Keep It Simple

Coup de Grâce

To end an attack, you must eliminate the attacker’s threat by using a finishing blow. A finishing blow will insure the attacker will no longer be a threat to you as you escape. Some finishing blows are:

• Head Butt. Grab the attacker’s head, hair, or ears and, using your neck, shoulder, and abdominal muscles, smash your forehead into the attacker’s face. You may also smash your head upward into the attacker’s chin or face. Keep you eyes open during the attack or you may become disoriented from the sudden acceleration and deceleration of your head. When grabbing the attacker’s head, you may also use an ear slap by cupping your hands and slapping them over the attacker’s ears causing excessive pressure in the ears to disorient the attacker or burst his or her eardrums.
• Choke. In a self-defense situation, choking from the front is dangerous since it exposes your face and body to punches or kicks. However, if you get behind your attacker, a chokehold may be highly effective. The brain needs blood to function properly, and, during a stressful situation, it needs a lot of blood. A properly applied chokehold will compress the carotid arteries in the neck and cause the attacker to become disoriented and unconscious rather quickly. If the chokehold is continued for a couple of minutes, permanent brain damage or death may result so it is best to release the hold once the attacker is unconscious, and then escape. To apply a chokehold:
  • From behind the attacker, wrap one arm around the attacker’s neck with the crook of your elbow against the windpipe, this places your bicep over one carotid artery and your forearm over the other artery.
  • With the hand of your arm around the neck, grab your other bicep and place the other hand on the back of the attacker’s head.
  • Tense the arm around the neck as if you were trying to budge the arm muscles, and pull the entire arm backward and upward.
  • Use the interlocking of the two arms to squeeze and lock the hold so it will be difficult for the attacker to get loose from it.
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