These Simple Go-To Moves From A Self-Defense Instructor Could Ward Off Attack

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — When it comes to personal protection, one self-defense instructor says it's important to accept the fact that you may encounter an attacker.

"The most important thing when it comes to personal protection is accepting the fact that it can happen to you," said Michael Janich, a well-known self-defense instructor.

Janich is also an Army intelligence officer and started off a self-defense seminar in Costa Mesa using security camera footage of real-life scenarios, including a fight outside a bar.

"He puts his arm around her to control her. At this point, she has no safe escape," he said of the footage.

Janich's first recommendation is to try to avoid dangerous situations and tell the person to "back off."

If that doesn't work, he offers the following three easy, go-to moves:

The first two come as a set he calls "cycling."

"Cycling is a very simple skill that involves finding something with your left hand and then hitting it with your right, typically hitting with what's called a hammer fist here," he said.

He says you can also use an open palm, similar to serving a volleyball, or a hollow palm to strike the assailant in the ear.

"You pop their ear drum, they lose their balance. If they don't have any balance, you can run away and they can't follow you," he said.

The third move is the easiest and something many children already know how to do.

"Just like kicking a soccer ball, simply kicking low into the shin," he said. "If you can keep the guy bad there, if you can kill his mobility, if you can kick him in the shin and make it so he wants to stay there while you run to safety, that's the easiest way to approach things," he said.

Janich says there are also everyday tools that can help, such as: shining a flashlight in the suspicious person's eyes or holding a sturdy pen in your fist to add extra force when hitting with a hammer fist.