Fred Neff's martial arts books from Endless Fist Society, Inc.:
Self-defense Questions Answered by Fred Neff

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WARNING: THE ANSWERS TO READERS QUESTIONS ARE NOT MEANT TO TAKE THE PLACE OF TRAINING UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF A QUALIFIED INSTRUCTOR. READERS SHOULD TAKE PROPER SAFETY PRECAUTIONS AT ALL TIMES WHEN PRACTICING MARTIAL ARTS INCLUDING:

• Practicing defense and attack with a partner only under the supervision of a qualified instructor.

• While practicing, always wear safety equipment such as a head guard, mouthpiece, groin-cup, knee guards and any other protective gear needed.

• Any grappling or throwing should be done only on a thick mat designed for such use and then only under the supervision of a qualified instructor.

• When practicing with a partner, do not put all of your force into a blow. Start your practice slowly and gradually with the consent of your partner speed up the execution of techniques. Practice full power techniques only on a punching bag-not on a human partner. The instructor should be present to supervise the practice session.

• Do not make contact with your training partner unless he or she agrees to it, you are both wearing full safety equipment, you are sure that both people have the ability to control their blows, and you are supervised by your instructor.

• During practice, never hit sensitive areas on your partner, such as the eyes, nose, throat, neck, ribs, groin, knees, or any area, along the centerline on the rear of the body. Do not even pretend to throw blows to such sensitive areas on a practice partner.

• Do not apply locks or throws without your opponent understanding in advance that you are working on these types of techniques. Work out a warning system with your partner in advance of practice. Never surprise your training partner with a throw, sweep, lock or hold and be sure that your partner is ready to start before executing these techniques. No throws should be done until the person to be thrown has been properly trained by a qualified instructor on falling. Do not practice any technique with someone who does not understand what is required in martial art practice. Make sure a qualified instructor explains and demonstrates any new techniques to you and your partner. Treat all training partners with respect and consideration for their safety.

What should I do if I am threatened by someone or asked to fight?
Answer by Fred Neff: The best self-defense response to a verbal threat is to ignore it. If your physical safety is threatened, however, you should act in self-defense. Always repond to an aggresor with confidence. Look the person right in the eye to let him or her know that you are not afraid. Remain calm and look for a potential weak spot, such as a vulnerable standing position. If a fight does occur, you can take advantage of the weakness and end the fight with one self-defense move.

How do I build my confidence so that I can stand up to an aggressor in self-defense?
Answer by Fred Neff: Confidence will come from knowing that the self-defense techniques you learn will work for you. As you practice and show improvement in self-defense techniques, you will have more faith in your ability to defend yourself. It is this assurance that will enable you to use self-defense to stand up to an aggressor. Self-defense teaches that if you believe you can do something, based on practice you can actually do it.

Can I learn self-defense techniques by watching television and movies?
Answer by Fred Neff: It is not a good idea to copy self-defense techniques shown on television or in the movies. Though they may be exciting, they may not work in real-life self-defense situations. Television programs and movies seek only to entertain and not to teach self-defense.

Should I let people know that I have studied self-defense so that they will respect me and think twice about picking a fight?
Answer by Fred Neff: As a student of self-defense, you should never brag or even talk about the self-defense skills you have learned. Such self-defense talk will only make enemies for you and may encourage someone to challenge you to a fight. Every serious student of self-defense concentrates instead on getting along with other people. If a fight should occur, that student will quietly use his ot her self-defense skills to end the confrontation as soon as possible.

How long will it take me to be an expert in self-defense?
Answer by Fred Neff: It takes many years of practice and hard work to become an expert in any field. This is especially true in the art of self-defense. Just reading self-defense books is not enough to give a person the self-defense skill to become an expert. Students who are sincerely interested in becoming skilled at self-defense are encouraged to take instruction from a qualified self-defense teacher. There are no shortcuts to learning self-defense. It requires time, effort, and constant practice.

Is there a way to handle a bully so I do not have to use self-defense techniques?
Answer by Fred Neff: Sometimes it is very difficult for a person to get out of a self-defense confrontation. Bullies tend to focus on people they believe are frightened of them. Develop the attitude that verbal abuse or bad conduct has to be expected of others. Do not lose your temper just because someone is obnoxious. Walk away and avoid people that upset you. If you are in a self-defense situation from which you cannot easily walk away, then look the attacker confidently in the eye and exhibit no fear. Often simply showing confidence and walking away will end any abuse. You must also not court attack by your attitude or by bragging about your self-defense skills. No one earns respect by telling people "I am good at self-defense." Bold statements encourage confrontations. The best people in self-defense are those confident enough not to brag.

Are there any basic principles that will help me to win a self-defense confrontation?
Answer by Fred Neff: These five general principles of self-defense will help in any confrontation:

• Keep calm. When you're calm, you can think and act quickly, and speed is a key consideration in any self-defense situation. Even a relatively unskilled person in self-defense can win out over a powerful aggressor, if he or she keeps cool. If you keep your mind on your self-defense strategy, you remain calmer than if you worry about what harm may come of you. A calm manner will impress the attacker that you have self-confidence and are not afraid to act in self-defense. This alone may end the fight.
  

• Exploit weak points in self-defense. Every human body has sensitive spots. When facing an aggressor, try to plan an attack on one of these spots in self-defense. Some of the most sensitive areas of the body for attack in self-defense are the shins, knees, groin, stomach, ribs, solar plexus, chin, jaw, face, and temple. If you can quickly hit one of these spots in self-defense you will take some of the fight out of the aggressor.
  

• Use a combination of self-defense techniques. A single self-defense blow or takedown (a move in which the aggressor is thrown to the ground) may end the fight, but do not count on it. Always plan ahead and know what to do next in self-defense. For example, a high punch followed by a takedown in self-defense may end the fight. If the punch does not stop your opponent or is blocked, the throw can still end the confrontation. Each technique should lead to the next, forming a strong combination for self-defense.
  

• Keep your opponent confused in self-defense. Try not to let the aggressor predict your next self-defense move. Confusion leads to worry, which causes mistakes. Keep your opponent mentally off balance by self-defense distractions and movement. Gesture, yell, or throw something to divert attention from the self-defense techniques you plan to use. For example, you may make a gesture with one hand to distract your opponent, while launching a self-defense attack with the other hand. Movement is another way to keep an opponent guessing. Many great self-defense fighters move almost continually to keep their opponents off balancce and to set them up for attack. Practice distraction techniques with a partner so that you are ready to act in self-defense.
  

• Be persistent in self-defense. Do not give up even if your opponent seems to be winning. The other person may appear strong, but may still be far more tired than you. One strong punch or takedown in self-defense might turn the fight in your favor.
  

Do I need physical conditioning in order to be good at self-defense techniques?
Answer by Fred Neff: Any student of self-defense should spend at least a part of the day doing calisthenics to loosen and stretch the body. Also, certain strengthing exercises may be useful for self-defense. It is recommended that students of self-defense combine calisthenics, strengthing exercises, and endurance-building activities. Before working out in self-defense, always warm up sufficiently to prepare your body for self-defense training. After self-defense training, do a series of stretches again to cool your body down.

How can you combine strategy with knowledge of the areas of the body that you should strike for self-defense?
Answer by Fred Neff: The main target areas in self-defense are sensitive enough that a hit to one of them can take the fight out of an opponent without usually doing any permanent damage. These main areas for self-defense are the face, under the chin, jaw, solar plexus, and the stomach. In a real self-defense situation, it may be necessary to adjust your aim slightly from these targets. Under the right circumstances, it is often wise in self-defense to stamp on an attacker's foot or kick the person's shins. When you are in extreme danger, it may even be advisable to hit in self-defense a very sensitive area such as the knee or the groin. Obviously, which target you choose in self-defense will depend a lot on where there is an opening. It is important to not only hit the right target in self-defense but to generate maximum power through proper technique. A powerful blow to the stomach may effectively end a fight even though the stomach is not the most sensitive area on the body. You can often in self-defense win by consistently hitting one target until the opponent weakens.

Further questions and answers by Fred Neff related to self-defense
can be found in the martial arts books by Fred Neff we sell.