Self-Defense Techniques: Outside 90 Position

Tony Blauer, President of Blauer Tactical Systems Inc, and Jason, a BTS instructor, demonstrate some self-defense techniques using the startle-flinch conversion. This kind of training doesn’t require any special equipment or place. It requires the commitment to practice.

Flinch Response to Danger

If someone is getting too close to you, your hands will naturally move up to create a barrier between you and the person encroaching on your space. This is called the Outside 90 Open Hand Position. You will do this naturally, without even having to think about it.

Keep in mind that if you are cowering in fear with your hand covering your head, all you need to do is push your hands out and you’ll be in the Outside 90 position.

Bear Hug Drill

Tony and Jason demonstrate this to show that by aligning your body properly and using the right muscle groups, you can create immediate strength. This is an element of muscle recruitment and biomechanics. This drill works the same way if you are on the ground or in a car.

As self-defense techniques are concerned, what’s fascinating about the survival mechanism is that it requires no esoteric knowledge. You are taking an organic stimulus response mechanism and triggering the Outside 90 position. Your body already is Outside 90 and Open Hand when you flinch or put your hands up to shield against danger.

Who Can Do It?

People of any age, because it is a natural response, unlike some other self-defense techniques. It will work in any environment. Plus, the startle-flinch response is ambidextrous. Tony and Jason demonstrate another drill to give you faith in this physiology. Tony stresses that proper understanding of biomechanics is critical: knowing which angles you are strongest at and which angles will get you into trouble when facing an attacker.