Most people don’t have years of martial arts training under their belt. This is especially true for most women. So, what do you do if you really are attacked by a would-be-rapist or mugger?
Obviously, the best method of self defense is to avoid a dangerous place all together. If you don’t have to fight, that’s the best solution. Run if you have to. However, what do you do if you are grabbed, pinned, caught in a corner or can’t get away? Here are five quick methods that anyone can employ to successfully escape most dangerous people. You don’t have to be a martial artist to do these techniques.
WARNING: These techniques can really work. Don’t injure a friend trying them out. The techniques listed are based on a single attacker. If you are being attacked by a group you may not have an opportunity to employ these techniques.
1. Take out a Knee.
Not yours, theirs. When you take someone’s knee out they go down like a sack of bricks. This makes it really hard for them to chase you and gives you time to run away and get help. The key here is to kick out their knee from either side or straight on from the front. You want to nail that puppy for all it’s worth so it buckles. Keep in mind the bigger the attacker the weaker the knees.
To have a better success rate, turn your foot side ways when you kick so that your toes and heel are parallel to the ground. In this way you won’t slip off their knee when you kick. If you aren’t sure you have a very powerful kick, go for the side of the knee rather than the front. It takes less pressure to injure the knee when it is kicked from the side.
2. Blind Them.
If they can’t see they can’t find you. To cause them visual problems there are a number of techniques that work well. The most available method is to make a claw with your fingers and scrape down into the eyes.
Another method is to spray something into their eyes if you have it on hand. Things you might have on hand in your purse are hairspray, mace or breath spray. If you don’t have those things then using objects you have near by to scrape or irritate the eyes is another option. Some ideas are a hairbrush (for scraping the eyes), picking up dirt/sand/gravel if outside and throwing into the eyes or any object that you can use to throw into or puncture the eyes. Even if you miss the eyes, if you cause any cuts around the eyes it will draw a lot of blood which could get into the eyes.
3. Break a Finger.
Again, not yours, theirs. If your would-be-attacker grabs you, no matter how strong they are, you can cause immediate pain by snapping one of their fingers. If you can snap a carrot in half, you can snap a mans fingers. The key is to grab their finger in a way so that you have a lever with your thumb and forefinger on the joint you want to snap. The best finger to snap is the ring finger. It snaps the easiest and causes the most pain.
4. Take their Breath Away.
Yes, you are gorgeous. But, I’m not talking about taking their breath away in that way. I’m talking about literally making it hard for them to breathe. It’s difficult to attack you if they can’t breath. The method to do this is to jam your clenched thumb into the soft tissue of their throat, this is the windpipe area. You can also use a narrow object such as pen, car key, handle of a hair brush, metal tube of lip stick or other solid cylindrical object. The key is to strike this area hard and fast. Here’s a picture… don’t just press the windpipe, jam into it as hard as you can.
5. Bust Their Nose.
There is a lot of sensitivity in the nose and busting your attackers nose will buy time so you can get away. There are several ways to injure or break their nose. If you are grabbed from behind, swing your head back into their face with force so the back of your head hits their nose. If you are facing them, use the heel of your palm or bottom of fist to strike full force into the nasal bone. You can also use objects that you have on hand to hit them hard into the nose. Examples of objects you might have and could use are a heavy purse, back pack, a shoe or even a mobile phone.
If fighting for your life I would recommend using any of all of these techniques if given the opportunity. Your goal is to get away and seek help as quickly as possible.
