Self-Defence: How To Use Your Voice Looking Out For Yourself

Empowering Self-Defense: Mastering Voice Projection for Safety and Security

Voice projection refers to the technique of using your voice to ensure that your message is heard clearly and at an appropriate volume by the intended audience, even in noisy or large environments. It involves producing sound waves that travel efficiently and effectively to the listener's ears. It is extremely useful for self-defence.

Important This is Not Screaming. Screaming is a very useful tool but you have to know how to use it so it will be discussed in another blog post. Incorrectly used it can create unwanted aggression.

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To project your voice effectively, you need to use a combination of breath support, vocal resonance, and articulation. Here are some tips on how to improve your voice projection:

1. Breathe deeply: Take a deep breath from your diaphragm to support your voice. This will help you maintain your volume and clarity.
2. Stand up straight: Good posture is essential for proper breathing and voice projection. Stand tall, with your shoulders back and head held high.
3. Open your mouth wide: Make sure to open your mouth wide enough to produce a clear and audible sound. Avoid mumbling or speaking with your mouth closed.
4. Speak from your chest: Project your voice from your chest rather than your throat. This will create a deeper, more resonant sound that carries farther.
5. Articulate clearly: Speak slowly and enunciate your words clearly. This will help your message come across clearly, even in noisy environments.

Practice:

Practice speaking in different environments and situations, such as in a noisy room or in front of a large audience. This will help you develop your voice projection skills over time.

Remember, effective voice projection is not about shouting or yelling. It is about using your voice in a way that is powerful, clear, and easy to understand.

Voice Projection For Self Defence

• Use a strong, confident voice: Project your voice confidently and assertively. This can help to deter potential attackers by showing that you are not an easy target.
• Use clear, concise commands: Use short, simple commands such as "Stop!" or "Back off!" to convey your intentions clearly.
• Use repetition: Repeat your commands loudly and clearly to reinforce your message and show that you are not going to back down.
• Use a strong tone: Use a firm and assertive tone to convey that you mean business. Avoid sounding panicked or fearful, as this can make you appear vulnerable.

Practice:

Practice projecting your voice in different scenarios, such as walking down a dark alley or encountering an aggressive person. This can help you develop your skills and build your confidence.

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Saying The Best Words

When it comes to self-defence, saying the right words can be just as important as using physical techniques. Here are some tips on what to say in self-defence situations:

Using Assertive Soft Language

This is where you speak in a clear and assertive voice, using language that conveys confidence and strength, but that is also polite and non-combative. Such language is extremely important as it is very easy to misread a situation.

For example, if you are startled by someone walking up behind you but it turns out that all they wanted was to pass you or even get directions. Saying "I am not afraid of you" or "I am prepared to defend myself if necessary," can not only be embarrassing but in my opinion makes you look the very opposite of what you are saying. That is it makes you sound afraid.

Instead, maintaining a safe distance where you cannot be grabbed, you may choose to say assertively, “Excuse me can I help you”.

This is not only polite but opens the door for further conversation. Such conversation may end up continuing to deteriorate to a more self-defence conversation like that below but can be an enormous relief to discover that no further action is necessary.

Nevertheless, even when you think you have determined that no further action is necessary, continue to maintain a safe distance just in case.

Set Boundaries:

Any situation that is not resolved by the above needs to have some boundaries set. Let the other person know that they are violating your personal space or boundaries. For example, say "Please don't come any closer" or "I don't want to be touched." Neither of these statements must sound like a plea, ever, particularly the “please” never. Said assertively "please" can be just as much a command as any other commanding word.

Frankly, a hard “Stop” is in my experience the most effective. Particularly if your aggressor is trying to close your safety gap that you have created earlier.

Use DE-escalating Language

It is always useful, if you have time, to try to calm the situation down by using non-threatening language. For example, say "Let's talk about this” or "I don't want to fight."

Never use the words “calmly". Not only is it absurd but in my experience, it usually only annoys the person being aggressive to you. Do, however, keep your voice calm and even. If you are going to manage to calm a situation this is much more likely to work than using the word calm.

Make sure you stick to the issue and never allow yourself to be drawn into a blame game. Listen and show that you are interested, even if you are not. Show that you have understood what they have said by repeating back to them, in your own words, what they have said to you, when there is a break in the conversation and ask them if that is what they mean. Remember that the solution to any threatening situation is you getting to safety, not you solving their problems.

Set Consequences

I will never set consequences. If someone is going to attack me they will pay the price. Sure, I will try to call the police first if I have time but if someone has determined to attack me I am not expecting to have time.

If you have time to say, "If you don't back off, I will call the police." don’t say it. Just call them! If you don't have time to call, you have better be prepared to defend yourself.

Calling For help

By all means call for help if there is anybody around to hear you, particularly security or police. When you call for help be Specific. "Help" may not be enough, though you should, by all means, try it but something like "Help, this person is threatening me" is more specific and may gain greater attention. But you must only use this if there is any chance of someone hearing you. or as a last resort.

Use distraction techniques

Use unexpected or distracting language to throw off your attacker and create an opportunity to escape. make sure you have assessed your escape route first, however. There can be no worse situation than creating a distraction for an escape and having no escape. 

What I am saying by all means use distraction but decide if the distraction is for an escape or to distract your aggressor enough for your to get some sort of defence advantage. 

For example, you can say "Look, there's someone behind you!" or "What's that noise?" 

Remember, the most important thing is to stay calm and focused in a self-defence situation. Use your words and body language to convey confidence and strength and be prepared to defend yourself using physical techniques if necessary.

Find more information from https://www.martialartsjudo.com/judo-self-defence.php.

There is much more practised and discussed in the Looking Out For Yourself classes register your interest here: https://www.martialartsjudo.com/looking-out-for-yourself-class.php

Enjoy
Sensai
Richard