The ideal moment to strike an opponent is as he stands in front of you shouting threats, with his hands splayed to make himself look bigger and more threatening. Not only is this your best chance for a clean strike that will take him out of the fight, but hitting him while he thinks he is dominating the situation may well cause enough of a shock to make him want to escape rather than fight, defeating him psychologically.
It seems barbaric to strike the eyes, but if an aggressor intends to do you serious harm then this may be the only way to stop him.
Eye Jab Opener
From a fence stance, shoot your lead hand at the aggressor’s eyes with the fingers slightly bent. This prevents damage if you hit his forehead. You can’t burst an eyeball this way but you can make the opponent flinch, gaining time for a follow-up strike.
Good Mechanics
The cross is thrown from where your hand is, without a big windup, and travels in a straight line to the target’s jaw. If you use a closed hand, a good tight fist is important to protect your hand from damage.
Keep Your Guard Up
If an opponent does not go down but seems to want to back off after you have hit him, keep your guard or fence up and do not taunt him – just let him go. If you insult or taunt him he may come back for another swing and you’ll have to fight him all over again.
Palm-Heel Strike
Executed like a cross, a palm strike is often a better choice when hitting a hard target like the head. Bend your hand back as far as you can and keep the thumb out of the way to the side. The striking surface is the fleshy pad at the base of the hand, which transmits force well but protects the hand and wrist.