Posted on 08/14/2008 8:03:03 AM PDT by yankeedame
All of us want to learn kung fu. Who doesn’t want to kick like Chuck Norris and use nunchakus like Bruce Lee? Unfortunately, many of us are too busy to attend martial arts training sessions. You can buy a “how to” book of martial arts, but they usually have complicated instructions that you will likely forget during an actual attack. What you need are simple techniques that you can easily use during a fight.
1. To Survive, Accept the Fact That You May Die
Here’s a fact that is useful to remember when someone attacks you: you may get killed and panicking doesn’t reduce your chances of getting killed. Accept this fact because it should help you concentrate despite the surge of fear. Many people fear for their lives too much in dangerous situations, that they ultimately fail to save their lives. Rather than vehemently denying and fearing the fact that you could die, accept it. This is the only way to get it out of your mind and think of options before you – options that can save your life.
2. Attack When You’re Being Attacked
Your instincts are made to protect you. There is one instinct though that will most likely lead to your destruction when your attacker is near you: running away. Sure running away helps, but only when your attacker is a good distance away. Rather than retreating, advance. In a typical scenario where your attacker is the one who feels he is the predator and you’re the prey, he doesn’t expect you to fight back at all. If you react quick enough, you’ll be able to surprise him and open up opportunities to deliver damage.
3. Kick Only When Necessary
Here’s a tip direct from the dragon himself, Bruce Lee. Kicking is effective only at the right distance. Make sure that your attacker can be reached by your kick before you kick him. Also, always bring your hips with you when you kick. Kicking with your leg alone is not that powerful. According to Lee, it’s also very effective to target the body part that’s nearest to you. Remember that when your attacker gets close to you, he’s not only increasing his chance of hurting you, he’s also increasing his chance of hurting himself. If your attacker steps in your range, kick his body part that’s closest to you (usually his knees).
4. Use Your Head… Literally
Do you know that bashing your forehead into a thug’s nose once deals more damage than slamming your fist into his nose twice? The human skull is a powerful weapon. Notice that in boxing, a single headbutt is enough to open a cut in a boxer’s forehead than a flurry of punches. Your skull is hard and it’s also easy to move your head. By using your head, you can deal significant damage to your attacker using minimal effort. Headbutts are especially useful when someone grabs you from behind. Don’t waste your time and energy elbowing your attacker’s ribs or stepping on his toes. Instead, try bashing his face with the back of your head.
5. The Triangle Trick
Keep in mind that you don’t have to get hit during a fight. Imagine a vertical line dividing your body into two. Your attacker is going to attack some point along or around that line. Moving in a straight line forward or backward will change your distance from the attacker, but it doesn’t get your centerline out of the attack path. On the other hand, moving laterally left or right moves your centerline but it doesn’t change the distance between you and your attacker. The trick is to move along a triangle to change both the location of your centerline and your distance at the same time.
6. Everything Can Be a Weapon
Guns, knives, and pepper sprays are not the only weapons available to you. Anything harder than your knuckles and sharper than your fingers is a good weapon. That’s why it’s advisable to always carry something that can serve as a weapon, like an umbrella or a pen. Stones on the ground are also useful, especially if the aggressor is a good distance away. The one rule you should remember is that hard objects should be smashed against bone, while pointed objects stabbed into soft tissue.
7. Aim for All Those Weak Spots
Yes, just like the big boss in any video game, your attacker is full of weak spots however fearsome he might seem. Aim for the following body parts during a fight: eyes, nose, ears, throat, kneecaps, and groin. The groin is the most effective to hit because it sticks out, it’s at the center, and it’s very painful when hit.
Master all these tricks and you can pass up on those judo lessons your friend recommends to you. Always remember that you’re not a passive target, and you’re equally dangerous as your attacker.
Front sight, squeeze. Front sight, squeeze. Repeat as nececssary.
>2 shots center mass,1 to the head.<
Keep shooting until the threat is prone on the ground!
The part of “everything can be a weapon” comes from Krav Maga. And yes indeed, anything and everything can be a weapon.
Be polite, be courteous, but always have a plan to kill the people you meet.
You are too much of a gentleman! If you were to attack me when I am in the shower, ie., unarmed, I am going for your throat and eyes the instant that I determine you are a serious threat. Yes, I want to end the fight before you get a chance to do any damage to me. Try getting up off the floor and I'll shoot you.
You’re welcome here in Texas.
Gun Fu has always been remarkably efficacious..
Okay! I'm enjoying myself!
Say hello to my little friends:
Well, I traveled extensively, as in 49 states, over a period of about 16 years, building and testing cellular telephone infrastructure. Cell sites are usually not put in nice places, so I've had a bit of experience dealing with wanna-be thugs, usually in the wee hours of the morning. It makes far more sense to me to not get involved in a physical confrontation if at all possible. You do this by knowing your surroundings and keeping an eye on who is in your general vicinity. You are far more likely to get hurt in a physical confrontation, as opposed to letting the thugs know you mean business from a distance by letting them stare down the barrel of some cold, blue steel.
I've been in several such confrontations over the years and only once have I had to do more than show that I was armed.
The wife is a Texas native. I sure wouldn’t be opposed to living there someday.
Nice article! I especially like the headbutting advice.
My rules for my two kids (now 23 and 15) are simple:
1. Avoid fights, if at all possible. Talk your way out.
2. If you can’t avoid the fight, there is no “honor” in losing by fighting cleanly. Make sure that the other person, and everyone watching, will never, ever come after you again. After all, if you tame a wild badass, the rest will leave you alone.
But how to they fix those to the rifles?
bookmark defense
I carry 3.
If it’s a SIG carry day, that gives me 31 rounds.
If it’s the Glock mod 20, that gives me 46 rounds.
No kicks above the waist.
ping
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.