Mollie Tibbetts. Wendy Martinez. Karina Vetrano. These names remind us of the risks of running blissfully alone, something that many runners—especially women—now feel uncomfortable doing. Runner and self-defense instructor Julie Barron Morrill walked us through four things we can do to make ourselves less vulnerable to an attack on a run.

Growing up in Virginia, Morrill competed in track in high school and pounded the pavement and trails when studying at the University of Virginia. After graduating, she ran a marathon and became an avid trail runner while her degree in government and foreign affairs eventually landed her a gig in corporate crisis management with the Department of Defense.

“I was traveling so much, often alone and internationally,” she remembers. “But because I’m stubborn and hate the treadmill, I was still going out and running no matter where I was. Working in security and knowing the dangers women face, I knew I needed some sort of self defense.”

In 2004, as luck would have it, a new self-defense studio offering Krav Maga (an martial art form created by the Israeli military) studio had just opened up in Boston near Morrill’s home at the time, and she took a free class. “I fell in love instantly,” she remembers. “It was exhausting and exhilarating, and it kicked my butt in a good way.”

Given that the Israeli military requires all men and women to serve in their armed forces, Morrill believes Krav Maga’s universality and simplicity makes it the best self-defense technique.

Soon she became an apprentice teacher and was certified as an instructor in 2014. Her first taste of working with runners came when she was asked to give a self-defense seminar to BostonFit, a training group getting ready for the Boston Marathon.

“I’ve worked with BostonFit for the last six years but my running seminars really took off four years ago when I attended Kara Goucher’s Podium Retreat, a women’s running retreat operated by the former U.S. Olympian,” she says. “I told Kara and her husband Adam that I teach self defense, I gave a little demo and Kara has invited me back to teach a safety and self defense class at the retreat ever since.”

Morrill’s affinity for working with runners goes beyond her personal experience with the sport.

“I really enjoy teaching runners—and women in particular—because although they often feel vulnerable, they have more options and more power than they realize,” she says. “Plus, they’re strong athletes with a lot of strength in their legs, and they just need to harness that to be able to defend themselves.”

Morrill prepares runners for any instance they might encounter through what she calls a “hierarchy of options,” which is a system of steps on how to respond to unfamiliar or dangerous situations. They begin with being mindful of your circumstances and end with how to fight off an attacker:

1. Be Prepared and Aware

Runners should have a plan ahead of time for the possibility of an uncomfortable interaction or a violent attack. “The body can’t go where the mind has never been,” Morrill says. “You have to think about how you would respond to aggression and not just out on the run—do it ahead of time.” By practicing—even in your head—your response, your actions will become habit, allowing your instincts to take over when things get dicey.

Additionally, it’s important at all times to be aware of your surroundings and your posture, she says. Before something bad happens, know where the nearest exit is or recognize side streets where you could escape if need be.

And how others see you is just as important as you seeing them. “Your head and eyes are up, your shoulders are back, which makes you larger since you are standing taller,” she explains. “It’s a deterrent. An attacker doesn’t want to attack someone who’s confident and aware.”

Secondly, being vigilant allows you to identify cues and clues to potentially bad situations and people in your environment and tap into your intuition, Morrill adds. “Everyone knows when eyes are on them. Intuition is your senses picking up on clues that maybe haven’t percolated up to your consciousness.”

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2. Run Away

When something does happen or you just get the feeling it might, the first thing Morrill always advises is to get out of there.

“We’re runners, that’s our super power—so run,” Morrill says. Sounds obvious, but it isn’t always that easy—and not just because there can be something physical stopping you. Running away from a situation you’re not comfortable with can feel like you’re being rude or offensive, which is something most women are conditioned to avoid.

Morrill says that you need to give yourself mental permission to be mean or offensive, so when you when you get uncomfortable you’re not afraid to react.

3. Use Your Voice

“If you’re cornered or can’t run, go high-pitched and scream and yell, ‘Back the f— off,’" she says. Or if your attacker is angry and thinks you've offended them by bumping into them or cutting them off, try to be soothing. "Go low and be more placating and say, ‘I’m sorry, calm down,’” says Morrill.

But if their interest in you isn’t because you’ve offended them, you have to be the scarier animal, according to Morrill. Because it takes practice to really yell at someone, Morrill has drills in her classes where she has people practice screaming in her face. “I lived in Boston for 20 years—I can take it,” she says.

Another technique she uses is to yell an incomprehensible phrase like, “Where’s my peanut butter?” This is because speech requires a higher level of cognitive function than the more basic physical actions associated with a “fight or flight” response, forcing the attacker to think harder, buying you some time to escape, she says. For this option, it’s important to come up with a phrase ahead of time and even practice it because you’ll be under a lot of stress as well making it hard to do something new.

4. Fight Back

This is the last resort, according to Morrill. Since many attacks start with a grab from behind or an attempt to push or pull you off balance, the first step here is to focus on your stance to avoid getting knocked down, which is the attacker’s goal. To do so, bend your knees with one foot slightly ahead of the other and your torso over your hips. Your neck should be long with your chin slightly tucked and your elbows should be up and bent so your forearms frame your face.

“When things get physical, I teach four main weapons,” say Morrill. “How to punch, kick, use your knees, and use your elbows.” From there you just want to cause enough pain or confusion in your attacker to get away.

“Krav Maga is designed for all body types, so women aren’t at a disadvantage,” Morrill says. “Also, it isn’t a sport and we don’t score points. It’s about survival and never giving up.” This means there are no rules—other than do whatever you have to do to get away.

Below are four Krav Maga moves that Morrill says can help you protect yourself if you run into trouble.

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Elbow Strike

Elbows are pointy, hard, and able to move in multiple planes—backward, forward, cross-body, up, and down—making them Morrill’s favorite striker and the ultimate weapon in close-quarters fighting when you can’t fully extend your arms or legs.

If someone grabs you from behind, pick up your elbow and arc it behind you to hit them in the face. To take their breath away, drive your elbow straight back into their sternum or stomach.

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Knee Strike

Use hard bony parts of your body against soft, fleshy part of your attacker. That means aim for the stomach, groin, nose, throat, and inner thigh. That way you’ll hurt him and not you.

For instance, if someone grabs you from in front or you are holding something in your hands, hit them in the lower body with your knee. “Kick without extending your leg and aim with the top of the knee,” Morrill says. “And since women have less mass, really use your legs and your core to get that power.”

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Hand Strike

If there’s some space between you and your attacker, a punch can be a very effective way to generate a powerful blow. “The trick is not to put your thumb under your fingers,” Morrill explains. “Keep it tight close to your fingers, then keep a straight wrist and knuckle perpendicular to the ground as you punch with the top two knuckles.” She adds that if you’re not used to hitting with a fist, you should try striking with the heel of your palm—it can be easier to do.

Morrill says that whether using a fist or your palm, the most important thing is to engage your lower body. “The power in a punch comes from the floor,” she advises. “Push with your feet, hips, and core so your hand flies with the force of your entire body.”

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Lower Leg Strike

Morrill says The Simpsons got it right with the line, “No groin, no Krav Maga.” “We’re known for our devastating groin kicks,” she says. Use the top of the foot to the mid-shin. “They are the boniest and therefore hardest parts so you can do the most damage and not hurt your toes,” says Morrill.

The Runners Alliance is an initiative to help make running safer for women. Read more tips, strategies, and personal stories here.

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