Throw and Go!
The Attraction of Distraction
When someone intends to ‘attack’ you, one of the best things you can do is ‘distract’ them. There are many ways to do that, but one of the easiest is something I call ‘Throw and Go!’
First, don’t be distracted yourself. Don't be texting or talking on your cell phone when you’re in public. Send texts and make calls ‘before’ you step outside. Put your phone in your purse or coat pocket and ‘be aware’ of everything around you.
Walk confidently to your destination, but be ready for the possibility that someone may approach you from the front, side, or back. If you are not distracted by your phone, looking at something inside a store from outside the store, etc., you will probably ‘sense’ that someone is coming towards you. Turning your head slightly from side to side as you walk will also help you see danger by way of your ‘peripheral’ vision. ‘Be aware’ and ‘beware’ are our mottos. Remember!
How Does ‘Throw and Go!’ Work?
First, hold something in one of your hands (dominant hand if possible) that you don’t mind throwing away. It could be a package of gum, a small box of mints, a rock, piece of wood, etc. Be sure that it has enough weight so it will travel in the direction you intend and cause your attacker to be both surprised and distracted. You can practice throwing various items in your yard to see how far they go and how accurately you can throw them.
When you see someone approaching you in a threatening or aggressive fashion, get ready to use your ‘throw-and-go’ defense. In the photo above, the aggressor is in what we call ‘Zone 3,’ which means they can’t reach you without taking steps toward you. If you think there’s enough distance between you and the aggressor and you believe you can out-run him, then run. Run in a zig-zag fashion and scream and shout loudly as you run to let people know someone is after you. That will often cause the aggressor to move away from you. However, if the aggressor moves toward you faster than you can run away from him, get ready to ‘Throw and Go.’
I teach people to practice throwing the item at a target in the same way they would throw a softball — underhand. If you raise your hand to throw something (like you’d throw a baseball), that tells the attacker you may be preparing to throw something at him. That gives them the opportunity to step to the side or ‘duck down’ so as not to be hit. You want the ‘element of surprise,’ so throw underhand. Attackers won’t notice that you’re going to throw something at them until it’s too late for them to do anything about it.
Aim for their face; usually between the nose and eyes. A good way to practice is to use a piece of chalk to draw a line on a fence or tree that’s about the same height as a man’s eyes. You can practice throwing ‘throw-and-go’ items at the chalk line from various distances to see how it works. Remember — practice throwing the object ‘underhand.’ The more you practice throwing, the more accurate you’ll be if you actually have to ‘throw and go.’
Anything you throw at someone’s eyes will cause them to blink, turn or lower their head so as not to be hit. They may also raise their hands toward their face to ‘block’ the oncoming object. While they’re blinking, turning their head, and trying to block the item you threw at them, that’s your chance to escape, run, and scream for help.
The distracted attacker will often run away themselves when they realize they can’t reach you and you are screaming for help. That’s the ‘attraction of distraction.’
My thanks to Quilla and Alex of our Grace Martial Arts school in Lutz, Florida for helping with the ‘Throw and Go’ demonstration. They are taught by Sensei Mark Fisher, Sensei Isaiah Fisher, Grand Master Robert Xavier, and myself. If you live in the Tampa, Florida area and are looking for a great place to train in martial arts and self defense, you can contact me for more information about our Lutz class. GM Xavier also teaches in the Bradenton, Florida area.
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You can be attacked anywhere, at anytime, by anyone. Be ready.
