Personal Defence Academy

Personal Safety Tips - Simple Defensive Moves - Part 1 of 2

At the request of one of our readers, we share with you some simple defensive moves that can help turn the tide should you ever find yourself in an unfavourable situation. In the first of this 2 part segment, we explore three commonly seen moves in self-defence, and highlight some key details and limitations of each move.

Heel Stomp
The heel stomp is a movie classic, often seen inflicting tremendous pain on some poor chap during the female protagonist's fit of rage. Indeed, it can be a very useful technique when applied properly, and most ladies are quick to suggest using her high heels as a weapon of destruction. However, do you know when and where to strike?

Heel stomps are best used on the instep of a an aggressor, not his toes. This is because the instep is a larger target than the toes, and have more fine bones that break easily on impact. Moreover, many shoes and boots are thicker towards the front to protect the wearer from accidental kicks to hard objects, making it harder for the impact from your heels to penetrate them. Keeping this in mind, a heel stomp is best applied when grabbed from behind, as his instep will be right behind your heel and easily accessible to a stomp. If he is in front of you, there are better options that do not require you to go as close and endanger yourself.

Groin Kick
Another classic is the groin kick, and this can cause the toughest of men to double over in pain. All you have to do is aim your leg at his family jewels and swing for goal. Simple, right? Well, there's more to that than meets the eye!

Groin kicks, like any other kick, requires you to lift one foot off the ground. For an untrained person, this can easily compromise your balance and cause you to fall if you miss your target. While there are many ways to execute a groin kick, we believe the safest way to do it is to lift your knee and snap your foot forwards. If done correctly, it can still impart tremendous force without causing your weight to shift forward. This is actually a close range move, so make sure you're not too far away so you don't miss! Depending on his distance away from you, another effective technique is simply to knee the groin instead.

Eye Gouge
The final classic is an eye gouge or eye poke, or commonly just any attack to the eyes. The eyes are very sensitive parts of our body, and can be an excellent target in times of trouble. Just be careful how you do it, or you might end up hurting yourself!

Eye gouges vary in techniques depending on situation and distance. When trying to execute an eye gouge from a distant, do not lead with your forefinger and middle finger! Unlike the movies, all it takes is a little shift in his head, and you'll be jamming your fingers onto his thick, hard skull. Ouch! Instead, form a fist and peek your thumb out over the top, aiming your thumb at his eyes. You're less likely to jam your fingers this way, and can still strike with a punch even if you miss. At the Academy, our preferred method is to go for a palm strike to the face first, then dig your fingers into the eyes, as it's much harder for the aggressor to avoid it.

Have a comment or question? Feel free to drop us an email! You can also subscribe to our newsletter to avoid missing out on future articles!