This forum is an adjunct to the Learning Section's Interest Group on Self-defense where you will see a growing number of articles on self-defense, its techniques and principles.

Check out our Magazine sections (Aug 2000) articles on Zanshin and the Self-Defense Interest Group related story on Awarenss Through Self-Defense.

If you have any observations, questions, or personal experiences where you had to physically defend youself we would like to hear from you.

I have a self-defense question. I have been reading your series on defending against multiple assailants. At the beginning of the series, you suggest a scenario where not only is it impossible to run away, but you have someone with you to protect, such as a child. As a mother of a three-year-old, I'm interested in pursuing this question of self-defense when you have a child with you. Obviously, children limit your mobility. I tend to feel that if you have a child or children with you, following the rule #1 that you mentioned--don't be there--is paramount. It's doubly important to use nonviolent preventive techniques and to think ahead before going places with children, because your rule #2, run away, often is not practical if you're carrying a child. However, let's suppose that both these rules have again been violated and that you are facing a group attack and you have a child with you to protect. Do you have any thoughts about how to handle this? The best possibilities I can think of are to position the child behind some kind of barrier and take up a fighting position in front of the barrier; or, lacking a barrier, to use a corner to offer protection to the child, placing the child in the corner and taking up a position in front of the child; or, with older children, perhaps advising them to run to a specific location while you try to keep the attackers busy. Can you offer any insights into this situation? Thanks--