Top 4 Targets to Strike in Self-Defense Situations

Imagine you're a college student walking back to your dorm late at night. You check your watch. It's almost two a.m. in the morning and you're all alone. You figure, Hey it's safe. Nothing's going to happen to me. I just have to get to my dorm quickly. Don't get all paranoid. Then all of sudden you feel strong arms grab you from behind and lift you up off the ground. Whoever this person is, is trying to drag you off somewhere. You panic. You freak out. You freeze up. You think, What am I supposed to do?! I can't believe this is happening to me!

This above scenario happens to students all over the United States every year. In 2020, 44 percent of reported on-campus crimes were Forcible Sex Offenses. That's 9,400 reported sexual assaults on college campuses every year. This isn't even taking into account the thousands of unreported sex offenses that many students will never disclose. Of these reported sex offenses on campus, the victims were 99% female. This shows a glaring truth: women are the primary target for sex crimes, not men. Therefore, it's extremely important to acknowledge that women, especially college students, need to learn and train in practical self-defense. This article will give you tips on the four primary targets to attack when trying to stop the assault and end the fight quickly.

Tip #1 - Attack the Eyes - 1st Weak Spot

The eyes are extremely vulnerable to injury, so therefore you should attack it immediately. The eyes are one of the four main weak spots in the human body. No matter how big and strong someone is, their eyes can be damaged. If you fight with intelligence, you know that attacking your opponent's strengths will not be effective. You must attack his weaknesses. Here's the Golden Rule when it comes to good self-defense:

Whatever is illegal, or foul, in sport is exactly what you do in a real self-defense situation.

Think about it: why is this action illegal in sport and tournaments? Easy answer. Because it can severely hurt or injure the competitors. Well, what are you trying to do in a self-defense situation? You want to severely hurt and injure your attackers! You're one hundred percent within your rights to protect yourself. And you do this by making sure he is no longer able to hurt you.

How do you attack the eyes?

Use Finger Jabs to jab his eyes with the tips of your fingers. This has to be done very quickly and accurately. Make sure your fingers are held close together, fingers are slightly bent, and the thumb is united with the hand. Never leave your thumb sticking out, or you might break it. The angle of the finger jab hand is positioned upward, NEVER straight. If you jab in a straight line, you may break your fingers when you hit bone.

Use Eye Gouges using your thumbs. Take both your thumbs and press them strongly into his eye sockets, like you're trying to crush his eyeballs. Yes, it sounds gross, but when you're fighting for your life, there shouldn't be any limits to what you're willing to do. You also want to follow this up with more strikes.

Tip #2 - Attack the Throat - 2nd Weak Spot

The throat is a very vulnerable area because the trachea (windpipe) is there. The trachea is responsible for allowing oxygen to flow into the lungs, and letting carbon dioxide to flow out. If you crush a person's trachea, that's the end of breathing for him. The trachea has the consistency of a soda straw - it's fragile and flexible to allow for movement in the neck. But if your life is in danger, striking the windpipe is a solid option.

How do you attack the throat?

Use a Backhand Chop to the throat. Using the outside edge of your hand, hit his throat with a backhand motion. Hit it as fast as you can and let your hand bounce off his throat to maximize the damage. This is a speed movement, so focus on the speed, not the power. Remember: the throat doesn't need much power to damage it.

Use a Finger Jab to the throat. Thrust your fingers into his throat, similar in action to the finger jab to the eyes. The difference is that you can thrust in a straight line. A shot to the throat will not knock him out, but it will set him up for your follow-up attacks. Whatever you do, commit to the hit.

"Don't stop to admire your work. Just keep going until he's finished" – Dan Inosanto

Tip #3 - Attack the Groin

You'll never go wrong with a solid kick to the groin in trying to end the fight. Most men will go down from such a kick, but there are many cases where they may not. In any case, it doesn't matter to you. Whether they drop to the ground or not, you will follow up with multiple strikes. Never think of self-defense as doing one single action, like a groin kick, then just running away. If you do that, the attacker will chase you down, while being extremely angry because you just kicked his manhood. Men take things personally when you do that. So after you kick him in the groin, keep hitting him with punches and kicks until he's unable to stand up. How do you know this? Because he's unconscious.

When using a kick to the groin, avoid telegraphing your kick. Don't let him see your kick coming or he will avoid it. Try kicking with straight leg, just slightly bent, and hitting with the top of your shoe. Do not chamber, or pull back, your leg before kicking or you will telegraph your kick. You can use a hand fake to his eyes (pretend you're going to finger jab his eyes), then as soon as he looks up, kick his groin as fast as you can. Remember: groin kicks do not need a lot of power to be effective. You need to focus on the speed and accuracy of your kick. It's more important that you hit your target, instead of trying to muster a lot of power, then miss him. Again, commit to the hit.

Tip #4 - Attack the Knees

Did you know it only takes five to seven pounds of pressure to break the knees? That's the kind of force that can easily be generated by a teenager. An adult can generate ten to twelve pounds of pressure. You can break the knee, if you perform the technique properly.

One of the most effective knee-breaking techniques is the Side Kick. You can Side Kick to the outside of the knee (spot under the outer thigh), or you can Side Kick to the inside of the knee (spot under the inner thigh.) Both are vulnerable to a solid kick and will break if hit properly. Because you're wearing shoes, it's much easier to apply the Side Kick. Think of it as stomping the side of his knee really hard and fast. It's also much better to kick his knee when he puts his weight onto that leg. A leg with a lot of weight on it will be easier to break. Remember: commit to the kick and stop him from walking. Once you've damaged his knee, and he can't step on it, keep hitting him.

Tip #5 - Always Follow Up

Common sense will dictate that you have to fit your self-defense response to the severity of the situation. But the issue here is that in cases of assault and sexual offenses, you can't assume that your attacker isn't going to seriously injure you, or even kill you. What are you going to do? Are you going to ask your attacker, Excuse me, but how far are you planning to go with your attack on me? I just need to know so I can adjust my self-defense response. That would be ridiculous. That means you must always assume that your life is in serious danger and that this attacker is going to kill you. By doing so, you give yourself permission to take matters in your own hands, and determine the outcome of this horrible situation. The last thing you want to do is play the vicitim role. You're not a victim. You're a dangerous person in your own right, and this stupid person just messed with the wrong woman! It's all about having the right attitude.

After you've successfully scored a hit on his weak spots, then hit him with as much fury and rage as you can muster. Throw punches, kicks, elbows, knees, and slaps as you can. Hit him hard at least thirty times until he collapses to the ground. You want him damaged and unconscious. You don't want him to escape and vicitmize another woman. By stopping your assailant, getting him arrested, and getting him locked up behind bars, you've probably saved the lives of many women and your girls. These vermin need to be kept away from society forever. And it starts with you.

Get the Confidence and Training You Need

If you really want to learn how to protect yourself, and make sure you get the practice you need to keep yourself sharp and ready, just in case, then come to the Tandez Academy. We specialize in practical and effective self-defense training. No experience is needed. We'll teach you everything you'll need to know, and your training will get you in great shape, boost your physical fitness, and make you ready for action. Contact us at 408 373 0204 or email: info@tandezacademyofmartialarts.com