Basic Self-Defense for All

Observe your surroundings, orient to how the situation affects you, decide quickly, and act. Speed the loop by repeating observe-orient-decide-act faster than an opponent to stay ahead and stay safe.

Develop situational awareness by staying aware of your surroundings, separating hard targets from soft targets, and assessing how each situation affects your safety.

Master the non-apparent fighting stance to defend without aggression, keep feet even, hands at shoulder height, elbows close to the ribs, and avoid fists.

Learn the coward's block to stop attacks by stepping left, bringing hands to the ears, and using the left arm to block with the elbow pointed at the attacker.

Grasp the attacker's upper arm from the cowards block and secure him in place, ensuring he cannot escape as you proceed with follow-on self-defense techniques.

Learn the open hand palm heel upper body strike to distract an opponent, block, grab the upper arm, and execute a push-pull palm heel to strike the face.

Perform a lower body strike to disrupt balance. Step forward, block, grab the upper arm, and strike the head, then pull down and finish with a thigh or shin strike.

Master the take down sequence to escape an attacker. Start in a fighting stance, block, grab upper arm, strike, and push the assailant to the ground at a 45-degree angle.

Learn the basic response pattern to defend yourself when slapped or hit, emphasizing safe techniques and legal considerations by avoiding fists.

Learn counters to grabs to escape when an assailant tries to grab you. Understand how these techniques empower you to break free and create distance.

Learn to counter arm grabs by escaping grips on the wrist or near the elbow. Rotate your arm toward the thumb, pry free, step back, and de-escalate.

Turn around with awareness and perform a large swooping circle with your arm to break a shoulder grab from behind, then shove away to create distance and de-escalate.

Master counter techniques for a hair grab from behind by turning toward the assailant, trapping the arm, and pushing away to create space while de-escalating and escaping when possible.

Develop awareness, avoid closeness, counter active grabbing by lunging forward and delivering a palm heel or upper body strike to the face, freeing your hand and escaping to seek help.

Master a counter to headlock from behind by clearing your airway, retaining the choking arm, breaking balance with shoulder pressure, and leveraging the assailant's leg for a throw to escape.

Counter to the bear hug teaches escaping rear grab by grabbing attacker’s arms, shifting your hips, delivering a groin strike as a softening blow, then spin out and escape.

Escape a front choke or lapel grab using an over-under arm technique that breaks the grip and pivots you free, then push away at a 45-degree angle for counterattack.

Learn counter to the mount in a straddle position, break balance with an elbow strike and leg push to throw them off, then stand and de-escalate.

Learn how to defend yourself against interpersonal violence, including strikes, grabs, and holds, and stay safe out there.