Targeting vulnerable body parts in self-defense is critical to ending the threat as quickly as possible. In order to end the threat efficiently, you need to understand the body and it's weak spots. If you don't, you'll attack blindly. You'll waste time and energy fighting your attacker. You can end a fight by targeting vulnerable body parts in one or two moves but don't think you can do it automatically. Training hand-to-hand combat is a must. I'll explain the science of each vulnerable body part, the effects it has on a person when struck, and advantages/drawbacks in striking those areas. I divide them into two groups - Primary targets and secondary targets. I define primary targets as vulnerable body parts (ex. the head) that incapacitate an attacker instantly. Secondary targets are vulnerable areas that cause extreme pain and/or loss of bodily function but don't necessarily take an attacker out of the fight.
* The neck - A blow to the carotid artery, namely the carotid sinus, in the neck is perhaps the most effective move in rendering an attacker unconscious. Why? The carotid artery is divided into two branches - internal and external. The internal artery is located under the skull. It brings blood to vital areas such as the brain, eyes, and larynx. The external branch is made of even thinner branches. It supports areas such as facial and neck muscles. The carotid sinus lies in between those two branches. The carotid sinus contains baroreceptors which control the blood flow into your carotid arteries and send information to the brain. When you strike this area, the baroceptors signal to the brain that there's too much blood pressure and it needs to be lowered. The brain signals to the heart to lower the blood pressure which results in bradycardia or heart rate that's below normal. This can result in fainting, a heart attack, and maybe even death.
You can use a knife-hand chop to the neck and affect the carotid sinus to knock your opponent out. Targeting the neck reduces the risk of breaking your fists from punching solid bone such as the jaw. This demonstration shows what happens when someone takes a hit to the neck.
* The jaw - A powerful blow to the jaw can cause the head to rotate suddenly, causing a concussion and loss of consciousness. While striking the jaw usually works, there's times when it doesn't. It's going to be harder to do against someone who absorbs punches to the head. By stopping the rotation of the head through say rolling with the punches, it's not going to do much damage. That's why the element of surprise is important. A straight or hook punch to the jaw should cause a knock out.
* The eyes - Striking the eyes can lead to temporary or permanent blindness and quite painful as shown in these MMA fights. A quick finger jab to them or eye gouge should take away your opponent's vision. The downside to targeting the eyes is they won't always take out your attacker. Some people will continue to fight even with gouged eyes. The other downside is your opponent can reflexively close their eyes before any damage can be done. Targeting the eyes (in my opinion) should be used as a set up for another attack such as a knife-hand chop to the neck.
* The temple - Hitting the temples (ex. punches) can result in shock, brain compression, hemorrhage, a concussion, and death.
* The top of head - A powerful strike to the top of the head can cause a concussion, hemorrhage, unconsciousness, and possibly death. An elbow strike would probably be suitable for this area.
* Under the chin - An uppercut from under the chin can cause the head to violently rotate and create a brain concussion.
* The armpits - The armpits have a large bundle of nerves. If you land a powerful blow to them, it can cause a knock out or kill your attacker. This video explains in detail the science behind why it works.
Now we move onto secondary targets:
* Nerve strikes - Striking the radial, ulnar, femoral, or any major nerves will cause temporary loss of sensation in the limbs. Generally any strike should get the job with perfect timing, speed, and precision.
* The groin - The groin is a very vulnerable area with many sensitive nerve endings. If hit, it can cause vomiting, a loss of breath, black out, dizziness, etc. You can see it's effects in some UFC fights below. In extreme cases, it can cause one or both testicles to rupture and maybe death. The downside to striking the groin is your attacker can avoid it by moving back or blocking. Even if you land a hit, it may have little effect on an attacker who is either intoxicated or in an adrenaline rush. That's why it should be used as a set up for another attack such as a punch to the jaw.
* The solar plexus - There's a bundle of nerves in this area. When struck, the diaphragm spasms and often leads to someone getting the wind knocked out of him or her. It's worse if the person is very muscular as there's no fat protecting that area.
* The sternum - A direct hit to the sternum could lead to a heart contusion, internal injuries, loss of breath, fatigue, and other incapacitating effects.
* The ribs - A hit to the ribs can cause shortness of breath, painful breathing, and damage internal organs.
* The collar bones - The collar bones are thin bones connecting the breastbone to the shoulder blades. Break your attacker's collar bones and it will be difficult for him/her to move the arms.
* The base of the spine - If you hit this area hard enough, you can either briefly or permanently paralyze an attacker.
Practice safely with a partner or a punching dummy and work on accuracy. If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to my blog for updates, more advice, and exclusive content in the near future. I'm proud and excited to offer a FREE sample chapter of my E-book "Jeet Kune Do: How to build your own fighting system for self defense!" It's essentially a step-by-step guide on how to make your own self defense system suited to fit your own needs using Jeet Kune Do. If you would love to receive your FREE chapter of my e-book, click on the link below and share a post via. social media then it's yours for FREE! Be sure to also fill out the survey on the right and provide feedback on my blog. Leave questions, comments, and suggestions below.
http://www.paywithapost.de/pay?id=7b715806-c78b-4bfd-badf-4242da2bf8f2
You can use a knife-hand chop to the neck and affect the carotid sinus to knock your opponent out. Targeting the neck reduces the risk of breaking your fists from punching solid bone such as the jaw. This demonstration shows what happens when someone takes a hit to the neck.
* The jaw - A powerful blow to the jaw can cause the head to rotate suddenly, causing a concussion and loss of consciousness. While striking the jaw usually works, there's times when it doesn't. It's going to be harder to do against someone who absorbs punches to the head. By stopping the rotation of the head through say rolling with the punches, it's not going to do much damage. That's why the element of surprise is important. A straight or hook punch to the jaw should cause a knock out.
* The eyes - Striking the eyes can lead to temporary or permanent blindness and quite painful as shown in these MMA fights. A quick finger jab to them or eye gouge should take away your opponent's vision. The downside to targeting the eyes is they won't always take out your attacker. Some people will continue to fight even with gouged eyes. The other downside is your opponent can reflexively close their eyes before any damage can be done. Targeting the eyes (in my opinion) should be used as a set up for another attack such as a knife-hand chop to the neck.
* The temple - Hitting the temples (ex. punches) can result in shock, brain compression, hemorrhage, a concussion, and death.
* The armpits - The armpits have a large bundle of nerves. If you land a powerful blow to them, it can cause a knock out or kill your attacker. This video explains in detail the science behind why it works.
Now we move onto secondary targets:
* Nerve strikes - Striking the radial, ulnar, femoral, or any major nerves will cause temporary loss of sensation in the limbs. Generally any strike should get the job with perfect timing, speed, and precision.
* The groin - The groin is a very vulnerable area with many sensitive nerve endings. If hit, it can cause vomiting, a loss of breath, black out, dizziness, etc. You can see it's effects in some UFC fights below. In extreme cases, it can cause one or both testicles to rupture and maybe death. The downside to striking the groin is your attacker can avoid it by moving back or blocking. Even if you land a hit, it may have little effect on an attacker who is either intoxicated or in an adrenaline rush. That's why it should be used as a set up for another attack such as a punch to the jaw.
* The solar plexus - There's a bundle of nerves in this area. When struck, the diaphragm spasms and often leads to someone getting the wind knocked out of him or her. It's worse if the person is very muscular as there's no fat protecting that area.
* The ribs - A hit to the ribs can cause shortness of breath, painful breathing, and damage internal organs.
* The base of the spine - If you hit this area hard enough, you can either briefly or permanently paralyze an attacker.Practice safely with a partner or a punching dummy and work on accuracy. If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to my blog for updates, more advice, and exclusive content in the near future. I'm proud and excited to offer a FREE sample chapter of my E-book "Jeet Kune Do: How to build your own fighting system for self defense!" It's essentially a step-by-step guide on how to make your own self defense system suited to fit your own needs using Jeet Kune Do. If you would love to receive your FREE chapter of my e-book, click on the link below and share a post via. social media then it's yours for FREE! Be sure to also fill out the survey on the right and provide feedback on my blog. Leave questions, comments, and suggestions below.
http://www.paywithapost.de/pay?id=7b715806-c78b-4bfd-badf-4242da2bf8f2
