It goes without question that, within the realms of martial arts and self-defense, there are literally hundreds of things that you can do to debilitate an attacker. From the various methods of striking different body targets with punches and kicks, to throwing, locking, pressure point attacks, and joint-manipulation techniques, each is effective in its own right.

But, when you ask the average person what they think is the most effective thing to do in a self-defense situation, the almost overwhelming answer is, "a kick to the groin." In fact, in response to just about any "what-if" scenario involving being attacked, the majority of women default to this answer.

Here's a short list of reasons why the groin is not the "perfect" target, nor is it the end-all-to-beat-all martial arts or self-defense technique:

1) Small Target - No pun is intended here. What I mean is that, when compared to other targets of the body, the groin is a relatively small target. Unless you are directly in front of a person with there legs open and feet at-least shoulder-width apart, hitting this target gets more and more difficult with every variable. And, "almost" getting your target, especially this one, is a sure way to make your attacker more angry and dangerous!

A much better target would be the inside of the legs. The femoral nerve runs the length of the leg and, coupled with the weaker bone-structures of the knees and ankles, making the inside of the thighs, knees, and calves really great targets. Here, you're attacking a target that's much larger and therefor requiring less precision on your part - something that will be very difficult under pressure - and you get the secondary benefit of making it practically impossible for him to chase after you.

2) Your Attacker's Childhood Training - Every time I conduct a rape prevention seminar and this topic comes up, I ask one of the men present, "how old were you when you realized that this was not a good place to get hit?" Invariably, the response is somewhere between two and six years old. Now, we men know this. That's probably why men don't think of kicking an attacker in the groin first...or at all.

However, ignorance of this fact cause women to believe that it will be a surprise when they attack this target. When the truth is that, unless you set your assailant up to be "surprised", chances are he'll be looking for this. But, even if you are able to get in a good strike, you have to be concerned with...

3) Automatic Defensive Response - This is connected with your autonomic nervous system and causes a natural body response to protect and cover a target that is being attacked. Again, ask any guy to duplicate his reaction to a shot to the groin. Chances are that you won't see the typical comedy response from the movies. Instead, what you'll see is him bending over forward as his body instinctively pulls the groin away from danger and simultaneously drops the torso to cover it.

What does this mean in a self-defense situation? After all, don't you want him folded in half with his face at knee level?

Of course. But...

...you don't want your face in the path of his head when it flies forward!

Can you imagine what it would feel like being smashed in the face with an incidental head butt that you caused?!

4) Positioning - While this is related to the first area of discussion, what I mean here is that, the groin may be nowhere to be found. Again, in my programs designed especially for women, I cover the most common street attack in rape scenarios. This is where the woman is grabbed from behind and literally pulled off her feet behind her into an alleyway or waiting vehicle. In this scenario, it will be difficult enough to stand, let alone kick something behind you that's moving. Add to this scenarios involving lying down or while seated and the problem starts to become more clear.

Remember, your assailant has been wary of being hit in this area since early childhood. He knows that his victim, especially if it's a woman, will probably go for this target. So, he is very likely to position himself in a way that removes the groin as a target altogether.

While the groin is a viable target, and a good way to damage any attacker, it should not be seen as the best or "only" target to go after in a dangerous situation. Learning just this one technique for protecting yourself is akin to relying solely on a gun for defense and then being attacked when you're not armed.

Of course, you are free to do whatever you want. That's the great thing about being "all-grown-up." You are free to choose. Remember though, if you make the wrong decision in a self-defense situation, it could be the last choice you ever make.