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Are you ready to Kickback?

“Don’t hit at all if it is honorably possible to avoid hitting, but never hit soft.” – Theodore Roosevelt

The Power to Stop Violence is in Your Hands

    Our mission at iKickback is to make the world a safer place for women by sharing simple, direct, fundamentally easy techniques to STOP a violent attack or rape attempt quickly.

Ultimately, we know the attitudes that lead to violence need to change for the world to truly be a safer place for women. But how do you change attitudes so deeply ingrained in our culture? Video games, movies, music and media all aggrandize violence and objectify women – and we seem to be blind to it. In North America, 1 in 4 women , and globally 1 in 3 are raped or sexually assaulted in her life and less than 1% of sexual assaults result in jail time. Something has to change.

At iKickback we offer real, hands-on solutions so you can stop violence if it happens to you.

We might not be able to change attitudes overnight, but we can certainly change the outcomes. The more women that know the power they hold in their two hands, the fewer victims there will be and the closer we can move to true equality. It’s information so powerful, once you know, you can never go back.

It’s time to quit talking and DO something to stop violence against women. Take matters into your own hands and learn to Kickback.

Video coming in June…stay tuned!

 
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The iKickback Pledge

iKickback pledge on metal shield: i pledge to live my life in peace and will only use the iKickback techniques in self defense. However, if I am forced to defend myself i WILL Kickback.

We created the iKickback Pledge for two reasons.

First, to emphasize that the techniques we emphasize are serious, dangerous and intended to be used ONLY in self defense. We intentionally selected moves designed to stop a violent attack or rape attempt quickly and must trust the student to apply discretion and sound judgement as to when it is appropriate to use these techniques. They are NEVER to be used casually, without cause or as an offensive gesture.

The second part of the pledge is an internal promise, a commitment to oneself that you WILL use what you’ve learned to stop an violent attack or rape attack should you find yourself faced with one. The moves we teach are so fundamentally simple that it is never a question of CAN you defend yourself, it is only a question of WILL you? You must make that decision, and promise to yourself now, that you will.

 
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Give Rape the Finger

johnny cash. give rape the finger
Here’s the bottom line: In a one-on-one, unarmed attack virtually every one of you CAN stop an attack quickly and effectively with as little as one finger. You just have to know how to use it. We think this is news worth sharing – and information EVERY WOMAN and GIRL has the right to know.

To us, it’s unimaginable that women are still being raped. In this day and age when few people argue the equality of gender, it’s alarming there are still men exerting their power in such a barbarian way. We want to arm the women of the world with the simple, effective techniques that make up the iKickback approach in order to STOP the violence and allow women an opportunity to thrive, contribute and improve the world in ways only women can.

It’s time to give rape the finger and it starts with you.

 
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Eye Strikes

basketball player - eye gouge
No Sight, No Fight
In a self-defense situation, your objective is to give your attacker an emergency of his own, taking his attention OFF of you, and giving you the precious time you need to get to safety. To that end, the eyes are your #1 target.

Targeting your attackers eyes is an effective way for several reasons:
– they can stop an attack QUICKLY, with as little as one strike
– they require little strength, coordination or training to do effectively
– they can cause watering, pain and blurred vision with little effort on your part
– the eyes are rarely instinctively protected
– the eyes are always vulnerable regardless of the strength or size of your attacker
– the eyes almost always become available during an attack
– eye strikes can be done in the dark or if you are blind-folded, by feel alone.

In this section we’ll go over the techniques, some tactile awareness drills and of course, the EWWW! factor – which you’ll have to get over. Got a hard-boiled egg? Good – let’s go.

 
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Throat Strikes

Stop Button #2: The Throat
A close second to the eyes, the throat is one of your primary Stop Button Targets. Why?
- The throat is a very vulnerable target, home to both the windpipe and the carotid arteries.
- Any kind of strike can land your attacker on his knees, gasping for air.
- There are no muscles one can build up to protect the throat and it virtually always becomes available at some point during an attack.
- You can get to it from almost any angle and can even find it by feel, in the dark, or if your eyes are covered.
- Finally, while most men have an ingrained flinch reaction to protect their groin, most don’t instinctively cover their throats.

Video on it’s way…stay tuned

 
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Intensity, Intention & Inhibitions

wonder woman doing battle
Get Your Head Right

Before you get into the physical moves that make up the iKickback program, make sure your head is in the right place. We want you not just to watch and listen, but to get up and DO these techniques. It’s the only way you’ll know for sure that if push comes to shove, you WILL Kickback.

Intensity
Think about it. If you’re ever called upon to actually USE the techniques we teach, it’s going to be a high-adrenaline situations. We challenge you to use your imagination and amp up your own intensity when practicing. It’s the only way to entrain these techniques at the biochemical and biomechanical level where you’ll be able to access them if you need them.

Intention
Let’s be clear; your attacker has an intention. Which means you have to have one too. He wants to do something to you, whether it’s rob you or rape you or torture and kill you. Doesn’t matter. What does matter is that you decide what YOU want. Don’t let his intention take over. Decide right now that your intention is STOPPING the attack, which you do my giving him his own emergency. It’s that simple, but unless you have a strong intention going in, you’re in danger of letting his intention overwhelm you.

Inhibitions
Clearly cranking up the intensity, fueled by a strong intention is going to require getting over any inhibitions you might have. Adopt an “I don’t care” attitude. Decide not to care what you look like. Decide not to care what others might think. Decide you don’t care if it feels a little awkward. You’re doing this for YOU, so don’t let a few inhibitions get in the way.

 
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Just Yell…Anything!

woman yelling

Just Yell…Anything!

Somewhere in the world, a well-meaning self-defense ‘expert’ is telling a woman to “Just yell fire”. But let’s face it, people run away from fires, not towards them. And in the heat and panic of a violent attack do you really think you’ll have the presence of mind to shout something as unrelated as “Fire!”?

Here’s a better idea. Shout whatever comes naturally. “Back off!” “Fuck you!” “Get lost!”. Whatever works.

Yelling is awesome for a couple of reasons: it can startle your attacker, draw attention and possibly assistance. It forces you to breathe and it can add power to whatever move you need to make.

Whatever you yell, mean it! Power your words with a clear intent to back it up if you have to and confidence that you know how. Authentic confidence shows. Using your voice in a powerful way to firmly assert your position makes it clear you are no easy target and may deter some attacks all together.

Yelling to get someone’s attention is also valuable. But here again, not “Fire!” Yell what you want; yell for help. “Help! Call 911! I’m being attacked!” Some people are cynical, but we believe there are few people who would ignore an urgent plea for clearly needed help. Many, if not most people would make the call.

Yelling forces you to breathe. It can keep you from freezing up, which is never a good option in an emergency situation.

You can even use your voice as a weapon. Ever have someone scream right into your ear? It hurts! In a close-quarter attack, it’s a great weapon. At the same time however, if you’re at close range, you should be going for an eye or throat strike to stop the attack.

The point is, this is no time to be timid. Use your voice as another valuable weapon in your self defense arsenal.

 
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Blocking a Hit


This Ain’t No Kung Fu Movie
This is one case were confusing self-defense and martial arts is a dangerous mistake. Even as a child, David knew he would never do a karate block in a real fight. It’s not realistic or practical, even for someone trained in a martial art. Why rely on a static, artificial movement pattern when your own natural reactions serve you so much better?

Do you remember the last time you were startled? What did you do? Chances are you threw up your hands in a ‘startle response’ a natural movement pattern we call “The Flinch”. This is your first block. Congratulations, you’ve nailed it already.

Your natural instinct is to protect your vital organs, you face and neck. Even if your arms don’t come right up in front of your face, it’s easy enough to complete the movement from your natural startle reaction. Generally, you’ll find your palms facing each other and your hands open or slightly cupped. Perfect. Your elbows are generally in, again protecting your vital areas. From this position, you can easily transition in to a more defensive block if you find yourself the recipient of blows. We’ll talk about those in a later lesson. This is also the perfect place from which to launch a preemptive attack if necessary.

The most important thing is not freeze or turtle in this position. Looking away isn’t going to make the situation stop and only makes you more vulnerable. That’s why we do the sensory and aggression training, so you walk through the fear of being in a highly charged situation and move past the temptation to bury your head and hope it goes away. Remember, we’re learning how to make it go away – and the sooner we deal with whatever it is in front of us that made us throw up our hands in the first place, the better of we’ll be.

So, celebrate your flinch and congratulate yourself at having the built-in instincts to put yourself in this useful protective and transitional position. Now, let’s learn what to do next.

 
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Biting


Biting
When it comes to self defense, nothing is off limits, not even biting. Remember, your number one intention is to get your fingers in your attackers eyes or to his throat, but if you’s got you by the wrist, your teeth become your number one weapon. The most important thing to remember is to not to struggle to pull his hand or arm to your mouth. Move your mouth to the target and you’ll have your teeth in and your hand free before he knows what’s happening.
Is there a risk of contracting AIDS/HIV from biting an attacker? According to avert.org, the risk is extremely slim:

“The lining of the mouth is very protective, so the only way HIV could enter the bloodstream would be if the person had a cut, open sore or area of inflammation somewhere in their mouth or throat (if the blood was swallowed). Even then, the person would have to get a fairly significant quantity of fresh blood (i.e. an amount that can be clearly seen or tasted) directly into the region of the cut or sore for there to be a risk. HIV is diluted by saliva and easily killed by stomach acid once the blood is swallowed.”

Stay tuned for the video.

 
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Open Hands

barbie extending hand with palm facing.

Despite what you see in movies, punches are stupid in self defense. Most men don’t know how to throw a proper punch, so we’re not going to bother teaching you either. Besides, as we’ve already learned, our job here isn’t to teach you how to win a fight, it’s to teach you how to STOP one…and you’re not going to do it with a closed fist.
To be 100% clear, your first choice strikes should always be an eye or throat strike, but there may be times an open hand technique is appropriate. In this video you’ll learn the Palm Heel Strike and Boxing the Ears.
Stay tuned…

 
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