Bat

Self defense against an attack with a bat!

If you have enough distance to avoid getting hit and the attacker has a bat, then run as fast as you can, unless A og B.

A: There’s no clear safe path for you to escape. If there’s a crowd of people, you may not be able to run away at full speed and turning your back to an opponent is NOT a good idea, if you’re unable to run at full speed. Even if you’re in a room alone with the attacker it can be dangerous to try and make a run, if there’s an obstacle in your way such as opening a door or window before you can make your exit.

B: Running away means leaving someone you care about in danger. Presuming you care about others, which I hope, then running away isn’t always a good option. At times it’s better to ensure your own safety, if the alternative is that everyone including you get hurt, but if you can and especially if you have trained in martial arts, I think you should do something to protect others. Both for their sake and your own. For some that means staying and dealing with the situation if it’s a friend, for others if it’s family and for some it means standing in defense of any helpless victim.

I collaborated with Sergio from Practical Combat Martial Arts to make a video for when running isn’t an option. Watch and learn 3 simple alternative options, as well as a look at what not to do!