Master Self-Defence Moves for Any Situation: Kick, Throw, and Escape Like a Pro
What Would You Do in a Dangerous Situation?
What would you do if a mugger attacked you and tried to grab your wallet? If you’re 94-year-old David Queensberry, the 12th Marquess of Queensberry, you’d grab at their left shoulder and right forearm to destabilize them and sweep their leg. The quick thinking and fast reflexes from this 5ft 4inch retired ceramics professor, whose great-grandfather codified the rules of boxing, were the result of his training in judo, which, in Japanese, translates as “the gentle way.”
Though gentleness was far from my mind when I found myself being hurled around a dojo by Peter Blewett, chairman of the Budokwai, Europe’s oldest judo club, nestled inside a former school building in Chelsea, west London. It was founded in 1918 by Gunji Koizumi, “the father of British judo,” and was where Queensberry himself trained, as have many Olympians and celebrities such as Brad Pitt, Guy Ritchie, and Jason Statham. Mick Jagger, Sebastian Coe, and William Hague have also crashed the mats.
The Power of Judo for Self-Defence
As I lunged with a rubber knife, Blewett caught my wrist and twisted, applied pressure on my outstretched elbow, and suddenly I was on my knees. “Put the knife down, young man,” the 64-year-old judo master said gently until I released my grip.
“Judo is fantastic for self-defense because it gives you an awareness of space,” explains John Goodbody, current vice-president of the Budokwai, who remembers sparring with Queensberry in the 1960s. “If someone grabs you, judo gives you the skills to throw them quite easily. Grabbing is often the way people try to subdue you in the street, so judo can be particularly helpful here.”
The Principles Behind Self-Defence Moves in Judo
Judokas (as those who practice judo are called) become adept at throws and holds rather than punching, kicking, or slapping. The martial art isn’t about displaying force of your own but rather redirecting your opponent’s.
“You create movement, and you use your partner’s movement to your advantage. If you were to push me, instead of pushing back, I would turn away and bring you with me, using your force to drag you off balance instead,” says Blewett. He demonstrates by showing me osoto-gari, a move where he catches my arm as I throw a punch, pulls me off balance towards him, and then sweeps my feet out from under me. This resembles the move Queensberry performed.
Practical Benefits of Judo in Real-Life Scenarios
A judo throw is very effective if you get attacked in the street, says Goodbody. “If you throw someone on concrete, it’s very difficult to recover from it,” he explains. “A practiced judoka can throw someone twice their size and in any way they need – on their head, on their back, wherever.” This makes it ideal for women, those who are slightly smaller in stature, and those more advanced in age (like David Queensberry) to defend themselves.
“It’s difficult. You have to assess the level of threat and be proportionate while dealing with the fact you’re scared, you’re in a public environment, and you have to make a hard judgment call,” says Blewett. “Training in martial arts helps give you an awareness of when to move and when not to, so it’s helpful if you can prepare for those scenarios.”
Before you try any of these, though, there is the golden rule. “The most important thing in a fight, in any fight, but particularly in a street fight, is to get your blow in first: you’re doing whatever it takes to get away,” says Blewett. “If in doubt, kick him in the gonads and run.” It might not be honorable, but then again, neither is attacking someone in the streets.
Six Self-Defence Moves to Try
1. To Defend a Lunge
Osoto-Gari: Push them backward and sweep their leg. Pull the top half of their body forward to dedestabilizehem, then push backward while sweeping under their heel with your right leg.
2. To Dodge a High Punch to Your Head
Ippon-Seoi Nage: The one-arm shoulder throw. Catch their arm, bring it over your shoulder, turn your hip into their stomach, and use their momentum to throw them over your hip.
3. If They’re Armed
Waki-Gatame: Grab their wrist, pin their arm, and apply pressure to their elbow. This forces them to their knees.
4. If They Throw an Arm or Fist
Tai-Otoshi: Pull them down, twist, and trip. Grab their arm, step into them with bent knees, and trip them onto the ground.
5. If They Kick at You
Ōuchi-Gari: Block with your wrist and hook your leg. Catch the kicking foot and hook your foot around their supporting ankle to break their balance.
6. If They Grab You
Atemi-Waza: Twist the wrist. Grab their hand, turn their wrist backward, and force them to their knees.