Close Combat
Sometimes no matter what you do, it is impossible to avoid a fight. You may try to prevent an attack from happening and resolve the situation without violence, but a person who is determined to assault you might not be willing to back down. These are the moments when a self defense weapon such as pepper spray or a stun device will be truly useful, but even if you are unarmed, you must be able to protect yourself from being injured or even killed.

Hand to hand fighting, also known as close combat may be your only option. Knowing a few basic techniques can help you survive an attack without getting seriously hurt.

Pressure Points
The human body has many different points throughout that can cause a great deal of pain when hit properly. A direct hit on these areas can put a quick end to a fight. There are many of these to aim for:

A blow that lands squarely on the forehead with sufficient pressure can knock an assailants head back and cause whiplash. Hitting the eyes is not only very painful, but it can also temporarily damage the criminal’s vision, giving you time to get away. Punching the nose can lead to a fracture, bleeding and the end to a fight. Striking the collarbone with sufficient force can break it, thus disabling your attacker completely. A kick to the knee or groin is usually enough to bring an immediate conclusion to any confrontation. Keep these key areas in mind if you find yourself under attack, and strike back quickly, aggressively and with as much force as you can to defend yourself.

Using The Right Body Weapon
Depending on the part of the body you intend to strike, there are two standard methods of attack. When hitting a smaller area such as the nose, eyes or groin, it is better to use a larger weapon, such as a full fist, elbow or your foot. This will concentrate a large amount of force on to a small area to do the maximum amount of damage possible.

Conversely, when aiming for a larger target such as the stomach, head or chest, a more pinpointed strike is ideal. Larger body parts can absorb a hit from a fist or elbow a little easier than it can a more direct and focused blow. One of the best ways to do this is with a knuckle punch. It is very similar to a normal punch, but you are focusing the power of the strike into your knuckles instead of your entire hand. Use this technique by starting to make a fist, but folding your fingers back only part of the way so that the knuckles extend out. Strike your larger target directly with the knuckles to give an intensely concentrated and powerful strike. Do not, however, use this style of hit on a person’s head, as the hard bone could damage your hand.

In the next article in this series, we discuss the palm strike.