This post may contain affiliate links.* Click here to read our affiliate policy.
Finding yourself unarmed while facing an attacker is a nightmare scenario. If they have a weapon and you don’t, then no matter what their weapon is, the odds are severely stacked against you. Even if they aren’t armed, fending off an attacker without a weapon is an intimidating prospect.
Fortunately, there are ways to tilt the odds back in your favor. In case you ever find yourself staring down one or more attackers and you have nothing but your bare hands with which to defend yourself, consider these self-defense tips and tactics.
1. Fight Dirty
If you’re attacked on the street, it isn’t a boxing match or MMA fight with set of rules for each contender to follow–it’s a life and death situation, and what you have to do to survive isn’t going to be pretty. Before we dive into the specifics of how to handle various situations, it’s important to understand one overarching principle that always applies: savagery and aggression are your allies.
Go for your attacker’s weaknesses, such as the eyes and groin. If they have you pinned to the ground, bite down on the first piece of exposed flesh you see and tear it off.
In short, take advantage of whatever opportunities that present themselves to inflict pain and damage on your attacker. Oftentimes it isn’t the biggest or best-trained fighter that comes out victorious–many times, it’s the most aggressive. Tactics like these aren’t pretty, but they work.
2. If Faced with Multiple Attackers, Don’t Take the Fight to the Ground
Taking the fight to ground is an excellent way to maintain control of your opponent and finish a fight, and disciplines such as wrestling and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu excel at teaching you how to get someone to the ground and how to defeat them once they are there. But if you are facing multiple attackers, the ground is the last place you want to be.
The reason is simple: You can only take one person to the ground at a time, and being on the ground with one or more of your attackers still standing is never a good situation. It’s just asking to be kicked in the head and ribs, repeatedly. Instead you should stay on your feet, keep moving, and rely on striking to finish them one at a time.
3. Find a Weapon and Use the Element of Surprise to Survive a Home Invasion
Having a firearm during a home invasion is always optimal. However, you could be caught off guard with no firearms in reach. If that happens, the first thing to do is find the nearest item that can be used as a weapon. Even wielding a household item such as a steak knife or a heavy vase can even the odds a little.
Want to prep but not sure where to begin?
Click Here to Get Your FREE One Year Urban Survival Plan!
Just don’t spend so much time searching for a suitable weapon that you don’t have a chance to fight back.
If it is the middle of the night, avoid the temptation to turn the lights on. You know the layout of your house far better than your invader and will have the advantage when navigating it in the dark. With the most suitable weapon you could find in hand and the lights in your house off, find a place to hide with only one entry and exit such as a bathroom or closet. Be ready.
If the invader enters your hiding place, the element of surprise may be the only advantage you have. Strike them as soon as they enter and do not stop until they are incapacitated.
4. Distract and Isolate the Weapon to Stop a Mugging
First off, if giving the crook your money and walking away unharmed is an option, take it. Any self-defense instructor worth their salt will tell you that if you are unarmed against an assailant with a knife or gun, you must come to grips with the likelihood that you are going to get cut or shot in the process. The few bills in your wallet aren’t worth the price.
If, however, you believe that the person mugging you has other, more harmful intentions in mind such as rape or murder, fighting back is your best option.
Once you’ve made the decision to fight back, there are two important steps—distract your attacker and isolate their weapon. One often recommended method of distraction is to drop your purse or wallet as you are going to hand it to the mugger.
Their eyes will naturally follow it down, and when they do, you must go for their weapon. Move fast and take hold of their weapon hand. Deliver strikes to their face and eyes, all the while torquing on their weapon hand until they are forced to drop it.
5. Lay Low to Escape a Riot
There are situations where fighting back is advised, but a riot is not one of them. In a riot, chances are you are going to be outnumbered ten to one, and even if you have a few people on your side, the sheer chaos alone makes confrontation a deadly proposition.
Want to prep but not sure where to begin?
Click Here to Get Your FREE One Year Urban Survival Plan!
Instead of looking for a fight, remain calm, avoid confrontation, and slowly walk away from the scene. Running could draw attention and make you a target. Try to get indoors, as most riots take place on the streets and generally do not spill over into buildings.
If you are in a large crowd of people, pay careful attention to your footing. Many lives have been lost in mob situations because someone tripped and was subsequently trampled to death by the belligerent crowd. If you are attacked, you should obviously defend yourself, but escape should remain your number one priority.
Remaining inconspicuous and getting to safety with the least amount of confrontation possible is the best way to survive a riot.
6. Get Professional Self-Defense Training
Whether you are being mugged, facing multiple attackers, or confronted with any number of other dangerous situations, having the training necessary to defend yourself is invaluable. Training in martial arts disciplines is not only a great way to stay in shape, but also a way to learn skills that could save your life.
If any of the situations outlined above ever become a reality, you will be thankful for the abilities that professional self-defense training gives you.
Ideally, you should find a local trainer who can teach you self defense in person. But if you can’t find anything in your local area, there are several great online training programs such as Survival Combat Fitness and Krav Maga In No Time.
If you live in the city with countless other people (most of whom aren’t prepared for a major disaster), then you need to learn how to fight back if you’re attacked.
I am an old men 74, as a first line of defense i use a PHYSICS-CHEMICAL SELF-DEFENSE FIGHT (THERE IS NO CHEMICAL REACTION)
1.-i use a modified one quart of a CO2 fire- estinguisher (change the O rings from CO2 to ammonia NH3 and cut thr original discharge hose to a short tube made of steel.
now you have two altenatives:
a)the NH3 in the steel botle have two phases, the liquified phase down, and the gaseous phase up, for very short distance say inside the house or office, use the gaseous phase.
b)for use outside the house or office put a long tube in the valve to an inch from the bottom(
siphon). the pressure in the botle is around 230 libs/square inch depending the outside temperature PxV/T=P1xV1/T1, P=pressure, V=volume of the bottle, T=outside temperature.
Gases Law Boyle Mariotte-Guy Lussac
for inside house or office use the gaseous bottle, for outside say 10-15 yards use the
siphoned bottle. in a vehicle drivers side i use the gaseous discharge botle and the passanger side the siphoned one for outside the vehicle use, that give me at least 15 yard distance from an attacker or attackers.
is my first line favorite weapon-dont have kill, they leave trying to breath and assure you dont came back-the ammonia gas is better than any other liquid or gas you could use, there are no death, there are no criminal charges, not expensive lawyers.
2.-Biological Self-Defense
You will need 10 PVC tubes (6 inch long x 1 inch diameter) with an external plug(U tipe) say the left side, and a circular patch of mosquito net plastic fabric glued the right side of the tube with silicon adhesive, and 1/2 an inch from the right side of the tube put a circular silicon adhesive to stick a balloon, now take out the external plug and
smear melaza from a sugar mill or honey of bees (expensive but ready available) inside the tubes,
locate an anthill with soldier ants and leave the tubes a reasonable time then using hand globes put the plugs and put them in a denim backpack to go unnoticed,
In an encounter with possible attacker or attackers you take a tube, remove the cap and stretch the balloon directing the tube to the attacker’s face and get out of there-the base of the defense is to stop and flee the place.
3.-
Flexible knife made with scrap butcher’s bandsaw, drawn without spikes, with a minimum radius at the tip of 1/4 inch and 4 inches long with a 1/8 hole at the distal end of the tip, there put a paracord braid that protrudes 1 inch, in the breech the knife sheath is sewn with rivets to prevent breakage is your las line of defense, in case of real danger,
It is made to be buried in the eyes of the kidnapper or attacker, as a young man I was a radical red-block anarchist and there was always the danger of being kidnapped by the white brigade, a state extermination group that disappeared more than 200 Marxist high school students who they were looking for a better life than savage capitalism.
Alan, I can definitely see why you would want to stay on your feet when facing multiple opponents. My wife and I want to make sure that we are all protected in the event of an attack. I definitely think that we should some self defense classes that could help us to make sure that we can defend ourselves and to maintain more self confidence.
Nice to read. So useful and informative tips. Many thanks for sharing them all.
Thanks for sharing the useful tips for self defense. Everyone irrespective of her/his age should be aware of the basic self defense techniques.
My best recommendation is never to be unarmed. I have at least 4 “weapons” with me at all times. I have a folding pocket knife, a belt with a heavy buckle (that can be removed and used to keep someone at bay or to strike someone that may be armed with a knife), a tactical pen, and a travel wrench. If you don’t know what a travel wrench is you should do a google search and also check them out on YouTube. A travel wrench is a cool little item that can be used in a manner similar to brass knuckles – but it looks harmless and is perfectly legal to carry. I keep one of those in my back pocket at all times. I hope these suggestions add to the discussion.
Awesome survival tips, I really enjoy reading your articles. One thing I did see missing from this list of options is to RUN! Sometimes the best option is to run as fast and as far away as you can. Thanks for sharing some great info.
“If it is the middle of the night, avoid the temptation to turn the lights on. You know the layout of your house far better than your invader and will have the advantage when navigating it in the dark”.
True however, they will have their “night vision”. If you can find the light switch you can close your eyes, cover them with your free hand or turn your head away, and flash the lights on and then immediately off again. This will instantly disrupt their night vision but not yours.
Thanks for the tips and the insights. It’s a way of preparing and protecting the person especially women who are the weaker gender and one who is already in the advance years like myself who is 70 years of age. At least we are prepared in any eventualities.