In this article, we will be discussing another effective technique that you can use to get out of a bear hug from the front. The bear hug is a dominant position, most likely to be used to control you and to pick you up and slam you down on the ground. This poses many risks – you could hit your head against some concrete and be knocked unconscious, you could break a bone on impact, and in general, being on the ground is not an ideal place when discussing defensive encounters.

While this is a scary position to be in, remember that you still have some control over your hands and have a chance to reclaim control before the situation escalates into something more serious. With this in mind, let’s look at the most effective moves to handle this threat. First and most importantly, do not PANIC! Stabilise yourself with strong legs and keep breathing calmly.

There are many self-defence techniques against a front bear hug. And many include a strike to the attacker’s groin. But for this attack to be effective you need to first loosen the grip to gain a little more space between you and the attacker. To achieve this, we are going to use both our hands to grip and squeeze the attacker’s love handles, as hard as you can.

This will cause terrible pain and will force the attacker’s body to rise upwards and loosen his grip, depending on the amount of pressure you are applying. Eventually, knocking him off-balance and giving you the chance to follow up your attack with a deadly knee strike to the groin, forcing him to release you. While your attacker is dealing with the pain caused by the blow, take this chance to flee the scene and get yourself some help.

Make sure you practise these moves daily with a willing partner or in front of a mirror, so you don’t panic and/or freeze when this happens in real life. If you enjoyed reading about these techniques in self-defence, do check out our other blogs. Do share these blogs with friends and family, or with anyone who you think will find the information useful.