How to fight back if someone pushes you down?

[Paul_D]

Then you go back and rewatch the video. And I'm not just speaking out of my *** here.

Yes you are. I have been grabbed from behind without warning and the first I knew what the hell was going on, I was already on the ground. You can practice techqniues all you want, but if your awarness is lacking you won't have time to pull anything off.

 

[Tony Dismukes]

aww thank you it seems a bit extreme to start a martial art based on one incident. I guess I was just looking for a "magic trick" to avoid situations like this in the future. I'm okay I just don't like feeling weak and defenseless and this made me think of things differently.

The way I often explain it is this. Imagine that there really was some simple trick that you could learn and retain without any significant investment of time and effort which would enable you to physically overcome bigger, stronger opponents. Who do you think would be the first people to pick up said trick? If you answered "bullies, thugs, and muggers", give yourself a prize.

In just a hour or so, I can show you all the techniques you will ever need to defend yourself from the vast majority of physical attacks you are likely to ever encounter. Give me a few more hours and I can spend some time explaining some of the fine details and get you to the point where you can walk through some of the simpler moves.

That by itself is pretty much worthless.

What serious martial arts training does is help transform you into the sort of person who can actually use those techniques when the chips are down. It does that by developing attributes such as mental toughness, physical and emotional balance, awareness and control of your own body, sensitivity, tactical awareness, reflex speed, and more, as well as learning the physical movements to the point where they are a physical language that you can speak and comprehend, not just memorize. There's a reasonable argument to be made that the time and energy invested is out of proportion to the likelihood an average person has of actually being assaulted. Fortunately, as Tez noted above, there are a lot more benefits from the training process.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Yes you are. I have been grabbed from behind without warning and the first I knew what the hell was going on, I was already on the ground. You can practice techqniues all you want, but if your awarness is lacking you won't have time to pull anything off.

That depends what they do once they grab. The first time I used my MA in self-defense, a guy grabbed me from behind with a sloppy rear naked choke. He didn't take me down, so I took him down. It was what I'd call now a Shoulder Throw, but I learned it in Judo and forget what it was called there. I was kind of surprised it didn't hurt him, but that's probably because I was a bit off-balance when I threw him (very early in my training, so not good at fundamentals yet) and fell down during the throw. I think my fall absorbed some of his fall.

 

[Paul_D]

That depends what they do once they grab. The first time I used my MA in self-defense, a guy grabbed me from behind with a sloppy rear naked choke.

Well of course if your attacker is incompetent then yes, you are in with a chance.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Well of course if your attacker is incompetent then yes, you are in with a chance.

Agreed. That's one of the points I make in discussions about training for self-defense. There are actually plenty of incompetent attackers, and some of their ill-conceived attacks give brand new openings or flat-out change which techniques are useful.

 

[somehumanperson]

Just as kind of an aside, don't be too quick to think that way. Your "friend" hasn't learned anything that way if you don't at least tell him He may think that type of action is an OK joke, or worse, a way to further a relationship. Something as simple as firmly telling him, alone, or better yet, with a trusted friend, male or female. If he learns something positive for his relationships, good for him. Regardless, it might begin to give you a little more feeling of being in charge of your life. As Jenna pointed out, that is important as well.

Has this person said anything since then, or made any other attempts at verbal or physical interaction?

I have seen him briefly a few times and he has acted completely normal like nothing has happened. I am not very close friends with him but he's a friend of a friend and I just feel awkward getting people involved in this. I got pretty pissed at him that night after it happened and I think he understood that it wasn't funny. I'm just going to keep my eyes open a bit and hope he learned something and won't do it to anyone else again.

Thank you everyone for your replies, I am looking at some self-defense classes in my local area for this fall!

 

[oftheherd1]

I have seen him briefly a few times and he has acted completely normal like nothing has happened. I am not very close friends with him but he's a friend of a friend and I just feel awkward getting people involved in this. I got pretty pissed at him that night after it happened and I think he understood that it wasn't funny. I'm just going to keep my eyes open a bit and hope he learned something and won't do it to anyone else again.

Thank you everyone for your replies, I am looking at some self-defense classes in my local area for this fall!

Do be careful around him. Hopefully he will never again do that to you or any other person. I agree completely with your looking around for self defense classes. Don't be afraid to look at taking up a martial art as well. But always remember to do things that keep you safe. Keep us informed if you don't mind. Also never be worried about coming in here and asking for help or advice.

 

[wingchun100]

I am a college girl and recently got into a situation (it didn't go very far but it kind of freaked me out) and I realized I have no upper body strength to force someone off me. I always assumed if it came to it I would be able to get out of a situation if I really wanted to (dumb I know).

Is there a move or trick for someone with a slight build to get out of this kind of situation and force someone off?

Thanks if you take the time to respond!

I did not have time to read all the replies. However, there are many vulnerable areas you can reach when someone is that close: eyes, ears, nose, the hollow of the throat, or even reaching your hand down to squeeze the family jewels (although you would then need to keep your other hand up in case he tried to punch to get you off him).

Having said that, no amount of replies on here can replace training with an experienced teacher.

 

[Langenschwert]

Didn't you say that you mastered these techniques by watching video?



It's the same principle found in the one armed shoulder throw in Judo;

And yes, a smaller person can definitely do it on a bigger person. Try it sometime.

I got rag-dolled in light randori by someone likely 80 lbs lighter than me with that very throw last week. Was as hard as I've ever been thrown in my life. I'm pretty sure that had we been going all-out, he would have still landed it, albeit not as prettily.

 

[drop bear]

I have seen him briefly a few times and he has acted completely normal like nothing has happened. I am not very close friends with him but he's a friend of a friend and I just feel awkward getting people involved in this. I got pretty pissed at him that night after it happened and I think he understood that it wasn't funny. I'm just going to keep my eyes open a bit and hope he learned something and won't do it to anyone else again.

Thank you everyone for your replies, I am looking at some self-defense classes in my local area for this fall!

Some motivation.

 

[Tez3]

I did not have time to read all the replies. However, there are many vulnerable areas you can reach when someone is that close: eyes, ears, nose, the hollow of the throat, or even reaching your hand down to squeeze the family jewels (although you would then need to keep your other hand up in case he tried to punch to get you off him).

Really? That's mansplaining, we do know there are various places we can attack if necessary however the attackers also know this and will go to some lengths to safeguard themselves usually by making sure the person they intend to abuse cannot move their arms or their legs, they pin them down. As I assume you aren't female you haven't the foggiest idea what it's like to be pinned down by a man heavier and stronger than you who intends to have sex with you whether you agree or not. Many men get pinned down in martial arts but none with that intent and in that way, it makes it very difficult to fight back but women do try you know and don't need to be told there are 'targets' they can attack.

 

[drop bear]

Really? That's mansplaining, we do know there are various places we can attack if necessary however the attackers also know this and will go to some lengths to safeguard themselves usually by making sure the person they intend to abuse cannot move their arms or their legs, they pin them down. As I assume you aren't female you haven't the foggiest idea what it's like to be pinned down by a man heavier and stronger than you who intends to have sex with you whether you agree or not. Many men get pinned down in martial arts but none with that intent and in that way, it makes it very difficult to fight back but women do try you know and don't need to be told there are 'targets' they can attack.

Was the OP sexually assulted though? Or just got manhandled.

 

[Tez3]

Was the OP sexually assulted though? Or just got manhandled.

'Just'?? There is no 'just', for someone who has been assaulted. Hands on someone who doesn't want hands on is assault. No ifs no buts.

Whinchun100 is doing the standard thing of not understanding what position a girl (non martial arts trained) can find herself in and thinks it's easy to list 'targets' she can go for easily. For him I'll explain. The girl can be on her back with the man ( stronger and heavier) laying between her legs, laying heavily on her hips, his chest on her chest and holding her arms down by the wrists either above her head or out at the side ( one or two handed) and he's forcibly kissing her. So, what does she grab from the list wingchun100 provided? How does she escape using the targets from that list? The girl is struggling, but his weight is tiring her out plus she's terrified. So untrained and panicking what does she do?

The other question of course is trained, what does she do? ( assume she hasn't not got into that position to start with which is likely to be the case with BJJ she'd stop it before it got that far but humour me in this)

 

[drop bear]

'Just'?? There is no 'just', for someone who has been assaulted. Hands on someone who doesn't want hands on is assault. No ifs no buts.

Whinchun100 is doing the standard thing of not understanding what position a girl (non martial arts trained) can find herself in and thinks it's easy to list 'targets' she can go for easily. For him I'll explain. The girl can be on her back with the man ( stronger and heavier) laying between her legs, laying heavily on her hips, his chest on her chest and holding her arms down by the wrists either above her head or out at the side ( one or two handed) and he's forcibly kissing her. So, what does she grab from the list wingchun100 provided? How does she escape using the targets from that list? The girl is struggling, but his weight is tiring her out plus she's terrified. So untrained and panicking what does she do?

The other question of course is trained, what does she do? ( assume she hasn't not got into that position to start with which is likely to be the case with BJJ she'd stop it before it got that far but humour me in this)

I agrre with the list of targets. Learn to escape and stand up and any targets you find along the way is a bonus.

edit. I will change this a bit.

Here are some positional get ups.

Wrestling that scores point to stand bak up. Folk wrestling is one has a whole arsenal of self defence stuff.

 

[Tez3]

. Learn to escape and stand up and any targets you find along the way is a bonus.

That's why we all said you have to be taught by an instructor not learn from a video but from an untrained point of view, being pinned down as I showed so you cannot move those targets are useless. Just telling someone there's those targets isn't going to help at all, most of us already know where it's likely to an effective place to strike. In a sexual assault when you are being held down by a stronger, heavier man, with arms, hips and body being held down how does the untrained lighter weaker, girl escape.

 

[oftheherd1]

That's why we all said you have to be taught by an instructor not learn from a video but from an untrained point of view, being pinned down as I showed so you cannot move those targets are useless. Just telling someone there's those targets isn't going to help at all, most of us already know where it's likely to an effective place to strike. In a sexual assault when you are being held down by a stronger, heavier man, with arms, hips and body being held down how does the untrained lighter weaker, girl escape.

Quite so. We all know escapes and counter attacks that can be used, but we are trained. Even so, we might succumb to panic. What about an untrained person?

 

[drop bear]

That's why we all said you have to be taught by an instructor not learn from a video but from an untrained point of view, being pinned down as I showed so you cannot move those targets are useless. Just telling someone there's those targets isn't going to help at all, most of us already know where it's likely to an effective place to strike. In a sexual assault when you are being held down by a stronger, heavier man, with arms, hips and body being held down how does the untrained lighter weaker, girl escape.

Same way everybody else does. you get better at getting up than they do at holding you down.

 

[Tez3]

Same way everybody else does. you get better at getting up than they do at holding you down.

Nope, that doesn't do it for someone who doesn't know martial arts.

 

[oftheherd1]

Same way everybody else does. you get better at getting up than they do at holding you down.

That is true. But a little too simplistic. How many times would a woman need to be assaulted before learning how to get better at getting up? Remember the OP was looking for the magic bullet, which we all pretty much agree isn't there.

Training and practice are what we usually say is needed. Not only on the technique(s), but how to overcome panic, or, believe it or not, accommodate to just surviving. (Edited to add surviving).

 

[wingchun100]

She didn't say what to do if she was pinned down. If she had followed my reply with "what if I am pinned," then I could have said things to that too.

Mansplaining. Please. Not everything has to be a feminist rant from you. And the statement that you think you have to "explain" it to me is condescending. I gave a list with the honest intent of offering helpful suggestions. The only one who read the "typical male" thing into it was you.