Self-defence for women: why Brazilian jiu-jitsu is the answer, and five moves that could save your life
- Brazilian capoeira master and black belt jiu-jitsu instructor Fernando Junior claims people have got self-defence all wrong
- He offers advice on how best to protect yourself against an attacker, especially one bigger and stronger than you
One day, you could face a dangerous situation in which all your negotiating skills fail to dissuade an attacker and you have no option but to protect yourself. How can you subdue a bigger, stronger assailant?
Punch the neck? Poke the eyes? Kick the crotch? Many people, particularly women, believe these are the best ways to neutralise or thwart an attack and escape.
However, Brazilian capoeira master and black belt jiu-jitsu instructor Fernando Junior says in reality they often do not work at all.
“A lot of people, when they think self-defence, they think: karate chop to the throat, knee the groin … they do not work in real situations,” the co-founder of BeWater Martial Arts & Wellness in Hong Kong explains.
He says if you happen to be a 50kg (110 pounds) Asian woman, like this South China Morning Post reporter, and about to duke it out with an 82kg (180 pounds) opponent like Junior, your meagre kicks, or jabs with your skinny fists, will not be effective. “Even if you learn to punch properly you’re still limited in terms of strength,” he says. Besides, such moves will only enrage your assailant, and make the situation even worse.
What if you gouge the eyes? “It’s Hollywood. In real life it doesn’t work,” says the 39-year-old, who cautions against learning self-defence tactics from the highly choreographed fight sequences in Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan films. As many have learned the hard way, real fights are nothing like the movies. Junior says we have an inbuilt instinct to protect our vulnerable areas like the eyes.