by Ludovico Cudia

Created on: March 18, 2009

In the past fighting was a way of life for my older brother and I and growing up in a rough neighborhood made us tough. We were no strangers to defending ourselves and at times each other. We know what self-defense is all about and have been in some pretty bad scrapes over the years. Now that we are both in our later thirties we tend to talk it through rationally before resorting to violence. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /

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However, preparing yourself for what may become a physical confrontation is some times very nerve racking and can render some inexperienced people virtually powerless over the aggressor. If and when you find yourself in a position of fight or flight the best defense of course is to get away if possible. The next step is to try and rationally talk your way through a difficult situation. If you are unable to avoid a physical altercation then you should be ready to defend yourself at all costs. Remember any aggressor willing to do physical harm to you or someone you love is most likely going to try to inflict the maximum harm as fast as possible. In these situations you must get the upper hand as soon as possible. Speed and know how on your part is detrimental.

If all else fails and fist-a-cuffs are unavoidable then try and keep a level head and stay as calm as possible. This is not an easy thing to do when you are being attacked, understandable. Remember your aggressor is most likely very angry and not thinking straight. Use this to your advantage. Typically when someone is out of control they tend to act erratically and lose some motor skills. This will work in your favor if you are able to stay calm and get the upper hand. Watch every move your aggressor makes and react accordingly. For instance, if a bigger person grabs you by the shirt and starts to threaten you, what would you do? Well, you know how to clap your hands, right? Cup your hands and clap the aggressor's ears very hard. This action must be done very fast and with tremendous force. This will stun your attacker enough to allow you to get away. Never linger in the area once you have stunned your aggressor. Get as far away as fast as possible and call the police. Do not ever let the aggressor come and find you the instant he or she recovers. These situations tend to never end well for either party.

If someone grabs you in a head lock, a punch to the groin or a hard stomp on the top of the foot will work nicely to loosen one's grip. Once

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