Angelina Jolie may not be the first actress you think of when you think martial arts. However, I’ve said a number of times that if I was making an action movie and needed a female lead, she’d be my first choice.

Are her moves textbook perfect? No. But what she lacks in finesse, she makes up for with brute force. She reminds me more of a street fighter. Her fight scenes always include a lot of shoving and punching. She knows how to block accurately and her kicks are okay. Though she did one hell of a spider kick when she took out Ted Winter (Liev Schreiber) in Salt.

So why am I writing a post about Angelina Jolie? Because she has one signature move that I think is often ignored – the headbutt. That’s right. Jolie isn’t afraid to use her head in a fight. Breaking a hold is not easy. Usually, holds are broken by spreading yours hands wide open, which gives you more room in the wrist area, allowing you to get your hands free as you push back with your hips. But, in her movies, Jolie will often break a hold with a headbutt, showing what a great self-defense move it can be if you can’t escape a hold.

I admit I don’t practice headbutting. I’d have a terrible headache if I did. Jolie makes it look easy, but your head will hurt as much as your opponent’s. Despite the possible pain, it’s still an effective move to keep in mind if your desperate to get out of a hold.

Let me know what you think of Angelina Jolie and her fighting skills.