Physical Self Defense

Physical Self defense is when you use your knowledge and your body to get out of trouble. It is the art of subduing an attacker the best way possible causing the least amount of pain to yourself. Usually using physical force comes AFTER verbal methods have failed and where the risks of continuing to talk or running away are greater than fighting your way out. Many a times you can get out of a situation through good verbal techniques or by simply running to the nearest populated area and/or shouting for help. But there is that 20% of the time when more is required - getting physical!

Martial arts ofcourse is the first thing that comes to mind when we think about physical self defense. If you want to REALLY learn self defense take a class. This will teach you the true indepth techniques of how to physically subdue an attacker with a higher degree of success. Naturally. However there are simple methods that one can learn that can go a long way in helping you.

Simple Techniques for Self-Defense

Remember that the techniques below do not guarantee 100 percent success but they can go a long way in helping you out of a situation that requires physical force. This does not replace true self defense training...

Physical force demands two things:

a) you need to know when to use it,
b) you need to have the confidence to use it, and
but sometimes, it just isn't enough.

Remember the techniques listed below are for escape and evasion. Not how to put an attacker down for the count or hold them until the authorities comes. Some of these attacks, while they seem simple enough can be quite deadly or permanent to your attacker, especially those attacks to the face region. By law statues in some areas, attacking to the point where you cause life-threating damage can make you legally liable. So remember, this should only be a last resort option in your arsenal.

STANDARD TARGETS

The basic premise is that no matter how strong a person is, there are always going to be areas of the body that are weak. This is, of course, where we want to strike. To protect yourself, there are some simple, easy-to-remember things you can do that don’t require a great deal of training.

Here is a diagram of the human body. Use it for reference.

STRIKE POINTS:

The good things about the human body is that you are already familiar with it and know where the different parts are and what they do. If you hit someone in the throat, poke them in the eye or hit them with a palm on the bridge of the nose, strike to the groin, kick them in the front or side of the knee----these will all hurt, distract, no matter what the persons size or strength level. The question is how hard you strike to inflict the maximum level of pain, enough for you to escape!

1) The eyes.
No matter how strong a person is, a good blow or poke to the eyes will take any fighter out. Remember that most fighters, even well trained ones, rely on their eyes to attack.

2) The throat:
The throat. with a little skill, hitting someone in either the Adam’s apple region or the space between the rib cage and the throat, you’re liable to knock the wind out of them.

3) Bridge of the nose:
The nose is a delicate membrane. When hit hard enough it will bleed, cause the eyes to tear and blur vision.
Hold out your hand, and spread your fingers wide. This tightens the hand, and pushes forward the palm side of the large knuckles. Feel how hard they are? use this part to strike at that area right below where the nose joins the brow ridge, the center of the nose. At the very least, a strike to the nose will stun your attacker. If hit hard enough, then followed by another strike to either the eyes or ears, it can cause what is known as “whiplash” and take your attacker down.

4) Groin areas:
This is a favourite for many. When properly done, it is a knockout punch. There are three ways to get the groin area, the knees, feet, or hands. Which to use depends on how your body is situated in relation to your attackers.

KNEES: If using a knee, bring it upward as hard as you can with the end of your knee as the strike point. Drive it into the groin. If your hands are free, before striking, grab the attacker's hips, and pull the attacker into the strike as your drive the knee.

FEET: Bring your instep up into your attackers groin. However, if you are too close for that, but too far to use a knee, kicking straight up and striking with the shinbone of your leg works just fine also.

HANDS: Swing your arm in a straight-arm upward strike into the groin, either using an open-hand palm strike, or a closed fist----the closed fist strikes just the same as the open palm strike, except the fingers are curled---still a straight-arm strike.

We would like to re iterate: This is not a fighting contest to hold down your attacker and count to ten. Neither are these techniques meant to help you destroy your attacker, beat him up and drag him by his collar to the nearest police station. You sure may feel good to keep hitting even after he is down, but note that there are legal implications involved when you are no longer fighting to defend yourself. Remember that your mission here is to ESCAPE UNHARMED. Hurt him just enough to escape to a safe place and seek help.

References:
http://www.clips4sale.com
http://users.binary.net
http://www.bellaonline.com

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http://users.binary.net/thomcat/Selfd.html
http://www.bellaonline.com/ArticlesP/art25549.asp