Believe it or not, if anyone in this scenario were to throw a punch, it would’ve needed to be me. Don’t find myself in that situation often! But once is enough to realize how unprepared I am to lay someone out.

— Tara Vancil (@taravancil) November 7, 2019

Throwing a punch for most people is a bad idea, even if it’s not that hard. Most people just aren’t very strong and if you don’t punch a lot, you’re just likely to make someone angry rather than hurt them all that much. And it’s very easy to hurt yourself punching something hard, especially with no training or experience.

But something most people can learn to do quickly and effectively is a stomp. This looks less violent to others, and it doesn’t appear to the person you want to harm like you’re about to attack someone, and it takes a fraction of the time to learn. Also, unlike a good punch, most people are strong enough to deliver this very effectively.

A stomp is very simple and in fact is shockingly effective. There’s a very good reason it’s banned in martial arts competitions! For fighting in public, a foot stomp or ankle stomp is what you’ll want to go with. Most of the time it’s what I’d use too, and I’m a very good puncher. So it’s not just for newbies.

Anyway, let’s discuss a good foot stomp. Approach the target. Lift your foot as high as possible (all of this is done quickly), then slam your shoe heel-first downward onto the target as quickly as possible while using your full body weight to exert maximum force. If it’s an ankle instead of a foot stomp, go for the side about two inches above the ankle bone and kind of slide down it after contact. If it’s a foot stomp (this one is easier), go for a little bit above the toes.

You can (and likely will) break someone’s ankle or foot if done correctly, even if you are a relatively small woman. I have ended a fight with a foot stomp against someone a good bit larger than me, so yes, they do work.