Originally Posted by Garland

I think agression, forward drive, and bad intentions are all good tools for self defense. That being said...you won't always have time to load keys into your hand to defend yourself...and in some cases all it will do is cause small lacerations to the face. (I'm speaking from experience)

There are other targets that work far better than the testicles, such as the eyes and the throat. A woman will find it very difficult to grab an attacker by the balls with the right leverage if their wearing pants...don't believe me, put some jeans on and try it yourself. A c-grip to the throat, any forcefull attack to the throat, thumbs in the eyes, biting the soft tissue around the face (cheek, nose, ear, around the eye), elbows to the eyesocket, and properly executed headbutts are all good close range tools to help gain control of a bad situation. Environmental weapons are good, but some are better than others...i.e. keys cause cuts unless you are accurate enough or can manage to force them into the eye. Ear rips also work.

A knee to the nuts is probably the highest percentage groin attack I can think of, and even then...it's not an end-all...you HAVE to follow up.

It's true a well placed kick to the groin, IF it lands flush, has the POTENTIAL to drop a man...but you shouldn't count on it as the best option, you have to have other tools, and be able to adopt new strategies and adapt to the attacker's energy (their response) in a very fluid, real time, and brutal way.

A good self defense program for women should include other things too-
threat awareness and assessment and avoidance
verbal self defense
physical cues to make themselves look like a harder target for assault...such as edging, body language, how they move and operate in public
common sense- staying with friends if possible, asking a bouncer/security guard/trusted friend to accompany them out to their car, not going into dangerous places, etc.

THEN physical skills, how to draw and use weapons in a self defense situation, applying skills under duress...etc.

These things help even the odds...and the best defense is prevention...but the skills should be there, they should be simple and high percentage, and they should be extreme, done in rapid succession, and with the right intent.