What simple self defense tactics can I use if I’m attacked by someone who can overpower me?

But first, some education is in order. This question often brings to mind a common misconception and frankly a failure of our industry (self-defense and martial arts in general) to educate the general public. It’s not your fault…much of the problem exists because some martial arts “masters” were (and still are) able to make money off of selling the mystery. In reality, this question is analogous to “What does the landing gear button look like so I can fly a plane in an emergency”.

The issue is that you can be attacked in many different ways, all requiring a different response in order to defend yourself. If you’ve been tackled to the ground, a groin kick won’t help you (by the way my favorite saying: groin kicks don’t end fights…but they will always start one!). Striking to the nose or eyes is OK if you’re in a position to do so and if they’re not pointing a gun at your face at the moment. There is context to any technique that must be addressed.

My favorite answer that people often give about defending against a weapon is…RUN. However, what if you can’t? What if you have a child with you? What if you’re cornered? What if the attacker is already on top of you? You see, RUN is not a good answer in these situations.

My other favorite is “I’d just shoot them”. LOL. That’s fine if you’re:
a. Justified
b. Have a gun
c. Have said gun at the ready
d. Have time to make gun at the ready if it’s not
e. Have enough ammunition and accuracy to stop a determined attacker
f. Have the ability to retain that gun in a fight

Both RUN, and SHOOT might be great answers if the conditions are right for those responses. But there are literally dozens if not 100’s of scenarios where a different response is called for.

I’ll give you a short list at the bottom of some BASE tactics that will help if you have to go hands on with someone stronger than you. BUT, the real answer is that you need some training, and that training should absolutely include what I call the 3 Commandments of Self Defense training;

1. Techniques should be easy, gross motor, and close to instinctive or you won’t easily pull them off under stress or quickly.
2. Training must include ‘pressure testing’. You have to find ways to safely test everything you’re training under stress and with a resistive partner.
3. Any defense you learn should incorporate a simultaneous counter attack. It’s an absolute indisputable fact that the best way to stop the ON-GOING attack is to attack them back, the sooner the better. Simultaneous being the holy grail.

So here’s some basics to learn that will help defend yourself from a stronger attacker;

• Avoid grappling UNLESS you know how to grapple. Someone stronger has the advantage in grappling unless the smaller person has skill. (Spoiler alert…you should go get some skill)
• MOVE. Smaller weaker defenders will need to strike vulnerable areas and MOVE a lot, making yourself harder to grab or hit is important if you’re overpowered. By the way, striking in and of itself requires some skill to be effective.
• MOVE MORE. Your goal, aside from getting away, should be to get behind them at best, to the side of them at worse. Don’t square off with anybody. If you can get behind them and you know how to choke someone out, that’s a good way to equalize size.
• Use improvised weapons. Improvised impact weapons will help multiply the force you deliver from each strike.
• Strike only vulnerable areas. Don’t waste your energy hitting boney or large muscle areas. Neck/throat, eyes, nose, groin, knee joints, fingers, lower ribs, tops of the feet are good examples.
• Get right in the head. Are you ready to ACTUALLY gouge someone’s eyes out in defense of yourself? Or do you just THINK you are…
• Get right in your body. Like Zombieland…Rule #1 is Cardio. Moving and striking will burn a lot of energy, but someone with more muscle mass than you will burn it faster. Be in better shape than they are and simply outlast them. I’ve won a number of altercations by doing just that.

Again, these aren’t “techniques”. That’s because techniques need context. These are “tactics” and more aligned I think with what you were asking.

But the real answer is to get some training based on the 3 commandments, and get right in the head and do right by your fitness.