Some people may be motivated not by anger but by something else, like a mugger whose motivation is money. Trying to talk them out of the attack would be a bad idea that could cause even more trouble. In such a situation, giving up your money without defending yourself is the wisest choice to avoid harm. Physical fights very often start as a verbal fight, an argument. If you sense that a confrontation you’re in might escalate to physical violence, try to quell the argument. First, lower your voice and end the shouting match. Say things like “I don’t want to fight,” and “I understand why you’re upset” to make it very clear that you’re not interested in escalating the conflict. Once the other person has calmed down some, start talking it over by conceding the points of the argument that they are right about, and what, if anything, you did wrong.
If your assailant is a mugger, give him your money. Chances are he has a knife or some other kind of weapon, and the money in your wallet is not more valuable than your life.
If the attacker punches your head, move your head towards the punch. This sounds counter-intuitive, but this may cause the punch to miss its target, which was probably your nose or eye. You want to clench your jaw and tighten your neck, and try to absorb the punch with your forehead. The forehead is strong, so a punch there will cause you the least damage and hurt the other’s hand the most. If the attacker punches your body, tighten your stomach. Don’t suck in your stomach though. Try to twist your torso so that the punch lands on your obliques, rather than the middle of your stomach.
Wrist hold: If someone’s got you by the wrist, squat down and then push your elbow towards the attacker until they can no longer hold on to your wrist. Choke hold: If someone’s got an arm around your neck from behind, step to the side towards their choking arm and move your torso and head down until their arm can no longer maintain the hold. Bear hug: If someone is holding you from behind around your waist, drop your self down toward the ground and try to hit them in the stomach with your elbows or pry at their finger with your hands. Mount position: If someone has knocked you to the floor and is sitting on top of you, grab his/her left arm with both of your hands, your left hand around his/her elbow, your right hand around his/her wrist. Then use your leg to wrap your left foot around his/her left foot, and push your pelvis up and back to do a roll, out of the hold.
Face: The eyes, nose, and ears are all sensitive and can easily be hurt enough to disable an attacker. Clapping your hands around someone’s ears will stun them. A hard punch to the nose or finger in the eye can bring someone to their knees. Throat: A strike to the throat can stop someone in their tracks. Groin: A hit to the groin can cause a lot of pain and incapacitate someone long enough for you to escape. Knees: A hard kick to the knee can stop someone who’s chasing you or bring someone down. Stomach: You can knock the wind out of someone with a hit the stomach.
