A woman fought off a man as he attacked her in Springfield's Walmart parking lot. Police said 57-year-old Willie Joe Buford followed the woman out to her car, and as she unloaded groceries he used a knife to force her inside the vehicle.
The victim was able to fight Buford off.
Self defense specialists said there are a few simple tips to keep in mind in case of a similar attack.
"First, whatever is in your hands needs to cease to exist," said Mark Simons, who owns Empower Wellness. "Then you need to turn and face your attacker."
Simons said freeing up your hands and creating a strong base with your feet gives you an opportunity to fight back.
"I teach elbow and knee strikes," Simons said.
He recommends leveraging your body weight to use your elbows and knees to hit your attacker."
"Once the immediate threat is gone, I need to be gone," Simons said. "Disengage and run away."
Simons recommends everyone take a self defense course at least once. But he said regularly attending a class will make it easier to react when necessary.
Simons owns Empower Wellness and regularly hosts self defense seminars.
