January 06th, 2022

 Some self defence basic breakaways
 
1.  Avoiding Kicks 

Turn back side of leg, keep foot on the floor, step into kick turning your body away
 
 2.  Avoiding hits 
​
 Both arms up to block, protecting your face
 

 3.  Wrist Grab – use element of surprise 

• Weakest joint is the thumb
• Step in and pull out
• Make a fist first
• If the arm is up then pull down, if arm down pull up
• If person is really strong, then use your other hand to clasp, pull again at weakest link – reach under or over and pull, step away and leave
• If they grab both hands same principle applies
• Even if you are sitting you can do this, the joint to pull away from the weakest point – THE THUMBS

---

4.  Choke hold
​

• From behind – shrug your shoulders up, arms up high and twist out flinging their hands off 
• From front – shrug against arms and turn away
• Arms up the middle and out works sometimes too
• Side arm choke from behind – open your airway by putting your chin into the elbow crook to breathe otherwise you will become unconscious very quickly
• Put your hand under their elbow, put the other hand on their wrist, bend down and back out – twist away
• Can use your side arm to bring up and twist away, breaks their hold at the shoulder

---

5.   Hair pull

• Hold hands to head, do not pull away or he will take your hair with him, push on his knuckles to release, can push your knuckle into his.
• If he doesn't release continue holding his hand there and call for help, do not pull away and don’t let him pull - stay with him
• As you push on knuckles try to use the same hand as he is using so you can grab fleshy bit of hand to pull is hand off as he releases
• Twist him away, step back and twist out

---

6.  Clothes hold – same as hair - push knuckles 

• Lapel grab – turn to your left, use your left hand and trap the hand to your body, keep your elbow high to protect your face, grab his elbow then lift, it will turn him away, step in close and push away

 
 
7. Bites 
​

• Don't pull away – push into the bite, it hurts them more but causes the jaws to weaken

 
 
You can also access:
 
http://www.quc.ac.uk/schools/schoolofnursingandmidwifery/clinical educationcentre/videoteachingresources/breakawaytechniques/
 
 
 
Reference:  ©Pumahara Consultancy 2018