10 Most Effective & Essential Self Defense Techniques

Violence is never the answer — unless you're faced with an attacker and no other way to escape the situation. In that case, you should kick, hit, and scratch your way to safety. Running is the best self defense move, and putting distance between you and your assailant should always be your first priority. But if you don't have the option to run immediately, here are the 10 most effective techniques to use until you have the chance to get away. Use as many as it takes to flee, and don't be afraid to cause a little damage if that's what it takes.

Wrist grab release : If you're being attacked, there's a good chance that the bad guy is going to grab you by the wrist at some point, whether it's to force you to go somewhere with him or to keep you from hitting back. To get out of this hold, remember that the weakest point of his grip is where his thumb and fingers meet. Rotate your wrist so that the thumb-side of your forearm is at the weak point in his grip, and pull your arm out of his hand in that direction. If he's much stronger than you, use your free hand to grab your fist and put more power behind your pull. Some self-defense experts suggest following up with a strike to the throat or another sensitive area as soon as you're free from his grip to keep him from grabbing you again.

Stomp kick : Because your legs are so much stronger than your arms, using a simple kick can be a fast way to get away from an attacker. To get the full force of your leg behind the kick, use the heel of your foot to make contact with the assailant. In a stomp kick, you bring your knee up and drive your heel down as hard as possible. If you do this on an attacker's foot, you might be able to break some of the many tiny bones down there and keep him from running after you. For the best results, stomp kick on his instep, or the shoelace part of his foot, rather than his toes. This can also work if you're wearing heels since the stiletto can act as a dangerous spike.

Waist grab release : Similar to the self defense taught in Miss Congeniality , the way to get out of an attack from behind is to go for the assailant's sensitive areas. If you're grabbed around the waist, stomp hard on his instep and follow it with a kick to the groin, bringing your foot up behind you between his legs so your heel makes contact with his tender bits. Then pry his hands off of you by yanking back his fingers, and finish it off with an elbow to the face. Sandra Bullock's version goes in a slightly different order: solar plexus, instep, nose, and groin, or SING for short.

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