Cornered? How to defend yourself!

When it comes to self defense distance is important. If you sense a threat try to maintain or establish distance. This allows you more time to react if the person attacks, establish enough distance and your out of harms way in fact. This however is often easier said than done.

Situations can escalate quickly and though any self defense expert will tell you that situational awareness is key, it’s poor strategy to count on not getting caught off guard, ever.

So what happens when you’re pressed against the wall, a fence, or even when there’s simply too crowded for you to move out of harms way?

Focus on short range strikes such as elbows, backfists, knees, stomps and oblique kicks. Use whatever is standing in your way as a weapon or a shield. If there’s a trashcan, you might use the lid as a shield, if there’s a wall slam your opponent against it – if you’re cornered by multiple opponents, push one in front of the other and create a distraction so you can get away.

And that is what’s most important, as soon as you’ve created that opening, get away.

Text can only do so much, when it comes to self defense, so I encourage you to watch this 3 minute video on how to defend yourself in a confined space, and if possible start practising safely with your friends, your partner, or better yet in a martial arts class.