If you are ever faced with a situation in a public place, one of the first things to remember is that you have a voice, so use it! Be loud and make as much noise as possible to get attention from anyone within earshot. This often not only distracts an attacker but can also make them flee the scene to avoid being caught. Another thing you should know is that the human body has quite a few vulnerable spots and these are important spots to remember so you can target them if you’re ever attacked. Sure, it’s a good idea to carry pepper spray, mace or even a taser to defend yourself, but you should know how to use your own body as a weapon as well.
These are some of the best vulnerable spots to target during a fight:
- Eyes
- Nose
- Collar Bone
- Groin
- Ears
- Throat
- Shins
- Adam’s Apple
- Top of the Feet
- Knees
Now that you know the body areas to target, let’s look at six moves you can make to stay safe during an attack and get away with your life.
- Stay Calm!
Something that often messes a person up during an attack is panic. When faced with a possible physical attack, one of the best moves you can make is to remain calm and don’t let panic consume you. You need to be able to determine the right steps to take to avoid danger and when you stay calm, your head can think to guide your body to take the right defensive actions against the assailant.
- Break Their Nose
With your palm open, hit your assailant with force to push the nose upwards with your hand. You’re going to need to really put your strength into this move to break the nose. The pain from the strike, even if the nose does not break, is often enough to cause a person to back away and can allow you time to exit the area or subdue the person until the police arrive. Keep in mind that while doing this, it’s still good to make noise!
- Escape a Behind the Head Choke Hold
It can be terrifying to have someone grab you in a choke hold from behind your head. You have split seconds to respond and fend off the attack before possibly blacking out or worse. When you stay calm and work on not panicking, it’s possible to break free from behind the head choke hold but you must as quickly to do so. First, you need to raise your arm up fast all the way to the ear on the same side as the leg you choose to have bent behind you. Place the bent leg right behind the other leg quickly and begin to twist your body towards the side with the arm raised to your ear and with full force, direct all your weight onto the wrist of your assailant. Once free, be sure to take off quickly if there is an escape route or immediately dive into attacking the vulnerable areas of your attacker’s body.
- Give Them a Good Kick to the Groin
Some people say to avoid kicking the groin because they say it doesn’t work. This depends on how you kick and how hard. You need to be in front of the attacker and kick directly in the center of your attacker’s legs. Don’t kick with your foot as you could cause damage to your own body by doing this and don’t use your knee as this can place you too close to the attacker. The best area of your body to use will be your shin. Shins are tough and when used at full force to kick a groin, you can bring an attacker to their knees and get away fast.
- Float Like a Butterfly, Sting Like a Bee!
Muhammad Ali said it best when he coined that phrase and it simply means, keep moving! The more you move and the quicker you do so, the less chance of an assailant being able to land a hit directly on your body. This is a good tactic to consider when facing someone who wants to fight with their fists but be careful if the attacker has a gun or other weapon as moving around can spook them and cause them to become trigger happy. Take time while moving around to use your hands and legs and even your head to go for those vulnerable body spots and to make as much noise as possible.
- Head Butt
If an assailant has you pushed against a wall, try to use your head to headbutt them directly to their chin if possible. This can work if they are taller than you as it forces their head back where you can then punch them in the throat and get away. Fight with all your might to strike those soft spots and work hard to get away. It is easy to hurt a head with a punch or kick, but since it is one of the hardest parts of your body, it is also a great body part to use to defend yourself during an attack.
Whether you are short or tall, big or small, knowing that you personally possess the tools to protect yourself can be a great piece of knowledge to have. There are many martial arts and self-defense classes offered nationwide and it’s a good idea to take classes if possible, so you can learn more steps to take for personal protection. Even if you carry a gun, there are often places that are gun free and it’s a good idea to know how to use your body as a weapon just in case you need to physically defend yourself against an attack.
