"To reach victory, we mass our forces at the hub of all power and movement; The enemy's 'center of gravity'." - Von Clausewitz
These techniques were developed around the principle of using an attacker's energy against him/her by manipulating their force against themselves rather than confronting it with one's own force by utilizing centripetal and centrifugal force to your advantage. This is made possible by understanding the rhythm and intent of the attacker to find the optimal position and timing to apply a counter-technique.
"Speed is the essence of war. Take advantage of the enemy's unpreparedness; travel by unexpected routes and strike him where he has taken no precautions." Sun Tzu- The Art of War
Your main objective is to get out of that situation as fast as possible before it escalates on you. So this is why you should practice any and all self defense moves that you learn, constantly. Practice, practice, practice! That way it becomes second nature to you. It becomes "muscle memory" as some would say. Once we become excited (wether in a positive way or a negative way), and our heart rates reach at least 145 beats per minute, it becomes difficult for us to focus on the task at hand. Just like you see in the movies when a woman is walking to her car & thinks she is being followed & once she reaches her car, she starts to fumble with the keys from being so nervous, taking her a lot longer than normal to get the door to her vehicle open. It is a proven fact. This truly does happen. When being faced with such a predicament as to being confronted by an attacker, our fears may boost our heart rates up to even past the 175 beats per minutes range where we would reach the "fight or flight" stage/response (the instinctive physiological response to a threatening situation, which readies one either to resist forcibly (fight) or to run away or freeze (flight). It is better to try to fight back by not fighting physically but by fighting smart & complying at first. Hopefully the attacker just wants your possessions & nothing else.
"The true science of martial arts means practicing them in such a way that they will be useful at any time, and to teach them in such a way that they will be useful in all things." — Miyamoto Musashi (The Book of Five Rings)
However, if the altercation starts with the attacker putting his hands on you & it is obvious that he is after one thing & one thing only (i.e., to hurt you and have his way with you to do as he pleases), then your best bet is to physically fight back with confidence & with a purpose by blending with the motion of the attacker & redirecting the force of the attack rather than opposing it head-on. This way you exert the least amount of energy so you have enough energy to run away & scream at the top of your lungs to attract as much attention as possible. This will maximize your chances of survival to live another day so you can be there for your loved ones.
Once you have mastered the art of perfect timing & perfect balance, the rest is just a matter of practice.
"He who relies solely on warlike measures shall be exterminated; he who relies solely on peaceful measures shall perish." - Sun Tzu (The Art of War)
