SELF-DEFENSE 101: Situational Awareness & Disarming Small Blades

🔥 Learn to Spot Danger & Defend Yourself Against Street Threats! 🔥

## Class Overview:

In this intensive 90-minute training, you’ll learn the fundamentals of situational awareness and real-world defense techniques against small blades—pocket knives, box cutters, and improvised street weapons. This class is designed to give you the skills, mindset, and muscle memory needed to spot threats early and respond effectively under pressure.

⚠️ Reality Check:
Most knife attacks happen within 3-5 feet, are ambush-style, and occur before you even see the weapon. That’s why awareness and quick action are key. This class will teach you how to prevent an attack before it happens—and if necessary, how to disarm and escape safely.

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## 🛡️ PART 1: Situational Awareness & Avoiding Conflict (30 min)

Your best defense is never being in the fight to begin with. Learn to spot potential threats before they escalate.
✔️ Understanding the criminal mindset – Why attackers choose certain targets
✔️ Pre-fight indicators – Reading body language and threat signals
✔️ Managing personal space – Controlling distance & recognizing pre-attack cues
✔️ De-escalation tactics – When to talk, when to run, and when to fight
✔️ Environmental awareness – Using exits, barriers, and objects to your advantage

## 🔪 PART 2: Knife Defense & Disarming Techniques (60 min)

If avoidance fails and an attacker pulls a knife, your response must be fast and decisive. You'll learn battle-tested techniques from Kenpo Karate and urban self-defense systems to escape or fight back.

### ➡️ Understanding Knife Attacks:

✔️ Common street weapons – Box cutters, pocket knives, broken bottles
✔️ How knives are used in real fights – Slashes, stabs, intimidation tactics
✔️ Grip recognition – Spotting the difference between an icepick grip and forward grip

### ➡️ Defense Strategies:

🔥 The “Blade Zone” – Understanding attack angles and knife range
🔥 Footwork for survival – Moving off the attack line and creating distance
🔥 Blocking vs. Redirecting – How to deflect an attack without getting cut
🔥 Trapping & Controlling the Weapon Arm – Using the attacker’s momentum against them
🔥 Escape vs. Disarm – When to run, when to neutralize, and how to take control

### ➡️ Disarming Drills (Realistic & Simple Techniques):

🛠️ Basic wrist control – Breaking an attacker’s grip before they strike
🛠️ Using leverage against small blades – Controlling joints to make them drop the weapon
🛠️ Counter-attacks & pressure points – Strikes that create instant openings for escape
🛠️ Turning their weapon against them – How to redirect a knife safely without cutting yourself

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## 🚨 BONUS: What to Do After an Encounter

✔️ Legal & ethical considerations – Understanding self-defense laws in your area
✔️ Dealing with adrenaline dumps – How to stay calm after an attack
✔️ Escape planning – Where to go and what to do next

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## 📍 CLASS DETAILS

🗓️ Tuesdays 7-8pm
📍 26 7th St., San Francisco (Basement Dojo) ask the elevator operator to take you to the basement
👊 Limited spaces – Hands-on, small group training!
💪 No experience? No problem. This class is for ALL levels, and the goal is practical survival, not flashy moves.