How to stop an attacker with 2 fingers!

[Anonymous]

The episternal notch (ESN) is the soft area located at the base of the throat in the center of the neck, right where the neck meets the chest. It is a favorite among martial artists and self defense experts. Like most pressure points it will work in the dojo, but against emotionally disturbed persons (EPD), highly adrenalized or “geeked up” attackers they have an EXTREMELY low success rate. I won’t say they don’t work..but they really don’t work outside the dojo against DETERMINED targets with intent on doing you in. I have also seem pressure points completely ineffective against some people just because they were naturally resistant. I remember a 12 year old girl who literally had NO RESPONSE to this exact technique.

In this latest wackiness, our expert stops his attacker from choking him with just two fingers. First of all, this type of strangle is usually followed with a head butt and a knee to the groin. The front choke will actually cause the target to “square up” and allow open access to the groin.
The choke attack in this video is what you would typically see in the dojo.

If the attacker was 200 pounds and pissed off, the assault would look COMPLETELY different and in the face of actually being choked, poking your target in the ESN is not going to happen. Add to that, these guys are standing toe to toe.

Lets put it this way, if someone is trying to choke you, they’re really trying to hurt you. In this case, you are completely justified to stop the threat.

I have seen some one attacked like this and they were not only choked, but they were literally driven onto the trunk of a car and it only got worse. What car? My 1985 Trans Am. The attacker had no formal dojo training. He was just big and REALLY pissed, it took two of us to pull “Lumpy” off. That’s what we called him anyway.

But if you want to see an unrealistic attack and what NOT to do when someone is strangling you go here:
https://www.trsdirect.com/FC-305.htm

I will say, these guys speak with such authority but this is the exact reason martial arts DON’T WORK in the real world.

The idea of performing this technique is a nice, feel good, mushy feeling- but it will not work.

[Damian (Instructor)]

I think the secondary problem is that even if it did work is the fact ya havent really hurt him and now he is even more angry. All ya suceeded in doing is repositioning him.

They are not really useful at all. And you run across the “dead heads” like my best friend. Actually no pressure points work on him peroid. And I have tried them all Inversely I do fell them all under the best of condition as you mentioned.

[Damian (Instructor)]

Well said 1%.

We’re also forgetting the fact that the guy just tried to CHOKE you, so his inent of ending your life is pretty clear. Since choking the life out of you didn’t work, maybe he’ll come back with that tire iron or a few buddies?

That stuff only works on “college professors and old ladies” (no offense to etiher, its just an expression). I have seen it work to some degree on compliant subjects. These are the SAME people who would listen to a direct VERBAL order. In other words: you don’t need to put your hands on them.

I’ve also seen that stuff piss people off like you said. Now the guy who was a little upset just got resally pissed and you no longer have the element of suprise on your hands.

The whole point is, as a civilian you have no need to put your hands on someone unless you’re life is threatened. As soon as you touch them its assualt. Once you establish your distance they have no right to come near you (Module 1 stuff, but it needs repeating).

In Law Enforcment all you need is a stern tone of voice and clear directions (the firearm gets some attention too) to handle a situation. Any one who puts their hands on a police officer deserves what they get (anyone who puts their hands on ou, deserves more of the same).

If you’re in New Jersey, one of my best friends is an attorney and LOVES defending cops who are forced to save their lives in the line of duty.

I just went on a tear…where was I? Oh- yu should never put your hands on someone unless you have to, it is always a last resort. Leave the pressure points for party tricks and drunk in-laws.

[Damian (Instructor)]

I remember getting a news article from Chris Pizzo a while back. He stated you drive both your thumbs into this notch as far as you can, thrn wrap your fingers around the back of his neck and use repetitive headbutts into the guys face. Also pulling his face into your forward by pulling him forward into it by the back og his neck. Can that shit really work if used in conjunction?

[Damian (Instructor)]

Ha, how to stop an assailant with two fingers! Now that’s some funny shit. Want to know how to stop someone with one hand? The web of hand blow!

[Damian (Instructor)]

In one of Cestari’s series he demonstrates wrapping the fingers around the back of the neck and forcfully driving the thumbs through the notch back into the throat, is that the proper way to do it

[Damian (Instructor)]

That’s really the only way to perform that throat crush. You have to stabilize the neck to maximize the pressure on the throat. It’s a way to collapse the windpipe but not the most efficient.

The problem with the technique is that you need a decent amount of grip strength to do it and if the guy is still conscious he is going to fight like hell and squirm. In module 12 of the SDTS you learn the old “Ranger Choke Hold”. That was kind of made famous by Pacino is “Sent of a Woman” but instead of using the shirt or tie, you secure the back of the neck with a hand yoke and squeeze with the entire hand.

[Damian (Instructor)]

Oh yeah, I think ive seen the ranger choke in a sample vid on the site. So is it called the ranger choke because ranger sounds cool or because army rangers used it back in the day!

[Damian (Instructor)]

The bulldog take down is a fav of mine. I was examining it though and thought of something. When I have the opponent bent over from my arm underneath and wrapped around his with my hand on the back of his neck, instead of going for the takwdown right away I can bounce his face off my kneecap, rapid fire style, then slam him!

[Damian (Instructor)]

I like the forarm shiver. Is it used as a diversion to creat space and rock&shock then end him? I hot bob with it. Damn. I could feel its effectiveness!

[Damian (Instructor)]

That’s why YOU MUST HIT SOMETHING!!! It builds power and confidence that you can’t get hitting air or pulling your strikes. When you can FEEL IT you KNOW IT.

[Damian (Instructor)]

Pulling your strikes. so you mean I should immidiately retract once my hand makes contact? So if i retract as soon as my EOH makes contact with that deliver a more sharp blow like a saber. Also for the fist, should I keep my arm and fist loose in flight so itll travel faster and immidiately squeeze to tighten right before impact

[Damian (Instructor)]

No, what I meant by “pulling your strikes” is when you train with a partner you pull the power away from your strike. This is the last habit you want to develop.

As for tightening the fist right before impact to maximize efficiency of movement and speed, I understand from a physiological perspective this makes sense but in the heat of the fight, your best bet is just to keep it tight.
The main reasons are to handle your adrenaline rush and to protect the fist and fingers. While you may plan on hitting your intended target, you may catch an elbow or an arm, these will break and dislocate lose fingers which can put your hand out of commission.

Best bet is to keep it tight. Lead with speed, follow with power. As soon as you have caused injury you can then take the time to put more power into your attack.

[Damian (Instructor)]

aww, excellent. I then you’re the only person I should take advice from! We live too much in a boxing/MMA culture. I like being apart of the 1%er’s aka The FacePunch group!

[Damian (Instructor)]

Even the boxing/mma culture is just that a culture. Everyone still wants Daddy to fight for them so they identify with a pro-fighter and say “I think they’re tough so I’m going to SAY I do what they do.”

HW, after being on the mat since I was 7 and in the martial arts business for 25 plus years, one thing remains the same only between 5 and 10% of people do anything. When I ran the dojos only about 10% of the students competed in tournaments. When I coached high school roughly 25% of the student body participated in extracurricular activities which was high.

Out of all the health club memberships, fitness videos and fitness equipment sold over 90% of it goes unused.

It’s human nature, it doesn’t change. So when some one tell you they do something 7 days a week for 10 years THEY ARE FULL OF SHIT.

As a competitive athlete your training is event or competition specific. Usually you start heavy training 8 weeks out and the week before it’s light. After, if you don’t have anything in the next few months, you won’t see me near a gym for 2 weeks.

All training goes in cycles. Sometimes you do more than others. Consistency over time is the key.

[Damian (Instructor)]

Hey! I’ve got that TRS tape!

Actually, on my path to finding and getting the SDTS material, I have lots of tapes like that, unfortunately.

My journey started in Tae Kwon Do and I quickly realized and much to my dismay (due to my naievity and brain washing from TV) that having a black belt meant nothing in self defense. I as a lowly green belt could take half the black belts while sparring even with some disabilities.

I have Psoriatic Arthritis in my neck, knees and hands and needed something offensive, not defensive if I was to win a confrontation.

To make a 20+ year journey short, I went through the Clugston videos, Cucci videos, american indian videos, etc a TRS. I saw things useful, and I saw things that were a waste of time (pretty much all of cucci was a waste of time). I did pocket away things that seemed to be quick and effective off these tapes so they were “worth it” to me. “split second survival” website uses that throat notch area almost exclusively.

Eventually I came across Fairbairn method and finally Cestari’s DVDs. I thought I had everything with these and they are great. Though the quality was poor visually, the information was golden. I am glad I finally got to this sight. I think these DVDs will be clear judging by the samples compared to Cestari’s, and they seem to remain true to form. I dove in and bought the whole system but haven’t received them yet. My hope and anticipation is quite high. (I also took a small detour to some captain’s site before coming here and bought some vids. They are not true to Cestari in my opinion. I never saw Cestari do a sprawl. But, enough of him.)

Wow, if I add up all the money I spent on videos and lessons, the money I spent on this system is not much at all. Oh, one last thing, I spent alot of time on videos and picking out what works and what doesn’t. When they decided to look for an instructor to teach a self defense class for our company, the security guy came to me, instead of all the black belts in the building to teach. I was able to learn well enough for someone to allow me to teach. So, Video learning DOES WORK IF YOU TRAIN. Cestari’s videos did this for me. I am hoping your vids will do even more.

Waiting patiently for the DVDs,
Steve

Anybody want to buy about half the TRS packages? KUTA tapes, etc?

[Damian (Instructor)]

you uuuh uuum will uuh probably have a uumm low success rate because of uuh the tiny area you are attacking…

[Damian (Instructor)]

Rhylewfr, are you an idiot? Yes. But welcome to the forum by the way

[Author]

Posts