Self Defense - 5 Moves for Getting Out of Common Holds

Hopefully you never find yourself the victim of an attacker, but should you, the difference between being prepared and not being prepared can be life or death. So let’s have a look at 5 moves for getting out of common attack holds.

#1 Wrist Hold
If an attacker has grabbed your wrist, rather than pulling back in an attempt to get out of the hold, you should squat down into a strong stance, then lean forward, and then bend your elbows towards your attacker, all the way towards your attacker’s forearm until there is no way he can continue to hold onto your wrist – you are free and can make your escape. 

#2 Front and Back Choke Hold
If you find yourself in a choke hold, bend your elbow in so you can get out of the wrist hold, and then push upwards in order to break free. You can also swing one arm across to break the hold the attacker has then use your other arm’s hand in a knife strike position to hit your attacker. You could also use your elbow. 

#3 Bear Hug
Drop your weight and then try to his your attackers head with your elbows or you can use your feet to stomp on his feet. You can also pull back his fingers to force him to let go of you, you could rotate out of his hold and attack with kicks to the knees. 

#4 Mount Position
If your attacker has pinned you on the floor, pivot to be on top by holding onto his wrist with your one hand and using your other hand to grab behind your attacker’s elbow, which will trap his arm to your chest. Use your foot to trap your attacker’s foot and leg, lifting your hips and turning over onto your knees so that you are on top. 

#5 Sexual Assault
Sexual assault is a very real problem for women. There are four stages in a sexual assault. First, the attacker identifies an unsuspecting target, and then they subdue the target. They then exhaust the target and carry out their sexual assault. During phase two you should be fighting with everything you have. However, by stage three your attacker just wants to subdue you and carry out the attack so fighting back will be a waste of your valuable energy. During this stage pretend you are resigning yourself to the situation and giving in. Your attacker will think you have given up and loosen his grip. That’s your moment to give it everything you have to make the break and get out of there.

