"DO SOMETHING" Part three

This is the third post in a series about basic self-defense strategies and techniques for seniors.  The primary strategy, of course, is to do everything you can to avoid being in the wrong place at the wrong time.  And, yes, we can all exercise a great deal of control over this. 
     If you're strolling through Central Park at 2:00 a.m., you're asking for trouble, and you're likely to find it.  So why not go there at 2:00 p.m. instead, when you're surrounded by families, sun-worshippers, and softball players?  You get the idea.
     But no matter how careful we are, we can still be attacked by some guy  who's up to no good.  If you're in a supermarket parking lot and are threatened by this guy, your best move, if at all possible, is to walk away without saying a word.  If that's not possible, your second best option is to talk or plead your way out of trouble.  But if the attack comes, you need to DO SOMETHING in order to buy time for help to arrive.  In the first two posts of this series, we talked about a) executing a high block while yelling for help and b) if at all possible, executing a strong front snap kick to the attacker's groin.
     In today's post I'll demonstrate two hand strikes that you may also wish to have in your self-defense arsenal.  If you successfully block the attacker's blow to your face but can't deliver a powerful front snap kick, a hand strike may be your only remaining option.  In the short video that follows, I'll demonstrate a palm strike to the attacker's face as well as an open-hand strike to the attacker's throat.  If you deliver either of these blows with some degree of accuracy and as much power as you can muster, you stand a good chance of buying yourself enough time to depart the scene uninjured.  Remember, the goal is to get away, NOT to engage in sustained hand-to-hand combat with a young thug.
     Before you click over to the video, here are two thoughts you should keep in mind.  First, NO ONE has a right to attack you.  You, on the other hand, absolutely have the right to defend yourself.  Naturally, your defense must be proportionate to the perceived threat.  If someone in a parking lot calls you a bad name, you don't have the right to beat him with a tire iron.  But if someone younger and stronger pushes you against your car, you have a right to strike back and buy enough time to retreat to safety.
     Second, you won't learn how to defend yourself effectively by reading this or any other blog or watching some videos on the Internet.  No matter what your age, consider enrolling in a local martial-arts school, ideally one that already has a number of seniors among the students.  Only by practicing your blocks, kicks, and hand strikes under the watchful eye of a professional instructor will you gain the skill and confidence to use the techniques properly in the unlikely event you are attacked. 
      Video: two hand strikes