Learn How to use Your Natural Weapons

In the 24 years that I have been teaching self-defense, fitness kickboxing and boxing the most important thing that I want each of my members to walk away with is just one skill that could help them protect themselves. Our bodies are weapons and if we learn how to use each weapon properly everyone could become a deadly fighting machine.

I train all sorts of students that are of different ages, shapes, and sizes. The first thing I tell every student is that size doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter if you are big or small, if you learn how to throw punches or kicks properly you will soon find out it all has to do with technique and weight distribution.

A perfect example of this came about when one of my students, Wavel Gibbs was going to fight a girl named Jenna. Wavel is a 135 lb woman with an average muscle tone and Jenna is a 135 lb woman with a body builder’s physique. Jenna’s biceps alone made everyone bet against Wavel and I just kept telling Wavel not to be intimidated by her looks. The fight began and immediately you could tell who was going to win. Wavell's technique was knocking Jenna down, blow after blow. Jenna’s big, cut muscles looked good but she couldn’t fight at all.  

When I talk about using your body as a weapon I am not just talking about learning to fight like a Kickboxer or boxer. Simple skills that I teach in my fitness kickboxing classes could someday save a students life.

As I say to my students, “We all have an imaginary storage box and we learn things through life that we store in that box. One day when we least expect it we may pull that information out of the box and actually use it.”

Maybe you have never taken a self-defense class in your life but you have seen on TV or heard that if you strike someone in the nose with the palm of your hand it can gain you those extra seconds to escape from an attacker. That is a perfect example of valuable knowledge we store in our imaginary box.

Starting at the top of our bodies working down to the feet I am going to name vital areas that are natural weapons. With just a little proper guidance and training on how to use these natural weapons, you will see that even you have all the tools necessary to protect yourself.

Your forehead is perfect for a headbutt; this is the most used strike in European countries

and because most attacks are in close this is a very important area not to forget about. Your mouth is perfect for yelling and biting. Elbows are fascinating there are 7 ways to strike with your elbow, next is your forearm which is powerful and very strong.

Your hands are a master of disguise, they can become… palm strikes, claws, spears, knife hands, ridge hands, pinches, pokes to the eyes… and lots more. Every area of your hand is a weapon, the back of your hand, the fingers, the nails, the palm and the sides.

Moving down to your legs we start with your knees. You can use your knee for any in the close attack. Your shin is excellent for kicking with and can do a lot of damage. Your Feet… as your hands,  there are several ways you can strike with your feet. From the instep, side, ball, and heel.

This just gives you a basic idea of the body parts that are used as weapons. Remember size doesn’t matter; it’s all about proper technique.

After class one day a woman approached me and told me that she wanted to thank me for teaching her daughter how to do a knee strike the week before. She went on to explain that her daughter, age 16 and a new student, went to a party over the weekend and while at the party was with a boy she liked and trusted. As the night went on this boy became physically aggressive to the girl and was trying to force himself on to her. All night she was verbally fighting him off but he would not take “no” for an answer. While standing against a wall in a secluded room this boy proceeded to get his way and began to date rape her. She reacted with strength against strength just trying to push him away, which she realized was not working. At that point, she needed to escape him and suddenly reacted with force, instead of fighting against his power she grabbed behind his head pulling him into her rising knee. The first knee was to the groin and the second was to his face as he keeled over from the groin pain. She ran out of the room and went to the police station were she pressed charges.

This girl only learned how to do knee strikes one time and in one class. She had that information and used it when she needed too. If she didn’t have that knowledge who knows what could have happened to her that night. The fact is that she did have the knowledge to protect herself and it worked.

Just knowing one way to use your body as a weapon could keep you that much safer if you were ever attacked. All you may need is that extra second to stun your attacker and run for help.  Knowing one thing is better than knowing nothing at all.

Christina Rondeau

Fitness Guru, Author
Professional Kickboxer, Boxer
5th Degree Black Belt
Inducted into the Martial Arts Hall of Fame
www.rkblive.com – goddessboxer@gmail.com