In this article, we will be discussing some reliable moves that you can use to escape a strong front hair grab. A front hair grab is a highly effective technique used by attackers to intimidate their insecure victims. It’s used mostly in order to drag you to another location or to immobilise your head before landing a punch.

Either way, this situation is bound to get very bad, very fast. And like I mentioned in a previous post, a common reaction to hair grabs is to pull away, but that is a bad idea, doing this will only hurt you further. So, let’s understand the most effective moves you can use instead.

First and most importantly, do not PANIC! Stabilise yourself with strong legs to ensure a powerful blow. And conserve your energy for the actual fight. Next, instead of pulling away, go in with a straight kick to the groin with the ball of your foot or the swing of your leg.

Kicking the groin as a self-defence tactic can be one of the most effective means of fighting off a man and rendering him helpless. But it’s important that you strike when he least expects. Even with all the precautions, it is possible that your attacker is expecting a kick to the groin and moves away when you kick.

Do not panic. If he blocks your groin kick, then that means something else just became open, most likely his face. So, while he is worrying about his groin, go ahead and use the movement of the kick to walk inside his centre line. Press your thumb into his inner jawline, which will forcefully lift his body upwards causing serious pain.

And this time when you land him down, attack his groin with your knee or deal a strong reverse fist to the groin. Although the effect of a groin kick is generally temporary, if you deliver it with enough force, you can paralyse your attacker to buy yourself enough time to escape or even disarm your attacker.

The key is to not give up. If you expect him to block your groin kick and are prepared to follow up with your next strike, then you will never be caught unprepared. The moves discussed in this article are to be used to weaken the assailant, giving you enough time to get away. Do not stay where your attacker is. He might have friends waiting. Get away as fast as possible and call for help.

Make sure you practice 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.