Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site fisher.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!princeton!astrovax!fisher!bae From: bae@fisher.UUCP (The Master of Sinanju) Newsgroups: net.women Subject: Self-Defense Message-ID: <98@fisher.UUCP> Date: Sat, 24-Mar-84 22:40:43 EST Article-I.D.: fisher.98 Posted: Sat Mar 24 22:40:43 1984 Date-Received: Mon, 26-Mar-84 20:18:40 EST Organization: Princeton Univ. Statistics Lines: 136 Here is my promised article on self-defense. I do not claim to have presented a definitive set of responses, so please, no flames... First, I will present 10 ad-hoc rules for survival culled from all of your own responses, as well as my own experience: 1) FIGHT DIRTY You are not fighting for prizes. Use any advantage which presents itself. If there is something nearby which you can use to hit or throw at your attacker, use it. Even a hatpin or a magazine can make formidable weapons, if used with zeal. Your attacker has chosen you as a VICTIM, because he thought he could dominate you. Don't let him. Get mad, and be prepared to fight with all of your power/skill. 2) ATTACK EYES/THROAT/GROIN AS YOUR PRIMARY TARGETS Unless you are a skilled combatant, you had best stick with these simpler targets. A strong blow to any of these areas can kill or disable the most formidable attacker. Don't try any come-along or restraint tactics, unless you are very skilled in their use, because their use puts you in danger. You are fighting for your life, kill. 3) DON'T BE DEFENSIVE, ATTACK THE ATTACKER! Again, a passive defense will not do you any good, unless you are skilled. Take control of the fight from your attacker. All the dodging and blocking in the world will not render your attacker unable to harm you. 4) USE SIMPLE TECHNIQUES This is most important. Don't try some fancy trick learned in a dojo, and practiced once or twice. Use only the simplest of techniques, executed ruthlessly and with power. Learn one good low kick, and one good punch, and practice. 5) DON'T TALK, BLUFF, OR THREATEN If the situation arises, before anything has happened, say simply "I don't want any trouble." If you say this properly, often you can avoid a fight. However, if you are in a serious situation, there is nothing to be said. Atack your attacker immediately. Any warnings from you will only be taken as a sign of amateurism, or will cause his attack to be even more fierce. 6) EXPECT TO GET HURT There is no way you can expect to fight someone who may be more experienced, stronger, etc. than you, and come away unharmed. The only thing you can do is prevent fatal injuries. Guard your vital areas, and close and destroy your attacker. If he is a knife- wielder, you can expect to get cut up, but cuts on the arms and legs not serious. Protect your throat, chest and stomach. If you are fighting someone without a weapon, avoid injuries to your head and your legs (if your legs are damaged, the fight is over for you). Don't be afraid to be hurt. 7) KEEP IN SHAPE What more can be said? 8) BE ALERT Always be aware of the possibility of attack, even though you are in what you think is a 'safe place'. There is no such thing as a safe place. All of your skill, all of your power all of your training, will come to nought if you are taken by surprise. You don't have to be paranoid, just use common sense. If you are walking alone at night, DON'T walk in dark, isolated places. Why take chances? If you are on the subway at night, STAND. Keep your hands free, and in front of you. Always be aware of your environment. 9) DON'T LET YOUR ATTACKER GET YOU ON THE GROUND Even if you are expert at judo or some other grappling technique, going to the ground and wrestling with your attacker is stupid. If you have him on the ground, finish him off with kicks to the temple and kidneys. If you are not on your feet, you cannot run. If there are multiple attackers, and you are down, you have just lost. 10) VISUALIZE Devote sevral minutes a day to imagining your responses to attacks. There are not an infinite number of possible attacks, and if you are prepared for the common ones, you are much more likely to withstand an assault. The most common attacks are grabs, punches, charges, bearhugs, headlocks, etc. By visualizing the use of the basic techniques that you know, your are increasing your level of preparedness. This could save your life. Keep in mind always that you are in a potentially deadly situation whenever you are attacked. You do not know what your attacker is going to do to you. He has chosen you to attack because he believes that you are somehow vulnerable. Something in your appearance, whether your dress, your carriage, or what have you, triggered some feeling of superiority in him. As far as he is concerned, he has already beat you. Use this. Attack him immediately, or act somehow. Scream, run, whatever. DO SOMETHING! If he closes with you while you are still unalert, you have lost all. Although the streets may look safe, always be alert and prepared, for there are animals walking our cities these days. I shall present an example which will sufficiently encourage you to be alert (hopefully): The man who has instructed me for 12 years, who has trained in kung-fu since the age of four, was at a fair in Southern California. He had been having a good time, seeing exhibits, eating, riding rides, etc, etc. all day, and was somewhat tired and unalert. It was somewhat late in the day. He mistakenly turned down a blocked-off passage between two exhibits, and walked 20-30 yards before he realized his mistake. Upon turning around, he found that there was a large (~245lb) man blocking the way out, who was moving towards him quite quickly. You must understand that my sifu is about 5'2" and 130lbs. The approaching man ran straight at him, and delivered a punch. My sifu blocked the punch, and stepped back, being a peaceful man. The attacker continued to attack. My sifu broke his arm. The man continued. My sifu broke his other arm. The man attacked again. My sifu broke his rib-cage, puncturing a lung. The man continued to attack. My sifu broke both his legs, and kicked him in the groin. The man continued to attack, even with all of these injuries. My sifu was forced to break his neck, paralyzing him rather than killing him , fortunately(??) When the police arrived, and the man was taken to the hospital, my sifu was informed that he had been very high on PCP, and probably had not felt any of the crippling blows he recieved. Had my sifu not been able to fight as well as he could, he certainly would have been killed. HOWEVER, HAD HE BEEN ALERT, IT NEVER WOULD HAVE HAPPENED!! He has not yet forgiven himself for being so stupid. ALWAYS BE ALERT, AND AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS! This is the most important thing you can do, even if you do nothing else. Be careful out there. -- Brian A. Ehrmantraut Ad Maioram Gloriam Hasturi! {ihnp4, decvax, ucbvax}!allegra!fisher!bae