Tag Archives: Self-defense

3 Simplified Tips for Self-Defense

Posted on by
Reply

With the ladies who floated like butterflies but stung like bees

Self-defense skills is an asset that all ladies should have, yet hope to never use. However, danger can lurk in any corner and women must be prepared. Having self-defense skills does not guarantee that you will be unhurt or unscathed in an attack, however it can increase your chance of surviving. Besides having the right skills, learning self-defense can boost your confidence level, improve your fitness level in a fight-or-flight situation (if you need to outrun your attacker), and makes you more coordinated when fighting back.

Self-defense does not have to be complicated. You don’t need a black belt to try to save yourself. Here are 3 simplified tips I learnt from today’s class at Hammerfist Fight Club, in Cyberjaya:

  • Punch with the correct technique

The knuckles on your second and middle finger is the hardest. Use that to punch instead of focusing on the whole fist.

You can also use the base of your palms to jab the upper body like the throat. The bottom part of your palms just before your wrist is actually stronger than your fist.

The tips of your fingers are powerful too. Use it to poke the eyes using all 4 finger tips. Aim for only one eye, and this is enough to distract your attacker.

Elbows are strong and sharp tools too. Keep it close to your side when punching to block kicks or attacks from the side that can harm the ribs and chest.

Getting as close to your attacker as possible to deliver the most powerful punch

  • Find weak points on the body.

They are:

Eyes, throat, the middle of the chest, stomach, groin, mid thighs, knees, shins, ankles.

These points are most vulnerable as it can inflict the most amount of pain to the attacker. So aim for these body parts when attacked.

Here is a brief video that contains information on how to use these weak points, but with slight variation from what we learnt today:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsjXVGhDuFU

  • Act swiftly

When facing an attacker, a split second can make a difference. Hesitation gives a window for the attacker to make his next move. Plus, acting swiftly gives the impression that you are confident and not a vulnerable victim.

I hope that these tips are useful for women when they are forced to face an attacker. For a full list of skills, it is best to enroll in a martial arts class where a certified instructor can help to polish your techniques.

\

4 Techniques to Free Yourself

For more info on Kick Boxing, you can read Sarah’s experience here

 

Kickboxing: The New Fitness Workout

Posted on by
Reply

Self-defense awareness has been widely spread globally. This is specified on women whom men look at as a very easy victim of their wrong doings. In the previous blog post, we’ve already talked on self-defense majoring in Taekwondo. Since I’ve been joining Kickboxing Class for a month, I’ll share with you my experience joining this stand-up combat sports class.

WHAT IS KICKBOXING?

Kickboxing is a type of martial arts that is based on kicking and punching. Kickboxing focuses on everything from cardio conditioning to self-defense and martial arts. Anyone who wants a perfect total body workout would enjoy this type of sports as it requires the whole body movement.

WHY KICKBOXING?

Initially, the only intention why I joined kickboxing was to just fill in my free time, meet new people, plus it’s located within walking distance from my office. The training place is called HammerFist Fight Club, Cyberjaya. As I started to watch the kickboxing lessons, I was friendly-asked by the trainer, Benny, to join the class as a free trial class. I wasn’t ready but on second thought, it’s now or never. So, I decided to join and for the first time in my life I’ve never felt like drenching in my own sweat.

With the coaches, Benny (left) and Ravshan (right)

Gearing up

Outfit wise, it’s better to wear comfortable clothing which is not to tight (so it won’t block your blood circulation) and not too loose to allow full movement in the arms and legs during training.

My fav outfit for kickboxing – Hooda Ellipse Sports, Ultra Top and Riada Active Pants

These are the gears I used when training:

Hand wrap bandage for extra protection

Bandages – Hand wraps are generally worn underneath the gloves to help support the wrist, fist and knuckles when training. It serves as an extra protection inside.

A Pro Training Glove of 16 oz

Gloves – The most essential gear during training. It protects the hands and provide some protection to the opponent against your hit force.

Shin guards – Shin guards are usually only used for training purposes. They are compulsory for amateur kickboxing bouts, but not always during professional play. I’m an amateur so I’ll be needing it.

 

Warming Up

Before we start the core lesson, 15 minutes warm up session is a must to loosen up the joints, increase blood circulations by increasing the heart rates and that’ll make you less prone to injury and will make your muscle easier to stretch whenever you’re striking or training. Basically, we start from head to toe; turn heads side to side and up and down, shoulder rotation, body stretching, and jogging and sprinting in circle.

Here are few clips of getting-fit workouts I’ve managed to share:

Cardio Workout – Legs toning

Battle Rope Workout – For arms, shoulder and abs toning

The Core Training

After the warm up, the best part begins; The Core Training. Here, I learn the basics of Kickboxing movement: Jab, Cross, Hook, Uppercut, Front Kick, Side Kick and more to go.

Here are some clips of training I did:

Jab and Cross Training

Jab, Cross and Side Kick Training

WHAT I GET FROM KICKBOXING

  • A lot of things gained from this training which I only thought it’s all about self-defense. I used to have a very low self-esteem which always keeps me holding back from what I want to do in life. Not anymore, kickboxing class has changed me a lot. During training, endorphins, a natural booster are released which boost up my self-esteem. Along the training, it helps me to stand tall and improves my self-confidence.
  • The ability to use different parts of the body together really improves my focus and coordination which I needed the most (especially at work).
  • It’s also a fun and faster way to burn fat. At least I get to prevent those monotonous routine of gym boredom. Kickboxing has the added benefit of including an exciting and unusual cross-training element to your normal workouts.

     

    “It’s an incredibly efficient workout. Kickboxing alone burns about 750 calories in an hour,” says Sammie Kennedy, CEO and creator of Femme Fitale, Ontario’s newest women’s-only kickboxing and mixed martial arts program (MMA). “Add in jump rope and conditioning drills, and you could burn anywhere from 750 to 900 calories in an hour.”

     

  • The good thing about this training is because it’s one of the ways of releasing stress by releasing those pent up frustrations with a high-energy routine. As my concentration levels improves, it also enables me to focus on stressing less.

Not much of things to share as I am just a newbie. I hope you guys get the idea of what kickboxing is. Maybe you guys should try it too. Better try than just wondering, it could be the best sports you’ve ever engaged in. Thanks for reading! 🙂

Credits:

http://www.besthealthmag.ca/best-you/fitness/benefits-of-kickboxing-for-women/

 

 

Throw Them Off With Taekwondo

Posted on by
Reply

Tired of feeling weak and helpless? Scared of walking home alone? Is there someone you want to tell off but don’t know how?

No need to fear, martial arts is here!

There’s karate, judo, aikido, taekwondo, boxing, wushu, and a whole lot more you can learn about just by a click of your mouse. But simply learning from a book or a website and playing it out a couple times won’t cut it. You have to get up and train for at least half an hour per week. After all, self-defense is a skill. And skills are not perfected in a blink of an eye, but by sheer sweat and determined practice.

Self-defense does not just ward off unwanted creepers, but could also potentially save your life. Places like Texas, where women are being targeted and attacked, strongly encourage Muslims to take up self-defense and learn how to protect themselves. With the current Islamophobia and hate against Muslims, it is essential that you, as a Muslim woman (especially if you wear hijab), know how to fend for yourself when encountered by any sort of threat – big or small.

In some middle eastern countries like Jordan, harassment is not uncommon. Despite women covering themselves modestly and wearing hijabs and headscarves, they are still targeted and attacked without hesitation. According to islam.ru, an islamic information portal based in Russia, some women in England are even attacked by muggers taking the pins off their hijab and stabbing their heads with it. So as we can see from here, how we dress is not the issue. It’s how we protect ourselves and how we deal with the ambiguous jaws of the world.

Among all self-defense techniques and martial arts, let’s zoom into one particular art: Taekwondo.

Kick as high as the sky. Reference: Edward Lim, (2016), Wallace Lai Yen Theng [ONLINE]. Available at: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10210164033279633&set=pb.1302833662.-2207520000.1499930670.&type=3&theater [Accessed 13 July 2017].

Kick high to the sky.
Reference: Edward Lim, (2016), Wallace Lai Yen Theng [ONLINE]. [Accessed 13 July 2017].

Taekwondo, as the name distinctly provides, is a Korean martial art. The word can be broken down into three: “tae”, “kwon”, and “do”. The definition of “tae” is foot, “kwon” is hand, and “do” is art. It generally can be broken down into two categories: poomsae, and sparring. Poomsae is a series of moves – both defense and attack – put together in one. On the other hand, sparring is your typical two-minute fight on the training mat.

This martial art consists of many moves and techniques. The few basic ones are kicks, blocks, and strikes.

Here are a few examples:

The basic kick in Taekwondo: front kick.

 

Basic blocks and strikes: punch, higher-section block, lower-section block, inner block, outer block, ridge hand strike, and knife hand strike.

Sparring technique: Chopping kick.

 

There are some centres available in Malaysia:

Other places to learn self-defense around the world:

Don’t be afraid because you are small and frail or physically unfit. With determination, comes great results. Remember: we are not inferior to men, but a sole equal. And sometimes, we may be even better.

– Nukey