Ok so the first thing that occurs in many self defense situations is that a  aggressor will Start getting in your face In other words they will get very close to you breaking into your personal space , pushing your resolve and trying to put fear into you. Obviously in an ideal world you’ll see this person as soon as possible due to having a decent self defense mindset and being aware of the situation.

If this first line of defense has not worked and the point has been arrived at where an assailant has entered your personal space the next thing you should do is what we call Creating the Barrier. Quite simply you back off to a comfortable distance from the individual that is concerning you, making sure you are moving into open space rather than towards a wall or any barrier or similar (Open space allows you more options to escape if you need to run).

If the attacker follows you and tries to enter your personal space again put your hand out and stop them at arms length. If they push into your hand, make it obvious and clear you are not intimatedscared) but nor do you want to engage with this person, say something along the lines of “Hey, I’m off now” or “Look man Im going home ok!” and persevere with your barrier between you and the attacker. As you attempt to move away from the aggressor you can also try to move towards a more populated area, if you are on a side street move onto the main street, etc.

One thing to remember is to not push the attacker or shout abuse at them, doing this may well make them more aggressive and willing to pick you as their victim. One of the most common attacks on the street is a punch thrown by an aggressive person after they have been pushed by somone trying to keep them away. Try to make “the barrier” nothing more than that, a barrier, not a push. At the same time you should be alert to any attempt to grab you or strike out at you. Regardless you should continue to withdraw from the individual keeping your barrier up when necessary.

Once you have managed to make enough space between you and the aggressor increase it and move off down the street making sure they are not following. Do not run or turn your back until you no longer are in danger and are in a safer environment.