How to defend against the body slam
Fighting on the ground is not a good place to be, so if you do end up being in that position, having some ground skills and thinking smart is the key skill to surviving it without massive damage.
By the way, how often have you heard the term
fair fight? Usually a fair fight is one in which neither combatant attacks the opponent's weak points such as the kidneys, the back of the head, or the groin. Scratching, biting, or throwing dirt in the opponent's eyes would also be considered unfair or underhanded.
But in the unfortunate event that you are defending yourself, it's important to remember that
self-defense is not a fair fight or some kind of tournament.
Your goal is to survive and escape the altercation with as little harm as possible. If attacking vital points on the body is what it takes to survive, then so be it! Attacking someone's groin or eyes may seem brutal or unfair, but in self-defense, if someone is attacking you, they have sacrificed the right to any measure of fairness. They mean to do you harm, and you must act accordingly. Never be afraid to employ the severe measures. It may save your life or the life of a loved one.
As masters demonstrates attacking the soft points – the eyes, nose, or groin – as a means of self-defense is an essential technique, especially when defending against an opponent who is stronger than you. If you have managed to lock your assailant into a ground armbar and cannot finish the technique due to his superior strength, he may either break free of your hold or lift you off the ground and body slam you. Both of these outcomes place you at a severe disadvantage.
In order to turn the situation in your favor, while still securing the opponent's arm with one hand, reach out to his face with the other and crush his nose with your palm, pressing your thumb and forefinger into his eyes. This can also be more of a strike if you are able to see the attacker's face well enough to deliver a well-aimed blow. Either way, the pressure to the nose will cause the opponent's eyes to water, blurring his vision, and obviously the pressure to his eyes will further disturb his vision and distract him from resisting your armbar or trying to body slam you.
If the assailant is still resisting you or trying to lift you, re-secure his arm with one hand and reach out with the other to strike or grab his groin with as much force as possible. Again, the goal here is to distract him with enough pain that he will succumb to your armbar, allowing you to deal with his arm and roll away from him to stand back up and prepare for further defense. If you are able to successfully hurt the assailant's arm, you can also strike at his torso with your leg once or twice before rolling away in order to give yourself more time to escape or prepare for another attack. Understanding this technique is vital to other strategies and defense techniques that will be discussed later I hope.