Foot stomp defense

Foot stomp - Illustration, from Flickr.com

There are a number of basic and highly effective ways of fighting back - the rather innocent looking foot stomp defense is one of them.

A basic foot stomp is quick and simple to execute, and when you land it properly... Goodbye trouble - hello freedom!

The story below from clickorlando.com is a great example of this "sneaky" self defense tactic - apparently executed flawlessly I might add.

According to Melbourne police, the woman was walking her dog near the racquetball court when she was approached from behind by a man who grabbed her shirt.
The man told the woman to let go of the dog and then said he was going to rape her, according to police.
The woman began talking to the man to distract him and then stomped on his foot, causing him to let go of her, police said.
The woman, who was not injured in the attack, then ran toward her apartment while screaming, Melbourne police said.

Not only is the foot stomp defense move in place - she apparently sets it up with a distraction and then running away screaming.

In my opinion, this is a text book example of a great self-defense action. Kudos!

Not very surprised

There' a new US based study which has been presented by the Emergency Nurses Association. The study shows that workplace violence is all too common in the nursing profession. However, it is not the co-workers, but patients and their families it stems from.

Over 3,000 nurses participated in a survey and more than half said they had experienced physically violence on the job, according to channel3000.com. What is even more alarming is that one in four said they had been subjected to a physical assault more than 20 times in the last three years.

"They'll spit, they'll pinch, they'll grab, they'll kick at you," one nurse said. She was not terribly surprised by the findings."The ones that just aren't getting what they want out of their visit, they get very verbally abusive and in your face."

"Twist and shout"

Yes - that's what it is called - the ball squeeze... You, grab and twist - he'll most likely shout (you get the picture)!
And this is by no means a "ladies only" technique. If you've got the balls for it (sorry, bad pun...) also guys have used this attention grabber (another bad pun...).

Anyway, here are a couple of practical applications:

South Africa -- A woman told police he had attacked at about 4:30 p.m. Monday in her field between two villages near the Swaziland border in Mpumalanga.

The 53-year-old villager was busy weeding her field when a man appeared and allegedly ordered her to go undress under a nearby tree.

The woman refused and the man threatened to stone her and then physically dragged her to the tree. The two fell to the ground and struggled, until the woman was able to get on top of him and grab his testicles.

When the man surrendered, she ran for help.

Ohio -- Police in Warren said a man kidnapped a 32-year-old woman at 6:15 p.m. Thursday - then attempted to sexually assault her.

According to police reports, the woman parked toward the rear of the parking lot at the main library to drop off books. She told police her van was left unlocked while she ran inside the library (great idea...).

When she got back into the van, a man placed a knife to the woman's side and forced her to drive to Packard Park. The perpetrator forced the woman to the floor of the van and began cutting off her clothes and undressing himself.

The woman was reportedly cut on her shoulder, arms and leg. She managed to escape the would-be rapist by grabbing his groin and twisting until he ran off.

No good Samaritans

This is bad.

Story:
From Stockton, Teeside, UK news.bbc.co.uk reports about a serious sexual assault on a 20-year-old woman. She was reportedly walking home in the early hours of Sunday when a man grabbed her.

And here's the sad part: According to police, cars passed almost within inches of the assault. A number of cars, particularly taxis, drove past as the woman was being attacked, a police spokesperson said.

"It took place in the middle of the road, but not a single person stopped. There were at least five cars that passed her as she was lying on the road while the attack was taking place," the spokesperson said.

The woman had just finished a mobile phone call when the man attacked her. Despite being punched repeatedly to the face, she fought back and was eventuallyable to flee. She was later treated at a local hospital for facial injuries.

'I-knee-do' #2

As you may know by now, 'I-knee-do' refers to the art of gently (kind of...) placing (sort of...) your knee where it's likely to hurt. This 'way of the harmonious knee' should only be used on folks who totally asks for it - kind of like they 'kneed it' (bad pun, I know) :-)

Story:
A 23-year-old Missouri woman was able to fight off a would-be-rapist in Kansas City by kneeing him in the groin, according to kansascity.com.

The woman said she was grabbed by a stranger about 9 p.m Thursday night and pushed into an alley.

The attacker reportedly pushed the young woman to the ground and fondled her. He also rubbed against her and attempteded to take off her shirt and pants.

After about 10 minutes og struggling with the man, she used her knee. The attacker then limped away and the woman could call police.

Just one drop

Missouri -- Thanks to a drop of blood, police believe they've solved a violent crime that occurred more than eight years ago in Clayton, bnd.com reports.

And now, a 38-year-old St. Louis man faces charges for robbing and sexually assaulting a woman in 1999.

Police say the woman was talking on the phone when she was grabbed from behind. Wearing a pillowcase over his head, the assailant tried to sexually assault her.

Fighting back, she bit the suspect so hard it drew blood. That turned out to be vital to the case.

Late 2006, the blood sample was entered into a DNA index system - something which eventually led police to the suspect, who was on probation for another crime.

A 'cooler aid'

A South Side apartment complex in Madison, Wisconsin has already been the scene of three murders and a non-fatal shooting during a 15 months period.

Thursday night yet another crime occurred, when a 50-year-old woman reportedly had to fight off an attempted sexual assault by a stranger in the basement of her building, according to madison.com.

The tenant said she had gone to a storage locker in the building's basement about 6 p.m. to get something. She was just about to leave when a man grabbed her from behind, a police spokesman said.

As the man held her by the waist, the woman reached into the storage locker, grabbing a hard beverage cooler plastic top to defend herself.

She was able to hit him a couple of times right in the head with it. The attacker yelled in pain, and the woman was able to run back upstairs to her apartment.

A police report stated the woman's shirt was ripped in the encounter, but she was otherwise unharmed.

Glass danger

It's been said here before - if a fight breaks out, chances are great that someone will grab the nearest item to be used as a weapon. And if that happens to be a bottle or some other glass item, the consequences can be disastrous.

Story:
Australia -- A 20-year-old woman glassed in the face and now blind in one eye has demanded pubs and clubs be forced to use toughened plastic cups, according to news.com.au.

She made the plea from her hospital bed where she remained in pain since being attacked on a dance floor early on Sunday morning.

The victim says the altercation between her and her alleged attacker at the pub in Wollongong occurred after they bumped into one another while dancing.

"We exchanged words and within 30 seconds I had a glass hurled into my face," she said.

Seeing red

Sweden -- An alleged sexual assault occurred in Vaxjo just before 7 p.m. Friday night.

A woman told police she was followed by two young men. As the woman began to walk faster – so did her stalkers. The woman then began to run, but the two people behind her easily followed.

The woman tripped and fell. One of the young men caught up with her and grabbed her by the legs.

Police says the woman managed to bring out a can of red spray paint she was carrying in her purse.

The woman sprayed her attacker in the face, police said. She was able to free herself, and ran from the place.

'My-key-do' #6

Michigan State University police are investigating an attempted carjacking which occurred between 4:30 p.m. and 5:10 p.m. on Thursday, statenews.com reports.

A 22-year-old female student reported that an unknown male approached her car, grabbed her arm and tried to steal the keys to her car.

The student fought off the suspect and scratched him in the left cheek with her keys. The suspect then fled the scene and the woman drove off.

Cell phone strike

Glad there are instances when a cell phone comes to good use! As we all know by now, it can be a major source of distraction.

Story:
Tennessee -- Authorities have charged a 52-year-old postal worker who apparently attempted to abduct a 15-year-old girl Monday night, November 12 at a store in Cordova.

The girl, who was alone, had just left the store about 6 p.m., when the man approached her from behind.

"He initially told her to, 'Come here,' when she refused. The victim turned away and started walking back toward the store. The suspect then grabbed her and tore her shirt," a police spokeswoman said.

"She did strike him with her cell phone. She was definitely trying to get away. She felt she was in danger. She did not know this person and so she escaped serious injuries."

A bite out of crime

Florida -- An attempted abduction happened Monday in a quiet subdivision of Deerfield Acres. The 11-year-old was walking on the side of his street when the suspect pulled over in an older model car.

The boy told authorities the man grabbed him by the collar, then wrapped his arm around his face. That's when this potential victim fought back the best way he knew how.

The boy said when he put his arm around his face he bit him on the arm and that's what caused him to turn him loose.

The boy started screaming and ran to his grandmother's house. The perpetrator jumped in his car and took off.

A loan, alone

Arizona -- A man attempted to sexually assault an employee working alone at a loans business in Mesa on October 10, but the woman fought back, according to kpho.com.

The man entered the business over the noon hour and asked about a loan, according to officers. The employee turned and walked away to gather documents needed to process it, police said.

The man followed her, grabbed her, and then forced her to the ground where he attempted to sexually assault her, according to investigators. The woman was able to fight off the attacker and called 911. In the meantime, the man fled.

Nude dude in Duluth

Don't mess with angry seniors... Not all of them are easy push-overs!

Story:
Minnesota - A man who allegedly tried to burglarize a home lost his clothes in a scuffle with the 69-year-old homeowner and then tried to streak away before he was arrested, News.yahoo.com reports.

The home owner said the man made the mistake of grabbing his wife. "As soon as he grabbed my wife, I had him in the kitchen wrestling him to the ground in a headlock and arm-lock," he said.

First, he ripped the man's shirt off. Then, "his head was down over the railing, and in today's world, pants are worn fairly loose. I pulled his pants, and his pants and underpants and shoes came completely off. He was completely nude."

When police asked if he could identify the suspect, he said: "Oh, yeah. I believe he's the only guy running nude in Duluth."

Iron man

Sweet - hats off to this senior citizen!
Strange how these "tough guys" are not so tough after all when someone takes their "toys" away and doesn't want to play their game.

Story:
74-year-old Bruce Ferraro had no idea someone was following him as he walked out of a department store at the South Shore Mall in New York on Saturday and got into his car, according to News.yahoo.com.

The mugger demanded Ferraro hand over his wallet, calling the Bay Shore resident an "old man" and threatening to hit him with the tire iron, police said.

Instead, Ferraro grabbed the bar and the two fought, until the septuagenarian managed to snatch away the tire iron, police said.

Without the weapon, the 32-year-old suspect ran to his car and attempted to drive away, police said. But the vehicle stalled, and the man got out of the car and fled on foot. Ferraro later helped police identify the suspect.

Going 'ball-istic'

Here's a typical "game" of escalation: Too males, sports fans, insults leading to injuries and charges being pressed. A quite game of dart leading to serious trouble. Way too typical male stupidity...

Story:
Oklahoma -- Words were reportedly exchanged at a bar in Oklahoma City between a 53-year-old University of Texas fan, and a University of Oklahoma Sooners fan - the latter, a church deacon and government auditor.

The exchange of words ended in a brawl leading to a torn scrotal sack with partially exposed testicles, according to a police report.

The OU fan said "something in a joking fashion to the guy about his Texas T-shirt," according to his attorney. "The guy got offended. My client said he was sorry," the attorney said.

The apology apparently wasn't enough for the Texas fan and the man then approached his client. The attorney said his client then grabbed the man in self-defense.

"The guy came over his other shoulder, and basically said, 'I'm getting ready to kick your you-know-what.' He said he felt threatened and he did what he thought he needed to do and grabbed him and left the place."

Source

Gotcha!

Young woman with firm grip: 1 - Large male with pimped up ride: 0
Probably a good thing for "Mr not-so-tough-now" to have lights in his car that matches the color of his balls...

Story:
Texas -- A large man in a muscle shirt, probably in his 20s, about 6' 1'' and 200 pounds, offered a young woman a ride in Fort worth.

The 18-year-old woman was walking at about noon Friday when the man approached her. The female reportedly refused his offer repeatedly.

The man got out of his car, which had blue lights inside and underneath (bling-bling anyone...?). He grabbed the young woman by the hair and ordered her to get in, a police spokesman said.

When she fought back, the man threw her to the ground and kicked her in the ribs, the spokesman said.

The man pulled the woman back to her feet, and that's when she grabbed his crotch (ouch!). The man fell to the ground, and the woman punched him in the face and ran away. She told police that when she looked back, he was lying on the ground.

Source

A 'fishy' robbery

Massachusetts -- A holdup man picked the wrong target Thursday night when he walked into a package store in Methuen.

"When I opened the door I see the guy stand right there, gun pointed at my daughter," said Vannarithros Ross, who had just returned to his family-run package store after running an errand.

"And my daughter told me in my language that we got robbed... He didn't know I was behind him, so just grabbed him real tight so by his reaction I'm afraid he gonna pull the trigger on my kid."

Ross says his son grabbed a bottle of fish sauce and hit the gunman on the head as Ross swung him to the floor. "My son, he just reacting. He keep hitting on the head until I told him, stop it because he was gonna kill the guy."

Ross says police came within two or three minutes. "That's very fast. Amazing. Very amazing."

The gun the suspect flashed during the robbery turned out to be a BB gun but Ross and his family didn't know that. Police planned to charge the gunman with robbery when he gets out of the hospital.

Source

Muffin-fighter

In Finland they have a MMA (mixed martial arts) type event called Finn-fight. I suppose then this is the equivalent food fight variety? :-)

Story:
Connecticut -- "Muffin-Thrower;" That's the nickname given to a woman after thwarting a robber with her baked goods.

On July 15, the woman was standing behind the counter at the half-century-old Polish deli in New Haven, ringing up packages of Kielbasa, when a man came in the store.

He was dressed as nicely as the rest of the Sunday morning visitors, so he didn't call attention to himself. As other customers perused the selection of imported Polish, Russian and Hungarian treats, the man inquired if the deli made subs.

"Yes," came the reply. He stood behind a woman in line at the counter. "All of a sudden, he lurched and grabbed the lady by the neck," recounted the shop owner. "I thought he was hugging her. I thought, gee that was rough," she said. She quickly realized he was being more than rough.

"This is a stickup!" he said. "Give me all your money, or I'm gonna shoot her!"

The shop owner quickly took in the situation. "I didn't see any gun." She saw him reach his hand towards a bag to retrieve something. "I didn't believe he had a gun, and I figured I was faster than him," she said, explaining her next, risky move.

She looked towards the baseball bat she keeps leaned against the counter. "I couldn't get it fast enough." But "I had all the muffins here," she said, pointing to a tray of a dozen wrapped muffins and Danishes, sitting on the counter.

"You son of a bitch!" she screamed, flipping the tray, launching the muffins at the man.
From the force of the woman's yelling, and the rain of pastries, the robber got disoriented. He ran away.

Just looking ...

Say this can't be so: "Several stunned witnesses watched as the woman screamed and battled back"! Oh, my ...

The paper is calling this woman "tough as nails", and I tend to agree. I wonder what we should call these onlookers ... "concerned citizens" maybe?

Story:
New York -- A woman fought off a would-be rapist who viciously attacked her on an East Harlem street in front of shocked onlookers, authorities said.

The woman, 37, was walking on a street at about 4 a.m. July 4, when a 28-year-old man allegedly grabbed her from behind and dragged her down to the ground.

During the struggle, the attacker shoved his hands under her shirt and pants and fondled her, prosecutors said.

Several stunned witnesses watched as the woman screamed and battled back. Finally, the perpetrator gave up and fled but was arrested nearby, cops said.

Source