This past weekend, my student’s girlfriend courageously survived an assault and thwarted her an attempted rape in the heart of the Nation’s Capital, Washington, DC.

To protect her anonymity, we’ll call her “Heroine”. Heroine was returning home from work at night in a well lit area on 15th St. NW. DC near Meridian Hill Park. A man walked passed, then turned around and jumped her from behind. He knocked her to the ground and smashed her head against a trash can while trying to choke her unconscious to drag to a nearby park.

Heroine remembered her boyfriend’s frequent admonition to never, under any circumstances allow herself to be taken to a secondary location. So, she begin screaming and fighting for her life.

Nothing good comes from going to an attacker’s preferred location where he controls all the variables. No matter how much he tries to reassure you that you won’t be harmed if you cooperate- you must NEVER comply or trust a sociopath intent on kidnapping you.

I teach my students that no matter how high the risks, even under threat of arms, it is better to be shot, stabbed, beaten and left for dead in a public area than at an isolated one. Without getting into too graphic, the latter has not statistically fared well for the victims as their remains are seldom ever found. When left unconscious in a public area, there’s a higher probability of good Samaritan finding you and calling for help.

Fortunately for Heroine, a couple heard her screams and saw the attack from their bedroom window. They wisely shouted out that the police had just arrived which made the perp run away.

As of this morning, he hasn’t yet been apprehended and is still at large. Heroine is recovering well, albeit a bit bruised up and mentally shaken. However, she has chosen not to be paralyzed by fear and insists on attending her regularly scheduled dance class.

As many of you know, I seldom post step-by-step tutorials online as there are already so many great ones to choose from. However, this incident has moved me to share this basic lesson on a very common choke escape. It is a technique seen in BJJ and a few other arts.

However, KaizenTao’s approach to understanding the whys and wherefores of things, their concepts and pragmatic details have helped even expert ground-fighters. Practice this slowly until it becomes more familiar. Once familiarity turns into naturalness, you’ll have a new survival tool added to your arsenal.

Contrary to popular belief, law enforcement is not responsible for your personal safety. But even if they were, they couldn’t possibly be expected to reach everyone in time to protect them from harm. The ultimate responsibility for yours and your family’s safety lies with you.

Please, find a self-defense school that will help you to understand the harsh realities of street violence and teach you how to inoculate and functionalize your fear.

Stay safe out there!