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Self-Defense for Vampires
Wednesday, 29 August 2001

*Caution* The following should be used in self-defense ONLY. You should be able to determine whether or not the situation puts your life in danger. Neither the author nor Sacrosanctum.org and it's affiliates will be held responsible for the reader's use of the following information.

Self-defense. A very condensed thing that really holds just the basics that you need to know. Now, what's on here is pretty much the opposite of what you'll be taught in any "martial art". I decided to ignore the teachings of all "eastern martial arts" because of the heavy emphasis on spirituality and manipulation of chi/Ki/whatever that they tend to have. Also these tend to rely on multiple set stances, forms, kata's, etc that must be learned correctly and in order. Instead I subscribe to the philosophy of Krav Maga, a form of self-sefense devoped in Israel for the Israeli Defense Force in the 1970's, taught these days to (obviously) the IDF, the FBI, many US police departments, many UK police departments, and pretty much worldwide if you want a good, solid, reliable form of self-defense that doesn't mean you have to adopt any special philosophy/spirituality.

In reality, Krav Maga is basically advanced streefighting, adaptation of similar practices to many martial arts, but when being taught it is with heavy emphasis on "real world" situations, i.e. defending yourself when you're already on the ground and your opponent is above you, self defense against basball bats, knives, swords, and guns(!), or against multiple opponents both with and without the aid of friends.

So in a nutshell: the first principle of self defense? Run like fuck. It's the most ancient and most proven way to avoid getting hurt. If, however, you think your attacker could out-run you, your best defense is to cripple them and then run like fuck. It takes a mere 3 pounds of pressure when applied to the correct spot to dislocate a knee cap. The chances are that without training, you'll never hit the correct point, but if you kick with all your strength at the inside of the knee cap (not the joint itself, but the protective plate in front of it) you should manage it anyway through sheer force. At this point the person will be unable to run after you effectively.

If forced, of course it helps if you know how to fight. Here are a few simple guidelines:

Hand to Hand Combat

When engaged in hand-to-hand combat, your life is always at stake. There is only one purpose in combat, and that is to kill your enemy. Never face an enemy with the idea of knocking him out. The chances are extremely good that he will kill YOU instead. When a weapon is not available, one must resort to the full use of his natural weapons. The natural weapons are:

The knife edge of your hands.
Fingers folded at the second joint or knuckle.
The protruding knuckle of your second finger.
The heel of your hand.
Your boot
Elbows
Knees
Your Teeth.

Attacking is a primary factor. A fight was never won by defensive action. Attack with all of your strength. At any point or any situation, some vulnerable point on your enemies body will be open for attack. Do this while screaming as screaming has two purposes:

1. To frighten and confuse your enemy.
2. To allow you to take a deep breath which, in turn, will put more oxygen in your blood stream.

Your balance and balance of your enemy are two important factors; since, if you succeed in making your enemy lose his balance, the chances are nine to one that you can kill him in your next move. The best over-all stance is where your feet are spread about shoulders width apart, with your right foot about a foot ahead of the left. Both arms should be bent at the elbows parallel to each other. Stand on the balls of your feet and bend your waist slightly. Kind of like a boxer's crouch. Employing a sudden movement or a scream or yell can throw your enemy off-balance. There are many vulnerable points of the body. We will cover them now:

Eyes: Use your fingers in a V-shape and attack in gouging motion.
Nose: (Extremely vulnerable) Strike with the knife edge of the hand along the bridge, which will cause breakage, sharp pain, temporary blindness, and if the blow is hard enough, death. Also, deliver a blow with the heel of your hand in an upward motion, this will shove the bone up into the brain causing death.
Adam's Apple: This spot is usually pretty well protected, but if you get the chance, strike hard with the knife edge of your hand. This should sever the wind-pipe, and then it's all over in a matter of minutes.
Temple: There is a large artery up here, and if you hit it hard enough, it will cause death. If you manage to knock your enemy down, kick him in the temple, and he'll never get up again.
Back of the Neck: A rabbit punch, or blow delivered to the base of the neck can easily break it, but to be safe, it is better to use the butt of a gun or some other heavy blunt object.
Upper lip: A large network of nerves are located. These nerves are extremely close to the skin. A sharp upward blow will cause extreme pain, and unconsciousness.
Ears: Coming up from behind an enemy and cupping the hands in a clapping motion over the victims ears can kill him immediately. The vibrations caused from the clapping motion will burst his eardrums, and cause internal bleeding in the brain.
Groin: A VERY vulnerable spot. If left open, get it with knee hard, and he'll buckle over very fast.
Kidneys: A large nerve that branches off to the spinal cord comes very close to the skin at the kidneys. A direct blow with the knife edge of your hand can cause death.

Weapons

If you're in America, carry a gun for crying out loud. My recommendation would be a Glock 26. A 9mm compact carry weapon, devestatingly effective and holds more than enough rounds (Hell, a Derringer holds enough rounds to kill someone. How many do you need after all?). Anything larger is difficult to conceal, especially in many US states where heat is a factor in determination of clothing.

If you have moral problems with guns, or are living somewhere they're difficult to get hold of (or as a backup), a knife is very useful. I prefer a Fairburn-Sykes style, it's a specially adapted form of stilletto created for the British armed forces in WWII, and then taken up by the US forces. It's slim, so easy to conceal, double edged, and is effective both as a combat blade and a throwing knife (although if you're into that, a set of purpose-made throwing knives would be better). Don't bother with hunting knives/bowie-style knives for self defense. They look big and scary, but are nowhere near as effective as a F-S, and can't be thrown. My second choice would be a Tanto-style blade (not an actual Tanto, the Tsuba (handguard) makes it impossible to conceal)

If you're very serious, invest in a kevlar vest/other armour. A kevlar vest is ONLY effective against small arms fire. A high calibre hunting/sniper rifle round will go straight through one. I also wouldn't takes my chances wearing one against a submachine gun either. they also offer protection against knives/other bladed weapons, and are flame-retardant. Remember vests are only effective if someone attacks your torso. Anyone who seriously wanted to kill you would go for your face/head, and anyone wishing to incapacitate you would go for your legs. But against random violence, these items are useful. As for other armour, if you're expecting to get attacked with a blade, goth/metal fashion accessories are useful. A damn sight cheaper than kevlar, and highly effective. One thing you learn very quickly is that an assailant with a knife will either go for an underhand thrust at your stomach/ribs or a slashing blow to the face/throat. A set of leather forearm pads will give you very limited protection against such attacks, but you can get sets that are completely covered in small metal pyramids forming a complete layer (I have a URL for purchasing them in England if you wish) which will block all slashing attacks, but might be pierced with a stiletto-style blades tip if it gets in the joins between the pyramids.

If you're a bleeding heart, you could opt for a TAZER. Expensive, ineffective toys, don't waste money on them. They are also completely illegal in England, but can be made simply and easily.

As for concealing weapons:

Guns: shoulder rigs for guns. Unless you have a good tailor they're unbelieveably easy to spot. Ignore the movies where people wear shoulder rigs and no-one notices. The reason you can't see it until the good/bad guy draws is beacuse he/she isn't wearing one until that scene. The small of the back works, but you have to think about drawing time, so don't wear any clothing that blocks access. A holster that fits on the inside of your jeans is perfect. Uncomfortable, but less obvious than a shoulder rig and just as fast. If concealing isn't necessary, use a thigh rig/paddle holster but remember to keep it low on your thigh, so the handle is roughly where your hand hangs naturally for quicker draw times.

Knives: Again, forget the movies. Cutting a hole in your jeans pocket and strapping a knife to your thigh is great....as long as you have large pockets, otherwise they'll hinder drawing times. Boot knives are useless for quick, unnoticed drawing for obvious reasons. I prefer to keep mine strapped to either my stomach or down my back. As long as you have easy access (i.e. loose clothing or wearing it outside the clothing and covered with a jacket) it's the best way to hold on. Again, ignore movies. Have the knife upside-down (so the handle is at the bottom) as drawing this way is a shitload faster than drawing over your shoulder, it's all to do with the way the arm muscles bend.

Throwing knives are a special case. Because of their small size they are easily withdrawn from a thigh rig through your jeans pockets, or best kept on a strap across your stomach. You can also keep a switchblade/flick knife in either your back pocket or your jacket's inner pocket. This is where most people keep their wallet, so if someone demands your money they'll assume you're reaching for a wallet and not a knife (with any luck).

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