Personal Safety Program is a scheduled set of classes open to anyone to attend who is not a martial artist but is interested in learning more about tools and tactics that can enhance your personal safety. Class times and spaces are limited.
Womens Self Defence and Personal Safety is on Sunday April 26th 9am - 10:30 am ( Register here )
Resources provided below for anyone who is looking to better undersand and manage personal risks. These links and tools will be updated from time to time to provide you with resources and understanding to enhance your own personal safety!
This checklist is synthesized from the RCMP Personal Safety Infographic (2025), the Toronto Police Service (TPS) Personal Safety Guide, and the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) Women’s Personal Safety Team research. It is organized by the three pillars of Canadian risk-reduction theory: Awareness, Avoidance, and Response.
Trust your "Gut": Acknowledge that a feeling of unease is a neurobiological "early warning" signal. If a person or place feels "off," leave immediately without overthinking the social cost.
Exit Scanning: Upon entering any building (transit station, mall, workplace), mentally locate at least two exits.
Ditch the "Digital Veil": Keep at least one earbud out and head up. Looking at a phone makes you a "target of opportunity" because you appear unaware.
Confident Stride: Walk with a purposeful pace and upright posture. Predators often profile targets based on perceived vulnerability or lack of direction.
Key Readiness: Have your house or car keys in your hand before you reach the door to eliminate the "search time" where you are most vulnerable.
Vary Your Routine: Avoid being predictable. Shift your commute times or routes slightly so your movements cannot be easily timed by a stranger.
The "Request Stop" (Transit): If traveling by bus at night, ask the driver if they can drop you off closer to your destination between regular stops (a standard service in many Canadian cities).
Parking Strategy: Park in well-lit areas near the exit or the attendant's booth. Before getting out, scan the 360-degree area around the car.
Social Check-In: Use a "flight plan." Tell a friend: "I’m leaving [Location] now, should be home by [Time]. I’ll text you when I’m inside."
Distance Maintenance: If a stranger approaches to ask for the time or directions, maintain a "reactionary gap" of at least two arm-lengths.
Property vs. Person: If the threat is for property (wallet/phone), comply. Canadian police research shows that resisting a robbery significantly increases the risk of physical harm.
The "Broken Script" (Stalking): If you suspect you are being followed, do not go home. Cross the street, change directions, and go to a "Safe Haven" (open business, gas station).
Verbal Boundary: If someone crowds your space, use a loud, firm "command voice": "Stop! You are too close!" or "Are you following me?" This draws bystander attention and signals you are not a passive target.
Strategic Resistance: If the threat is an attempted abduction or physical assault, resist immediately. Scream, kick, and attract as much attention as possible. "Never leave the primary crime scene" (don't get into a vehicle).
The "Mental Snapshot": If an incident occurs, focus on "The Big Four" for police reporting: Height/Weight, Clothing, Visible markings (tattoos/scars), and Direction of travel.
Canadian police services and federal safety organizations provide research-based frameworks for personal safety that emphasize situational awareness, preventative avoidance, and strategic response. The following information is synthesized from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Public Safety Canada, and the Canadian Domestic Homicide Prevention Initiative (CDHPI).Canadian law enforcement (specifically the RCMP Crime Prevention Guide and the Toronto Police Personal Safety Portal) uses a three-tier model for personal risk reduction:
Phase 1: Awareness (Proactive)
Intuition as Intel: Research highlights that "gut feelings" are often the brain's recognition of micro-patterns of danger. Police advise "Trusting your instincts" as the first line of defense (RCMP Infographic).
Active Observation: Maintain awareness of exits and loiterers. Avoid "distraction theft" or ambushes by keeping phone use to a minimum and using only one earbud in public (Waterloo Regional Police).
The Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) presents these guidelines that will help protect you and your family, reduce crime, and maintain a more secure and safer environment. Trust your instincts.
Phase 2: Avoidance (Preventative)
Target Hardening: Reduce vulnerability by appearing "harder to target." This includes walking with a purposeful stride, staying in well-lit areas, and having keys ready before reaching your vehicle or home (TPS Safety Tips).
Predictability Reduction: Varying daily routes to avoid being "timed" or followed by potential offenders.
Phase 3: Response (Reactive)
Assertive Communication: Using a loud, firm voice to set boundaries (e.g., "Back off!" or "Are you following me?"). This signals to the predator—and bystanders—that you are not a passive target.
Strategic Resistance: For property crimes (robbery), Canadian police generally advise compliance to avoid physical harm. For personal safety threats (attempted abduction or assault), they recommend making a scene: "Scream, kick, fight, run" (Toronto Police Service).
For women facing targeted threats (stalking or domestic harm), the Canadian Domestic Homicide Prevention Initiative (CDHPI) provides evidence-based safety planning tools.
The CDHPI research (Domestic Homicide Briefs) outlines a "Safety Plan" which is often visualized as a series of concentric circles or checklists:
The Escape Bolt: Identifying safe rooms with locks and phones, and pre-planning exit routes.
The Support Network: Identifying "allies" who know a code word to call 9-1-1.
The Documentation Loop: Keeping a log of stalking or "unwanted behaviors" to assist police in future investigations (Centennial College Safety Awareness).
Violence Against Women (VAW) Research: The Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic provides a comprehensive list of Canadian safety planning toolkits specifically designed for different cultural and social contexts.
Public Safety Canada Data: Their Gender-Based Violence Statistics (2025) emphasize that "safety in numbers" and transit-based awareness are critical, as rates of unwanted sexual behaviors are higher in urban public spaces.
Trauma-Informed Response: Current CACP (Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police) training acknowledges the "Freeze" response, shifting research toward empowering women to understand their biological reactions to threat (CACP 2025 Reports).
Developed by the Canadian Women’s Foundation in 2020, this signal was created to help people communicate a need for help silently and safely, whether in person or on a video call, without leaving a digital trace or alerting an abuser.
How to perform the signal:
Palm out: Hold your hand up with your palm facing the person you are signaling.
Tuck thumb: Fold your thumb into your palm.
Trap thumb: Fold your four fingers down over your thumb, symbolically "trapping" it.
Key Research & Effectiveness
Origin: It was launched as a response to the rise in domestic violence during COVID-19 lockdowns. It has since been adopted by the Women's Funding Network and is recognized in over 50 countries.
Police Recognition: Canadian police services (including the RCMP and Toronto Police) recognize this signal. There are several documented cases where bystanders or police officers recognized the gesture in public and successfully intervened in abductions or domestic violence situations.
The "Silent" Benefit: Unlike a shout or a phone call, this signal can be performed discreetly (e.g., behind your back, while walking past someone, or during a video chat) while pretending to do something else, like waving.
How to Respond (Police Guidelines)
If you see someone use this signal, Canadian safety experts recommend the following:
Don't panic or draw attention: If an abuser is present, reacting visibly could put the person in danger.
Check-in safely: If possible, reach out via a text or social media message with "Yes/No" questions (e.g., "Do you want me to call 911?" or "Should I call you later?").
Call 911: Only call emergency services immediately if the situation appears to be an active emergency (e.g., you see the signal being used from a moving vehicle or through a window where the person appears to be in immediate physical danger).
Other "Coded" Signals
While the hand gesture is the most "universal," many Canadian establishments use Coded Language:
"Ask for Angela": Common in bars and restaurants; asking a staff member for "Angela" signals that you feel unsafe and need help getting to your car or a taxi.
Pharmacy/Grocery Codes: During the height of the pandemic, some Canadian provinces discussed "Code 19" at pharmacies, though the hand signal has largely replaced these as the primary standard.
1. Intimate Partner Strangulation (The "Control" Choke) :
Strangulation is a high-lethality "control" tactic. Research shows that once an attacker uses their hands on a victim's throat, the probability of that victim being killed later increases by 750%.
The Scenario: One or two-handed pressure to the neck, often pinned against a surface.
Source: Glass et al. (2008), "Non-fatal strangulation is an important risk factor for homicide of women." PubMed Central (PMC2573025)
2. The "Grab and Drag" (Movement to Secondary Locations)
Perpetrators use physical handles—like the hair or the upper arm—to move women from public visibility into "cold zones" (cars, private rooms) where they have more control.
The Scenario: A high-intensity grab used to steer or pull the victim toward a secondary location.
Source: Statistics Canada (2025), "Trends in police-reported family violence and intimate partner violence in Canada, 2024." (Physical assault accounts for 72% of IPV contact). Statistics Canada Report
3. The Rear Ambush (Bear Hugs & Silencing)
Common in public spaces, this is a "blitz" attack where the perpetrator seeks to neutralize the victim's ability to scream or strike back before they even see the threat.
The Scenario: Wrapping arms around the victim from behind (pinning their arms) while covering the mouth.
Source: UN Women (2025), "Facts and Figures: Ending Violence Against Women." UN Women - Facts and Figures
4. The Escalated "Push-and-Pin" (Dominance Testing)
These attacks often start as verbal harassment and escalate into physical "cornering" when the victim attempts to leave or sets a boundary.
The Scenario: A two-handed shove followed by pinning the victim against a wall or car to prevent escape.
Source: Statistics Canada (2025), "Survey of Safety in Public and Private Spaces (SSPPS)." StatCan Survey Overview
5. Ground-Based Restraint (The "Mount")
The majority of physical assaults transition to the ground, where an attacker can use their body weight to anchor a victim and pin their wrists.
The Scenario: The attacker forces the victim down and uses a "mount" (sitting on the chest/waist) to maintain control.
Source: World Health Organization (2025), "Violence against women prevalence estimates."
Link: WHO Global News Release
