For today’s lesson, we are going to learn some very effective moves that you can use when being gravely threatened by an attacker who is holding you strongly by your neck, shoulder, or shirt collar. Your first instinct would most understandably be to fight back to release the attacker’s hands. But in truth, the more you struggle the more energy you will lose, and your attacker will in turn be able to strengthen his grip and hold.

This is not a great position to be in. So, let’s take a look at a more effective way to handle this sticky situation. First and foremost, begin by taking a strong stable posture and keeping your breath steady so that you can think, move and defend yourself to the best of your ability. As I have mentioned previously, steady breathing will help keep your mind stable and help you respond to the attack instead of reacting and becoming a victim. So, always Remember to BREATHE!

Next, use the tip of your fingers to lightly brush the eyelashes of the attacker. This should instantly blind him temporarily, causing his hold to loosen. This will give you a chance to gather all your strength and attack the side of his throat with a chop using the side of your palm.

Why does this work? The sides of the throat are where the carotid arteries, the sternocleidomastoid muscles, and the vagus nerve (heart control) are located. So, as long as you hit the throat in the right place, a sudden blow to this area should disrupt the heart rhythm, momentarily stopping the flow of blood to the brain and knocking out your attacker.

If your attacker still stands strong after this blow, go ahead and strike him with multiple knee attacks to his abdomen or groin as a last resort. Executed calmly with strength and precision, these moves are sure to get you out of the sticky situation and free to flee from the scene.

While I sincerely hope you’ll never have any reason to use these techniques, I do want to remind you that the most important thing to remember here is to keep your BREATHING steady. Let me insert a note of caution here – knocking someone unconscious can have serious consequences and I recommend using these moves in a justified self-defence scenario only, and at your own risk.

Keep practising these techniques in front of a mirror or with a willing volunteer. Practice will help you develop muscle memory. And in a flight-or-fight situation, this muscle memory can be the difference between saving yourself and falling victim to a physical attack.

If you enjoyed reading about these techniques in self-defence, do check out our other blogs. You can also share these blogs with friends and family who you think will find the information useful.