Even if youre a peaceful person, you could get hit.
Heres how to take a hit.
Your legs, Shemesh said, are your weapons.
More on that later.
But having that said, you have to know what youre doing while you go on the ground.
Assess the other person.
Why did they attack you?
The situation, he said, depends on how crazy the attacker is.
If the person is a bully, theres a better chance theyll keep attacking you.
If the person felt justified in hitting you, they might think one punch taught you a lesson.
make a run at remain calm and create distance, he said.
If you choose to run away, make your move
Theres no shame in not fighting back.
Always maintain eye contact with the other person.
You do not need a second surprise attack.
Use your voice, too.
If you choose to fight back, be strategic
If diplomacy fails, its time to engage.
If the other person is advancing on you while youre still on the ground, kick them.
Shamesh said you should aim for the knee or the groin and kick hard.
While theyre backing up, get off the ground.
Your level of crazy at this point has to match theirs, he said.
From there, your strikes have to be very precise.
Focus on their face and their groin.
Those are the two targets it’s crucial that you keep in mind.
Montoya added that your physical attributes must be taken into account here, too.
If youre much shorter than the other person, you shouldnt be going for their face nonstop.
His advice here was to be patient.
You got all this crazy, nervous energy going on.
For this part, Shamesh recommended thinking about a cat in a bathtub.
No, said Shamesh, because it is not willing to be caught.
During all of this, you must also always be looking for your honorable escape.
Once you get away from the situation, go to a doctor.
Even if you dont have those symptoms, just go.
As for aftercare, elevate the punched area and ice it.
Finally, consider a self-defense classpreferably before you get punched at all.
