Protecting and taking care of yourself doesn’t encompass just the immediate physical concerns that can impact your safety. Before and after those events, there’s another piece I’ve talked about here and there. It’s important to help you avoid certain types of violence and unhealthy situations, to help you survive them when they happen, and to …
A reader sent me a story the other day, about a woman who suffered a near-fatal medical event while home alone. Fortunately, she was Facetiming with a friend at the time, and just as fortunately, that friend was able to contact a mutual local friend and a family member so that paramedics could be sent …
Hey, you know what we haven’t talked about in a while? Staying healthy and in shape, whatever that looks like (what does it look like?). With the spring-like weather that’s in the air in much of the country, I know I can’t be the only one who’s been thinking about putting on some cute summer …
On Her Own reflects on the struggles of living life without traditional support structures. One of the joys of that, though, is the opportunity to be more intentional about creating the kind of family-of-choice, relationships, and, community that can fill those roles in the ways that we most need and want. Doing that requires a …
“You are allowed to be rude.” It’s one of the early lessons of women’s self defense: our socially-imposed drive to be “nice” is what gets us into trouble, and learning how to resist it can help keep us safe. We tell stories of Ted Bundy’s victims, and how they couldn’t help but be kind to …
Let’s talk a little this morning about “never,” “just,” and “always,” those common elements of discussion about dealing with all sorts of conflicts and difficult places. You hear them all the time, especially on the Internet: Never go to the ground in a fight. Just walk away. Always be situationally aware. People love absolute statements, …
This weekend, I’m spending three days at the Rangemaster Tactical Conference. It’s an annual gathering of some of the top self-defense instructors in the country, who get together to teach short blocks of their material and to learn from their colleagues. Some of the attendees are regular people who are interested in improving their defensive …
I’m super excited to announce that I’ve partnered with InRange TV to work on a series of mythbusting videos where I’ll be taking a look at self-defense products and strategies, especially those that are marketed especially at women. In each episode, I’ll pick a tool, describe what it’s all about, then test it out before …
An awful lot of people who look like me have been feeling more and more afraid recently. Whether they’re right or wrong or whether you think you’re part of it or not, it is an undeniable lived reality. People are afraid. I am afraid. Like violence against women, it will be feared and it will …
“It works for me!” We hear that so often when it comes to all areas in life, but I see it especially in self-defense and gun-oriented groups. Someone recommends a product or technique, and backs it up by saying it’s something that works for them, or maybe someone they know, so it must be viable. …
