Defending yourself with the Elbow strike.

Elbow strikes: the basics

 

Elbow strikes are the most useful and effective close-quarters fighting striking attack.
In a self-defense situation, or just a plain old street fight, they quickly turn the tide in your favor.  But don't use them unless you are prepared to justify your actions in court.  They do a lot of damage.
When you throw elbows in a fast, slashing manner, they cut up your opponent's face.  Directed against the jaw or the temple, they easily cause a knockout.

When to use elbow strikes

Close-quarters fighting

The elbow strike is not a long-range attack. Unless you are in the clinch, forget about it and use straight punches instead.

Although boxers use close-range hooks and uppercuts when in close with an opponent, it is better to use your elbows in close-range self defense situations. There are several good reasons for this:

• You do away with the risk of breaking your hand, thumb, or wrist.


• Learning how to throw powerful hooks and uppercuts without damaging your hands requires practice. Elbow strikes are simple and intuitive.


• Generally, if you are assaulted by a larger attacker, he will try to get in close. You want to damage him enough to make him back off so you can make your escape. Unless you're a trained fighter, your weak arm punches won't phase him.

Targets

Choose your targets wisely

Although elbow strikes hurt no matter where you land them, results will be much more dramatic if you choose a vulnerable target.

When you throw a rapid, slashing flurry of elbows, you want to target the face. Each blow will probably cause a cut. This can demoralize your opponent and take the fight out of him.

If you load up on the strike and get your body weight behind it -- like a boxer will when throwing a close-range left hook -- you want to keep your eyes on his jaw and hit him right on the side of his chin. This is potentially a knockout blow.

Don't bother hitting soft tissue if you can reach his head and face. When the fight gets to the point where someone's grabbing you and preventing you from escaping, it's serious and you have to do everything you can to get him to let go so you can leave.

Finally, if he has his hands up in a boxer's guard, you can smash his hands or wrists right against his head and do damage that way.

Striking surface

Hit with the point of the elbow

The point of your elbow is formed by the proximal end of your ulna bone. It is hard and tough. Use it and you will damage your attacker without injuring yourself. The only caveat is that you should avoid hitting the thick parts of your attacker's skull (but that applies to every other strike as well). If you avoid the hard part of the skull, the worst that will happen to you is that you get cut on your opponent's teeth; but sometimes you have to take it in order to dish it out.

No matter which elbow strike variation you use, you can hit with the point of your elbow. It can be tempting to use the forearm, but you'll do much less damage. Furthermore, if you are using the forearm, you are probably in a ground and pound position. Remember that you may have to justify your actions to a judge; if you can ground and pound him, you can probably also get up and escape.

Types of elbow strikes

Three main variations

1. Horizontal elbow strike
   
   This is very similar to a hook punch, except you keep your forearm close to your upper arm and you land the elbow instead of the fist. In fact, boxing trainers say that if a hook misses (short), the elbow lands instead.
   
   Throw this attack with your lead hand, just like you would the left hook.
   
   
2. Rising or Downward elbow strike
   
   A rising elbow strike is very similar to a boxing uppercut. You can use this technique with either your lead or rear hand.
   
   The downward strike is similar to an overhand right -- you usually throw it with your power hand.
   
   
3. Back elbow strike
   
   This is purely a self-defense move. Theoretically, if someone grabs you from behind, you can twist slightly to create space, then delive the strike to his head. In reality, you have little chance of landing this attack effectively. Leave this move to the professional wrestlers and other entertainers.
   
   If you miss a wild haymaker, you might be able to whip your arm around into a back elbow strike and catch him as he tries to clinch with you, but it's better to avoid missing wild punches in the first place.

How to practice

Learn how to strike with power

Waving your elbows around won't do much for you. You have to learn how to create power in your strikes. It doesn't matter what strike you use -- punches, elbows, open palms, hammer fists, etc. -- the process of generating power is very similar for each.

If you are unfamiliar with proper striking technique, you can benefit from some expert instruction. You'll learn how to step into a strike, pivot with a strike, and how to incorporate some defense into your offense.

Use a heavybag

Hitting the heavy bag is one part of the process of learning to generate power.

But you have to protect your elbows from the bag, or you will get abrasions and bruises. Bruises and scrapes don't make you tough, they just limit the amount of training you can do. So be smart: use the proper equipment during training.

Get some elbow pads and slip them on before you practice your elbow striking techniques. You'll be able to work out harder and more efficiently. Do check out the video below,it is a short tutorial  on how to achieve an effective elbow strike.

 Chamakhe Maurieni is a self-defence expert and a Black belt 1st Dan in Shito-ryu Karate,and Japanese Judo.
He is the author of the book-FACEBOOK IS DECEPTION,available on the smashwords online bookstore.