Listen to an acapella group sing in perfect harmony: the baritone setting a deep, resonating foundation, the tenor and alto voices weaving and shifting in between, and the soprano soaring above them. Each hitting the perfect pitch at just the right moment to weave a melody into the air.

So, what does singing have to do with defending yourself? Every movement you make in defense is like a note in a song. One well-placed strike rings out as a pained groan, while the next may harmonize it as you find a way to escape. Let’s imagine an attacker scenario where you may not be able to disengage from the conflict. This may be because you are backed into a corner, or they have already grabbed onto you. Now, how to escape? You will have to plan out your defensive melody and SING.

Lesson #2: SING (Solar plexus, Instep, Nose, Groin)

If you have ever watched Sandra Bullock in a frilly dress beat someone up in Miss Congeniality, then you probably know what I’m talking about. For those of you that don’t, this is an acronym to help you remember some of the most vulnerable areas to strike in order to weaken your opponent.

First, the solar plexus. If you remember back to elementary music class, they told you to breathe from deep in your lungs and feel your diaphragm expand as you sing. This area, right below your rib cage, is depicted by the lovely model telling you to practice on him.

In context, if someone comes up behind you and attempts to grab you, simply bend your arm and swing backward with your elbow, leaning your body weight into it and aiming for the soft spot under the ribs. If they are in front of you, a punch would suffice. A well-placed strike will knock the wind out of your target, and they will certainly not be singing as long as you SING.

Next is the instep. This is the area on the top of your foot between your toes and ankle where your shoelaces would line up. In an attacker situation, an easy way to make them pause is to simply stomp on their foot as hard as possible, aiming for the instep area. If you are wearing heels or anything with a hard sole, do not be afraid to viciously stab your heel into someone’s foot. This move is particularly useful if you are being grabbed in a bear hug or anytime your upper body is restrained.

Another simple weak point is the nose. There are a variety of ways to hit the nose, but one effective method is a palm strike or punch. Any strike will cause the target’s eyes to water, and their hands will instinctively fly to their face, releasing any hold they previously had on you.

Last but not least, the groin. Though this is usually aimed at male attackers, it can still be quite painful for females as well. (Take it from someone who’s sparred enough times to get hit there. Not fun. 0/10. Do not recommend.) So, you can really just go ahead and kick them where the sun don’t shine. Really make them sing 🙂

Those were just a few tips on how to strike back in an attacker scenario. Of course, there are many more vulnerable areas to use against your opponent, but we’d be here all day if we went over all of them.

Again, I hope you all never have to use these tips, but if you follow some of these SING guidelines, then your attacker will certainly not be singing by the end of the night.

Sources:

Defence, Rain. “How to Perform a Solar Plexus Strike & Finish a Fight in One Punch!” HowTheyPlay, HowTheyPlay, 30 Oct. 2012, https://howtheyplay.com/individual-sports/How-To-Stop-A-Fight-In-One-Hit-With-a-Palm-Strike-To-Solar-Plexus.