Self defense skills of African girls

During my time at the university I befriended Faizah. She was an Ethiopian girl who came to Europe to study medicine. We used to chat about different things, especially about the life in Africa and once we also touched upon the topic of women’s safety. I told her about the self defense course I have been just taking and asked her whether she would also like to attend. She just smiled and told me: You know I have not taken any self defense courses but do not think women of our country are defenseless. Even in our society a woman has a right to defend herself. Our mothers take care to convey some essential skills to their daughters which are needed when a man is about to disrespect them and tarnish their honor. My mother explained me very early that men are as strong as they are vulnerable in some parts of their body. Once I had to use what she taught me on my classmate behaving indecently. I hope the painful lesson he learned will last for long….

Beautiful Nomadic girls from the
Horn of Africa know how to deal with
both the animal and human predators. 

When I was preparing one of my assignments, I stumbled across an interesting book from Ayaan Hirsi Ali called Infidel. Ayaan fled Somalia in the early 90’s to avoid forced marriage and she got asylum in Netherlands. She became soon one of the most prominent activist and female rights supporters. 

 In the book she recalls the time she spent with her mother and grandmother. They belonged to a Nomadic tribe living a traditional life in the Somalian desert lands. The mothers passed the knowledge and skills to survive in these harsh conditions to next generations. The Nomadic life often meant the girls were left alone in the bush to take care about the herds. And there were predators praying on the goats such as lions and hyenas but also men predators praying on the young girls. When the worst was inevitable, they were told by their mothers what to do. Here is what Ayaan wrote in her book:  

 …my grandmother taught her daughters to run around the man, squat down, reach between his legs under his sarong, and yank his testicles hard. They were not to let go. He might hit or kick, but they were to tug in their heads and take the blows on their back and hope to hang on long enough to cause the attacker to faint. This move is called Qworegoys and the women of my grandmother’s family taught it to their daughters just as they taught them to make thorn-bush fences to protect the huts from hyenas… 

Sarong is a traditional dress of Somali men,
comfortable for a hot climate but also makes the
bad guys highly vulnerable to qworegoys move

   

 After thinking about it, I realized how ingenious this move is. The sarong is a skirt-like men’s clothing and is worn without any underwear. The hot African weather makes the testicles hang loose, which also makes them a great ‘handle’ to grasp and hang on. His possibilities for any counter action against a girl squatting behind him is limited. His sarong partially pulled up in the back makes any movement with his legs almost impossible. He might be able to deliver some blows on her back but that is it. If the girl pulls down using her weight and twists for at least a couple of seconds, he is for sure going to black out. He would be then found unconscious on the ground by his pals wondering what happened. Without present-day medical intervention, a ruptured testicle or both could be a fatal injury. Even if not, he is for sure not going to ride a camel soon. I really like to read about these ethnological and historical accounts of women’s self defense. If you have any tips about some please write them in the comments.  I would be very grateful. 

To scoop nuts

During one of our class we learned different types of kicks. At the beginning Linda asked us: Have you ever been on a beach, standing in the water till your ankles, and suddenly you had that urge to scoop some water with your foot. To take as much of it as possible and bring it up and then to have some joy seeing the water splashing, drops floating and glowing in the air? 

A woman’s foot can be used as an effective

scoop, her leg as a strong handle. This is a principle of a special kick I want to teach you today called the testicle scoop kick, in short, the scoop kick. It comes from a martial art called American Kenpo. Many highly effective moves which can be used by women for self defense were actually originally invented by Kenpo fighters.

This kick can be used when the attacker is neither too close nor in a relatively far distance. This means you can use it when he is slowly approaching you or when you already pushed him from you, for instance after an eye gouge or an Adam’s apple strike and for a knee he is already too far away. The principle is different that the instep front kick in which you want to drive his testicles up and crush them against his pelvis. In this case you kick with the foot in a raised position between the attacker’s thighs (A) so your toes make a hard contact with the sensitive back of the testicles (B) and instead of bringing your leg back on the ground in the same trajectory, you pull it towards yourself scooping the testicles and sharply yanking them with your foot (C). Your foot should make a more circular than a linear movement. Imagine you have a box full of walnuts and you want to get some with a scoop. In this case, the scoop is your foot and the walnuts his testicles. 

Linda then explained us that there are several important aspects which make it such an a highly effective technique. Testicles are to some extend adapted to resist pressure directed in (for instance they are mobile within the scrotum and can slip away from the impact) but not for a sudden and violent yank outwards which causes an incredible sharp pain. Moreover, female toes can pierce between man’s thighs more easily than a full instep and his penis cannot provide any protection or cushion. Finally, the first impact happens at the back of his testicles which, as already discussed, is highly sensitized by the presence of the epididymis. Logically, this kick is more easily performed and the most effective when he is naked, and his scrotum hangs loose, but is still well applicable when he is clothed. As with the other self defense techniques, the precision and mnemonics needs to be properly practiced. Needless to say, but this can be really fun, I remember it was so hilarious to see the silicone testicles flying up and down after some precise ‘scooping’. To finish this post, regardless of his stature, strength, or determination he will drop to his knees after a well-executed scoop kick.

Inspirational story #2

A late night park can be a dangerous place,
sometimes for a rapist 

Once I read a remarkable book, written by a woman who worked her whole life as a medical doctor. It was written as some kind of memoires with a collection of interesting stories from her practice. In the book she recalled a curious case from the time she was finishing her studies and doing a mandatory training term in an emergency room of a large central hospital. I though I share the story as it is very inspiring.

One night they brought in a young guy in his early twenties, in obvious distress and enormous pain. Only a shot of strong painkillers kept him conscious. On the first sight there was no obvious trauma or blood which would indicate the reason for his state. It was only when paramedics reported trauma in the patient's genital region and removed the blanket, she noticed he was naked from the waist down and his scrotum was swollen to the size of a big orange with a dark blue hue. Paramedics did not know any other details or how it happened; they were just called in as somebody called an emergency line after spotting a half-naked unconscious man in bushes of a local park. The man refused to give any information during the transport.

Jane, the author of the book, immediately called in a urology surgeon. As I remember correctly Jane called her Dr. Mia, I do not know if it was her first or last name. She was a chief physician and one of her study tutors. They rushed the guy to the room with an ultrasound scanner. The injured testicles were so sensitive on touch a heavy load of anaesthetics had to be applied first. After a thorough examination with Doppler, Dr. Mia concluded a testicular rupture with multiple tears in tunica albuginea, extrusion of seminiferous tubules accompanied with massive hematoma in his left testis and a moderate contusion in his right testicle. She decided that the unilateral orchiectomy of his left testicle has to be performed immediately in order to avoid gangrene. Jane assisted in the surgery and according to her it was an uncommon experience. She had already assisted with quite some surgeries during her training before. These were usually appendectomies or bladder stones removals, but never an orchiectomy. The story then contains a description of the whole procedure and the accompanied complications as the damage was unusually severe.

Although the book wasn’t an actual educational literature, the medical details and the science behind was sometimes included. The book was intended for young female medics and meant to be rather inspirational with advices for life as a female medical practitioner.

Doppler image of a young man's left testicle
with severe rupture and hematoma,  
similar one seen by Dr. Mia

Nevertheless, they accomplished the surgery, the guy was taken to a recovery room, and she was assigned other tasks that night. Three days after, she met Dr. Mia who impatiently wanted to share some interesting news. The department had a visit from the police and it turned out the guy was a wanted serial rapist. The DNA tests confirmed he was the perpetrator in at least 3 other rape cases. Apparently, this time he encountered a wrong victim ending his raping spree! The Dr. Mia was really amazed that a woman could cause such an injury, adding she has seen a lot of testicular saw trauma usually from sport accidents or falls from a ladder, but this was, in her words ‘impressive’. They both agreed that the guy is tall, a well build muscular type and most likely this was the attacked girl’s best option. Dr. Mia also added humorously: ‘Maybe we should have extracted the right testis as well to finish the job!’.

About 2 months later Jane was finishing her apprenticeship and had a meeting with Dr. Mia to wrap up the whole training and to get a feedback. Their discussion obviously touched upon this case and Dr. Mia suggested they should write a case report for a medical journal. Due the use of medical evidence for filing charges, Dr. Mia was granted access to the rapist files, so she knew all the details about the outcomes of the investigation and made some notes. Interestingly, no girl ever reported the incident and they have never found her. The only account what happened is from the guy himself but there was no reason to disbelieve him. He confessed as there was a strong DNA evidence from other attacks, so he fully cooperated to reduce the sentence.

He admitted that he always used the same modus operandi, as he did in this case. Late nights he hung around the local park and waited for an opportunity. The park is large, poorly lit, full of trees and bushes and is often used by students as a shortcut between the city center, the university campus, and dormitories. He usually did not have to wait long to spot his would-be prey. That day around 12:30 am he picked a girl around 20 years old maybe a student, and based on the dress, probably returning from a party. Despite providing a relatively good description of her the investigators failed to identify her. She was of an average height, slim, with long blond hairs and dark brown eyes. She wore a white blouse, dark blue skirt and black stilettoes. She also had a small black purse with her. When she was passing his hiding, he ambushed her from the back, grabbed her in a bear hug, pull over to the bushes far from the pathway, pushed her to the ground and proceeded with the sex attack.

A girl's hand can cause a
traumatic injury

This is what happened next in his words: 'She wasn’t resisting at all and even helped me to undress her and to pull down my pants and boxers. When I got on top of her I did not realize she left her hand between us. Suddenly a sharp pain shot through my body. She swung her hand upwards, wrapped her fingers tightly around my ball and started to squeeze like hell. I wanted to back off, tried to pull her hand off but she had a good grip and did not release. The pain was killing me, I could not move, yet to fight her. At first, I called her a bitch then I pleaded her to stop and promised to let her go but she just increased the pressure and started to pierce her thumbnail through my ball. After a couple of seconds, I felt it gave. Even then she kept mangling it between her fingers for some time. When she finally let go, I was close to blacking out, I curled to a ball and almost vomited.  I noticed she already got on her feet.  The moment I tried to ease the pain by spreading my legs little bit, she suddenly stepped closer and kicked me there twice with the top of her stiletto (note this is what caused the injury to his right ball). I do not know what happened next, I passed out and I woke up when the paramedics came…'

Jane and Dr. Mia praised the girl’s bravery and the right actions she took, although they did not like her not contacting any authorities. They both agreed that all girls should be taught this to reduce the rape rates. Dr. Mia also added: 'But then, we would need more trained urologists to perform all the orchiectomies!' Jane then wrote that this story and Dr. Mia inspired her and her female friends to attend the self defense classes offered by the university. The story finishes off by Jane’s advice that skills how to fight back sexual predators should be a part of every woman’s wellbeing. She wrote: 'Listening how to rupture a rapist testicle maybe isn’t as satisfying as to learn a new yoga position but it might save your life one day'.

Probably we will never know who the girl was, but obviously she was prepared by a proper training in the last resort self defense techniques. From the description it is clear she effectively used a combination of good judgment, initial compliance and a finishing technique called the testicular rupture which I will describe later on this blog. 

Testicle props

Teaching girls and women techniques of the last resort self defense, and especially those targeting testicles, can be quite challenging. For some obvious reasons it is not always possible to have real male bodies involved. However, there are plenty of possibilities for very good analogues for different human parts which can be a very valuable didactic and training tool. Today I discus the options for testicle props.

One of the most accessible and quick option is to use two half ripe plums, small peaches, tomatoes or avocadoes placed in a sock or a stocking. It is not difficult to make such a prop, so each student can be given at least one. Being attached to any solid support e.g. a doorknob, girls can be, for instance demonstrated that their strength is enough to rupture a testicle quickly or how to make a proper lock with their fingers. However, this is not a full-time solution. One would have to replace the ‘testicle’ each time after squashing and this option is not very practical for training kicks and knees. Lets be honest it can be also quite messy.

So what are the other option? There are very good fake silicone testicles on the fun product market, which are, by their feel, texture and resistance quite similar to the real ones. They come with a long stretchable scrotum base which makes it easy to fasten them to a support and to regulate the looseness of the scrotum. Attached to a kicking dummy, or a protective box of a sparring partner make it an ideal choice for practicing leg strikes (particularly the scoop kick and kneeing) and grabbing them from different positions.

The most expensive props are real medical models. However, these are essential if teaching some of the very technical methods like the death pinch. The high quality ones are made from latex or silicone and have very realistic testes inside a scrotum with palpable cords and epididymis. I admit I used to play a lot with the one we had in our self defense class and I have become very familiar with the fine structure of the delicate organs I do not have. Using testicle props in self defense classes can be a fun way to deal with the serious subject of women’s self defense and at the same time providing the female attendees the best possible training they need.  

To pick a plum

‘Have you ever harvested fruits from trees in an orchard?’ asked Linda during one of our classes. ‘If the fruits are not fully ripe this can be tricky’, she added. ‘You have to hold the fruit firmly, twist it and then pull it till the spur gives, and the reward ends up in your hand.  

This is also the principle of one of the most effective moves of the last resort self defense, sometimes referred to as the grab, twist and pull move or GTP in short’. She explained us that one of the variation she teaches is for  a situation where you have a good access to exposed attacker’s genitals. Unlike general GTP, this move specifically involves grabbing only one testicle. Why only one? There are several reasons for that. Most female hands are not big enough to fully enclose both organs. Attempting this can lead to losing the grip completely. Testes are freely mobile within the scrotum and can slip out from the grip easily, especially if the lock mechanism is not applied correctly. A firm clasp on one testicle allows for more rotation during the twist part and further stretching the connective tissue during the jerking motion. Also, the squeezing power does not dissipate between the two organs but is more focused on one of them causing more pain. 

This move can be performed during different attempted rape scenarios and from different positions: either when you are kneeled and forced to oral sex, in a sitting position, standing face to face or when he is on top of you attempting the penetration. In all cases your hand is within a convenient reach of his testicles. However, there is one limitation to this technique, and that his scrotum sac has to be relatively loose. Once he gets hard and the scrotum become tight there are other techniques which should be used instead and will be discussed in separate posts.

The figure below should guide you through the technique.

(A) The technique should be applied if you encounter an attacker with a loose scrotum like the one depicted in the picture. Note that as in most men the left testicle hangs lower and should become your target. By using fake compliance and play along approach you should be able to gain access to his genitals. It is important that you do not telegraph your intention. The best is to caress his genitals first, stroke his penis gently with your hand to convince him you are into him. Manipulate him to drop his guard. Feel or probe his testicles before striking until you are confident you can go on with the technique. 

If you at any point  find out you cannot follow through with the technique, you can wait for the next opportunity. However, once you initiate the move do not hesitate and continue with full force and determination till the end (until he is unconscious).

(B) The technique starts with putting one of his testicles (usually the left lowest hanging) in a tight lock. Engage your forefinger and thumb tightly around the root of the scrotum above the testis. You should have now the testis trapped in the palm of your hand. If, for any reason, isolating one testicle is not possible, grab both. Also, you should use your stronger hand or the hand which is free enough.

(C) Squeeze the testis in your palm as much as possible and then twist it around at east by 180°. This entangles the connective tissue and entraps the testis so it cannot slip out. Be careful to maintain the tight lock with your fingers.

(D) Instantly, with no hesitation jerk down with a sharp motion. If you are standing or sitting, jerk  outward. This is an extremely important part of the move. Use the whole momentum of your arm or by dropping down, use your weight to add power. Visualize ripping the testicle off his body. You can also place your other hand on his pubes pushing it the other direction to give you more leverage. Keep on pulling and squeezing by pushing the thumb into the center of the testicle against your other fingers. He is going to pass out in a couple of seconds. Release the hold only you are sure he is totally incapacitated and no threat to you anymore.

Why is it so effective? Unlike just squeezing, when it takes longer time for pain to kick in, the injuries here are instant, so is his reaction. A massive pain and shock set in immediately. When executed correctly this should tear his spermatic cord and detach the epididymis from the back of the testis. A damage which usually cannot be repaired. 

Is penis biting a vital strategy against forced oral sex?

In the previous story from Susan’s book the women used a combination of two defensive moves: biting his penis and a testicle twist. Susan stressed that the testicle twist was actually the key move leading to his total incapacitation. I once read an interesting discussion on a women's forum about what to do when a man is forcing oral sex and ‘biting his dick off’ turned out to be one of the most popular option.

So is biting an attackers's penis a good defensive strategy? During my course we were advised that if possible, to always focus on techniques involving testicles which are generally less risky and more likely to succeed. These are preferred in terms of easiness to perform and their incapacitation power. The most serious problem with biting is that it creates a high risk of infection. Also it might be too gruesome for some women and this can inhibit them in performing it effectively. However, biting is sometimes the only option, for instance if you cannot use your hands because are tied or controlled in some way. You can find numerous examples on internet when biting indeed helped women from a dangerous situation. So although this should not be your prime strategy keep this option in your armory.

This technique can be performed either on a flaccid or an erected penis (preferred option) but has to be done with full determination, a light nip would most likely just infuriate the attacker. When executing this move, you need to sink your teeth deep into the neck of the penis, behind the head (glans penis), this is a more softer area and the natural grove makes the grip more secure so he cannot  pull the penis out from your mouth easily. Also use one of your hands to hold the penis and at the same time place the second one around his buttock. This gives you a good control and leverage and prevents him from budging. Bite down as hard as you can and violently shake your head to the either side.

Sink your teeth in the grove 
behind the head of penis to 
get a secure grip and for 
an easier separation.

Your aim is to fully separate the head. When done, spit it out and get out quickly so you do not contaminate yourself with the gushing blood. He should be in a state of shock and totally incapacitated. He might bleed to death if he didn't get a medical attention in time. You can practice this technique using a carrot or a cucumber. But be aware that the penis tissue is more tough and rubbery so some old vibrator could even be a better option. This is just a one of the techniques possible when defending from a fellatio, Some are aiming at his penis like snap a stick and some at his testicles and I will be discussing these later.

How to react when surprised by a flasher

A couple of days ago I read an interesting article in a local newspaper. A girl was walking in a local park when she was suddenly surprised by a young man with his pants down. He shamelessly started to masturbate in front of her. She did not panic and reacted by taking her cell phone and trying to take a picture. Unfortunately, she did not manage to do so, as he immediately pulled up his pants and fled like a rabbit. It is understandable, he did not want to have pictures of his filthy private parts posted all over the interned and maybe to appear in the TV news. She reacted cool headed and it worked for her, the pictures could help to identify him by the police. However, in the discussion there were some controversies if this should be the recommended reaction to such a situation. Some argued that this might made him angry and maybe violently attacking her and harming her. 

A man with his pants down 
is extremely vulnerable. 
Flashers, exhibitionists 
and public onanists 
can be easily eliminated.

The question is, is there a better woman's response action to this? Two years ago, I actually read a very similar story, but the outcome was different. A flasher accosted a young woman in the woods, the unexpected sight of his penis made her to fell down and he approached her closer. When he leaned over her, she suddenly swung her leg and forcefully kicked his exposed freely dangling testicles using her instep. His reaction was predictable. He just cried and folded over in incredible pain. She could get up and run to safety. I have to say that both women should be praised for their actions, but I liked the second approach more. A flasher always exposes his most vulnerable part giving you a chance for quick and easy immobilisation and total elimination of any threat he can pose. And you can take a picture of him then if you want. If you have any thought on this please post them in the comments below

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