Most people who instigate fights are the ones who likely have zero experience and are usually all bark and no bite. They are the ones who will usually fold upon seeing their own blood and ultimately de-escalating the situation.
Elbows
If you see an elbow strike in a self-defense setting, there’s a good chance that the person executing it is a trained individual. It’s an effective technique from close range that’s been popularized by Muay Thai fighters.
What makes the elbow strike an effective tool for self-defense is that it inflicts more damage on the other person and less on you. Unlike a punch, where landing it wrong can lead to a broken hand.
However, elbow strikes follow the same philosophy as boxing. Lead elbows should always go first. But if you want a one-hitter quitter, timing is key. You also want a proper measuring gauge to know if you’re in perfect distance. In this case, it could be an outstretched arm.
Knees
Ladies, many of you reading this likely have a full sense of confidence that you’ll be able to handle yourself in a sticky situation. ‘I’ll just knee him in the groin’ would be your initial thought.
That’s all well and good. But when you’re actually placed in a situation where there is a threat of harm from a potential predator, will you be able to execute it? Will your body cooperate, or will you be frozen stiff?
Let’s minimize the chances for the latter to happen by knowing what to do. And guess what? The power of a knee strike comes from the hips. It’s that forward thrusting motion that’ll draw more force toward the intended target.
As you can see in the image above, the defender’s hand is placed on the other person’s shoulder for better leverage. The key is also striking without being telegraphed, so it is important to launch the strike the moment your hand touches their shoulder. Your objective is to hit THROUGH the target and not at it.
Likewise, you can also place both hands on your assailant’s neck for better control. In the striking arts, this is called the clinch.
Do it right, and you land right smack onto the crown jewels. But at the very least, you take the wind out of them which allows you to run for safety.
Foot Stomps
There’s a scene in the 2000 film Miss Congeniality where Sandra Bullock’s character, FBI special agent Gracie Hart, demonstrated what she called “SING.” It’s her method for self-defense that stands for Solar plexus, Instep, Nose, Groin.
For this, we’ll focus on the Instep part. Stomping straight down a person’s foot with your heel with all your weight behind it can cause instant debilitating damage. Even without the shots to the solar plexus, nose, and groin, it’s excruciating enough to disable an assaulter.
The move is pretty straightforward, but again, it’s all about timing. You pounce when they least expect it.
Foot stomps are so effective that they’re even used at the highest level of MMA. They’re not fight-enders, but they will get your attention.
Drill These Techniques For Self-Defense
As we mentioned, it’s one thing to know what to do in a self-defense scenario, and it’s another thing to be able to execute these techniques. How do you increase the chances of the latter? By drilling them in the gym.
The practice room is the controlled environment that allows you to drill and hone these techniques and concepts. It gets your body and mind used to such movements so it becomes more natural to you when the situation arises.
So go get yourself the proper gear, find reliable and knowledgeable training partners, and start training. Arm yourself with these valuable tools and do it the right way. The training may be rigorous, but you will thank yourself later.
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** To learn more about self-defense, click here.
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