Vital Areas

A strike to the hinge of the jaw, just below and in front of the ear, or slapping the ears with cupped hands may stun your opponent and end the confrontation. Almost any kind of strike to the nose will break the delicate cartilage, causing the eyes to tear, blinding the attacker. Use extreme caution when striking the nose since a broken or bleeding nose may hinder breathing and may cause suffocation. Only strike the throat when in mortal danger since the strike could crush the windpipe.

Pushing your thumbs into an attacker's eyes will temporarily blind him or her and allow you to run away. A flick of your fingertips in front of the eyes will cause an attacker to flinch and blink, permitting a powerful follow-up counterstrike.

The solar plexus is the approximate center of body mass. Strikes to the front of the body below the solar plexus will cause the person to bend over, but not the person will not be knocked backward. Strikes to the front of the body above the solar plexus will probably knock the person backward; the higher on the body the strike, the more movement.