The transition from a teenager into a young adult is an exciting time. During this transition, many people will head off to college, start their work lives, or travel the world. Unfortunately, this transition also marks a time of increased vulnerability and risk.
Both men and women need to be extra cautious, but for different reasons. Statistics from the National Institute of Justice show that men are more likely to be victims of crime in general, but women are more likely to be victims of sexual violence. Learning self-defense techniques can significantly improve safety for young adults. Here are five essential self-defense techniques that every young adult should know:
The Self-Defense Stance
Assuming a ready stance for self-defense is key to staying balanced and putting the most power behind your fighting moves. A self-defense stance also allows you to escape quickly if/when the opportunity arises. If you’ve been trained in mixed martial arts (MMA) or another combat sport, you will recognize this stance. While it may vary slightly depending on which combat sport you’re trained in, the fundamentals are the same.
Why It’s Essential
It doesn’t matter what your sex or size, everyone should know the proper fighting stance for self-defense. Fighting should always be a last resort, but there may be a time when you must fight before you have the opportunity to flee.
How to Do It
First, keep your feet shoulder-width apart. Put your left foot forward and your right foot back if you’re right-handed, and that position if you’re left-handed. Bend the knees slightly. This will help you dodge a potential attack. Lift the back of your heels up slightly to keep more of your weight on the balls of your feet.
Your hands should be raised to protect your face. For right-handed people, your left shoulder should be out in front, while the opposite is true for left-handers. Keep your elbows tucked near your body. This will naturally put your hands in the best position to protect your head.
Hit to the Groin
It’s a well-known fact that men are more likely to commit crimes compared to women. While this doesn’t mean that you should always plan for a male attacker, it does mean that you should practice at least one self-defense move that involves injury to the groin. Hitting the groin can momentarily paralyze a man and allow you to escape. You may not have many opportunities to strike this area, so it’s essential that you do it correctly the first time.
Why It’s Essential
Both young men and young women who are dealing with a male attacker should use this move. A strong shot to the groin will hurt a female attacker as well—just not to the same degree. Some men might hesitate to use this move because they believe it’s a “cheap shot,” but rest assured that there are no cheap shots when someone is attacking you; only survival.
How to Do It
If your opponent is close to you, grab one or both shoulders to increase your power while you drive your knee forward. Do this move multiple times in succession if possible. If there is slightly more distance between the two of you and your opponent is not in a fighting stance, swing your leg up and drive the lower part of your shin to the groin. Remember to swing through to deliver the most accuracy and power.
Caution: Groin strikes do not work on all men. Never assume that your attacker will go down instantly once you strike this area.
Fight from the Ground
It’s always a scary situation when the fight moves to the ground. This leaves you in a vulnerable position and gives your opponent a big advantage in a fight. When you’re on your back, knowing how to fight from the ground is critical. The goal with ground fighting moves is to buy yourself enough time to get back on your feet.
Why It’s Essential
This is especially important for young women in college. Sexual violence is unfortunately common among young adults, with one in five women in college experiencing sexual assault. But even in a violent situation that is not sexual in nature, knowing ground fighting techniques can help both men and women escape from the ill-intentioned attackers.
How to Do It
If you’re flat on your back, keep one knee tucked to your body with your foot on the ground. Keep the other knee bent and close to your chest. Lift the hips up high to force a kick to your opponent’s knee or groin. If he/she is coming toward you, there is also the option of kicking them in the face.
Hand Jab to the Nose
The nose is one of the main areas on a person’s body that you should aim for in a fight. It’s extremely vulnerable and prone to breaking when hit at the right force and angle.
Why It’s Essential
You don’t need a ton of force to do real damage to a person’s nose. A hard strike to a person’s nose can also make their eyes water, giving you enough time to escape.
How to Do It
Avoid throwing a right hook at your assailant if you don’t know how to properly throw a punch. This is an easy move to block and may put you in a bad situation. Instead, thrust the heel of your palm up and straight to the attacker’s nose. This is a much more efficient way of inflicting damage, and if you connect it’s guaranteed to sting.
Choke Escape
When someone wraps both hands around your neck, you need to respond quickly. Otherwise, you’ll soon run out of air and be useless in a fight.
Why It’s Essential
Anyone can use this move, but it’s especially useful if you’re smaller than your opponent. When dealing with someone who has strong upper body strength, it’s important that you use your speed and accuracy to break their hold.
How to Do It
If someone is choking you from the front, raise both arms and clasp your hands above your head. Keep your arms straight and rotate quickly to the side to break their grasp on your neck. Drop your elbows with force and turn into your ready stance to deliver a quick succession of blows to their face. If you want to hone this skill, consider getting a boxing-style speed bag to practice your quick jabs at home.
Bottom Line
Keep in mind that these self-defense moves may not completely stop your opponent. The main goal of these self-defense techniques is to give yourself enough time to get away safely. Hopefully, you never need to use these moves in a real-life situation. But, in case you do, they may save your life.
Images:
- shutterstock.com/image-photo/women-self-defense-technique-martial-art-670180672?src=nNJyKeZaFBWzFEh92wNUSg-1-1
- pixabay.com/en/karate-sunset-fight-sports-2578819/