How to Defend Against a Mugger

If you are attacked on the street by an assailant demanding your personal belongings, the safest bet is to give them what they want and go your separate ways. If you do not want to consider that option, this How To will explain what to do to leave them on the ground and your possessions in your pocket.

Instructions

1. First you must familiarize yourself with the vulnerable parts of the human body. The easiest method is to consult the center line of a person. Starting at the head and working down the strike points are the center of the top of the skull, between the eyes, the bridge of the nose, the septum of the nose, the throat, just below the sternum, the lower stomach, the groin, the sides of the knees, the shins and the bridges of the feet.

2. Understand how to hit the different strike points. A general rule is if it's soft use a fist or knee, if it's hard use the palm of your hand, heel of your foot or elbow. Learning some basic martial arts is very useful but assuming you are unprepared be ready to act quickly and decisively when an opening presents itself.

3. When confronted by the mugger, assess the situation quickly. Can you run? Is he armed? Has he grabbed you or only threatened you and demanded your possessions? If the mugger has a gun, do not fight unless he is certain to use it. If they have another weapon you can take your chances but it is still best to cooperate until the situation can not be resolved peacefully.

4. Remember the strike points and look to see which ones are unguarded. Pretend to be going along with your assailants demands. Pretend to be frightened-this won't be hard, you should be frightened. Do your best to put him at ease and not let on that you are planning on freeing yourself.

5. Consider your positions relative to each other. If you are grabbed from behind you can smash his nose with the back of your head and stomp on the bridge of his foot with your heel. If you are facing each other you can push his knee, hard, with the heel of your foot or smash his nose or eyes with your hand or fist. Do this at just the right moment, when he believes he's getting away with his crime.

6. One technique used by an undercover police officer disguised as a drunk in a high crime area was to hand over his wallet but not let go of it, kick the assailant in the groin and then use his fist as a hammer on the back of his head. It was very effective and usually caught the mugger off guard.

7. If you have decided your option is to fight, let the mugger get close enough and in the right position that you can strike decisively and without warning. Hit the strike areas without mercy until your assailant can not or will not resist and then run away.

8. While you strike scream at the top of your lungs, try to attract as much attention as possible. After you run away, call the police from a well-lit place, preferably with other people around.

Tips & Warnings

• You must act like a helpless victim for as long as possible

• Once you start to fight, unless the mugger runs away, your only option is to continue to fight and flee.

• Carrying your keys between your fingers-known by some martial artists as granny fist-is a frightful weapon that can cause serious injury.

• Only strike if you have the opportunity. Your life is priceless.

• Never fight a person with a gun unless you have an amazing opportunity to incapacitate them with one strike, and even then it's risky.

• Striking the knee or bridge of the foot with sufficient force will snap them like raw spaghetti, be prepared to see something horrible, and run away.