If you’re a woman, you’ve probably experienced a nervous, sinking feeling when walking alone at night, fearing what’s lurking around a dark corner. There’s also a good chance you’ve felt your heart rate speed uncontrollably when you thought you were being followed—or worse, perhaps you were followed and possibly even attacked. For such scenarios a women should always know how to deal with it. They should always be on their toes if any danger is just there. Panicking isn’t the solution to anything but being tranquil and composed is.

Move #1: Straight punch

If someone is in front of you and you’ve ID’d him or her as a threat, a straight punch can be very effective.

Push from the ball of your foot and thrust your hip and fist forward at the same time, which will maximize your strength. Drive from the ground, and don’t let your elbow flip up; your contact area should be the pointer and middle finger knuckles, not your ring and pinky finger knuckles. Also, keep in mind that aiming your punch for a vulnerable area—for example, your attacker’s eyes, nose, or throat—will be most effective.

Move #2: Front kick to the groin

Similar to the straight punch, the front kick to the groin is a powerful move to a vulnerable spot that can help you go on the offensive. To deliver this kick, drive your hips forward with your knee bent and heel back, then extend your knee and leg with force, making contact with your attacker’s groin area with the top of your foot (the area where your shoelaces are, if you’re wearing running shoes). Practice lunging to strengthen your legs for this move.

Move #3: Knee kick

If the person is close to your body, the attacker may be too close for you to throw a straight punch. If that’s the case, kicking with your knee can be very effective. Use this if someone is in front of you, inside your personal space, and powerfully drive your knee straight up to hit the groin of your attacker. Keep in mind you want to use the bony tip of your knee, not your thigh—this will cause more pain. If possible, before you throw the knee kick, try to grab your attacker between the person’s neck and shoulders, and hold on to as much skin, muscle, or clothing as possible. This will give you more leverage to knee-kick harder.

Move #4: Bear hug defense

If your attacker tries to “bear hug” you—a common type of move when it’s a male attacking a female, where the attacker grabs his victim from the front or behind around the shoulders—your first reaction might be to grab his elbows to try to pry arms away from your body. However, your best defense is to drop as low as you can toward the ground and squirm as much as you can to wriggle out of your attacker’s hold.