How to withstand a punch

Before the Punch

• 1

  It goes without saying that avoiding the confrontation in the first place is the best way to go, but for the sake of this article we will assume that you can not do so.

• 2

  Before any punches are thrown, be sure that you remain calm. Keeping your head will allow you to keep control of the fight, and see any punches that are thrown. Do not allow yourself to be overcome with fear, as this will cause you to freeze up and be helpless to the opponent.

• 3

  Make certain that you are in a sideways position. You want to give your attacker the least amount of places possible to strike you in. If you are right handed, then face your left side to the attacker. If you are left handed then show your right. This will allow you to counter punch with your strongest punching hand.

• 4

  Focus your eyes on the attackers upper torso. The reason for this is because wherever this area goes, so does the rest of the attackers body. Fake punches, and kicks will not be hard to recognize if you focus on the torso. Use your peripheral vision to see punches coming and legs swinging. This technique is very effective and can save you a lot of pain.

During the Punch

• 5

  You have followed all of the above steps and now you see the punch coming. The first thing you should do is remember to protect your head, neck, and kidneys. These are the most dangerous places to be hit in.

• 6

  Resist the urge to close your eyes when the punch is coming. Withstanding a punch is important but getting hit because your eyes are closed is just dumb.

• 7

  Just before impact you should give a quick blast of air out. Do not breathe in with the punch. This can "knock the air" out of you and stun you for several minutes. Also, the act of breathing out quickly will tighten your abs, and clear the air from your stomach. These are very important steps during a punch in the stomach.

• 8

  If you see that a punch is coming at your head, try to take the punch on the forehead. This area is the hardest safest place to get punched. Do not let the attacker punch you in the eyes, or throat.

• 9

  Keep your mouth closed but not clenched. Clenched teeth tend to get knocked out, and an open mouth can do the same. Try to keep your mouth shut in a normal fashion.

• 10

  When you see the punch coming, try to roll with the punch to take away the momentum. Even if you decrease the power of the punch by half, you are better off than if you took the full force. If you can not roll with the punch, roll into it. You still will blunt the force a bit that way.

• 11

  Finally, be ready to counter any punches with your own. If you have someone that is illogical enough to swing at you once, they generally will not stop there. Protect yourself.