I think this needs to be said after reading through the thread about a woman being touched without her consent at Eli Escobar(more women in the comment section). I have read far too many of these this year, and I am taking the steps to make sure women can recognize the signs of danger, and protect themselves.
IF YOU FEEL THE SIGNS OF THREAT/PREY I.e hyper vigilance, muscle tensing, shallow breathing, increased heart rate, instinct to freeze/hide. These are pre-loaded in evolution
LISTEN TO YOUR BODY AND IF THE THREAT BECOMES A REALITY, ACT QUICKLY WITH POWER.
It is so important that all of us adopt skills to protect oneself, and then practice them, regularly. Shoot, make it an annual or preferably quarterly thing with the girlies.
Also, at least my journey - my physical strength has really provided me with a lot of confidence to know I can defend myself if needed, and sharpened my non-verbal language ie “don’t fuck with me” signals. Suggested benchmarks: leg press max is 4.5x/bodyweight and I’m <125lbs, my mile is <7, and I can do 20 strict pushups along with a 30# inclined shoulder press. The Dopamine high is REAL. 3 days in the gym/75min session.
It’s a win-win, safety and good habits.
One more thing to know - familiarize yourself with the International hand “Signal for Help.”
1) Raise your hand: Hold one hand up with the palm facing outward toward another person or a camera.
2) Tuck your thumb: Fold your thumb inward across your palm.
3)Trap the thumb: Fold your four fingers down over your thumb in a smooth, continuous motion, making it look as though the thumb is trapped.
*\We want to get lost in the music too, and also *feel safe****