6 Essential Self-Defense Moves That Might Just Save Your Life
No one wants to think about being the victim of a violent crime, but sticking your head in the sand isn’t the solution — especially if you’re in a more vulnerable group. The fact is, three women die each day in the United States at the hands of their significant other, and 1 in 5 women will be the victim of an attempted rape or rape over the course of their lifetime. Studies show that LGBTQ+ people are also disproportionately affected by violent crimes, with transgender people experiencing violence at 2.5 times the rate of cisgender people. Race also plays a role. In 2020, the number of reported anti-Black hate crimes in the US increased by 49 percent from the previous year, while anti-Asian hate crimes went up by 77 percent, according to an FBI report.
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These are all horrendous statistics. In a perfect world, no one would ever be in a situation where they have to worry about protecting themselves from another person. But until that ideal becomes a reality, we have to work together to find solutions, which includes educating ourselves, being aware of the problem, and learning how to protect ourselves when necessary. If you ever find yourself in a dangerous situation, it could save your life.
The point is, you never know if (or when) you could become the victim of a crime, so why not prepare yourself for the possibility? You don’t need to become an expert fighter— you just need to learn a few simple moves that can catch an attacker off guard, giving you the opportunity to get away and save your own life.
Self-defense is crucial to learn, and it’s not actually as complicated as you might think. In fact, there are six basic moves you can start with to protect yourself, and we enlisted a true expert to explain them. Keep reading and allow Jarrett Arthur, a Krav Maga expert, lead instructor for M.A.M.A. (Mothers Against Malicious Acts) Self-Defense, and co-founder of Jarrett And Jennie Self-Defense, to explain how to defend yourself in dangerous situations.
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Fighting Stance
Image Credit: Becci Burkhart/SheKnows Start by setting yourself up for success. As Arthur says, “A solid fighting stance allows you to generate more striking power, remain balanced and be best prepared to run for help as soon as the opportunity for escape presents itself.” Here’s what to do:
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Take a natural step forward with your nondominant leg (left leg if you’re right-handed, and vice versa).
Make sure your toes are pointed forward and feet are an equal distance apart, right to left and front to back.
Bend your knees and raise your back heel slightly.
Tuck your chin, shrug your shoulders slightly, and bring your hands up in front of your face with palms facing forward in a “stop” gesture. -
Palm Strike
Image Credit: Becci Burkhart/SheKnows “A palm strike is a safer alternative to sending a punch, while still effective,” says Arthur.”This strike goes to the nose or the throat of an attacker.” She recommends striking powerfully so you can create an opportunity for escape.
From your fighting stance, explosively drive your palm forward in a straight line away from your face.
Use the rotation of your hips and shoulders to generate power.
Curl fingers back, but leave them open to make contact with the heel of your palm, but not your wrist.
As soon as contact is made, immediately recoil your hand back to your face. -
Knee Strike
Image Credit: Becci Burkhart/SheKnows When you’re up close and personal with an attacker, a knee strike can be an effective option. “This strike would go to the groin of an attacker,” Arthur says, “or even to the face if they were bent over.”
From your fighting stance, send a knee strike with the leg that’s in the back position.
Fold your leg completely so that your heel is tucked near your butt, then drive the point of your knee upward and forward into the groin.
Drive both of your hips forward explosively to generate power. -
Elbow Strike
Image Credit: Becci Burkhart/SheKnows Like the knee strike, the elbow strike is intended to be used when you’re in close proximity to your attacker. It’s designed to make contact to the face or throat. Elbow strikes are also verstaile, Arthur explains. “They can be sent in any direction — forward, back, side, down — or any combination of directions, but they’re all performed the same way.”
Fold your arm as tightly as possible, so your elbow is a sharp point.
Make contact with the flat 1 to 2 inches either above or below the tip of your elbow (above or below will depend on which direction you’re sending the elbow strike).
Rotate the hips and shoulders when sending the strike to generate big power. -
Front Kick to Groin
Image Credit: Becci Burkhart/SheKnows You’re probably already somewhat with the idea of kicking someone in the groin to protect yourself. It’s also a good option when there’s some distance between yourself and your attacker. “A front kick to the groin can be a very effective self-defense tool because of the vulnerable area it targets,” Arthur says. “Make contact with your shin bone anywhere from your instep (where you tie your shoelaces) to the very bottom of your knee. Think about just getting your foot between your attacker’s legs and driving the kick upward — the legs act as a sort of funnel, making it very likely you’ll hit the groin with your shin.”
Power for this kick comes from the drive off of the ground with the back leg (the kicking leg), and the explosive forward hip movement as the kick unfolds.
Start by driving your knee upward and then unfold the bottom part of your leg in a quick whipping motion. -
Hammerfist Strike
Image Credit: Becci Burkhart/SheKnows Last but not least is the hammerfist strike, which Arthur describes as a “safe alternative to punching.” “It involves making contact with the bottom part (pinky side) of a closed fist,” she says, “and can be sent to the nose, chin, cheekbone, collarbone or even the throat.”
Make a tight fist (ensuring your thumb is outside your fingers, not tucked into the fist).
Bring your fist to your head and raise your elbow slightly upward.
Explosively drive your fist forward and downward, allowing your elbow to rotate downward.
Rotate the hips and shoulders to generate power. This motion is very similar to throwing a ball or hammering in a nail. -
6 Self-Defense Techniques Everyone Should Know
Image Credit: Becci Burkhart/SheKnows Share these self-defense techniques far and wide to promote safety and awareness.
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