Don't be a victim

THE best defence for any individual - young or old, man or woman - is to keep your wits about you and avoid confrontation, says Bahrain's martial arts maestro Suhail Algosaibi in his first book on the subject, called The Ultimate Self-Defence Handbook, How to Defend Yourself in Bahrain and Abroad.

Dedicating the handbook to society's safety on the eve of its launch, he said: 'Bahrain has a lot of problems. Self-defence may not be on the top of the list but there is a need and demand for this book.

'The kingdom is not as safe as it used to be. Crime is on the increase and mugging is probably the most common amongst them.

'I have practised martial arts for 15-years and this is my area of expertise. My priority was to produce a book full of facts and simple techniques that can help you defend yourself anywhere in the world.'

The 88-page guide is easy-to-read, full of advice on what to do in tricky situations offering useful advice on about what you can use to help yourself and what should be your priorities.

An important message that comes across is that you need not be trained in martial arts to defend yourself and that a human life is far more valuable than the contents of a purse a mugger grabs or one's ego during an argument.

The BD37 offering contains eight chapters that its author states is a 'definitive guide on how to prevent attacks, be more confident and live without fear'.

It comes complete with genuine case studies with Suhail's tips on what went right or wrong in each situation and a section on the legal repercussions of resorting to violence during self-defence.