How to Protect Yourself from Muggers

While at the Mugger Defense event in Fairhaven’s Karate Quest, I was taught a few techniques by instructor Cecil Jentges to help myself get away from an attacker. He taught me about some of the weak spots of the human body, including the groin, ears, neck, eyes, fingers, and solar plexus (abdomen). To demonstrate the techniques I learned, I will provide pictures which a friend and I have posed for.

• Always keep your fists up and duck your chin into your chest. Your chin is a weak and easy target to punch.

• Boxing the ears (cupping your hands and slapping each ear at the same time) hurts and disorients the receiver. The fluid in your eardrums is what helps you keep your balance. Boxing the ears causes the fluid to slosh around and dizzies the receiver. Instructor Cecil Jentges said that he has seen a grown man fall flat from being boxed in the ears.

• The collar bone is very strong when pressure is applied to it horizontally. But if pressure is applied vertically it is surprisingly weak. A hammer fist to the collar bone will hurt the recipient and can potentially break the bone.

• To perform a knee strike, grab the back of the assailant’s head and force it down while swiftly bringing your knee up to their face. 

 

 

• An attacker may grab your hair from behind. In this case, don’t try to pull away. Instead, hold on tight to the attacker’s hand with both of your hands. This will make you move with the attacker’s movement and be less painful than pulling away.

• Once the attacker pulls you close jab your elbow into his or her abdomen and, if male, hammer your fist into his groin. 

 

 

• When they are doubled over, pull their leg outward from between yours. This will cause your attacker to fall on their back and allow you to run away.

 

 

• If an attacker holds a knife to you from behind, turn your throat so the blade lines up with the front of your neck (the trachea). The front of your throat has cartilage which offers some protection, whereas the sides of your neck are soft and contain major arteries.

 

 

• Make sure to raise your hands up. Ask them what they want and put your hand behind your head, this will lock their elbow between your head and your arm like a puzzle.  This makes it more difficult for your assailant to move the knife around your neck.

 

 

•  Immediately after this, jab your elbow into his or her abdomen, then hammer fist the groin and pull their leg outward from between yours like previous situation.

NOTE: Not all situations will make it as easy as it sounds to get out of the reach or the grip from an attacker, but this gives you resources to help. If you’re really concerned about protecting yourself, learn from a master like Cecil Jentges or Mick Jolly, a former Secret Service agent. The Fairhaven Karate Quest class schedule is available here.