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Hello sister friend. I’m Weed. And we need to talk.  It’s time to get truthy. (new word alert) Ready? Here goes: YOU. ARE. AWESOME.

Ain’t   no   joke,   sweet   thang.   You   are   an   incredibly   strong,   resilient   and  

spirited  soul  who  is  fully  capable  of  physically  fighting  back  some  really  

sketchy   shiznit.   Hard   to   believe?   Understandable.   As   females,   we’ve  

been  raised  to  assume  that  our  safety  is  someone  else’s  responsibility.    We   walk   through   the   world   praying   that   our   daddy,   our  

boyfriend  or  our  knight  in  shining  armor  will  rescue  us  if  something  bad  

happens.   We   clutch   our   cell   phones,   poised   to   dial   911   if   a   creepy  

weirdo  grabs  our  ponytail  on  the  street.  We  are  trained  to  believe  that  

someone  else  will  save  us.  

I   have   a   crazy   idea.  What   if   we   stopped   relying   on   others,   and   just   saved   ourselves   instead?  

That’s  why   I   started  Girls   Fight   Back   –   because   violence   is   happening   now.  We   don’t   choose   to   be   a  

victim,   but  we   can   choose   how  we   respond   to   freaky   situations.   It’s   time   to   reclaim   our   power,   our  

confidence  and  our  right  to  live  the  badass  existence  we  were  intended!      

Now  before  we  throw  down  here,   first   let’s  make  an  attitude  adjustment.  Many  women  don’t  

believe  they  can  physically  fight  back  against  a  man  successfully.  It  probably  has  a  lot  to  do  with  growing  

up   female   in  America.  We  were  playing  with  Barbies  while  our  brothers  were  beating   the  crap  out  of  

each  other  at  the  playground.    

But  my  dangerous  damsel,  please  know  you  are   fierce.  Men  are  not   the  only  ones  capable  of  

defending  themselves  and  others.  In  fact,  there  is  nothing  more  dangerous  than  an  angry  woman!    

Seriously,   think  about  a   time   in  your   life  where  you  were  so  mad,  you  could  have  done  some  

serious  physical  damage   to   someone/something.  Maybe  your   roomie  borrowed  your   favorite   sweater  

without  asking,  then  barfed  on  it.  Understandably  this  hurled  you  into  a  fit  of  pre-­‐menstrual  rage.  Anger  

makes  us  freakishly  Hulk-­‐ishly  strong.  Let’s  use  it  wisely.    

This   Sassy   Self-­‐Defense   Guide   is   intended   to   help   you   conquer   anxiety,   increase   confidence,  

teach  you  some  tricky  fight  moves  and  inspire  help  you  grab  life  by  the  cajones  using  rad  ninja  moves!  

You’ll   learn   how   to   find   a   good   self-­‐defense   class   and   get   answers   the   6  most   common   FAQs   about  

women’s  safety.  And soon we’ll be launching GFB TV with self-defense VIDEOS!  

Sound good? Alrighty then, let’s get this party started…

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Q1: How can I find a great, local women’s self-defense class?

When  seeking  out  training,  look  for  a  vibe  that’s  woman-­‐friendly.  Instructors  should  never  speak  to  you  

in  a  condescending  way  or  use  sexist   language   (I  don’t  care  how  many  black  belts   they  have)  and  the  

website  should  give  a  woman-­‐friendly  vibe.  Learning  self-­‐defense  is  about  confronting  our  worst  fears,  

so  this  experience  is  best  had  in  an  environment  where  you  feel  safe  and  respected.      

I   recommend   taking  a   class   that  offers   scenario-­‐based   training  against  a  guy   in  a  padded  suit.    

Having  this  full  contact  experience  means  you’ll  have  adrenaline  rushing  through  your  veins.    Doing  the  

moves  while  in  this  state  trains  your  body  to  respond  (as  opposed  to  freezing)  under  violent  and  scary  

circumstances.  That  said,  it’s  not  mandatory  you  do  a  full-­‐contact  class.  You  can  learn  a  ton  from  much  

lower  impact  experiences  as  well.    

Before   taking   any   sort   of   self-­‐defense,   make   sure   you   are   ready   for   it,   both   physically   and  

emotionally.  Survivors  of  violence  may  have  a  difficult  time  with  some  scenarios,  and  can  be  triggered  to  

have   flashbacks.  Discuss   self-­‐defense  with  a   counselor  before   signing  up.   Learning   to   fight  has  helped  

many  survivors  heal,  but  you  have  to  be  ready  for  it.  

My  favorite  national  self-­‐defense  programs  are  FAST  Defense  and  IMPACT  Personal  Safety.  They  

have   amazing   instructors   who   have   taken   great   precautions   to   make   sure   the   classes   are   safe   and  

sensitive  to  women  from  all  backgrounds.  That  said,  there  are  a  ton  more  excellent  programs  out  there  

–   too  many   to   list   here!   Do   your   research   on   the  Google  machine   and   see  what   feels   right   for   YOU.  

Q2: Should a woman always f ight back if attacked?

Although  I  believe  that  all  women  should  know  how  to  fight,  these  skills  should  only  be  whipped  out  in  

an  emergency  in  which  you  have  no  other  safe  choice.    

There  are  situations  where  immediately  fighting  back  is  not  physically  possible.  For  example,   if  

you  woke   up   in   the  middle   of   the   night   to   a  man   pinning   you   to   your   bed,   it’s   better   to   take   a   few  

moments   to  wake   up   and   assess   the   situation   instead   of   just   thrashing  while   pinned.   This   can  waste  

valuable  energy   you  will   need   later.   In   a   self-­‐defense   class,   they   should   teach   you  about   finding   your  

moment  to  fight  back  and  how  to  unleash  mega-­‐force  when  the  right  time  comes.  

So  how  can  you  tell  if  fighting  is  the  right  way  to  react?    By  learning  to  trust  your  intuition  and  

having  the  skills  to  properly  defend  yourself,  you  will  be  amazed  at  how  simple  the  choice  may  become.    

In  fact,  many  women  report  going  into  auto  pilot  mode  when  attacked  after  taking  a  self-­‐defense  class.    

Learning   the   techniques  create  muscle  memory,   triggering  your  brain   to   remember   them,  even  under  

stress.      

Regardless  how  you  respond,  remember  that  violence  IS  NEVER  YOUR  FAULT.  No  matter  what  

you  do  or  how  you  respond,  no  one  deserves  to  be  victimized.    

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Q3: Can a small woman defend herself against a large man?

“Am  I  big  enough  to  fight  off  a  rapist?    I’m  only  five  feet  tall  and  100  pounds.  Could  I  possibly  fight  back  

and  win  against  a  guy  bigger  and  taller  than  me?”    I’ve  heard  this  a  gazillion  times,  especially  from  the  

vertically  challenged  girls.  The  answer  is  YES,  you  can.    Here’s  the  thing:  Women  do  not  fight  men  with  

strength.    We  fight  with  strategy.      

I   once   spoke   at   a   college   in  Washington,   and  was   approached   afterward   by   a   young  woman  

named  Laine  who   lost  one   leg   in  a  car  accident.  She  had  a  prosthetic   leg,  so  this   fact  wasn’t  visible  to  

most   of   the  world.   She   had   anxiety   about   her   disability,   but   I   told   her  we  must   always   focus   on   our  

strengths  -­‐  not  our  weaknesses.    

I  asked  her,  “Maybe  you  can’t  use  your  right  leg,  but  what  body  parts  would  be  useful  in  a  self-­‐

defense  situation?”    She  thought  for  a  moment,  and  then  started  listing  her  other  strengths.  She  had  the  

other  leg,  arms,  hands,  a  head,  fingers  and  teeth  at  her  disposal.  

Then  Laine’s  face  lit  up  and  she  said,  “Hey,  I  can  take  off  my  prosthetic  leg  off  and  beat  the  guy  

with   it!”    Now  that’s  what   I’m  sayin’.    She  walked  out  feeling  a  bit  more  dangerous  that  night,  and  no  

longer  viewed  her  amputation  as  a  handicap.    

 

Q4: What are some basic self-defense rules?

BELIEVE  

We   must   always   believe   we   will   survive   a   violent   confrontation.   It’s   got   to   be   our   most   steadfast  

thought,  even  in  the  midst  of  a  horrible  situation.  In  many  self-­‐defense  courses,  you  will  take  the  time  to  

discuss  what  in  your  life  is  worth  fighting  for.    Why  do  you  need  to  live?    Why  do  you  need  to  fight?    

 

BREATHE  

Breathing  is  one  of  the  hardest  things  to  do  during  a  fight  -­‐  but  is  also  the  most  important.  Sometimes  a  

response  to  fear  is  the  sucking  in  of  breath  and  holding  it  in.    For  example,  have  you  ever  been  in  a  near-­‐

miss   car   accident?     Right   after   you   realize   you’re   not   actually   going   to   hit   someone,   you   let   out   an  

enormous   sigh   of   relief.   Hold   the   breath   long   enough   and   you   will   surely   pass   out.   (I   don’t’   teach  

unconscious  ass  whoopin’,  sorry.)  Yelling  “no”  with  every  strike  while  using  self-­‐defense  techniques  will  

keep  the  air  flowing  and  remind  you  to  breathe  –  as  well  as  throwin’  down  some  great  verbal  defense.  

 

EMBRACE  FEAR  

Remember  that  adrenaline  is  power.  It  helps  you  feel  no  pain  and  become  capable  of  strength  you  never  

knew  possible.    Harness  your  fear  and  it  will  make  you  stronger  and  faster.  Fear  is  your  friend.  Rock  it.  

 

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RESPOND  

The   first   few  moments  of  any  violent  confrontation   tend  to  set   the   tone   for  how  the  situation  will  go  

down.   If   your   immediate   reaction   is  one  of   intolerance,  boundary   setting  and  physical   resistance,  you  

will  spend  less  time  thinking  and  more  time  reacting.  Learning  self-­‐defense  has  been  proven  to  shorten  

the  freeze  response,  making  it  possible  to  act  as  soon  as  possible.    

 

ESCAPE  

Your  responsibility  in  a  self-­‐defense  scenario  is  to  defend  yourself  until  the  bad  guy  is  no  longer  a  threat.  

No  need  to  stick  around  any  longer  than  that.  If  someone  attacks  you,  the  safest  thing  to  do  is  execute  

techniques  necessary  to  open  up  an  opportunity  to  get  the  hell  away  from  this  person.  

 

Q5: Where are the best places to strike an attacker?

The  secret  to  winning  a  fight  against  a  bad  guy  is  using  your  strengths  against  his  weaknesses.    If  we  look  

at  the  whole  man,  it  can  be  a  bit  intimidating  to  try  and  take  him  down.  However,  when  we  break  him  

down  into  teensy-­‐weensy  pieces  and  tackle  those  vulnerable  targets  singularly,  it’s  less  overwhelming.      

 

Our   number   one   objective   is  NOT   to   cause   pain   to   an   attacker,   but   to   incite  DISABILITY.   Recently   I  

spoke  at  a  university   in  Oklahoma  and  a  girl  approached  me  after  the  program.    She  said,  “I   loved  the  

techniques  you  discussed,  but  if  some  guy  attacks  me,  I’m  just  gonna  pinch  him  in  the  armpit.”    Ummm,  

okay.    Free  country,  I  suppose.  But  putting  myself  in  the  position  of  an  attacker,  if  some  girl  pinched  my  

armpit  while   I  was  attacking  her,   it  wouldn’t  stop  me  from  punching  her   in  the  face  (or  worse).  That’s  

why  it’s  so  important  to  create  injuries  that  induce  disability  so  that  he  cannot  physically  keep  assaulting  

you.    So  let’s  brainstorm  where  a  guy  is  vulnerable…  

 

• Forehead

• Temple

• Eye

• Nose

• Ear

• Throat

• Finger

• Groin

• Knee

• Ankle/Instep

• Foot/Shin

• Spine

 

There  are  other  spots  you  can  shoot  for  but  those  listed  will  give  you  a  bigger  bang  for  your  buck.    You  

always   want   to   shoot   for   the   spot   that   will   create   the   most   damage   in   the   least   amount   of   time.    

Remember,  you’re  not  here  for  a  drawn-­‐out  sparring  match.    Your  ultimate  goal   is   to  escape  as  safely  

and  quickly  as  possible.      

 

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Now  that  we  know  where  to  strike  a  bad  guy,  let’s  identify  where  we  are  strong:    

 

• Head

• Teeth

• Hands

• Elbows

• Booty

• Feet/Knees

 

My  fave  powerful  body  part   is  definitely  Booty.  That’s  right  -­‐  the  rear-­‐end,  the  caboose.  Like   it  or  not,  

this  is  where  nature  has  stacked  our  physical  power.  Many  women  (myself  included)  have  cursed  Booty  

at  some  point  in  their  lives.  Maybe  she  was  too  big  or  flabby  or  had  way  too  many  dimples.    

We  rarely   stop   to   think   that  maybe   there   is  a   reason   for  all   the  bulk   that   loves   to  congregate  

near  Booty.   It  has  a   lot   to  do  with   the   fact   that  we’re   the  gender   that  was   selected   to  bear   children.    

Thus  our  lower  body  has  to  protect  baby  and  that’s  why  we  have  more  junk  in  our  trunk  than  men  do.    

This  makes  our  lower  body  very  strong,  especially  while  ground  fighting.      

Let  me  ask  you  this:   if  you  had  the  choice,  would  you  rather  hit  someone  or  kick  them?    Most  

women   say  KICK.  Dude,   that’s   totally   Booty   talking!   She’s   like,   “Hey   lady,   I’m   strong   and   stacked   and  

awesome  –  use  me!”  A  good  self-­‐defense  class  will  show  you  why  you  are  so  powerful  on  the  ground,  

teach  you  great  ways  to  use  your  legs  and  Booty  to  protect  yourself  and  how  to  escape  from  foot  grabs  

and  pinning  situations.  

Q6: What are the best self-defense techniques?

Oh,   let   me   count   the   ways!   Nevermind   –   there   are   too   many.   Here   are   some   of   my   personal  

favorites…and  it’s  hard  to  explain  in  words,  so  check  out  the  video  demos  at  GIRLSFIGHTBACK.com.  

 

• Palm Strike

Using  the  hard  bone  located  at  the  heel  of  the  hand,  pull  back  your  fingers  to  expose  the  area  

entirely.    With  a  swift  upward  motion,  use  the  heel  of  the  hand  to  upwardly  strike  the  attacker’s  

nose  or  forehead.  After  someone  has  been  effectively  palm-­‐stricken,  possible  outcomes  include  

a   broken   nose,   difficulty   breathing,   decreased   vision   due   to   watery   eyes   and   a   sensation   of  

being  off-­‐balance.    Plus,  they  will  most  likely  not  be  thinking  about  your  next  target…  

 

• Groin Strike

Kicking  or   knee   striking   a   guy  between   the   legs   is   serious   business   and   can   cause  debilitating  

injuries.   Using   the   strong   area   of   the   lower   thigh   right   above   your   knee,   drive   beneath   and  

upwards  into  the  attacker’s  groin.  This  causes  lots  ‘o  pain,  and  simultaneously  knocks  the  wind  

out  of  a  person.  One  of  my  guy  friends  calls  this  move  “Man  Death.”    

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• Eye Jab

While  some  people  become  instantly  nauseated  at  the  idea  of  poking  someone’s  eye  out,  others  

are  more  than  happy  to  do  so  if  they  are  being  attacked.  Regardless,  injuries  to  the  eye  pack  a  

wallop  of  a  punch  when  it  comes  to  the  psychological  trauma.    Let’s  face  it.    Nobody  wants  their  

eye  poked  out.    It’s  a  creepy  and  painful  idea.    To  do  an  effective  eye  jab,  I  recommend  using  all  

the  fingers  on  one  hand  and  making  a  point,  like  a  shadow  puppet  on  a  wall  with  an  overhead  

projector.    Using  the  tips  of  all  five  fingers,  you  can  poke  at  the  eye  area.  Remember,  it  doesn’t  

matter  how  big  and  strong  a  bad  guy   is  –  our  eyes  are  equally  vulnerable   to   injury  and  we  all  

have  built-­‐in  reflexes  to  flinch  and  defend  them.  

 

• Kicks  from  the  ground  

As  previously  discussed,  our  booties  are  supremely  powerful.    As  a  result,  we  need  to  get   into  

positions   where   we   can   use   that   force.   Ground   fighting   is   especially   feared   among   women,  

many   believing   that   ground   fighting   leads   to   pinning  which   leads   to   defeat   and   rape.     This   is  

often   not   the   case,   since   once   on   the   ground,   we   can   use   our   best   ASSet…Booty!   Assume   a  

strong  kicking  position,  execute  the  kicks  swiftly  and  always  end  up  by  “reloading”  (bringing  the  

leg  back   into  the  original  position  for  another  kick   if  necessary).    Again,  don’t  assume  just  one  

kick  will  disable  your  attacker.    

 

You are worth fighting for. Don’t forget that. Thanks for reading, and feel free to share this sassiness with your friends!

And hey, let’s keep in touch via Facebook or Twitter okay?

badass love,

 Erin Weed :: Founder, Girls Fight Back!