favorite self defense move, no weapons

[Grumpy Grandpa]

I'm sorry Debbie but I'm finding it really difficult to picture how you can go from stance 1 (the surrender,) into stance 2 (the strike,) without telegraphing it (letting your assailant know what's coming). As well as repositioning your hand and arm, you would also have to step forward into your attacker to deliver the strike at the right angle. Both could be done effectively but you did say you weren't very fast.

There have been a couple of posts (I think,) suggesting the place to aim for was the knees. I think that, with a little practice, you could become reasonably confident about putting down an assailant, leaving you then with a choice of fleeing or finishing the job. I was once proficient at Taekwondo in a previous life but now, being disabled, that would be my method of choice.