Knowing When to Run in a Self-Defense Situation When Running Isn’t an Option
- william demuth
- Oct 6
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 9
How Do You Know When to Run in a Self-Defense Situation
In a self-defense situation, one of the most important and most misunderstood decisions you can make is whether to run or to fight. Many people imagine self-defense as a physical confrontation, but in reality, the best fight is the one you escape from. The goal is not to win it’s to survive.
The Purpose of Self-Defense: Get Home Safe
True self-defense isn’t about ego, toughness, or proving yourself. It’s about staying alive and unharmed. If you have the chance to escape safely, running is the smartest and most effective defense you can choose.
Running doesn’t mean you’re weak. It means you understand the true objective: to create distance between yourself and danger.
The “Run–Defend–Fight” Decision Model
A simple way to think about your choices in a self-defense encounter is through this three-step model:
Run (Escape) – If there’s a safe path out, take it immediately.
Is there an open exit?
Can you move to a safe, public, or well-lit area?
Is the attacker still at a distance or distracted?
If the answer is yes go.
Defend (Create Space) – If escape isn’t immediately possible, your goal becomes creating the opportunity to run.
Use verbal commands like “Back off!”
Use barriers (tables, cars, chairs) to block access.
Deliver defensive strikes or pushes only long enough to clear your path.
Then run.
Fight (Last Resort) – Only when you are cornered, grabbed, or trapped, you may have no option but to fight to escape.
Commit fully.
Target vulnerable areas (eyes, throat, groin).
The goal is still to get away, not to win a prolonged fight.
Situational Awareness Is Key
The decision to run starts before a threat appears.
By being aware of your surroundings, you can recognize escape routes early:
Notice exits when you enter a building.
Avoid seating or standing positions that limit movement.
Keep personal items light and easy to drop if needed.
Know where help or people are nearby.
The earlier you identify an escape path, the faster you can act under stress.
When Running May Not Be the Best Option
There are moments when immediate flight might increase danger for example:
You’re physically restrained or cornered.
There are multiple attackers blocking your path.
You’re responsible for someone who cannot run (a child, senior, or injured person).
The attacker has a firearm or knife, and you’re in open space without cover.
Exit doors open inward or have to be unlocked which may slow you down.
If running makes you more vulnerable.
In these cases, your focus shifts to creating the conditions to escape safely. Use tactics, barriers, or movement to break line of sight, then move when the chance appears.
Train to Recognize and React
Adrenaline affects decision-making. In real danger, people often freeze because they’ve never practiced what to do.
That’s why self-defense training should include escape decision drills scenarios that teach participants when and how to disengage, shout for help, or run strategically rather than impulsively.
“Running is not giving up it’s choosing to live,” says Shawn Lebrock at the Center for Violence Prevention and Self Defense (CVPSD). “We teach students that the goal of self-defense is to survive and go home safely. That may mean fighting or it may simply mean having the courage to run.”
The Takeaway: Running is not weakness it’s wisdom.
If you can run safely, do it.
If you can’t, defend to create your chance.
If you must fight, fight only to escape.
Your strength lies not in confrontation, but in survival.
Every decision should serve one purpose: to get home safe.
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The Center for Violence Prevention and Self-Defense Training (CVPSD) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to research and providing evidence-based training in violence prevention and self-defense.
Through a combination of online and in-person training, workshops, and seminars, CVPSD provides practical self-defense skills, violence prevention strategies, risk assessment tools, and guidance on setting personal and relationship boundaries.