| Whether you’re using your hands or a self | | | | you easier to trip or shove around. On the other |
| defense product such as a TASER, stun gun or | | | | hand, big wide stances keep you from running |
| pepper spray, posture counts! After a clear head, a | | | | effectively. Instead, keep your feet shoulder-width |
| prepared body is the most important aspect of self | | | | apart. For most people this is slightly wider than they |
| defense. Now it’s easy to get bogged down in | | | | think – a couple of inches in each direction. This |
| useless information. Martial arts experts recommend | | | | gives you stability against being shoved, but still gives |
| dozens of different fighting stances, but most of the | | | | you enough mobility to run. |
| fine points belong to the “art” part of martial | | | | Bend Your Knees! |
| arts, not practical self protection. According to Self | | | | To generate the biomechanical power you need to |
| Defense ATL the average person should just keep a | | | | run or fight you’ve got to bend your knees |
| few things in mind when he or she believes it might | | | | – not a lot, but enough to be able to push off of |
| be time to fight for safety. Let’s boil these | | | | either leg. To use full body power you have to push |
| down into five tips: | | | | off of the legs first. If your legs are already most |
| Keep Your Hands Up! | | | | extended you have very little room to build that initial |
| Boxers, MMA fighters and other full contact fighting | | | | momentum. Plus, if you’re pushed around bent |
| methods all emphasize keeping your hands up to | | | | knees let you push back to absorb the incoming |
| intercept blows to the head. Don’t worry about | | | | force. Or step away completely. Once again, this can |
| fancy hand gestures or making fists (“putting | | | | be a very slight bend – not enough to look like |
| your dukes up” before the fight can increase the | | | | you want to fight. |
| likelihood of an attack, since you’re signaling that | | | | Don’t Face Threats Head On! |
| you want to fight). If you feel threatened, get your | | | | Your body is designed so that many sensitive areas |
| hands in front of your body and between the | | | | like your abdomen are more vulnerable from the |
| potential attacker’s hands and your head. You | | | | front, where your hands can intercept oncoming |
| can be very subtle about this by just “talking | | | | danger. Nevertheless, if you suspect an attack is |
| with your hands.” Stay relaxed and if the guy | | | | coming, stepping one foot back can help immensely |
| starts swinging, trust your instinct to flinch with your | | | | by pointing the vulnerable front of your body away |
| hands forward to intercept the blow. You may not | | | | from attack, reducing your frontward profile, and |
| blog it completely, but you could very well reduce its | | | | providing stability against pushes and grabs. Don’t |
| force, giving you time to draw pepper spray, a stun | | | | drop into a “stance.” Just take a normal step |
| gun – or just run. This is a great reason to keep | | | | back. Make sure there’s space between your |
| a cell phone stun gun or key ring-based self defense | | | | feet when viewed from the front to stay stable |
| product, since you can hold them in a raised hand | | | | – you don’t want to have one foot directly |
| without looking threatening. | | | | behind the other, since that makes it easier to trip. |
| Tuck Your Chin! | | | | Practice – and Relax! |
| A blow to the chin or jaw violently turns the head, | | | | Practicing defensive postures will greatly increase the |
| causing a knockout. That’s why full contact | | | | chance you’ll use them in a confrontation, giving |
| fighters routinely keep their chins tucked. It makes | | | | you time to run, use pepper spray or a stun gun, |
| the chin harder to hit, braces the jaw up against the | | | | protect yourself with your hands or use another |
| shoulders and makes the head as a whole harder to | | | | weapon. If you’re not bound for a boxing or |
| knock around. Like hand position, chin tucking can be | | | | karate match all you need to do is be ready to use |
| very subtle. Just dropping your chin an inch or two | | | | these posture tips naturally without making it a |
| can be effective. Don’t bend your back (this | | | | “fighting stance” You can use all of the tips |
| makes it harder for you to move overall) just tuck | | | | in this article without appearing aggressive – but |
| your chin enough that you can’t turn your neck | | | | you’re ready to fight back and get away. |
| as far in each direction as usual (try it out) – a | | | | Naturally, self defense products such as training |
| sign that you’re braces against your shoulders. | | | | DVDs, sprays, stun guns and formal classes can all |
| Keep Your Feet Shoulder-Width Apart! | | | | increase your chances of success, but taking the first |
| When threatened, many people narrow the distance | | | | step never hurts. |
| between their feet – a big mistake. This makes | | | | |