Just because Singapore has one of the lowest crime rates in the world doesn’t mean that you can breathe easy. On the contrary, this reputation provides just the perfect opportunity for would-be offenders to strike, since people’s guards are down.

Especially for you ladies out there who head on down to your favourite club on Fridays to unwind, give a second thought to what you pack in that little Louis Vuitton, [http://www.vuitton.com] Prada [www.prada.com] or Gucci [http://www.gucci.com] handbag. We’re not saying that you should start surfing the web for stun guns, but before you start painting the town red, here are a few pointers to help you out of sticky situations.

Disclaimer: The article does NOT discriminate against members of the male species by referring to the attackers as ‘he’. This is only to facilitate the flow of the article.

The Pepper Spray Double
Going Down Under
Nose Job in a Sec
Sound the Alarm
Put Your Drink to the Test

The Pepper Spray Double
http://www.selfdefensenow.com/self-defense-techniques/pepper-spray-stun.htm

Definitely the most convenient and effective method, this approach will inflict upon your assailant an agony equivalent to that of having shampoo in your eyes.

Seeing that pepper spray is unavailable in Singapore, unless you have friends coming over from America, this substitute will work just as well. Head on down to Sasa [http://www.sasa.com], Watsons [http://www.hutchison-whampoa.com/eng/retail/retail2a3.htm], Guardian [http://www.guardian.com.my], or any shop that sells toiletries to purchase an atomiser. Prices will start at $3.90, depending on the quality of the atomiser you buy.

Fill it up with a relatively diluted solution of shampoo and water, or your astringent, even breath fresheners, deodorants, perfume; anything that can be sprayed out from a pressurised container will do.

For optimal results, you should let out an ear-splitting, bloodcurdling scream so as to make him open his eyes. This is a reflex action, and with this, you can have a bull’s eye hit. Needless to say, you shouldn’t dawdle around after this, regain your composure quickly and run!

Probably the most convenient and effective method, you will do well to have one in your clutch bag at all times.

Going down under
http://www.selfdefensenow.com/self-defense-techniques/front-kick.htm

As we all should know by now, a man’s most vulnerable spot is his groin, and numerous movies and shows would have taught you to aim straight for that.

Here’s a step-by-step instruction on getting a direct hit. Always remember to practice these methods (just not on any male you ever want to speak to again!!).

Front Kick
1. First, step back on your most comfortable foot; let's say it’s your right foot.
2. Now bring your right leg forward again, and lift your knee up, so that your thigh is in a horizontal position, in front of you.
3. Your toes and foot should be flexed and pointing towards the ground.
4. With a rubber-band-like action, flick the lower leg out almost straight - do not straighten and lock the knee! If you straighten your knee, you can easily jar and injure it…
5. Contact the groin with the flat of your foot and close to your toes.
6. Then again, flick your foot back, so that your toes point straight down towards the ground again.
7. To keep your balance, lower your leg back to the right foot position.
8. Run!

These 8 steps are taken from http://www.selfdefensenow.com/self-defense-techniques/front-kick.htm

Alternatively, if you’re standing closer, you could do the knee-to-groin strike, but make sure that you do not overbalance and let him push you to the ground. This would definitely put you at a great disadvantage.

As always, the element of surprise is essential, because if you’re too slow, your moves will be anticipated, and be useless eventually.

Nose Job in a Sec
The nose being the most protruding part of the face is also one of the most vulnerable.

Here, you can put your kickboxing skills into action. If the antagonist attacks you from the front, you can throw a punch at his nose in an upward direction or an uppercut with all your might. Because “kickboxing involves a slight spring in your steps, you’ll be able to ‘spring away’ from him, [effectively] putting some distance between you”, said Mohd Zainal bin Zaini, a 28-year-old kickboxing instructor.

Hitting him from the side of his nose will also give you excellent results. Alternatively, if he attacks you from the back, you can elbow him repeatedly in the ribs or stomach. This will leave him in excruciating pain and he will most likely use his hands to cover his stomach, as this is only human reaction. Hence, with his hands not anywhere near you, this is your chance to flee!

Some symptoms of a broken nose include blood trickling down the nostrils, a swollen nose, bruised eye, injured neck (but that is in extreme cases when the blow is too much for the antagonist to handle) or a fracture in the bone over the bridge of the nose.

Dr Wong Ju Ming, a 28–year-old Orthopaedic doctor from Changi General Hospital [www.cgh.com.sg], explained that “if the fracture is not displaced, it’ll take about 4 to 6 weeks for a full healing [and] if displaced, it has to be put back by manipulation.” If the latter, the healing process will take at least 6 weeks.

Sound the Alarm
This pocket-size device is especially handy for ladies who prefer carrying small bags or purses.

“Carrying a hand-held alarm is one of the best ways to equip yourself,” says Melvin Tay, a 29-year-old police officer.

Before leaving the club, you can put the hand-held alarm in your hands, then continue on your journey home. It is especially essential if you are walking alone, because you will be able to sound the alarm promptly.

The alarm is activated when the string connected to it is pulled, giving out a deafening siren. “The sound of the alarm could be heard more than 200m away,” explained Melvin. Hence, people who are in the area will be able to come to your rescue.

This hand-held alarm can be purchased from any of your neighbourhood police station for a mere $10. Alternatively, you can get a police whistle for about $3 too.

Put Your Drink to the Test
A new weapon has surfaced in the market against predators who prey on unsuspecting victims. Now, you can find out whether your drink is spiked in just 2 minutes.

Launched last December, this credit-card-sized Drink Spike Detector was created by Drink Safe Technologies [http://www.drinksafetech.com.au]. By smearing a few drops of your drink on the pink and green patches on the kit, you will be able to tell instantly if your drink has been tampered with if either of them turns dark blue.

This kit is able to identify illicit drugs such as rophypnol[http://www.4woman.gov/faq/rohypnol.htm], ketamine[http://www.health.org/nongovpubs/ketamine/] and GHB (Gamma Hydroxybhutyrate) [http://familydoctor.org/644.xml]. These party drugs are odourless, colourless and tasteless and are commonly used by sex predators. Rohypnol and GHB are also popularly known as the date rape drug as they are prominently used to incapacitate rape victims.

Instructions:
1. Place a drop of your beverage onto both spots of 1 test. Smear it gently.
2. Wait a few minutes until dry. Results are best viewed in a well-lit area.
3. If either spots turn to a darker blue colour, one or more drugs which could be used in drug-facilitated crimes may have been detected.

These instructions were taken from http://www.drinksafetech.com.au/pages/instructions.html

The Drink Spike Detector kit is available at Guardian Pharmacies [http://www.guardian.com.my] islandwide, retailing at $7.70 for 4 tests. Now, you don’t have to be a mind reader to know whether to accept when someone offers you a drink.