Self Defense & Personal Protection
Chief Instructor
Sensei Jonathan Weiner
5th Degree Black Belt
Chief Instructor, Aikido of Charlotte
USAF Certified Senior Instructor
Defensive Tactics Instructor
Getting into your Vehicle
Where to sit in a Restaurant
Identify the Exits
Everyone should take 5 minutes to read this. It was WRITTEN BY A COP:
It may save your life or a loved one's life. In daylight hours, refresh yourself of these things to do in an emergency situation... This is for you, and for you to share with your wife, your children, & everyone you know. After reading these 9 crucial tips, forward them to someone you care about. It never hurts to be careful in this crazy world we live in.
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Tip from Martial Artists: The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do!
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Learned this from a tourist guide. If a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse,....... DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you... Chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you, and he will go for the wallet/purse. AND RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!
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If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car, kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy.. The driver won't see you, but everybody else will. This has saved lives.
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Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping, eating, working, etc., and just sit (playing on their Smartphone)... DON'T DO THIS! The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side, put a gun to your HEAD and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR, LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE. If someone is in the car with a gun to your head DO NOT DRIVE OFF....... Repeat: DO NOT DRIVE OFF!!!! Instead gun the engine and speed into anything, wrecking the car. Your Air Bag will save you. If the person is in the back seat they will get the worst of it. As soon as the car crashes......BAIL OUT AND RUN!!!! It is better than having them find your body in a remote location.
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A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage:
A.) BE AWARE... look around you, look into your car, at the passenger side floor and in the back seat.
B.) If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.
C.) Look at the car parked on the driver's side of your vehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)
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ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot. This is especially true at NIGHT!)
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If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; and even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN!!! Preferably in a zig-zag pattern!
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As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP!!! It may get you raped or killed. (Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked 'for help' into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next VICTIM).
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Another Safety Point: Someone just told me that her friend heard a crying baby on her porch the night before last and because it was late and she thought it was weird..She called the police. The police told her 'Whatever you do, DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR! The lady then said that it sounded like the baby had crawled near a window and she was worried that it would crawl to the street and get run over. The policeman said, 'We already have a unit on the way, whatever you do, do not open the door.' He told her that they think a serial killer has a baby's cry recorded and uses it to coax women out of their homes thinking that someone dropped off a baby.. He said they have not verified it, but have had several calls by women saying that they hear baby's cries outside their doors when they're home alone at night.
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Water scam! If you wake up in the middle of the night to hear all your taps outside running or what you think is a burst pipe.....DO NOT GO OUT TO INVESTIGATE! These people turn on all your outside taps full blast so that you will go out to investigate and then attack.
Stay alert, keep safe, and look out for your neighbors! It may save your life or a loved one's.
Situational Awareness
Getting into your Vehicle
Where to sit in a Restaurant
Identify the Exits
Less Lethal
I always recommend OC to every student as a basic non-lethal Self Defense Aid to carry. This is what Law Enforcement carries and what I carry every day.
Defense Technology First Defense OC Foam MK-2 1.3% Solution Red Band Pepper Spray (1.0-Ounce)
In my home I have these installed on my front & back entry door, Armor Concepts, Along with an alarm system and video security cameras.
Self Defense Tips.
Self Defense Classes
We've been teaching Community Self Defense Classes in Charlotte, NC for over 30 years. Check on our events page for our next class.
"I learned SO MUCH in the community self-defense class I took at Aikido Charlotte. I was an absolute beginner but still learned so many useful techniques for how to get out of various situations. But the biggest takeaway was the mindset they taught..."
-Sarah Mercer Miller
"I attended the self-defense course offered at Aikido of Charlotte. I came away feeling more confident in my ability to defend myself appropriately if the need arises, while also being able to identify and diffuse potential situations. I highly recommend this self-defense class!"
-Aimee Abernathy