What to do if you are robbed and other self-defence tips for travel

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SINGAPORE - From bag snatchers on motorbikes to pickpockets on the subway, travelling carries an inherent risk.

 

So it pays to be equipped with basic self-defence skills, which my colleague, Straits Times multimedia journalist Cheow Sue-Ann, and I learn during a krav maga session at The Coactive Self Defense and Fitness school in Craig Road.

 

Krav maga is a self-defence system developed for the Israel Defense Forces.

 

Ms Cheow, who is recovering from a broken arm, does not seem like she can inflict much harm on an assailant. But it is far better to de-escalate the situation than to fight, says head krav maga trainer Daniel Kim.

 

Spot a threat from afar and you can neutralise it by keeping your distance. If approached by a stranger, move away. Raise your voice if you have to.

 

If all else fails and you are forced to defend yourself, you must create maximum pain in the shortest amount of time, adds Mr Kim, 43.

 

Savage yet practical. Think of krav maga as a form of street fighting. Techniques deemed illegal in martial arts competitions - such as throat jabs, groin strikes and eye gouges - are fair game.

 

The sharpest weapon, however, is a keen eye and a quick mind. Here are three ways to help you stay out of trouble when you are travelling.

 

Make smart choices, be aware of your surroundings

 

Self-defence starts as a series of choices.

 

Take the shortcut through a dark alley or walk an extra 10 minutes back to your hotel? Glam up for holiday snapshots or dress down to avoid looking like a target? Avoid talking to strangers or make a new friend?

 

Though the safe answers are clear, there is no joy in doing the sensible thing all the time. Instead, go for smart trade-offs.

 

Take the shortcut, but only during the day. Befriend the locals if they seem sincere, but maintain your personal space and be extra careful with your belongings while you chat.

 

The key is to keep unpleasant situations at bay.

 

While it is easy to be swept up in the splendour of a view or the bustle of a city, keep an eye on your surroundings at all times. Be aware of who is around you, including their body language. Someone with a hand in his or her pocket might be hiding a weapon, says Mr Kim.

 

To avoid veering into paranoia, trust your gut. A pocket-size copy of Lonely Planet's Best Ever Travel Tips taught me to size people up within three seconds of meeting them.

 

If in doubt, keep your distance. In more than a decade of travel, this has not failed me.

 

De-escalate the situation

 

It sounds counterintuitive, but raising your voice can sometimes end a tense encounter. Take, for instance, a stranger getting too close on public transport.

 

Mr Kim says his female Asian students tend to lean or shuffle away uncomfortably, while Western women are more likely to tell the person to move back.

 

Do not be embarrassed to use your voice if the situation calls for it, he adds. Assailants looking for easy targets will likely back off once they realise you are not one. They, too, are afraid as they are on the wrong side of the law.

 

If you are approached at close range and sense danger, hold your hands up close to your face with palms open. This appears conciliatory as you establish what the other person wants, but allows you to react quickly in self-defence.

 

Take the hand of your children or travel companions under your care. A quick flick of your wrist downwards, pressing against theirs, will force them behind you as you step between them and danger. I practise this with Ms Cheow and we get the hang of it quickly.

 

Be prepared to hand over your valuables, especially if the assailant is armed. Keep a decoy wallet handy, filled with loose change and a few small notes. It will be a small price to pay for your safety.

 

Maximum pain, minimum effort

 

If all else fails, strike from the palms-up stance described earlier. Dig your fingernails into the assailant's eyes, bring the heel of your palm on a nose bridge or drive a flexed foot into the groin.

 

While all this sounds brutal, remember: At this point, you are fighting for your safety. Do not waste time with garden-variety scratching and hitting - go for where it hurts.

 

Ms Cheow - even with only one good arm - and I manage to get in some solid strikes and kicks on a boxing pad during our two-hour session.

 

But when Mr Kim role-plays a harasser, I freeze the first few times.

 

This is normal, he says. The trick is to turn your responses into muscle memory, so that the body takes over when the mind is stunned.

 

After a few tries, I manage to land a strike on Mr Kim's ear. This is a good move, which he says has the potential to rupture an assailant's eardrum.

 

"You just need that one solid hit, so you can buy yourself time to get away," he adds.

 

• Several types of classes are available at The Coactive Self Defense and Fitness school, including women-centric self-defence boxing and krav maga for kids, teens and adults. Adult classes cost between $22.50 and $30 a session depending on the size of the package. For more information or to sign up for a free trial, go to the Coactive website.
• This is the first instalment of Streetwise, a new series on smart travel tips. For more travel stories, go to this website.

 

 

Source: The Straits Times © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Reproduced with permission.

 

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