VANCOUVER SELF DEFENSE: ASSESS - AVOIDANCE AND PREVENTION TIPS

Stay Safe? — No, Play Safe! -- the idea is not to live in constant fear and always looking over your shoulder. One could stay relatively free of harm just by staying at home; but that is no way to live. Instead you should get out and enjoy life while adopting regular simple practices into your daily routine that will greatly lower your risk of an encounter. These are but a few samples taught in the Hit and Run curriculum that we hope you will find helpful:  

Parking Lot: garage, mall, work: Always back your car into the spot!  
  • By backing in, you have a substantial view of the parking lot (instead of a concrete wall) and can see if anyone is approaching the vehicle before you get out of the car (the same for when you are getting back in!).
  • While getting in or out of a car, your open wide door can act as a barrier between yourself and the attacker (when a wall or another parked car is next to you), making it easier for you to reenter the vehicle.
  • You can aggressively speed away while facing forward, instead of backing up (maybe hitting something or someone) and then having to shift gears again to go forward, losing valuable time.
  • The same applies for your house. By backing in, you can ensure the garage door is fully closed and no one has followed you inside the garage, before you leave the safety of your vehicle.   

Elevator: An elevator is always preferred to a stairwell which has little or no video surveillance and is an ideal crime spot. Stand in the spot next to the elevator control panel when entering and without someone behind you. If someone follows that you are not comfortable with, you can:
  • Hit the Open Door button and immediately leave.
  • Hit the Next Floor button and leave.
  • Hit the Alarm button.
  • An attacker standing by the panel could hit the basement or roof buttons; which you would want to avoid.  
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PRACTICAL  •   INTUITIVE   •   EFFECTIVE   •   EASY TO LEARN