For self-defense in the street to be effective, it must be simple and direct. The examples offered in this manual have been carefully chosen. We have purposely omitted any difficult moves such as fancy kicks to the head, intricate holds and difficult throws that require hours of professional training to master. What you will study here are actually suggestions for defensive action applicable to a wide variety of situations, since no one can accurately predict what an attacker will do. We have given you our honest appraisal of these situations based on years of experience in the streets and as instructors to civilians, police and the military. An important fact is that emergency situations do not allow time to think or remember complex defense measures. Therefore, as a rule of thumb, one should go for the EYES, THROAT AND GROIN. Even an amateur can cause excruciating pain and do very serious damage at these locations. Throughout this book, the use of knees, elbows and open finger attacks prevails. This is because we have found that a novice or untrained man or woman can counter attack more effectively with these moves. If you are a Karate expert, then a single, well-placed punch or kick may dispose of an opponent. But this manual is concerned with the average man or woman who is trying only to survive. Each attack illustrated gives a series of counters to apply. The purpose of this is to stimulate your imagination, and all the techniques are interchangable. You are not expected to remember precisely whether to kick your opponent or gouge his eyes when time is of the essence. In an emergency we recommend you defend with the first thing that comes to mind at any opening. Then follow up until the attacker is completely defeated.
USE COMMON SENSE! Many attacks do not call for drastic action. A simple punch or shove may discourage the attacker, especially if he is an unruly friend or perhaps a drunk neighbor that you have no need to harm. DON'T TAKE ANY CHANCES WITH STRANGERS. We advise you protect yourself no matter how trivial or insignificant the aggressive act might seem. Many serious incidents have resulted from a simple nudge with the shoulder or a minor traffic accident. Always use whatever force is necessary.
To be more effective in blocking, hitting, and kicking, study the section on Karate.
To master the chokes and throws better, study the section on Judo. To learn simple restraining or pressure moves, study the section about police or Aiki-do. Don't expect to escape from a fight totally un-harmed. Prepare yourself mentally to accept pain and still fight back. Even experts get hurt in fights but this must be overcome in order to counterattack and survive.
