How to Defend Yourself E-Book

Martin J Dougherty

• Herausgeber: Amber Books Ltd
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 38

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2019

Beschreibung

What would you do when threatened on the street? How would you cope with an assailant trying to hurt you or your loved ones? How to Defend Yourself will teach you everything you need to know when dealing with unexpected attacks and assaults. There is no right or wrong way to defend yourself, only what works. This concise guide includes advice on targets and vulnerable points; combat stance and movement; dealing with punches and grabs; breaking wrist holds and strangles; blocks, deflections and evasions; pre-emptive strikes, elbow hits and knee strikes; and how to defend yourself if you get knocked down. Written in easy-to-understand steps and accompanied by clear illustrations, How to Defend Yourself teaches realistic self-defence techniques that can be applied in everyday situations.

Leseprobe

www.amberbooks.co.uk

This digital edition first published in 2016

Published by Amber Books Ltd United House North Road London N7 9DP United Kingdom

Website: www.amberbooks.co.uk Instagram: amberbooksltd Facebook: amberbooks Twitter: @amberbooks

Copyright © 2016 Amber Books Ltd

ISBN: 978-1-78274-076-6

Illustrations by Tony Randell © Amber Books Ltd

All rights reserved. With the exception of quoting brief passages for the purpose of review no part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written permission from the publisher. The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. All recommendations are made without any guarantee on the part of the author or publisher, who also disclaim any liability incurred in connection with the use of this data or specific details.

Contents

Introduction4

Targets and Vulnerable Points6

Effective Self-Defence8

The Fence Posture10

Combat Stance and Movement12

The Punch Threat14

The Grab Threat16

Pushing Techniques18

Defence Against a Straight Punch or Grab Attempt20

Evade and Arm Break22

Defence Against a Swinging Punch Attack24

Jam and Takedown26

Breaking a Wrist Hold28

Strangles and Two-Handed Grabs30

Getting Out of Trouble32

Pre-Emptive Hits34

Elbow Strikes36

Deflect and Body Blow38

Deflect and Elbow Strike40

Stomp Kick or Knee Strike42

Clothing Grabs44

If You Get Knocked Down…46

Final Notes & Glossary48

3

INTRODUCTION

Introduction

Self-defence can be defined as the act of physically resisting an assault or dealing with an assailant. There are various means that can be employed, and different people will prefer to use different methods. There is, strictly speaking, no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to defend yourself. There is only what works and what does not. However, a ‘successful’ defence that lands you in jail is not as big a success as you might have hoped for.

Self-defence is not the same thing as fighting. In a fight, the goal is     to defeat the opponent – to make him give up or become physically       incapable of continuing. In self-defence the goal is to protect       yourself, and that can be quite different.             If you have to knock an assailant out, or render him otherwise      incapable of fighting, then that is what you have to do. But not for       its own sake: you do it as a means to end the attack. If the attack         could be ended by other means – by dissuasion or even flight         – then that would be an equally valid method of getting what you        want out of the situation.            Good self-defence training is always geared towards protecting       you, by various means including but not limited to harming the         assailant. It employs simple methods against realistic threats,            and includes an understanding of the issues surrounding the            use of force. It also addresses the question of what is legal and            what is not, and teaches the student to work towards the goal           of getting out of a situation while coming to minimal harm.

Layered Defences

Ideally, it is best not to have to ‘get physical’ with anyone. There can be no legal complications and you cannot get hurt in a fight that does not happen. Physical self-defence should be a last resort when other methods have failed. The fact that you are capable of defeating an assailant does not mean it is worth needlessly putting yourself in harm’s way or getting involved in pointless confrontations.        Your first line of defence is to recognize potential threats and stay away from them where possible. We are told from a young age not to take shortcuts down dark alleys and the like, and most of us have ignored this advice at some point. Yet it remains good advice – wherever you can, stay away from places where common sense tells you that you may be vulnerable.        The second line of defence is to be willing to walk away from a situation rather than allow it to become a confrontation. Many physical assaults result from escalation, where two individuals who do not really want to fight anger one another to the point where someone throws a punch. Keeping a cool head and being willing to just go elsewhere can greatly reduce the chances of being involved in violence.        There are, however, some situations where an individual is determined to cause you harm. Your last line of defence before matters become physical is the ability to deter aggression. Most assailants do not want a fight; they want a victim. If the potential assailant can see that you will put up a fight – win or lose – then they may decide that you are not worth the trouble.