PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

Defend yourself!!! ...And get away from "The Man"
by Soldier for the Resistance Saturday, Mar. 29, 2003 at 11:54 AM

self defense against the system!

As you all know the march last week afforded the police and authorities opportunities to beat the shit out of innocent people. Very few people who were actually attacked deserve the punishment they received.
Those of us who believe in defending yourself against attackers feel that it would be in everyones' best interest to read the following excerpt.

This excerpt is from Abbie Hoffmans' famous anarchist literature, "Steal this Book", and is typed in it's entirety here for the benefit of future marchers' safety from the over-zealous authorities.

UNARMED DEFENSE
When you are grabbed by your wrist you can break the grip by twisting against their thumb. Try this on yourself by grabbingone wrist with your hand. See how difficult it is to hold someone who works against the thumb. If they grab you around the waist or neck, you can grab their thumbs or another finger and sharply bend it backwards. By concentrating all your energy on one little finger, you can inflict pain and cause the grip toi be broken.
There are a variety of points on the body where a firm amount of pressure skillfully directed will induce severe pain. A grip, for example, can be broken by jabbing your finger firmly between the mans' knuckles. Feel directly under your chin in back of the jawbone until your finger rests in the V area, press firmly upward and backward towards the center of the head. There is also a very vulnerable spot right behind the ear lobe. Stick your fingers there and see. Get the point?
In addition to pressure points, there are places in the body where a sharp, well-directed whack with the side of rigidly held palm can easily disable a person. Try making such a rigid palm and practice these judo chops. A good place to aim is directly in the center of the chest cavity at it's lowest point. Draw a straight line up about six inches starting from your belly button, and you can feel the point. The Adam's Apple in the center of the neck and the back of the neck at the top at the top of the spinal column are also extremely vulnerable spots. With the side of your palm, press firmly the spot below your nose and above your upper lip you can usually get the idea of what a short, forceful chop in this area will do. The side of the head and front of the ear is also a good place to aim your blow.
In addition to jabs, chops, twists, squeezes and bites, you ought to gain some mastery of kneeing and kicking. If you are being held in close and facing the person, the old familiar knee in the nuts will produce remarkable results. A feinting motion with the head before the knee is delivered will produce a reflexive action from your opponent that will leave his groin totally unprotected.
Whther he has you from the front or the back, he is little prepared to defend against a skillfully aimed kick. The best way is to forcefully scrape the side of your shoe downward along the shin bone, beginning just below the knee and ending with a hard stomp on the instep of the foot. Just try this with the side of your hand and you will get the idea of the damage you will inflict with this scrape and stomp method. Another good place to kick and often the only spot accessible is the side of the knee. Even a half succesful blow here will topple the biggest of opponents. Any of these easy to learn techniques of unarmed defense will help you to protect yourself.
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Happy Activism,
The Wanderer Demitri

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After last week
by Rovin' Workman Saturday, Mar. 29, 2003 at 7:13 PM

I'm all for self defense, but let's keep in mind that there are often several police around (and video cameras) and the kind of defense Abbie talked about could land us some serious jail time (*felony* aggravated assault). (And they will probably catch you anyway). Better to let others attempt to unarrest you.

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Is this for real?
by Kung Fooey Sunday, Mar. 30, 2003 at 2:57 PM

Looks like Abbie Hoffmann has seen too many chop sockey karate movies.

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gas
by !&-@#N Sunday, Mar. 30, 2003 at 4:40 PM

im glad that i live in a nation where the government doesn't gas its own people.

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remember
by pr0t3s7 Sunday, Mar. 30, 2003 at 7:48 PM

"im glad that i live in a nation where the government doesn't gas its own people."

remember Seattle, November 30, 1999?

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aggrevated assault
by deadrockstar Monday, Mar. 31, 2003 at 12:14 AM

Yes, these confrontational approaches to self-defence are a recipe for incarceration. Simple assault -- shoving, pulling, or grabbing -- becomes aggravated assault when the "victim" is a police officer. That's a felony, as mentioned above. Please be careful: you're much less able to work for peace from behind bars.

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