An example of a good slicing weapon is the boxcutter with its very thin flat blade encased in plastic, which is commonly used to open packages.
It is highly recommended that every woman keeps a box cutter within her purse for her own protection if it is legal in her state to do so. A boxcutter is of light weight and therefore easy for a woman to carry.
The broad and thin blade can be easily pushed out of its plastic casing and locked in the same movement by just using your thumb.
However, the use of this instrument requires swift hand motion as well as knowledge of the locations of the cervical spinal cord, the carotid arteries and the jugular veins.
The disadvantage of this instrument is the fact that its metallic blade is thin and easily broken.
A long penetrating instrument such as a knife, sharpened screwdriver or sharpened letter opener can easily penetrate the soft tissue of the neck but its use also requires knowledge of the exact anatomic locations of the cervical vertebrae, as well as the major blood vessels inside the neck.
Even perforating the windpipe or trachea with a penetrating instrument will not incapacitate the attacker.
However, lacerating the carotid artery, the jugular vein or the cervical spinal cord of the assaillant will definitely cause incapacitation, paralysis and/or fatality.
It is physically possible for a woman to use a string or wire to strangulate her assaillant. This maneuver requires an element of surprise but can be performed easily and effectively once the technique is learned.
SLICING THE NECK
If you are equiped with a slicing instrument such as a box cutter or a knife with flat thin blade, the most effective way to slice the assaillant's neck is to aim at an area on either side of the midline.
The windpipe or trachea is located in the midline of the neck, along with Adam's apple and attached thyroid and parathyroid glands.
It is important to know that injury to these organs cause minimal incapacitation.
Basically nothing happens when the Adam's apple, the thyroid gland or the parathyroid gland is injured.
Even if the trachea or windpipe is cut or perforated, the assaillant can still breath through the aperture of the injured trachea.
In medicine, patients with tracheostomy have undergone perforation of their windpipe and they can breath quite comfortably through this surgical opening.
Therefore, in slicing the neck of the attacker, you primarily want to lacerate the carotid artery or the jugular vein.
If the carotid artery is sliced, copious quantity of blood will spurt out of the cut artery with each heart contraction.
Half of the assaillant's brain on the same side will be deprived of blood supply and the attacker will undergo a massive stroke and lose consciousness.
Laceration of the jugular vein also causes profuse bleeding but more prolonged hemorrhage is required before your attacker will lose consciousness.
It is still sufficiently incapacitating because the attacker will release his grip and intuitively place his hands on his neck in the attempt to stem the hemorrhage by putting pressure over the lacerated jugular vein.
This will allow you the opportunity to disengage and escape.
The most effective way to lacerate the carotid artery or the jugular vein is to first thrust the blade into the neck about an inch on either side of the midline and then slice outwards.
Presumably the blade will initially be pushed inward next to the trachea and will lacerate both the carotid artery and the jugular vein as it moves and cuts laterally.
There are five bones inside the neck, collectively known as the cervical vertebrae.
The first bone lies directly underneath the skull and is named Axis.
The second vertebra is called Atlas and the three remaining bones are simply known as the third, fourth and fifth cervical vertebrae.
Besides acting as bony support for the neck, these cervical vertebrae enclose and protect the spinal cord.
The spinal cord is a long tail of the brain which extends downward from the base of the skull all the way to your lower back.
As you well know, when the spinal cord is cut, immediate paralysis results.
If the portion of the spinal cord within the neck is sliced by a knife, immediate paralysis of the arms, legs and the respiratory muscles of the chest ensues and the assaillant becomes severely and irreversibly incapacitated.
Slicing of the cervical spinal cord is best performed posteriorly, from the back of the neck.
In this maneuver, the thin blade of the boxcutter may not be effective because the blade may break when it comes in contact with the bony vertebra.
The stronger blade of a real knife is preferable. It may have to slice the tough ligaments between two adjacent cervical vertebrae before being able to lacerate the spinal cord.
In this maneuver, you reach behind the neck of your assaillant and aim the tip of the knife toward yourself, pushing the blade inward between two adjacent cervical vertebrae.
It may be between this Axis and the Atlas or between the third and fourth cervical vertebrae.
If you feel the tip of your blade hitting bone, simply move the tip upward or downward until it slips into the intervertebral space, then plunge the tip directly inward and you will sever the spinal cord, which is located within the spinal canal.
In bullfighting, the matador kills his bovine adversary by plunging the tip of a long sword between two cervical vertebrae. The spinal cord of the bull is severed, leading to immediate paralysis and death.
STABBING THE NECK
If you choose to stab the neck of your assaillant with a penetrating instrument such as a long knife, sharpened screwdriver or sharpened letter opener, be sure to avoid the midline structures such as the trachea, Adam's apple, thyroid and parathyroid glands, as well as the laterally situated sternocleidomastoid muscles.
As mentioned previously, perforation of these organs is ineffective with regard to your self-defense. You must aim for the carotid artery and/or the jugular vein, which are located about one or two inches from the midline of the neck.
Once your instrument has penetrated deeply within the tissue of the neck, move the handle vigorously from side to side in order to ensure maximal damage.
If you have failed to directly perforate the carotid artery or the jugular vein, moving your knife handle from side to side will assure that these vessels become lacerated, leading to hemorrhage and stroke.
The penetrating instrument can also be used posteriorly behind the neck of the assaillant to cut and damage the cervical spinal cord.
Again, once the posterior neck is penetrated at an intervertebral space, moving the knife handle from side to side will assure complete laceration of the protected spinal cord.
STRANGULATION OF THE NECK
As stated previously, it is possible for a woman to strangle her attacker using a string or wire. This maneuver requires an element of surprise followed by use of only moderate strength.
If a string or thin cord is used, the potential victim should furtively remove a string about 2 feet in length from her purse, wrap one end of the string several times around the index and middle fingers of the left hand and the other end around the index and middle fingers of her right hand.
Face the assaillant directly, being careful not to show him the string. The hands can be hidden behind the purse or underneath the blouse or coat.
When you are grabbed by the attacker, immediate place your left hand on his right shoulder. The assaillant will think that you are merely trying to push him away.
Direct your right hand toward his left shoulder and make a quick circular sweeping motion around the back of the head and toward his face.
This circular motion of your right hand brings the string a full circle around your assaillant's neck.
Now stretch both arms laterally with your fists clenched and the string will strangle the neck of your attacker, cutting off blood and oxygen supply to his brain and causing sudden loss of consciousness.
When the attacker slumps over forward or backward, follow the movement of his body and tightly maintain the ligature.
If you release the strangulation before 3 minutes, the assaillant will regain consciousness and resume his attack.
If you keep the ligature tight for over 5 minutes, the assaillant will most likely die or sustain severe brain damage.
You on the other hand will have saved your life and be able to escape.
For this maneuver, a black or transparent string is recommended in order to minimize visibility.
A transparent cord such as nylon guitar string is ideal because it is very strong and virtually invisible.
The same maneuver can be performed with a thin wire but unless you wear gloves, wrapping a thin wire around your index and middle fingers will likely cut into your own flesh when you stretch your arms.
When a metallic aire is used, it is recommended that you prepare this weapon beforehand by wrapping each end of the wire securely several times around a metallic ring, the kind of metallic rings that are used to hold keys.
When ready to use this weapon, put the rings on your left and right thumb or index finger and perform the same maneuver to effectuate encirclement of the assaillant's neck.
When you stretch your arms laterally with your fists clenched, your attacker will not only be strangulated but the thin wire will slice the tissues of his neck, causing lacerations of the trachea, the carotid arteries and the jugular veins.
If your garrotting wire is at the level of an intervertebral space, it will also sever the spinal cord and paralysis or decapitation will ensue.
The advantage associated with the use of a garrotting metallic wire lies in the fact that you do not have to maintain the ligature for 3-5 minutes to induce loss of consciousness.
If the wire lacerates the trachea and the major blood vessels in the attacker's neck, he will become immediately incapacitated, with no chance for recovery, allowing you to escape as soon as the maneuver is completed.
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