spaf@gatech.UUCP (Gene Spafford) (02/20/84)
The following are some general comments and methods on self defense.
These may be offensive to some people because I describe some rather
sure but nasty methods of stopping an attacker. If violence upsets
you, or you are particularly imaginative, you may not wish to read any
of this. I won't go into details here, but I have enough background to
be pretty sure of what I'm talking about. I also am an avowed pacifist
who has great respect for life and I hope none of you ever need resort
to any of the actions suggested here. Careful with your flames,
please.
First of all, you need to decide how much force you're willing to use.
In general, in any case where you are threatened with violence and
possibly death you should not hesitate to reciprocate in kind. That
is, you should be prepared to do whatever is necessary to end the
threat to yourself. You don't warn. You don't deflect (as an end).
You cripple or kill. Anything short of this just invites more massive
abuse by your attacker unless you've had LOTS of training. Every
person should consider how far they will go to protect themselves or
someone around them. If the moment comes, it is too late to consider
then. Hesitation can, quite literally, be fatal. And there is no
concept of "fighting fairly" -- if you fight, it is not a contest, it's
your life.
Why do I counsel such extremes? Because if someone is attacking you,
they are very possibly a psycho or on drugs and minor pain is going to
do very little other than add to their rage. If you decide to use
force, make it count. Furthermore, unless you are very lucky, if you
are fighting someone bigger or more experienced than yourself you will
probably only get one good shot -- it needs to count. (Often, the best
timing for this is to act passively until you are in a position to act.)
Next, consider the situation. If you are confronted with a weapon or a
group of attackers, you're really better off submitting. The only
exception to this is if you have a very real suspicion that you will be
killed or severely maimed EVEN IF you co-operate. If that is the case,
and you have a good opportunity, take it. The worst that can happen is
that you get killed in the attempt...but you may escape a more certain
end later on.
When you hit, hit all out. In fact, if you imagine you are actually
trying to hit a spot about 6 inches beyond where you actually hit, you
can maximize the power (that is, you aren't trying to hit the person's
nose, you are trying to punch *through* their head). If you make a
fist, keep the thumb outside or you'll break it. You can often deliver
a more powerful blow with the palm of your open hand (open like you are
pushing) but be careful not to hit with your fingers because you can
break your wrist. Don't swing your fist in an arc -- drive it straight
in, keeping your elbow close to you body. Act crazy and lethal -- you
might scare the person away without actually having to hurt them.
Now to specifics. Don't depend on a knife unless you know how to use
it. It is to easy to deflect and then possibly use on you. A knife
which is concealed until you use it works, but is illegal everywhere.
Foldup knives (like jackknives) are worthless because they'll just fold
up on your knuckles. A fighting knife should have two edges; not many
people I know carry such a knife. Knives also tend to get stopped by
layers of clothing so most short knives aren't appropriate.
Forget Mace unless you intend to follow up with something else. It is
possible for an attacker to do a lot of damage while only slowed down
by Mace. Besides, the range and dispersal are chancy -- you're just as
likely to spray yourself as your assailant. Guns, well, that's a
possibility if you've had sufficient training and have a large gun.
(I've seen and heard of cases where someone has been shot multiple
times with a .22 and still keeps coming.)
If your attacker doesn't have a weapon in hand, one of the most
effective methods is to blind them. If you place your hands on either
side of your attacker's face, the thumbs very naturally are in place
over the eyesockets (and will slip under glasses). Don't hesitate --
plunge your thumbs in deeply. This will, at the minimum, disable your
attacker. It can kill, too. If you are grabbed from behind, reaching
up over your head and back will put your hands in the same position.
If s/he values their eyesight, they will be forced to let go of you --
possibly pushing you away and giving you a chance to run. Driving
anything like a pen or key into the eyesocket is also pretty much
assured of stopping someone. If you have any kind of chemical nearby
such as gasoline, perfume, hairspray, laundry bleach -- aim for the
face.
A very hard blow across the front of the throat with the edge of your
hand or forearm is a potentially fatal blow. Don't hold back or else
you'll just have an angry, gasping person after you. Usually the blow
causes sufficient swelling and reflex problems to induce
unconsciousness. A hard enough blow will collapse the windpipe and
lead to death.
Striking across the bridge of the nose is another way to stop someone.
Again, a hard enough blow will cause unconsciousness or death. Most
women and many men can't hit hard enough to do this, so it helps to hit
with something hard such as a book edge or trashcan cover (edge on).
These also work on the throat, as noted above. Hitting the temple
area with a hard object also works, as does striking the neck at the
base of the skull.
If you are going to use something sharp and pointed, like a knife, try
for the throat (pierce, not slice). The heart is often too hard to hit
due to all of the ribs and the breastbone. A knife in the kidney is
fairly effective if you twist to maximize blood loss. People are much
harder to kill than tv shows and movies suggest (I know -- I used to
work on an ambulance and in an emergency room). There are other places
to strike for a crippling or fatal blow, but they are harder to
describe or harder to hit, and most don't produce the immediate results
you need (for instance, a fatal wound to the liver which might cause
death in an hour will still allow enough time and mobility for an
attacker to harm you badly).
If your attacker is male, there is an obvious target. The preferred
method is to reach between his legs from behind and squeeze -- hard.
You don't want to be hit as you apply pressure. If you kick and
connect, don't stop with one kick. Add one or two more, possibly to
the head as well to put him out. Realize that shock alone from this
kind of injury can be fatal, so don't ever pull this kind of stunt in
anything other than a life and death situation. Also note that some
men are less affected by this move than others -- especially someone on
certain forms of trendy recreational chemicals such as PCP.
Another good method of self defense is to have a lighter in your hand
with the flame control turned all the way up. When close enough, set
fire to the other person's hair and clothes. Flame it into their
eyes. If they knock you down and are lying on you, remember that flame
burns upwards and you are unlikely to catch fire from the person on
top. If you do this, follow it up with some other attack, because the
burns may not be sufficient for you to get away or incapacitate your
attacker.
I don't think there is any martial art that is effective unless you
practice it a lot. I would recommend something like Win Chun (I'm not
quite sure of the spelling on that one) or aikido as opposed to karate
or tae kwan do, simply because they are easier for small, less strong
individuals to use effectively.
Finally, keep in mind the basic principles of good self-defense:
avoid dangerous situations, don't think or act like a victim
(be confident and project it), and try to escape any confrontation
if you can. If all else fails, don't hesitate -- fight to win.
--
Off the Wall of Gene Spafford
The Clouds Project, School of ICS, Georgia Tech, Atlanta GA 30332
CSNet: Spaf @ GATech ARPA: Spaf.GATech @ CSNet-Relay
uucp: ...!{akgua,allegra,rlgvax,sb1,unmvax,ulysses,ut-sally}!gatech!spafnorskog@fortune.UUCP (Lance Norskog) (02/23/84)
You forgot my favorite weapon, and I think it's legal: weighted sleeves.
The above term refers to sewing a metal lump about the size of an egg
into the end of a kimono sleeve. This was favored in ancient China
when Emporers banned all knives from the populace. All you do is swing
your hand near the person's head, and CRACK! centrifugal force!
The modern equivalent is just a hunk of metal with a ring attached to
a leather thong attached to your shoulder (for up the sleeve), or with
a hand grip (for in the pocket).
Lance C. Norskog
Fortune Systems, 101 Twin Dolphin Drive, Redwood City, CA
{cbosgd,hpda,harpo,sri-unix,amd70,decvax!ihnp4,allegra}!fortune!norskogamigo2@ihuxq.UUCP (John Hobson) (02/23/84)
Lance Norskog says: >> You forgot my favorite weapon, and I think it's legal: >> weighted sleeves. The above term refers to sewing a metal >> lump about the size of an egg into the end of a kimono >> sleeve. This was favored in ancient China when Emporers >> banned all knives from the populace. All you do is swing >> your hand near the person's head, and CRACK! centrifugal force! >> The modern equivalent is just a hunk of metal with a ring >> attached to a leather thong attached to your shoulder (for >> up the sleeve), or with a hand grip (for in the pocket). The version with the hand grip is not legal. This is a good working definition of what is often referred to as a blackjack. John Hobson AT&T Bell Labs Naperville, IL (312) 979-0193 ihnp4!ihuxq!amigo2
y7106@dalcs.UUCP (Rich Johnson) (02/28/84)
w In the article on self defence it was stated that a blow on the bridge of the nose could kill etc. A extremly hard blow could, yes kill but, a very hard blow. To be realy nasty hit hard enough to break the nose. Then if in a life or death situation and ONLY in a life or death situation hit the nose so as to drive it up into the br- ain. PLEASE use it only in times of great need ( as I know most of you would anyway ). From the mad Flamer Rich Johnson y7106
bae@fisher.UUCP (The Master of Sinanju) (03/01/84)
<In Nomine Patris...>
With respect to the statement: 'a hard blow to the bridge of the nose
will drive the broken nose into the brain, killing your opponent', or
other speculative statements like it, I must take offense.
The nose is mostly composed of cartilage, and cannot be driven through the
skull under normal conditions. What will work is a sharp blow to the
spot between the upper lip and the nose, where there is a delicate nerve
center. As it takes a great deal of training to hit this target properly,
I do not recommend it as a primary target to any of you.
Rather, I suggest simpler targets: the eyes, throat, and temple come
to mind. I will shortly post a followup article detailing the contents
of the responses I have received to date, as well as the curriculum I
have chosen.
To all of you who responded to my initial request, thank you very much.
To all of you who flamed at me, well, what can I say??? From the pitch of
your flames, I would venture to say that you are precisely those from whom
we should endeavour to protect ourselves...
Cordially Yours,
--
Brian A. Ehrmantraut
Ad Maioram Gloriam Hasturi!
{allegra,alice,astrovax,rabbit,sickkids}!fisher!bae