How to Defend Yourself from an Attacker

Co-authored by Dany Zelig and Danielle Blinka, MA, MPA

Last Updated: December 1, 2024 Fact Checked

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Most people hope that they never have to get involved in a physical fight. However, it’s still wise to know how to defend yourself in case you’re surprised by an attacker while you’re out jogging, walking to your car, or otherwise minding your own business. If you can talk your way out of a fight, great! But if there’s no time to diffuse the situation, keep a solid stance and focus on blocking your opponent’s blows and striking them in vulnerable parts of their body.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Blocking Blows and Defending Yourself

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1
Protect your groin, throat, stomach, and eyes with your hands and arms. These are the most vulnerable parts of your body, and the parts that a serious attacker is most likely to try to hit. A serious blow to your stomach or throat could leave you helpless. So, block your attacker’s blows with your hands and upper arms. If it’s possible, deflect any punches or slaps so they land on your shoulders or upper torso.^{[1]
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- If you end up on the ground and the assailant is kicking or striking you, roll into a ball and cover your head.
2
Head-butt your attacker if they grab you from behind. In some cases, you may not see your attacker coming towards you. If you feel someone grab you from behind, head-butt backwards so that the back of your skull hits them in the nose. If that doesn’t work, bend your knees to drop your weight and hit the aggressor in their nose with your elbow. A sharp blow with either your head or your elbow should make the attacker release you.^{[2]
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- If someone grabs you from the front, try head-butting them in the nose with your forehead. If you’re not able to do this, punch the assailant in 1 of their armpits. This should cause them to loosen their hold.
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3
Strike your assailant with a makeshift weapon from your environment. If you’ve given your attacker a few blows and they’re continuing to attack you, look for a weapon on your person. Stab at your attacker’s eyes with you keys or beat their face with a bag or purse. Or, if there happen to be stray sticks or metal poles in your environment, hit back at your attacker with these. You could even throw dirt or sand in their eyes to temporarily blind them.^{[3]
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- Of course, these items are not ideal weapons to use in a fight, but they could be the difference between a couple of stitches and a serious stay in the hospital.
- Many people also carry pepper spray, which is a great option to use against your assailant if you’re being attacked.
4
Return to your defensive position after striking your assailant. Don’t give your attacker the chance to grab your arm or catch you off balance after you’ve struck out at them. As soon as you hit them, return to the defensive position with your knees slightly bent and your hands raised. Raise your dominant hand in front of your cheek and hold your other hand in front of your temple. If you are hit hard in your cheek or temple, you may pass out. Protecting these parts of your face is very important.
- While you’re fighting, try to continue making as much noise as possible. This may deter the attacker or draw other people to the area. Yell things like, “Leave me alone!” or “Get away from me!”
5
Seek medical attention if you were injured during the attack. Once you’ve made it to safety—whether that’s a crowded public place or the privacy of your home—look yourself over and make sure you weren’t injured. If you find that you were hurt, visit your doctor or an Urgent Care center. If you’re just lightly scratched or bruised, you may only need to apply an adhesive bandage and perform a couple other basic First-Aid tasks.
- Hospitals often have the staff to deal with threats and attackers if they try to continue the fight.

Part 2

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Striking Back at Your Attacker

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1
Hit their knees with your feet or elbow to reduce their mobility. Kicking your attacker’s knees is a reliable way to cause them substantial pain and to keep them from being able to run after you very quickly. Since the knees are only a couple of feet off the ground, the attacker also won’t be able to grab your foot when you’re kicking. Kick the front of their knee if you want to cause serious injury and either side of the knee to instantly destabilize the attacker.^{[4]
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- If your attacker has already knocked you to the ground, strike at the sides of the attacker’s knees with your elbows.
2
Jab or scratch your attacker in their eyes. Form your dominant hand into a fist and punch your attacker in the eyes. You can also try scratching at the person’s eyes if you have long fingernails. The eyes are one of the most vulnerable spots of the body, and a quick strike to the eyes can quickly change a would-be attacker’s mind. They’ll also be temporarily unable to see, giving you a chance to escape.^{[5]
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- Keep in mind that you’re not trying to blind your aggressor, just inflict some damage so you can escape the scene.
- If you have pepper spray with you, spray it into your attacker’s eyes to temporarily blind them and cause a great deal of pain. Or, try stabbing them in the eyes with your keys.
3
Hit the attacker in the nose with a fist or open hand. The nose is also a vulnerable, sensitive area. To harm your attacker, give them a punch in the nose. You can also hit them in the nose with the base of your open palm. Alternately, if your attacker is within 2 feet (0.61 m) of you, try hitting them in the nose with an elbow.^{[6]
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- Hitting your attacker in the nose will leave them in immense pain and should give you time to quickly leave the area.
4
Punch the aggressor in their Adam’s apple or at the base of their throat. If the person attacking you leaves their throat uncovered, jab a punch at their neck. Aim for the Adam’s apple or for the soft patch between their collarbones at the base of their neck. A firm hit to either of these spots will temporarily cut off the attacker’s airflow and give you a chance to make an escape.^{[7]
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- Be aware that a hard punch to the Adam’s apple could collapse someone’s airway and kill them. Unless you are literally fighting for your life, don’t hit the attacker as hard as you can in the Adam’s apple.
5
Kick your assailant in the groin if you’re being attacked by a man. A solid kick to a man’s groin is a reliable way to incapacitate him for several minutes; he may even drop to the ground in agony. When you’re lining up your kick, aim for the center of the groin directly in between your attacker’s legs.^{[8]
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- Keep in mind that your attacker will likely be expecting a kick in the groin and may quickly move away or block your kick.
- If you’re being attacked by a woman, kicking her in the groin isn’t necessarily a bad idea, but it won’t be as effective as it will against a man.
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Make your escape while your assailant is incapacitated. As soon as you have a chance to disengage from the fight, escape as fast as you can and seek help.^{[9]
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- Never try to “finish” a fight. If you see that your opponent is in pain (e.g., because of a blow to the throat, eyes, or groin), don’t wait around to see if they are ok. Run away and get to safety: your car, inside a building, or in a crowd of people where the assailant won’t be able to find you.

Part 3

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Dealing with a Potential Attacker

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1
Project confidence and awareness so that you’re not an easy target. Muggers and other violent criminals try to prey on easy targets: people who aren’t very aware of their environment and who can be ambushed easily. So, instead of walking with your head pointed down looking at your phone, stand up straight, walk briskly, and keep your shoulders back and chin up. Avoid making eye contact with anyone who you feel may be following you, but do glance around yourself so you’re aware of your surroundings.^{[10]
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- If a would-be attacker feels that you’d make a difficult target, they’ll leave you alone.
2
Talk your way out of a fight to avoid physical violence. If the potential aggressor starts to speak to you roughly, say calming things to diffuse the situation. Ideally, you’ll calm the aggressor down, or at least buy yourself enough time to leave the scene. Try saying something like, “Look, I don’t think there’s any reason for you to be aggressive. I’m going to get in my car and drive away now. Don’t follow me.”^{[11]
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- Even if the aggressor raises their voice or says insulting things, don’t get into a shouting match. Stay calm and try to diffuse the situation so you can leave.
3
Escape the scene to lose the attacker if you have the opportunity. When someone is approaching you aggressively, try to get away by ducking into your vehicle, walking inside a business, or blending into a crowd. If you have a chance to flee and escape a potential attack without fighting, do it. Try throwing a wallet or watch in 1 direction and then run in the opposite direction to escape.^{[12]
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- Or, if an attacker asks for your wallet, credit cards, jacket, or shoes, hand the items over. It’s not worth potentially losing your life just to hang on to some money.
4
Shout at the aggressor to deter them from attacking you. In nearly all cases, attackers look for victims who they can easily—and quietly—subdue. Most will avoid loud situations that could draw other people (or even the police) to the scene. So, if someone is approaching you and may attack, loudly shout “Back off!”^{[13]
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- If they advance further, keep shouting. Yell something like, “Get out of here!” or “Leave me alone!”
- If you have a cell phone with you, you could pull it out and shout, “I’m calling 911 right now if you don’t back off!”
5
Stand in a defensive position in case the aggressor attacks you. If you can’t escape or diffuse the situation, begin preparing yourself for a strike. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart with your non-dominate leg in front and pointing outward. Keep your weight centered over both feet. Crouch a little so that your center of gravity is low, and bring up your hands to protect your face.^{[14]
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- This stance will make it harder to fight you and will give you more control when you need to defend yourself. Keeping your body compact will prevent you from flailing and will make it easier to keep your balance during strikes.

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Tips

If your attacker has you in a hold, try stomping on their feet. While this won’t cause them too much pain, it may distract them enough for you to wriggle out of the hold and run away.^{[15]
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Never turn your back on your attacker, even to walk to your car. It allows them a chance to attack as you turn. Instead, walk backwards or sideways to safety, keeping your face towards the attacker.

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Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

If you see someone in the distance who is looking at you in a way that looks like they want to fight, avoid the situation by walking away. It is always best to keep out of it rather than risk losing your life.
If an attacker demands money, jewelry, or something similar, just give it to them. Nothing is more important than your life.
Try landing your blows continuously. Don't let them get a chance to hurt you.

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Warnings

Some of the attacks described above can cause serious harm. For example, if you jab someone’s eyes, it may cause them serious eye damage, and a sharp blow to the Adam’s apple can be fatal. If you’re in a schoolyard fight or tussling with friends, you do not want to seriously harm the other person.

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On the other hand, if you are being kidnapped, robbed, or sexually assaulted (e.g. groped or raped), or about to receive great bodily harm or get killed, then, if you can't escape, fight back as aggressively as possible until you can escape. Don’t worry about causing harm to the attacker.

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Let the aggressor attack you first. This way, they will not be able to claim self-defense when you sue them in court for damages.

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