sorry for any grossology that follows but (and mods please modify the title if it is offensive)
In many movies the good guy comes up against a suspect that wont talk or is acting offensively so grabs him by the nether regions - LA Confidential come to mind though I may be mis-remembering - and gives a giant squeeze
This seems like a poor tactic. It would be easy to miss the desired target- in which case one might get some unusual reactions. How does one practice? Also one leaves oneself open to any wild swings or punches by the opposition.
Anyone been on either end of such a tactic to let me know if it would be useful in real life?
It is a HORRIBLE tactic. And I’m not just saying that out of love for my physical well being.
First of all, it is very easily blocked. Second of all, it locks you in place and makes your face and body vulnerable. Third of all… well, it is just silly.
If you really want to hurt someone, the groin is a bad area to aim for. The primary spots are the eyes, nose, throat, and temples, followed by things like ribs and knees. I suppose it would be a decent followup to a jab to the neck, but only for form’s sake.
its not a HORRIBLE tactic…if someone has you on the ground and you are able to reach around, grab the balls and then you may be able to get up and attack…yes, if you poorly aim you may get a nice knee to the face or whatnot, but do keep it in mind if ever in that situationyou certainly shouldnt only think about grabbing the balls, but if the individual is afraid or not expecting and you are able to latch on to his balls, i think he may also do whatever it takes to make you let go, that is something you should also be aware of…
A good punch to the balls will be less anticipated than a boot. I’ve actually used an underhand slap to the balls and dropped a kid when I was in high school.
Does the effectiveness of this tactic improve any if you are trying to defend yourself while being raped? Lets presume the aggressor is on all fours and naked about the waist.
Most adult males have well conditioned reflexes to protect from blows to the groin. Habit from years of painful blows from objects, and assholes.
So, is it a good offensive tactic to deliberately attack a reflexively protected, non lethal site that leaves the upper body of the attacker defenseless, and necessarily within arms reach of the opponent? No, it is not good offensive tactics. A feint to the crotch might be useful. What if he has little tiny balls? Or what if he is wearing a cup? If he is wearing one, he must have heard about you from someone, He knows you are a pretend tough guy.
People who are fighting for any non-lethal reason are easy meat to anyone with a military outlook toward physical conflict. Bridge of the nose, nose, throat, sternum, solar plexus. It’s the target line. If you aren’t protecting it, you are easy prey to anyone looking to attack it. Side of the head is the best alternative if the target line is protected, if not that, you go for the knees, or ankles, to try to change things.
If the asshole actually has you by the balls, you are facing a choice he probably doesn’t fully understand. Can you kill him, while he causes you extreme pain? Since he is obviously not engaged in lethal combat, you probably can. It’s going to hurt a lot. For a while. But he has one hand committed to a non lethal hold. If he is talking to you about it, he is not paying attention. Throat shot sounds like a good thing to look for. Of course you have to follow it up right away with as many lethal shots as you can land.
Suppose the assailant is using both of his hands to try to subdue the victim. The best attacks will be using her kneecaps, for example, to the groin or stomach.
I was arresting a guy once and he grabbed my balls and squeezed. In less than half a second he was on the ground, and I think he left an imprint on the asphalt where he hit. The speed of my reaction even surprised me! It’s amazing what instinct will do for you.
So, no, I don’t think it is a very useful or effective attack.
If he is wearing tight jeans, a groin grab is difficult to bring off effectively unless you have extremely strong fingers. A good hard slap is often useful. Set up the move with a feinted or real eye gouge to bring his hands up.
As part of a defensive series of strikes, it can work. It is not the instantly lethal counter-strike it is sometimes assumed to be.
Also, as has been mentioned, a good target for a feint, since men instinctively defend that area. Feint a palm uppercut/slap-and-grab to the groin with the forward hand, and come over his hands with a forehand elbow strike to the facial mask with the rear arm.
A retired special forces officer described this scenario to me. If someone in a bar wishes to fight you and confronts you aggressively, start whining and begging, put your open hands up defensively and cower down as if your knees are giving way, then, as fast as you can, launch yourself back up at the guy to plant the front top of your skull in the middle of his face, hopefully on the nose, following through with a good solid grab of a handful of crotch, lifting him by his crotch and “he’s going wherever you want to put him”.
It’s a bad move either way. If you’re talking about making a guy talk, a compliance hold on the arm is not only easier to do and more effective, it puts you in much, much more control. And it can be done by walking up behind someone too. Look up some info on Defensive And Arrest Tactics
I once heard this elderly lady speaking of how she survived an attempted rape.
Her assailant was naked and thought she was going to be a very cooperative victim as she put up no struggle whatsoever.
Before he could violate her she grabbed the guys nuts and started squeezing them… she said it was like she was wringing out a washcloth and refused to let go.
The guy screamed and begged to be released and eventually blacked out from the pain.
When I was teaching karate there was a kata (series of practice movements) that utilized a strike/grab to the testicles combined with an upper body attack. The body positioning is such that it offers a fairly high degree of protection from being struck by your opponent and offers latitude in what areas you target and the upper body attack starts as a defensive move before it switches to both an offensive and diversionary tactic.
It’s like people have said, a feint to the groin will make a lot of people drop their hands just as a feait to the head will make people raise them leaving them vulnerable to other attacks.
Still, the testicles would be pretty far down on my list of places to hit if I was mobile and standing… there are better targets that are far more accessible.
I agree it would suck as an offensive tactic, but it would work defensively quite well. Most attacks eventually end up on the ground with the assailant on top. Usually they are trying to choke you or grab your arms or something. You can get any free arm and reach down and grab their testicles. I practice BJJ and I been in many situations where I could’ve just grabbed their nuts and it would be over. Of course, I wouldn’t do it though.
