elbow also serves as an excellent short-range weapon when you are too close to generate good power with your palm heel strike or punch. You can create enormously powerful blows at very short distances using your elbows, one of the reasons this type of strike is favored in martial arts such as
You can strike upward (for example, to the solar plexus), downward (for example to the head or neck if the other guy is bent over), or sideways (for example, to the ribs or head) with your elbow. You can strike directly behind you too (for example, forcefully pulling your fist into a traditional karate chamber at your side). It is a very versatile weapon. It is also important to note that only the most skilled practitioners have the forethought and skill to use their elbows as weapons in most cases. The majority of people default to their closed fists in a fight, even when the distance is better suited to a shorter-range weapon such as the elbow. Consequently, elbow strikes can have an additional element of surprise when you use them on the street.
Knee Strike. Your knee is much like your elbow. If you know how to joint-lock an arm, you know how to joint-lock a leg. If you know how to strike with your elbows, you also know how to use your knees. Once again, short range is key for knee strikes. If you are too far away, they do not work effectively. Obviously, the groin is a default target, one that is often taught in women’s self-defense classes (notice the authors yawning here). The challenge is that men are inherently good at protecting their genitals. Further, groin strikes do not always end a fight right away. Fortunately, there are alternatives you might choose.
There is an easily accessible nerve bundle along the side of your thigh, about where your fingers touch if your hands are hanging down at your sides. That’s a great place to hit with a knee strike if you’ve tangled up with a standing opponent. You can also knee-strike his chest or solar plexus if you are a skilled grappler or can find a way to off-balance or bend him over first. For example, you can hook the back of his head with your hand, or cross your arms behind him to strike the back of his neck, and then pull him downward into your blow. Trying to use this technique without training can be dangerous, however, as it is fairly easy to become unbalanced when you strike that high with your knee.
If your adversary is on the ground, your knee can be used to strike to his ribs too. This type of knee strike is often a precursor to grappling as it is intensely painful and can flip your opponent onto his back or side. You can also strike to the head if he’s down, of course, but that’s very dangerous and challenging to justify in court unless he’s armed with some type of weapon. The knee can generate extraordinary power so be cautious that you don’t overdo things if you strike with it.
Foot Strikes. While most martial artists train barefoot, in today’s world the foot is rarely bare in combat. That means your boot or shoe can become a weapon in its own right. Not only do certain types of footwear make great striking surfaces (for example, steel-toed boot), but they also protect your foot as well. Furthermore, proper foot positioning is not as critical when you’re wearing shoes as it is when you are barefoot. For example, a front kick should hit with the ball of the foot. If you don’t pull your toes back, you are likely to jam them when barefoot yet sturdy shoes can let you do this technique incorrectly without hurting yourself. The similarity between the boxing glove and the shoe should not be lost. The shoe protects the foot in the same way the boxing glove protects the hand. Similarly, it often cushions and softens the blow too such as running shoes would.
The top of the foot can be used to strike as well as the toe and the heel. The top of the foot is used anywhere on the opponent’s body. You will see the top of the foot and/ or toe used on the face, usually when the opponent is down. If you are the person on the ground, be prepared to have incoming blows aimed at your face. The heel, or stomp kick, is frequently used when the opponent is on the ground as well. It’s simply a matter of downward vs. sideways motion. Once again, be aware of the legal ramifications of utilizing such techniques.
Bare foot: strike with the ball of your foot, pulling the toes back so that they are not jammed by contact with the opponent.
Shod foot: when wearing boots or sturdy shoes the position of the toes doesn’t really matter all that much.
If you are going to kick the other guy in a fight, the safest place to aim is below his waist. Low kicks are faster, more direct, and harder to block than high ones. They also help you retain your balance. Front kicks, stomps, and sidekicks are generally the easiest kicks for beginners to learn. All of these kicks begin by forcefully lifting your knee as quickly as you can. The higher you lift your knee, within reason, the better. To do a front kick, swing your foot up and snap it forward. For a stomp kick, drive it back downward leading with your heel. To do a sidekick, rotate your hip and snap the kick out to the side. Good targets include the side of the knee, the middle of the thigh, the ankle, and the foot. You can also target the groin, though that’s often challenging.
Head Butts. Head butts are oddly a cultural artifact. While they are very common throughout most of Europe, they are rarely seen in America. Perhaps this has something to do with the popularity of soccer, yet it really doesn’t matter all that much why. What matters is that it works. Head butts can used in very close quarters combat. The goal of the head butt is simple, forcefully striking one of the stronger bone architectures of your body onto a weaker area of your opponent’s skull. This is usually done by driving your forehead into the occipital bone surrounding the other guy’s eye, into his temple, or into his nose.
While the forehead is the most common striking surface for head butts, you can attack with all four sides of your head, connecting with the area covered by your sweatband. Avoid hitting with “softer” areas such as your face, ear, or temple. It is imperative to note that the head butt is a body move not a head move, especially when butting with the back of the head. If you strike solely with your head/neck, like nodding, you are quite likely to injure yourself, particularly if you miss. Use your whole body. Loren Christensen likes to call it “bowing with prejudice,” an apt analogy.
Distance and surprise are critical for a successful head butt. Additionally, it’s also important to note that you are momentarily blind when you perform the technique. Like trying to keep your eyes open during a sneeze, it’s nearly impossible not to close your eyes on contact.
There are many ways to secure the other guy’s hands and arms to keep him from interfering with your head butt but that is not always necessary, particularly when you have the element of surprise on your side. An infamous example of this was when French soccer star Zinedine Zidane head-butted Italian Marco Materazzi during the 2006 World Cup Final. The two players reportedly exchanged heated words before Zidane began to walk away. Materazzi said, “I prefer the whore that is your sister,” to Zidane, who turned around, made a run-up and head-butted
