If you're new here, you'll want to subscribe to my Free Newsletter to receive free gifts and be one of the first to get notified of my new blog posts. Thanks for visiting!
Manipulate their attention,
making them think confusing thoughts about what you are going to do.
(Miyamoto Musashi)
Distracting an opponent does not always mean hitting them. Sometimes you don’t want or need to hit an opponent (at least initially before you follow up with an actual strike).
Sometimes you may need to distract your opponent’s attention before you can apply a technique or move in for a strike.
Distraction techniques create openings that allow you to fully capitalize on an opponent’s loss of attention. Distractions can be used in sparring or in street self defense situations (though not all distractions can be used in sparring because of how dirty some of them are). There very nature makes them ideal for street self defense however. Let’s take a look at some of the more useful ones.
1. Feinting. The time honoured classic distraction and one which is especially common and useful in sparring matches. The feint takes many forms but basically it involves you pretending to move one way to lead your opponent before quickly changing and moving another way. A good example of this would be throwing a kick at your opponent’s leg, not necessarily hard, just enough to get his attention, then as your opponent reacts to that you very quickly move in and deliver a punch to the face. Usually your opponent won’t be ready for this because they are too busy thinking about you kicking them on the leg. That particular distraction is one of my favourites when sparring but there are many other variations on this principle that can be used. Experiment and see which ones work best for you.
In a street self defense situation the same principle can be applied. You can maybe throw a couple of low power strikes at an opponent first of all, just to see how they react, then quickly follow up with some harder blows to take them out. The idea is that the initial flurry gives your opponent something to dwell on for a few seconds, making them unable to react quickly or well enough to the second round of strikes.
Feinting is really about controlling your opponent (the ultimate aim of all combat), physically as well as psychologically. You are effectively making them do things they don’t want to do and this gives you a degree of power over them that they will be well aware of in their own minds. You will thus have a mental edge that could well win you the fight.
2. Cover the Eyes. A very simple one this, but the simple ones are always the best. This one can only be employed in a street self defense situation were an attacker has moved in close and perhaps grabbed you in some way by the lapels or throat. All you do is simply place one hand over your attacker’s eyes, effectively blinding them and giving you vital seconds to get control of the situation in whatever way you please, by either striking them or locking them or just hitting and running. Like I say, this works. It disorientates your opponent for a second or two even after you have removed your hand from their eyes. Just don’t waste the time you have gained. React accordingly.
3. Spit in the Face. Disgusting and filthy it may be but then so is street fighting. Do I care about grossing out an attacker? Of course not, and neither should you. Again, use this distraction if you are grabbed and you need vital seconds to buy you some time so you can react in the best way possible. One defense we use this for is against someone who has grabbed you with one hand and is holding a knife to your throat with the other hand. The first thing you do is spit in your attacker’s face before quickly taking the knife hand and applying a wrist lock. It’s a very effective technique. I’m sure if you use your imagination you can think of other ways to utilize it.
5. The Face Slap. As mentioned, you don’t always want to strike an opponent in the first instance, especially when you want to apply a controlling lock. Striking an opponent generally makes them pull away from you or drop down towards the floor, which isn’t ideal if you’re trying to apply locks. So what we do is just hit them a quick slap across the face, not hard necessarily, just enough to distract them from what you’re about to do. This one is excellent if someone grabs you by the label intending to punch you. You take control of the grabbing hand and block the incoming punch with the other, then with the hand you just blocked with slap your opponent across the face (your arm is already in position for this) and apply a wrist or arm lock to the arm you already have control of.
6. The Shin Kick. The shin kick is another good tactic for distracting an opponent. It can be applied in various situations from front or back. From the front, if someone grabs you in any way, you can throw in a quick shin kick before applying a lock. In Ju Jitsu when wrist locks are being taught to beginners they are taken from a wrist grab. You just strike the shin while at the same time take control of your opponent’s wrist and twist them to the ground. If you are grabbed from behind then a good kick to an opponents shin with your heel will act as a suitable distraction as well, loosing your opponents grip and giving you enough time to escape in whatever way you see fit.
7. Verbal Distractions. Verbal distractions can obviously take many forms, ranging from talking an opponent down to screaming loudly in their face. Talking down an opponent is useful in a street self defense situation and when used in conjunction with the fence is very effective. As you will know from my article on the fence technique it is all about being natural and not allowing your opponent to know they are even being controlled. Talking to them at the same time helps you along in this endeavour.
Posturing is another street self defense technique that will sometimes allow you to avoid trouble. Being loud and aggressive (especially when facing multiple attackers) will make you seem intimidating and will give of the impression that maybe you are not to be messed with after all. This technique is all about confidence, or at least appearing confident to whoever is in front of you. At the very least it will put doubt in your opponents mind and give you a slight edge over them if anything does kick of.
Likewise with the famous kia shout. A loud and powerful kia will rattle an opponent and give them something to think about as you are attacking. Works in sparring or in a street self defense situation. Again, confidence is the key here. It might even distract an opponent enough that they will simply walk away from you and you have defended yourself without even lifting a finger.
As you can see, it is not always necessary to utilise full force strikes against an opponent, especially if all you want to do is control them. A good distraction will often work quite well in this regard and for this reason distractions are well worth learning and practicing.
Had enough? No? Here’s some videos to complement everything I’ve been saying. Happy viewing!
