This is advice for anyone, whether you are a weekend warrior
or the most timid person on the planet.
When a riot breaks out anything can happen. Everything you do should work towards getting
you out of that dangerous situation.
Do not think you will pounce on every bad guy that
approaches. It’s not time to prove how
tough you are. It’s time to get the hell
out, and quick.
1. Stay on your feet
I don’t care if you are the highest-ranking
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu expert of all time, when a mob swarms and flows with random
violence and hatred flares, stay on your feet.
It should be obvious that in such a situation, if you fall down or end
up grappling on the ground, you will be stomped and kicked by every set of
boots within reach. There is no reason
to it, but that’s what happens. So don’t
go down.
Get something solid behind you. Stand against a wall, a car, or any solid
object that will help you keep all threats in view. The objective is to avoid being surprised by
an attack from behind.
2. Relax and keep moving
Don’t fight, just get out. Work your way towards the outer edges of the
mob. Focus on escape and don’t let your
pride force you into a wrestling match that could result in total
disaster. By relaxing your body you can
better rebound from the force of blows and pushes that come form every
direction and angle. You need to avoid
getting knocked down and letting your body flop around like a rag-doll will keep
you from getting hurt and help you escape.
3. Breathe hard!
If you hold your breath, which is common
under stress, panic, and when struggling, you will allow both physical and
psychological tension to rule you. This
can spell disaster in a riot. You need
to keep the air going in and out hard to deal with the adrenaline and keep your
head clear.
Force air out with a sharp burst through the
mouth and draw it back in quickly through the nose. With every cycle you are keeping the strain
of the situation from overtaking your entire body.
Once you’re in the middle of a riot, it’s too late to feel
sorry for yourself. Get over the initial
shock and fear as quickly as possible and start taking these steps toward
safety. The worst place to be is on the
ground, so do everything you can to stay on your feet. No matter what happens just keep trying to
relax your body to help you move through the crowd. And breathe hard to keep the effects of panic
from controlling you.
Do all you can to Stand!
To learn more check out 7 Self-Defense Truths Your Instructor Never Taught You
