From: jcmarx@bnr.ca (JC Marx)
Subject: Re: Feet
Keywords: stop rapes
Reply-To: jcmarx@bnr.ca
Organization: Bell-Northern Research
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1992 11:46:17 GMT

In article <1992Aug11.220833.27115@news.columbia.edu>, dan@cubmol.bio.columbia.edu (Daniel Zabetakis) writes:
|> 
|>     In the context of a rape attempt, I don't see how any action can be
|> delivered fast. We I am wrestling with someone, whether standing or laying,
|> I am always conscious of my sensitive regions. Face, genitals, feet, hands.
|> A rapist would be doubly so. If you think that a person tring to push a
|> victim into a room, or to the ground, won't be aware of the danger of a foot
|> stomp, then you should try to visualize the situation better.

Yes, but as previous posts mentioned, even if you try to avoid the stomp, you
place your center of gravity in a vulnerable position (perfect setup for an
elbow to the ribs, or break free and run, etc). I admit, there is no gaurantee
that it will work, but it certainly doesn't hurt to try - I know I would.

|>     I'm not sure if the foot can be considered fragile. It is designed to 
|> take a pounding from walking and running.

The pounding you mention is to the BOTTOM of the foot. The top of the foot,
however, WAS NOT designed to withstand a forceful downward slam from a pointed
(or even flat) object. As previous posts suggested, take a look at the top of
your foot; you will undoubtedly see many tiny, fragile bones - not to mention
the tendons, etc that you can't see. As Sun Tzu said: Use your strengths against
your opponents weaknesses...8-|

|> And since it is far from the eyes,
|> and always near the debris cluttered ground, it takes collisions well. Under
|> ideal and surprise conditions, a foot stomp will no doubt be effective, at
|> least in generating pain.
|>     But we are talking about a rape attempt here. The victim very well will
|> not be in a position to deliver such an attack. If the perpetrator is lifting
|> the victim (even partially) off the ground, the victim will be unable to
|> even hurt the perp.

The scenario we were mentioning was that the attacker was holding the victim
from the back. Agreed, in the scenario you mentioned, the foot-stomp would not
be effective.

The foot-stomp is not the cure-all single defensive solution to fending off an
attack. In fact, no degree of self defense training is guaranteed. I recall a
rape article on the national news several years back. In the years that followed
the attack, the woman enlisted in a self defense training course. She eventually
received her black belt in Karate. The news station that originally aired the
story of her attack followed up with how she achieved her black belt and what a
great accomplishment it was and how more women should follow suit. Within two
weeks of that air, the woman was raped again.

The idea (I am trying to presnt) here is that anything is better than nothing
when it comes down to defending one's self against an attack. As I said, there
is no cure-all solution. In many cases, the attacker is armed with a knife or
gun - kinda tough to defend against that, but the more options that are
available, the better off one would be.

JC