When you are in trouble do not shout Help!

 

In one of my speech classes in college I remember reading about a woman being attacked in NYC. She shouted over and over for Help, and no help came.

 

The article went on to explain that when the neighbors heard the cry, all of them went inside and shut their doors, not wanting to be involved  and thereby risking their safety. Yes that is exactly what happened.

 

The article went on the better choice of what to call out when being attacked is “Fire, Fire, Fire” over and over. For when people hear Fire, everyone rushes out to see where the fire is. And that makes the attacker realize they do not have the privacy they wish for their deed.

 

Years later when I taught youth karate, I knew it always was a balancing act, between knowledge and the skill to actually use their training say against an adult.

 

I realized the strongest advice I could give the untrained was to 1)attempt to stay or run away and 2) to do so shouting “Fire” at the top of their lungs.

 

I also explained why they should shout Fire and not Help.

 

I further explained that whatever happened was not their fault, and the first thing they should to was to tell an adult. If the adult did not believe them then tell another adult and another adult until someone listened to them. And I offered if no one else does believe them to then contact me, for I will always listen to what they have to say.

 

We all know there is no short cut to develop the skill and technique to use their training.

 

This is a place to start.