9 of the Dirtiest Self Defence Moves

For effective self-defence, you need to be ready to do whatever is necessary to effectively protect yourself and your loved ones. Read on for 9 of the dirtiest self defence tactics that actually work – and that attackers hope you won’t use.

People don’t attack others when they think they will lose. Attackers only attack when they believe they can win. In a real fight, there are no rules.

When you’re threatened in the street or your home, or anywhere else, the attacker doesn’t care if you fight fair. They didn’t choose you to attack because you are the same weight-class as they are and they won’t spare you any “illegal” maneuvers because they are nice people.


weapons of the body combat

1. THE EYE GOUGE

eye gouge

A perennial favourite, the eye gouge is exactly what it sounds like.

Either two fingers are thrust into the eyes sockets or two thumbs. Fingers are aimed to slide in under the eyeballs while thumbs should be aimed for the inner corners of the eye, near the nose. Either way, the goal is to scoop the eyes out or crush them inside the occipital cavity.

For obvious reasons, Krav Maga classes require that this be practiced against a dummy or a sparring pad rather than your training partner.

2. ELBOW STRIKES/ HAMMER FISTS TO THE BACK OF THE NECK

Any elbow strike can do some serious damage.

There’s the low-to-high that strikes an attacker beneath the chin, the horizontal that smashes into a soft spot of the body or face, and then there’s striking an attacker in the base of the skull with an elbow strike.

It requires that the target is doubled over to work well, so this is a great way to finish the fight after a Long Knee or a solid strike to the stomach or groin. This can also be achieved using the hammer fist as part of the finishing solution.

3. THE LONG KNEE

long knee strike

When a defender wants to knee the attacker but there’s a little too much space to come up directly, they use the long knee and move forward with their strike.

It works even better when they can get a hold of the target and pull them toward the knee. Aim for the soft parts of the abdomen or the groin to really do some damage.

4. the UPwards KNEE

military combat instruction training upwards knee strike hit fight

 

If the target tries to move away, feel free to pull harder on their head and transition to the Upwards Knee, using the knee strike to hit an opponent right in the face.

This can also work if the target has bad posture or is leaned over for another reason.

5. The tHROAT PUNCH

the throat punch dirtiest self defence move

 

The throat punch isn’t just a common internet joke. The Marine Corps lists the throat as a good target for lead-hand punches, rear-hand punches, and uppercuts.

A good punch to the throat can crush the windpipe, and even a more modest hit is going to hurt and throw the opponent off balance.

Go straight for the Adam’s apple and remember to follow through.

6. STOMPS TO THE GROIN OR KNEES

It’s all in the headline. If the attacker falls to the ground, a downward stomp can make sure they stay there.

Stomping the groin will cause extreme pain and possibly nausea, while a solid hit to the knee can disable the joint and make it impossible to stand.

7. AXE STOMP TO… WHEREVER

While the standard stomp is straight down, the axe stomp is a backward swing. This allows the power of the strike to be concentrated in the heel. To add more power, slightly bend the knee of the non-striking leg to gain more downward momentum.

An axe stomp to the face while wearing new boots can easily split skin open and crush underlying bone. Not exactly a sparring technique, but it can finish a real fight.

8. CHOKES

nutcracker choke strangle instructions combat military fight

 

Chokes involve grabbing the front, sides, or rear of an opponent’s neck collar before pulling the hands into the center and crushing. When done correctly, a subject can remain conscious for a period of 3-5 seconds before they pass out.

Headlock chokes can also be used to get the same results.

9. STRIKEs TO THE GROIN

Striking to the groin is simple, yet still requires a lot of practice. When a target is in front of you, a quick and effective reflexive front kick to the groin should stop them in their tracks instantaneously.

Other strikes to the groin are also possible such as roundhouse kicks using the ball of the foot, palm strike, punches, and of course knee strikes.

groin strikes krav maga

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