Your answer must include where the square is.

To avoid the square - we go below, above, to the side or out of reach of the square.

Did you get this wrong? Sorry but you must face punishment! Do this:

Imagine a square directly behind your head on the wall. Put your back close to it and practise moving out of it, below it, to the sides. Repeat 5 times. 

Your answer should include: Get steady - drop into the Low Fence immediately to stabilise and generate power. This gives you the best chance to be fully powerful in your fight back. 

Got the answer wrong? Punishment time!

- From just standing as normal, no stance of any kind, arms by your side. Suddenly move into the Low Fence, shout loudly and move around as if you’re getting away from the Bad Guy. Repeat 5X.

Your answer must include: Chin down and touching your chest, shoulders shrugged up as high as they can go and neck made as small as possible. (Extra points if you also said to get your hands up and ready to grab him and move out of the way!)

Got this wrong?

You must do the turtle move 10 times! Imagine someone behind you, as soon as you even sense an arm moving towards you, turtle up and get your arms to the height of your neck to start fighting them off. Slow & controlled.

Answer: The straight shot. It allows you to keep your distance and keep them at bay. If they charge, you already have a hand out to start fighting back before they can grab you fully. It’s good practice to finish your shots with a straight. (The straight can be a Palm Heel (best option if possible) but can be a push kick or a straight punch etc).

Didn’t get the answer?

Fight your way out of an imaginary grab → finish with a straight Palm Heel → shout and run away. Repeat 5X.

Practice each one three times. Move forward, back, left and right in each position to pass this test.

Answer: Anger beats fear. Best practice is to already have things that anger you about this person before they ever enter your world. Note that the anger is internal and channeled towards this person. You are not aiming to escalate a situation but just beating fear and freeze.

Got this wrong?

Write down ten times "ANGER beats freeze!" and each time think, "I will get angry internally and channel it towards this person, without escalating the situation unnecessarily."

Aha! This has not been explained to you before! The four areas are:

1. Being out of range. 

This is where the attacker cannot reach you. You are too far to get hit or grabbed. When you walk away from a situation, that is essentially what you are doing. When you decide not to take a particular path as you get out of the train station and see someone who you think might be worth avoiding - that is you getting out of range. Sitting at home eating cake - that’s me out of range! In an actual altercation, just keeping your distance or running away asap is keeping out of range.

2. Being within striking range. 

This is where you (or they) can hit or grab each other. If someone can hit you (kick or punch etc) or grab you, then you are within ‘striking range’. You don’t need to be there. But if you are, you’ve got a few strikes of your own you could deliver.

3. Stand-up grappling range. 

This is where you’re grabbed but still on your feet. It can be a grab of the clothes or limbs or body or hair. It can be from in front or behind.

4. The ground grappling range. 

This is where you’re on the ground (or on a bed or on the floor of a vehicle etc) and grappling. This is the phase we will cover next for you to reach Empress level in women’s self defence. By this stage you really will own a vast amount of the skills and knowledge to be one step ahead in so many situations. (You can also come back to these lessons anytime, remember! It’s YOUR course.)