Martial arts: strikes to the nose

How many times while watching television have we all seen the “bad guy” in the show land a palm-heal strike to the nose of another actor who immediately hit the floor and stayed there? How many times have you heard your children, or better yet, some self-proclaimed authority on the subject tell you, “when somebody hits you like that it drives the nose bone into the brain and kills you?”

If you have heard this so called wisdom spouted, you have actually heard a wives tale invented by Hollywood. This concept of the “nose bone” being shoved into the brain is so deeply rooted in the social consciousness that regardless of your expertise in martial arts, you probably won’t be able to shake someone else’s belief.

Can a blow to the nose kill someone? Yes! If enough force and skill is used the blow could cause fractures of the facial bones or shock trauma to the brain. This trauma causes hemorrhaging (bleeding) within the brain or cranium and requires immediate medical care. If you doubt this, ask any emergency room worker about it.

Blows to the nose in self-defense can prove to be very effective both physically and psychologically against an assailant. Almost any tap to the nose causes pain and the eyes to water. A good solid hit will cause a satisfying crunch and copious amounts of bleeding. The sight of their own blood has caused many an attacker to change their mind.

When the nose is broken, it not only bleeds, it starts to swell and causes the surrounding areas (eyes) to do the same. Between the bleeding and the swelling, it becomes almost impossible for a person to breath through the nose. Between all of these symptoms, it is human nature to back away, grab the injured area and see if there really is blood. If there is blood, the mind starts wondering just how much it is flowing.

Now Hollywood would have you, the good guy, stick around and wait for the bad guy to get his bearings and come back in cursing, swinging and more than a little angry. In real life, Hollywood is full of it and you should take this momentary diversion and run for the nearest safe area because your opponent is GOING to be more than a little angry. He or she is going to be out for revenge and nothing short of your own blood is going to make them happy.

To execute a strike to the nose, a straight in, forward punch or palm heel strike can be used. At the same time, an elbow, ridge hand, back fist and all variations of the hammer fist are great ideas.

If your hands and elbows aren’t an option, try using your head. By ramming your own forehead, back or side of head into their nose and mouth area you can have amazing results. The thing about using any of these possibilities you must be committed to the task at hand. Squeamishness isn’t something you want to suffer from since it invariably causes you to hesitate or pull the strike so “it won’t hurt as much.”

Sidekicks, roundhouses, spinning backs, lunge or push kicks and knew strikes can be even more affective since they usually carry more power in the strike. Just remember, don’t make the nose your only target. Not all techniques will work on every individual under any and all circumstances.

Since many people are headhunters (strictly striking at the face and head), it is common for an assailant to expect just such a defensive move. This expectation can even be used to your advantage. Throw a hand strike towards the nose, it can be an actual, full forced blow or it can be a feint (distraction). The common reaction from an opponent is going to be a duck and cover routine for self-protection so use this against them.

Throw the first technique and without pausing, throw another to some other part of your assailant’s body. The throat, solar plexus (bread basket, lower abdomen and bottom ribs are all possibilities. You must remember to pull your hand back quicker than it went out and set it back into a guard position. Once the second strike is made, continue by bringing it back and hitting with the first hand again.

A very common trap in the sparring ring and on the street is to only throw one strike at a time. Think of the champion fighters like Mohammad Ali, Joe Lewis and others. They didn’t become champions by throwing one punch, waiting to throw another and then waiting again. The came out fighting and threw five, ten or even more punches without a pause. The same goes with many of the martial arts fighting styles that are seen in events like the Ultimate Fighting Championships.

Whereas regular, light contact tournaments and sparring is enjoyable, they do make it is easy to get into the habit of “breaking” when a strike has landed. There have been episodes at tournaments where a fighter thinks he has landed a kick but none of the judges call break. Sometimes these fighters will stop fighting and actually turn towards the center judge to begin arguing. It can be humorous to watch as the fighter’s opponent takes advantage of the distraction. It can be very difficult for a judge to keep a straight face in this type of situation.

Master Sandy Tomeselli of Humble, Texas (and probably many other senseis) uses round robin sparring to build endurance and train students to NOT break whenever a strike lands. It is bases more on a street encounter than tournament sparring in that there are no points, judges calling breaks or time limits. One person is picked to be in the middle and the entire class circles them. While the middle person is fighting someone, the Sensei would motion for someone else to jump in without the defender seeing where the next attack would be coming from. In most cases, this will be how an attacker approaches you on the street. He or she will come without warning and you may be facing multiple attackers.

In these circumstances a swift, solid strike with the added advantage of psychological surprise that a hit to your opponents nose may cause may be your only hope of escape. While considering the nose strike, remember it can come straight in or from the side and cause the same amount of pain. Don’t limit yourself simply because you are not directly in front of your opponent. Flexibility and adaptability are the keys to effective self-defense.