Lauren Bouhnik

Learn strategies for preserving freedom of movement and preventing control from becoming established. The purpose is not to defeat an aggressor, but to deny access, create distance, exploit environmental advantages, and reach safety before violence becomes necessary.

Situational awareness is the skill of perceiving, interpreting, and anticipating environmental changes to maintain options before danger arises.

The goal of self-defense and safety is to preserve life, health, autonomy, and safety, not to punish, dominate, or seek revenge. Being safe might require different approaches or strategies depending on the proximity of the perceived threat; Think of this as a spectrum: Prevention: prevent being targeted in the first place. Evasion: create barriers between you and the threat. De-escalation: make the threat change their mind. Fight: your last resort. Flip-the-switch, incapacitate quickly, and...