mark. Place your left foot on the original mark and right foot on the second, you will be facing north.
32. If you're stranded in water without a flotation device, use your pants.
U.S. Marines are taught to tie the legs of the pants first and then "whip" them to fill them with air. Hold the waist closed with your hands.
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