Self Defence Resources for Seniors

In my circles of interaction, given current events and the ensuing media coverage, there is a fair bit of anxiety in the community around the safety of BIPOC seniors. And while there is much that can be done to combat the racism and fear that is fueling incidents of violence against this and other BIPOC populations, this post is specifically dedicated to identifying some resources for seniors looking for advice how to protect themselves.

3 pointers to remember

While it may be hard to think on your feet, when you are the target of a physical attack, remember three things, as per https://www.greatseniorliving.com/articles/senior-self-defense:

1. Make noise to get attention

When you are the target of an attack, you want to get attention and this in itself can discourage your attacker. You want to make noise by shouting, knocking over objects or blowing a whistle.

2. Use what you have on hand

Depending on when an attacker is coming at you, you may have to be more or less resourceful. Use what you have on you to fight back and to get that extra moment to get away or for help to arrive. What might you have on hand? It could be keys, your phone, dirt or gravel on the ground, a water bottle or a cane.

3. Aim for the vulnerable areas

When fighting back, you need to make it count. This means remembering that sensitive pressure points include the eyes, nose, neck, groin, and knees.

Training online and in-person

For those who are a bit more serious and looking for training for these sorts of incidents: the pandemic has transformed the resources that are online and made increasingly available to audiences without regard for geography. This includes self defense classes.

For example, Hit and Run Self Defence in Richmond, BC offers group and family self defence classes for seniors in person and online (Krav Maga and Jujitsu).

Still more common are in-person classes for seniors (subject to covid protocol) like at Krav Maga in Ottawa.

And after this story went viral, I can’t not make mention of the possibilities of your elder’s cane for the purposes of self defence.

See this YouTube video for more.