Self defense comes with so many easy moves to do, but the areas you target with your first few moves can make all the difference. If you want to escape from your attacker, you need to choose the parts of the body where you can deal the most damage without too much effort. The position of the attacker and the proximity to you will, of course, determine what area you can reach and hit, but the good thing is that there are several parts that you can hit with your hands, knees or even feet, no matter the position.
The eyes – The eyes are one of the most sensitive parts of the body; Your attacker won’t be able to see anything if you damage the eyes in any way and so they are some of the best he can pick to attack with. Scrape, poke or gouge the attacker’s eyes with your knuckles or fingers and you’ll leave a lot of pain and time to escape. Temporarily interfering with vision is one of the easiest and most effective ways to deal with a physical attack and get out of the situation.
Nose – This is a good place to aim when the attacker is standing in front of you up close. You can use the heel of your palm to strike just below the nose, throwing your weight into the movement to cause pain and cause the attacker to lose balance and drop in the process. The nose is also an easy but effective target when the attacker is behind you because you can elbow them. When you aim at the nasal bones with all your energy, it will work and free you up so you can take cover.
The knees – They are ideal places for self-defense because they partially incapacitate the attacker. The knees are still vulnerable from any given angle and you can also easily kick them without the risk of getting your foot caught. Simply aim for the lateral knee area to cause injury or disable the attacker. The front of the knee causes even more injury, but is not as effective in throwing the attacker off balance.
The neck – The lateral area of the neck is the best target because this is where the jugular vein and carotid artery meet. Keep all your fingers straight and close together, thumb tucked in, and knuckles slightly bent, then bring them just to the side of your neck. This is known as the knife hand strike and will temporarily stun the attacker, giving you the advantage.
Learning a few self-defense moves and techniques can save you a lot of time when no one else is around to rescue you. It helps to be ready at all times.
