4 tips to save yourself when being attacked
Gym instructor Bheki Mpanza says whether you are a beginner or not, these techniques can give you confidence to protect yourself.
IN today’s unpredictable world, knowing a few basic self-defence techniques can be a life-saving skill to a victim.
Bheki Mpanza, a gym instructor and founder of Woza Girl Fitness from Durban, shares self-defence techniques that can give you the confidence to handle yourself in various scenarios. Mpanza teaches women self-defence exercises to tackle incidents of gender-based violence (GBV).
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“Whether you are a beginner or just looking to feel more secure, these techniques will give you the confidence to handle yourself in various scenarios. Remember, the goal of self-defence is not to engage in a prolonged fight but to create an opportunity to escape safely,” says the gym instructor.
Here are the basic self-defence exercises shared by Mpanza that one can do at home while cooking or waiting for water to boil:
- Keep a safe space: Everyone has a comfort zone or personal space. When an aggressor enters that zone, you are uncomfortable because you know you will need that space if you have to fight back. You should try to maintain approximately one to one-and-a-half arm lengths between yourself and the aggressor. If he starts closing in, you need to use verbal boundaries. If he still doesn’t back off, it’s time to get physical.
- Eye strike: The eye strike can be used in a standing or prone position. Often, simply driving your fingers toward your assailant’s eyes will cause him to recoil. Even if you do not make contact, it creates a space of distraction.
- Heel-palm strike: Hitting with an open hand reduces the chance that you will injure your hand and enables you to more easily attack from a non-confrontational stance in which you are holding your hands up and open while you set verbal boundaries. Then, if your attacker steps into your comfort zone, he gets it right in the face.
- Knee strike: This technique is recommended over any type of standing kick because it is easy to use and can be delivered while you stay centred and close to the ground, which is crucial when you are adrenalised. A knee to the groin can end a fight immediately.
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