The Physical Side
There really two things that come with the physical side of self preservation, Fitness and Techniques. Before I get to the techniques I will spend a moment on fitness.
To be successful at self preservation one must be in shape. By this I don’t mean you have to have a body like Roy Jones jr., Frank Shamrock or the Rock. However, if walking up two flights of stairs makes you sweat, you should start to think about physical fitness. That doesn’t mean you need to start hitting the gym every day either. Let’s face it, pumping weights is boring and personally I hate it. Try taking long hikes in the woods, or play a good game of soccer or basketball a couple times a week. Combative sports like Judo are a great way to get you in fighting trim. Physical fitness will do wonders for your confidence, a big part of self preservation. Working out is a pain but it will pay off in the end.
If you feel the need to work out but are having a hard time deciding what to do, here is a quick work out that can get you going. Start with pushups, and do them until you can no longer force yourself to keep good form (i.e. back straight, full motion of the arms). Without resting do crunches with the same thing in mind. Go until your stomach muscles won't lift your back off the ground. Again without resting do squats or knee bends. Keep your back straight and get those thighs parallel to the ground. When you can't do those anymore start with pushups again. try for three circuits. When the total workout takes twenty minutes or more, not only will you be ready for a more advanced routine, you will be in pretty good shape.
For more information on keeping in good self defense shape read this article: The Martialist Workout
While I will show a few techniques here, they are not the be all and end all of self preservation. If your sensei taught you a technique and it works Good! If it works keep it but always apply the KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) principle and practice it under realistic conditions. Okay, now on to the techniques.
The Fence
This is what Geoff Thompson call the fence. Basically stand in a boxer's stance and extend your arms out a bit, palms out. This is similar to the on guard stance taught by almost everybody but it does not look aggressive. It puts a physical barrier between you and the enemy. It can be used as a platform to launch any techniques but it still allows for verbal de-escalation.
The "Jack Benny"
The Jack Benny stance is a great stance for situations where you feel there is a potential for violence yet would be inappropriate to put up a fence. Simply cross one arm across your chest and rest the other hand on your chin. I often refer to this as the "Thinker" stance after Rodan's classic statue. It is important to simply rest your elbow on your hand rather than putting the hand between your bicep and forearm. This leaves the arms free to move quickly if need be.
Chin Jab
The chin jab is a great tool for everybody regardless of gender, size or strength. It is performed by bending your arm 90 degrees at the elbow, bending your wrist back and spreading your fingers, just like your going to shoot a free throw in basketball. The power comes from your legs, up your body and through your arms. You hit with the heal of your hand and the point of contact is the point of the chin. It can be used in a quick, jabbing motion as a knock out blow or as a pushing motion to create space or topple the enemy. Don't forget to search for the eyes with your fingers and remember the power come from the legs.
Tiger Claw
The Tiger Claw is similar to a chin jab except that it is done from a farther distance. Form the same hand position as above but this time drive it out forward and up in straight line. This can used as a sharp movement or can continue into a push just like the chin jab can. As with the chin jab use those fingers to gouge the eyes.
The Cross
This punch has more fans and opponents than I can think of, but the fact remains that almost every guy and quite a few women have thrown this and are comfortable with it. The cross come STRAIGHT out and drives through the target before traveling back along the same plane it entered on. It is a piston motion not a swing. Fist vertical or horizontal? Find what is comfortable for you by hitting a heavy bag, I prefer vertical. A few things to watch out for: Don't swing too wide or over the top, it is a straight punch. Plant your feet and don't reach, if you can't reach him he probably can't reach you. If you have small fragile hands, do not punch some one in the face, use a palm heel and save the punches for the body.
Elbow
The elbow is the most devastating close quarter tools around. Bend the elbow as tight as possible. It can be swung like a hook in boxing with the power developed from the hips. It can be used in a rising motion with the power coming from the legs. It can also be driven straight back to an enemy behind you. In all cases, contact is made using the last inch of your elbow. It is a great tool to use on the head because it is so much stronger than you hands.
Edge of the Hand
The edge of the hand blow has gone by many names: The judo chop, the karate chop, shuto and hand sword. By what ever name it is an extremely effective blow. The picture above shows the classic hand position; however, a lot of people have had success with the cupped hand thumb flat on the hand. Again experiment on a heavy bag. Whichever way you hold your hand keep it rigid and hit with the fleshy part of your hand, not the fingers. The targets are too many to list here completely. The pictures above show to good ones, the side of the neck (Vagus nerve or carotid artery) and the forearm. The second target is used instead of a block, it can be used in a downward wind milling action or in an outward action. This is an excellent tool which deserves more space than I can give it.
The Knee Kick
This can be done either as a front kick or a side kick. Both are extremely effective, it takes very little strength to break a knee. To use the front kick, get close and raise the knee. Drive your foot down and forward making contact with the sole of your shoe. Drive the knee straight back and down. Follow with hand techniques. To use a side kick, step off the line of attack and raise the near leg. Drive the foot down and to the side making contact with the bottom or edge of your foot. In both cases bring the leg back to the ground as quickly as possible and get balance before continuing. It does you no good to fall down with the enemy after you have broken his knee, he doesn't need it on the ground.
The Knee
The knee is another devastating technique. It can be used on any part of the body to great effect. Particularly good targets are the groin and face (if the enemy is bent over or otherwise at waist level). It can be delivered two ways, straight up or around. Straight up is the easiest way, just drive your knee up hard while keeping your leg bent tight. Throwing a bunch of these together combined with elbows or Chin jabs is a great fight stopper. Around is harder but it can attack areas that are a little hard to get at. With your bent knee, drive it up and in at a 45 degree angle. This can be used on the ribs, groin and stomach (if he is facing sideways). Always make contact with the point slightly above the kneecap and use your hands to pull the enemy in to the strike.
The Rear Choke
The rear choke is great if you ever get behind the enemy. To execute the rear choke, place the inside bone of your forearm against his trachea with your upper arm or shoulder against the back of his neck, clasp your hands and pull back hard and fast. Be careful because this one can kill. You can also apply gradual pressure as a restraining hold. Remember to keep your head tucked down to avoid and blows he might be aiming at you.
Ground fighting
A word here on ground fighting. Yes most fights end up on the ground...because the loser normally falls down. That said if you can't fight on the ground you will end up having to, it's Murphy's Law. Practice getting up quickly and under control. Learn to buck and roll people off you. In short learn how to maneuver on the ground and how to stand up. For a self preservation program I wouldn't learn submissions.