Copyright © Geoff Thompson 2004
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‘Security against defeat implies defensive tactics: ability to defeat the enemy means taking the offensive.’
Sun Tzu

Having got this far in to the book you should already be well aware of the fact that if a conflict reaches a physical response only the strong will survive. Even the highly trained and experienced martial arts practitioner struggles with a physical response. It is my hope that the techniques herein will help to lighten the load somewhat. Realistically, unless you make them a part of your everyday life, they will not. It is my advice to the reader that he/she makes a conscious effort to practise and perfect attacking techniques so that they become instinctive.

Attacking tools: there are many, and different schools of thought adhere to and promote different tools. Some talk of the indomitable boxer, with fast, punishing hands, others about the cripple-shooting kicker or mauling grappler. In fairness every discipline has its strengths and its weaknesses, its good exponents and its poor ones. To be a good all-rounder you need a compilation of all the disciplines. You need to be able to wrestle, box and kick. For ‘blood and snot’ self-protection, economy of movement is the name of the game. Why risk a high kick, when a poke in the eye would suffice? I have been there and tried it all, and what I am left with is a small nucleus of techniques that have and will work in a live situation. This text will show you what I deem to be the most effective, along with those techniques that are less frequently used, though are still effective for the odd occasion.

In this chapter I have listed various attacking tools without too much attention to detail; that will be left to the specialist chapters where each individual tool will be isolated and dissected. In this chapter I want to try and smash the myths regarding what is and is not effective, so I shall be very honest in my evaluation of all the forthcoming movements. For instance, it is a popular myth that, once learned, certain attacking techniques are guaranteed to work and will stop any attacker dead in his tracks. Frankly this is folly. To make a technique work against a determined attacker you will need many hours of practice – even then there are no guarantees. I have no bias to any one art so my evaluations will be unbiased and apolitical.

Pressure testing. No adversary is ever going to just let you apply a movement/technique. To be effective your moves must be both cunning and ferocious. Anything less will fail. For this reason it is important that your techniques be practised under pressure. A compliant training partner is fine when first learning the mechanics of a given move; after that, compliance will only serve to instil a false sense of reality and security.

So, gradually increase partner resistance, building up your confidence with each technique. Eventually practise against full partner resistance. While it is not reasonable to expect a training partner to take full contact blows during every practice session, you may use training aids, focus pads, punch-bag, etc. to develop impact.

Pressure testing is also excellent for gaining exposure to adrenalin, developing self-esteem and a strong will.

For greater detail of pressure testing please refer to my book Animal Day: Pressure Testing the Martial Arts, which specialises in this very subject.

THE BODY

HEAD
Best when used inside punching and wrestling distance. May be used to butt from the right, the left, the front or to the rear, using the corner, front or rear of the head to attack. Also effective if executed in an upward manner using the crown of the head to attack. While grappling the cranium, hair may be rubbed into the opponent’s eyes. The head is an under-used attacking tool, which is surprising because it is one of the most effective and, especially when used by a woman, often totally unexpected. The danger with using the head to attack is that if you hit an opponent above the eye line, or anywhere on the skull, you are likely to hurt yourself just as much as your opponent – even knock yourself out. So always keep your attacks below the opponent’s eye line.

TEETH
Only effective within wrestling distance. Bite anything, especially protruding items of the anatomy: e.g. nose, ears, etc. (false teeth may be thrown at an assailant).

MOUTH
Spitting into an opponent’s face or eyes can be a great distracting factor that may lead you onto a better grip, attack etc. Shouting is also a good tool; use to attract attention or psyche out the assailant.

SHOULDER
Effective for close-in fighting if thrust into the opponent’s windpipe or face.

ELBOWS
Effectively used from any angle whilst in close range.

HANDS
May be used to punch in any direction with power. To pull and twist whilst in grappling distance, to palm, heel or, with the fingers extended, to gouge.

HIPS
Pivotal when executing throwing techniques. If thrust into the opponent’s midsection ensures depth and unbalances the opponent before the throw.

KNEES
May be used to thrust inward, upward and around to the body or the head or by dropping knee-first onto the ‘felled’ opponent as a finishing technique.

SHINS
May be used to attack any part of the opponent’s anatomy, especially the knees and thighs.

FEET
May be used to attack front, side, back or round to any part of the opponent’s anatomy. Particularly effective while attacking the opponent’s lower regions: lower abdominal, pubic bone, groin, knees and shins.

INCIDENTAL WEAPONS

‘He who only sees the obvious wins his battles with difficulty, he who looks below the surface of things wins with ease.’
Sun Tzu

This list is by no means comprehensive. Anything, be it a handbag or a forlorn piece of brick on the floor, may be employed as an incidental weapon. Some will fall within the realms of the law, others outside it. All are uniform in one way: they are extensions of you. It is impossible to include every conceivable weapon within this text, because almost everything may be used as a weapon. I will try to cover the main weapons that you may carry on your person.

The greatest drawback of most incidental weapons is availability. Most are concealed in pockets or bags, so are not readily available, at least not quickly enough. You can look pretty conspicuous walking down the street wielding a stick or bat.

Rape alarm
Anything that makes noise and attracts attention is excellent, though useless if stuck in the bottom of your handbag or if you have heightened your vulnerability by placing yourself in a remote area with no chance of attracting attention. When choosing a rape alarm try to get one that does not sound like a house or car alarm. People are so used to hearing these that they will hardly bat an eyelid.

Hair spray/deodorant
They say that this is great as a hit and run implement. One spray in the eyes of an assailant would prove very painful, distracting him long enough for you to run. They must, for obvious reasons, be aerosols.

A sturdy aerosol canister would also act as an effective bludgeoning tool, if in close to your assailant. I have to say here that, although in theory this would be effective, I have never known anyone use it so I cannot be emphatic. I would also say that, unless the can is a heavy one and you can hit very hard, it is not that likely to stop a determined attacker.

Umbrella
A sturdily built brolly (they are few and far between, let me tell you) with a point could prove a very effective attacking tool for gouging into the eyes, throat or by swinging, baseball bat style, at the assailant’s face. Lacks the solidity of a bat or stick and in my opinion is unlikely to do the job.

Handbag
The classic joke weapon, so often portrayed in comedy sketches. In reality the bag, if sturdily made with metal rims etc., might be effective as an attacking tool. Its greatest weakness lies in the fact that it must be swung to attack, deeming it telegraphed, and most bags are not sturdy enough to even begin to hurt someone who is determined.

Pepper
If you are ever attacked whilst having your dinner (a friend of mine was, he never really got mad until the guy stood on his steak) then a small pot of pepper with an easily detachable lid might come in handy. When thrown into an attacker’s eyes it becomes a fine hit-and-run implement. If it doesn’t blind him it might have him sneezing to death.

Newspaper
Famed by the great eye-spy writers as a lethal weapon. Due to its celluloid fame, it is often looked upon as unrealistic, and I would say that that just about describes it for me. I’m not saying that it is impossible – just unlikely.

Pen/pencil
Inconspicuous, accessible and potentially deadly, if aimed at the softer, more vulnerable areas of the assailant’s anatomy, i.e. eyes, cheeks, throat, etc.

Credit card
The fine razor edge of a credit card makes it a potential killer if purposely or inadvertently aimed at the jugular or other main arteries or veins. Very accessible, extremely legal. However, it would take a lot of practice to become proficient with this weapon.