Jenna,
This may or may not be of help. You've had a lot of real martial artists talking to you about how and when to take action. I don't have that kind of expereince.
The only risky situations that I have been in are situations I faced before starting in martial arts. Suffice it to say, I most certainly had no fighting skills, in terms of a physical side. I did wriggle myself out of a few bad situations with mental tactics.
I did a lot of stupid stuff when I played music professionally. I was a 20-something year old girl, dressed to get attention (for the stage, of course), and schlepping around $2000 worth of musical equipment outside shady bars at 2:30 AM. Last call, bar is closed, band packs up. When I've been approached by some people that probably had bad intent, my reaction to them was to act like a lunatic. That was pretty easy for me to pull off. I'm a stage performer, I don't drink, and by that hour of the morning I was so punchy that I sounded insane whether I was or not. Sometimes I just run on instinct, and as far as I can tell, my instinct has never lead me wrong.
One guy came up to me and started talking me up...I thought for a second he looked like my drummer's brother, so I yelled at the top of my lungs "Hey Tony! Where are you hiding! Gary's out here! Come out!" He took off. Stupid stuff, but it worked. Looking back with "older eyes" sometimes I wonder if it was skill or dumb luck that never got me in to a skirmish.
That may work with a stranger, I don't know if it will work with someone you know...becuase that is a different threat altogether. The only time I faced a bad situation with someone that I knew is with an old room mate. (just a room mate, we were not lovers). His mental health went sharply on the decline. I arrived home one night and every nerve in me told me to run...and run I did. I flew out of the house, took a zig zag way to the car, drove to a friend's house and crashed out on her sofa. Let me just say that I later learned that it was a very good thing that I was not home last night.
I cannot say what is best for you...but I don't think I'm steering you wrong in saying...if your instincts are telling you not to go home, don't.
I hope you are OK, and I hope you keep us posted. I wish the UK wasn't so bloody far away, otherwise I could point you to some safe places to go.
Please keep us posted, and keep posting.
This may or may not be of help. You've had a lot of real martial artists talking to you about how and when to take action. I don't have that kind of expereince.
The only risky situations that I have been in are situations I faced before starting in martial arts. Suffice it to say, I most certainly had no fighting skills, in terms of a physical side. I did wriggle myself out of a few bad situations with mental tactics.
I did a lot of stupid stuff when I played music professionally. I was a 20-something year old girl, dressed to get attention (for the stage, of course), and schlepping around $2000 worth of musical equipment outside shady bars at 2:30 AM. Last call, bar is closed, band packs up. When I've been approached by some people that probably had bad intent, my reaction to them was to act like a lunatic. That was pretty easy for me to pull off. I'm a stage performer, I don't drink, and by that hour of the morning I was so punchy that I sounded insane whether I was or not. Sometimes I just run on instinct, and as far as I can tell, my instinct has never lead me wrong.
One guy came up to me and started talking me up...I thought for a second he looked like my drummer's brother, so I yelled at the top of my lungs "Hey Tony! Where are you hiding! Gary's out here! Come out!" He took off. Stupid stuff, but it worked. Looking back with "older eyes" sometimes I wonder if it was skill or dumb luck that never got me in to a skirmish.
That may work with a stranger, I don't know if it will work with someone you know...becuase that is a different threat altogether. The only time I faced a bad situation with someone that I knew is with an old room mate. (just a room mate, we were not lovers). His mental health went sharply on the decline. I arrived home one night and every nerve in me told me to run...and run I did. I flew out of the house, took a zig zag way to the car, drove to a friend's house and crashed out on her sofa. Let me just say that I later learned that it was a very good thing that I was not home last night.
I cannot say what is best for you...but I don't think I'm steering you wrong in saying...if your instincts are telling you not to go home, don't.
I hope you are OK, and I hope you keep us posted. I wish the UK wasn't so bloody far away, otherwise I could point you to some safe places to go.
Please keep us posted, and keep posting.