Self defense teaches a set of techniques to defend oneself in case of aggression, and especially to neutralize the aggressor if possible. The main objective of some disciplines is to knock out the individual.
Is this a fantasy or is it possible? But above all, is it necessary?
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A difficult goal to achieve
To put it simply, most self defense techniques consist of either a blow on a sensitive point (which can knock out, especially on the chin, or not, for example with a strike on the genitals), or an immobilization making an armlock or other techniques used by the police.
In the very specific case of knockout techniques, a beginner might wonder if it is difficult to knock someone out.
Obviously, the answer is “yes”!
As always, one may make the difference between a dojo training and what happens in the street.
During training, your partner is more or less complacent. We have discussed this aspect previously in an article dedicated to the opposition between dojo aggressors and street aggressors. Now although it is strongly advised to play the game in training and not to limit oneself to playing the punching ball, some learning steps are still necessary.
For pedagogical reasons, we learn techniques (whatever the discipline, by the way) in slow motion and on a stationary partner. Most of the sensitive points are therefore easily accessible, maintaining the illusion that they will be the same in the event of a real confrontation.
But still, this is what a beginner may expect of he has not been initiated to the stress reality. This is risky, as he is out of sync with reality.
This also explains why pedagogy is so crucial for a good understanding of the stakes in case of aggression, and a better assimilation of the attitudes to adopt before, during and after a conflict.
In the street, an attacker is not static, which means that his or her sensitive points will not be within reach. And if they are attainable, the strike must be intense enough to create the desired effect.
Moreover, physiological factors such as adrenaline will more or less inhibit the pain/reaction response of the aggressor after a blow, even when hit in a sensitive area. This varies from one individual to another, depending on intrinsic criteria such as their physique, their natural tolerance to pain, their determination, or extrinsic criteria such as the consumption of alcohol or drugs beforehand.
Finally, because he is not static, an aggressor will instinctively react to the first blow either by protecting himself (which will further reduce the number of reachable points) or by striking back even more violently.
Due to all these criteria and many others, it is difficult to knock someone out at the outset.
What’s the point?
Self defense techniques are designed to produce plausible reactions, enabling a logical and fluid sequence, aiming at neutralizing the danger. Obviously the KO allows the danger to be neutralized, and this is an ideal to be achieved if it can be done in the first few seconds, whilst taking minimum risks.
That being said, a chain of attacks may not systematically end in a knockout, especially if the initial configuration of the conflict does not leave too much choice. Does it mean the game is over?
Not at all! self defense is not about knocking out 100% of the time. It is about opening up opportunities. The ultimate opportunity in self defense is to escape since you want to survive and only escape guarantees survival, unlike in combat in which the chances of receiving a fatal blow increase over time.
A chain of attacks that does not end in a knockout should not be considered a failure if you can still escape!
In other words, when your perpetrator is pinned to the ground, unable to use the leg on which you have just landed a powerful low kick, he is still conscious but momentarily neutralized. Then you can run away.
Considering the stakes, the objective is completed.
