Personal Self Defense Protocol: Steps to Take Charge of Your Own Life and Safety

1. You have the right, obligation and expectation of freedom to live your life the way you choose within the laws of the nation.
2. When your rights are restricted or impeded by another person, you have the right to speak up and act in your own self-interest.
3. The circular perimeter with a diameter of approximately 21 feet around you is your personal area.  It  is the space where you should be aware of threats to your personal safety at all times.
4.  The circular perimeter with a diameter of 15 feet is your immediate threat area.  This area is the distance that an attacker can charge and gain a controlling grip on you within 2-4 seconds.
5.  The circular area with diameter of 5 feet is your striking area.  This area is the range where kicks and punches become effective for and against you. 
6.  The circular perimeter with a diameter of 3 feet is your personal space.  This area is the normal conversational distance and the distance where most people hold normal familiar conversations.
7.  The circular perimeter with a diameter of approximately 18 inches is your intimate space.  This area is so close to you that only your closest confidants are comfortable encroaching.  This is also the same distance where knees and elbow strikes are effective.
8.  When your personal area is encroached, you need to first make eye contact and determine if the person is actually moving in your immediate direction or just coincidentally crossing paths with you, When you  feel that the person is approaching you, you need to establish eye contact and begin to take control of the encounter immediately.
9.  Establish contact and determine the intent of the person by asking, " How Can I help you?" This question is non threatening, normal conversation and will be easily answered by a person who is friendly.  A person with a nefarious motive will find this question difficult to  to answer in many cases.  It also serves to help you establish the reason for the persons approach before they close within charging range.
10.  Establish the ground rules before the intruder does.  Raise your non dominant hand with your palm toward them and tell them to stop in a commanding voice.  A friendly person will heed this immediately and stop in their tracks.  A person who intends to harm you will ignore tis and keep coming toward you.  Here you should be maneuver to create space while keeping the person in front of you.  Take your phone out and enter 911 into the phone so that you are ready to dial instantly.
11.  Tell the person to stop again if they fail on the first attempt.  Tell them "You are making me uncomfortable."  This second  phrase would be absolutely obeyed by a friendly person but an attacker will also continue to move forward.  At this time, you should be preparing for a physical confrontation. 
12.  Introduce your back story, (Have a back story that helps confuse, delay and slow the attacker. the back story should include help arriving, be credible and immediate.) Example: I really don't have time to help you because my boyfriend is on his way here to meet me and we are meeting friends from his department for dinner.  This implies help is on the way and implies it is law enforcement.
13. All of these measures may not convince the person to leave and you may end up in a physical struggle. Now is the time to dial 911, tell the person you have downs so, and place the phone in your front pocket with the live call on.  If your phone is transmitting, the entire event will be heard by the 911 dispatcher and will continue to transmit even if you are rendered unconscious.
14.  If you intend to use pepper spray, gazers  or a firearm, now is the time to do so.  Remember that pepper sprays and personal tazers should be used to surprise and temporarily distract an attacker so that you can escape.  They are not always debilitating and often fail.  
15. Attack the eyes in order to blind the attacker so that he cannot pursue you and move to a lighted, area with other people but do not stop until you are safely at home or with law enforcement. Just getting to a location with other people does not assure your safety because you cannot count on them to defend you.. They may stand by and watch you be assaulted so hide if possible or get back in touch with the 911 dispatch and prepare for the person to continue to pursue you.
16. Right down all the details that you can remember as soon as you are in a safe area.