1.09.2008:
How To Actually Win A Fist Fight
12:15 AMOk, well, with the response from yesterday's post, I felt compelled to go ahead and do this. Without further ado:
You know it has to be said, first sentence, first paragraph: the best way to win a fist fight is not to get into one in the first place.
No shit, sherlock.
Every single mens magazine who has ever attempted to publish an article like this has started (and ended) exactly that way and is usually devoid of any real information - sometimes because someone on the editorial staff wanted to avoid putting the periodical at risk for a lawsuit; other times because the author has absolutely no clue what they’re talking about, so they cop out with this “Verbal Judo Wins The Day!” crap.
It’s common sense - avoid fighting if at all possible. No one likes to get hit (and if you do, there’s no need to go crawling pubs to find it. There’s any number of clubs filled with rubber-suited men and women who will give you a safety word and a few bruises for the right price...). But sometimes, diplomacy erodes to a good old fashioned bust-up, or worse, your opponent is just a big bully who’s looking to drive a knuckle into your nose. In either case, you are - at some point in your life - going to be called upon to defend yourself.
So... What to do? Well, I can’t promise that the following information will turn you into a hands-of-steel cage fighter who can handle any MMA bruiser in a back-alley match... In fact, if you’re actually in NEED of the information in this article, I can guarantee you that a trained martial artist or fighter will destroy you. But all things being equal, if you’re simply an untrained person who’s facing your schoolyard nemesis, or someone looking to simply get the basics under your belt in case something gnarly goes down, I can assure you that you’re way better off knowing this stuff than not.
The Basics
First, you need to know a few things:
- You are going to get hit.
- When you get hit, it does not feel good.
Knowing and accepting those two things as fact will free your mind up enough to begin thinking about much more important stuff, like strategy and technique. If you’re petrified with fear over how much it’s going to hurt when the big bad guy hits you, you’re going to be out of focus. Thus, you'll be much more vulnerable to taking damage than if you can just accept the reality of the situation and move past it... And perhaps, walk into the situation with a bit of confidence.
Confidence CANNOT be overvalued in a fight situation. If you walk in knowing you will win, your chances of winning are far greater... If for no other reason than the fact that you will gain a psychological edge on your opponent. If you don’t have confidence, fake it. Seriously, it’s important.
If you’re fighting in an enclosed area, position yourself so that there is an exit to your rear. If you cannot, try to get an exit positioned to your strong side (right side, if you’re right handed, left side if you’re left handed). The ability to retreat can make the difference between getting punched and getting beat. It’s helpful to remember that “retreat” does not always mean “flee” - sometimes, you have to back off a bit to get your act together.
If you’re a student or a frequenter of bars, you need to know that there is a very high liklihood that your fight is going to take place in the center of a huge ring of people who are chanting, yelling, screaming and whatnot. If this is the case, get to the door and get in position before they can seal it off as a crowd of spectators.
Lastly, if you’re up against two or more guys, someone with a weapon, or other crazy situation, don’t be a hero - get the hell out of there. If you simply cannot escape, look at the end of this article in the section “Impossible Situations”.
Your Stance
Your stance is the way you stand and position yourself during a fight. It’s by far the most important part of your actual fighting technique. Now, this sounds like crap, but it’s absolutely true. Your base - the position of your feet and legs - determines how much power you can deliver in a blow. You should keep your feet about shoulder width apart, with your “strong” foot slightly forward. Your knees should NEVER be locked - keep them slightly bent, but not so much so that you feel a strain in your upper legs.
As far as your “guard” goes, there are any number of techniques and positions that you could adopt, but the most simple is your strong hand in front of your face, your weak hand slightly below it guarding your chin, and your elbows very slightly pointed outward guarding your chest.
A proper stance and guard will keep you from looking as ugly as I do
Never, EVER drop your guard. Keep your hands in front of your vital areas at ALL times, unless actively delivering a blow or in the midst of grappling with someone.
Keep your chin tucked to your chest as much as possible, and ALWAYS keep your eyes up and on your opponent. You will find that, if you take away the chin and neck as targets, your chances of becoming disabled (knocked out or unable to breathe) are reduced by an order of magnitude. We’ll cover more of this in “Taking A Punch” - for now, you just need to know how to stand.
Now, with that strong foot forward, your strong-side hip is going to be slightly pointed at your opponent, and your strong hand - when you throw the punch - is going to place a lot of pressure on your strong leg. This is vital - if you can use the power of physics to align the transfer of energy from your foot, up your leg, through your hip and shoulder to your fist as you throw the punch, you will devastate your foe when you connect.
Keep moving. Don’t dance around like a moron, or you can get tripped up and probably knocked out... But definitely keep moving to the side, occasionally changing direction. Don’t pick your feet up off the ground completely; rather, try to shuffle slightly. Stay as much of a moving target as you can without putting yourself at risk of being tripped, pushed, or otherwise taken out stupidly. You’ll DEFINITELY want to practice this in your room / garage / backyard to get the hang of it.
Lastly... No wild blows. Don’t go into a fight flailing like a madman, trying to hit whatever you can as much as possible. You’re going to wear yourself out VERY quickly, which will leave you completely vulnerable to the patient opponent - which is completely counter to the goal of this guide, right? You want to win, not end up a bloody lump of exhausted meat on the ground. Find your target, be patient, look for openings, and deliver your blows carefully and with great purpose. And that leads me to...
What You’re Actually Here For: How To Punch Someone
First, the fist:
- Fold your four fingers downward into your hand
- Place your thumb on the OUTSIDE of your fingers
Now, the particulars:
You want to fill the space in your palm with whatever you have at your disposal - a roll of pennies, some dirt or hunks of grass... Anything to reduce the space between your fingers and the inside of your hand. If you have nothing available (or, don’t want to be accused of “dirty fighting” or whatever... But let’s face it, all’s fair when there’s no ref’s and the threat of bodily harm), try to grab the “meat” of your palm, where all those callouses are, and wrap it slightly under your fingertips.
Mmmmmmm.... Palm meat.
Whatever you do, do NOT fill that space with your thumb. Your thumb MUST be outside your fingers, sitting at a 90 degree angle to your index finger and bent at the second knuckle. Don’t let it stray off to the side; don’t do that little “thumb out” fist-pump swagger thing you saw DMX do in that one Jet Li movie...
The same goes with your pinky. Some flashy morons try to show how cool they are by sticking their pinkies out in the air while waving their fists at you, like it’s wine-tasting time. Don’t be that guy. Keep your fist tight - all four fingers folded and your thumb out of the way, or they’ll be sticking WAY out... In a fiberglass cast for six to eight weeks.
Now that you’ve made a fist, it’s time to fling it at someone. First, a word of caution (or, if you prefer, a note on technique): It is IMPERATIVE that you keep the back of your hand completely in line with your forearm at all times. Never, ever flex your wrist in any direction when delivering a punch, or you’ll break it.
There are several types of punches, and I’m sure you can readily call to mind several types based on what you’ve seen in movies, televised boxing matches, MMA bouts, etcetera. The type of punch that I most highly advocate - especially for an untrained fighter - is a simple straight punch. Keeping the elbow bent and at a 30 - 45 degree angle to the body (and in front of your face - remember, don’t drop your guard), extend the fist forward with simultaneous extension of the elbow and the shoulder. The elbow should straighten the arm, the shoulder should deliver the force... It sounds strange, but try not to deliver force by the extension of the elbow. Let your body weight push through your shoulder into your arm. Connect the blow at the peak of extension to get the maximum force out of your blow. Connecting too soon, you'll lose power; Connecting too late, you'll throw yourself off balance.
Hooks - the wide-sweeping side punches you see a lot of people throwing - are great for boxing or other score / tactical fighting... But they don't deliver the force a good straightforward punch will, and they're SLOW. If someone's out there scoring you on how many times you connect, sure, go for it. But otherwise, just stick to the straight punches. The same goes for uppercuts and light jabs. Stay away from those unless you've been training purposely with combinations and whatnot (which this guide assumes you're not, since you're obviously here to learn the basics. All you "trained" fighters out there, I don't need your emails about how I'm wrong to suggest avoiding these. You know what you're doing? Go for it... Otherwise...).
Make your punches count - give a full-force blow that connects quickly at the apex of extension each and every time.
Taking A Punch
Have you ever seen the movie Million Dollar Baby? You know the part where Clint Eastwood tells Hillary Swank to step into a punch to minimize its effectiveness? Well, it’s 100% true. Short of simply not being there to take the punch, minimizing the distance between the point the punch was thrown and the point at which it connects will reduce the impact it can make.
The downside is that you’ll need to retreat to set yourself up for your punches. However, that’s not necessarily a bad thing if you’re aggressive with your defense - because your opponent will do that work FOR you. If you continually turn your body into punches and step forward, they will keep backing up and backing off. This will not only give you the distance you need to throw your punches, it will also give you the opportunity to do so - each time they have to step back, they’re resetting for another attack. This is an opportune time to strike.
Remember our discussion on stances - keep your chin tucked to your chest and keep circling your opponent. Keep them in a situation where they have to calculate movement along with distance to judge strikes. Balance is a key factor in fights, both physically and mentally - if you can keep them off-balance, the edge is yours.
Train yourself to flex your abdominal muscles and keep your core tight on command. When your opponent goes for a solar plexus hit, if you fail to turn into it so that the blow glances off the side, you won’t lose your breath when they make impact.
Lastly... Keep breathing, slow and purposely. Keep the oxygen going to your brain. Don’t allow yourself to lose your breath, or run low on air when you must exhale and flex your stomach to guard against a mid-blow.
Remember this - no blow feels as bad during a fight as you think it’s going to. Your adrenaline is pumping, your nerves are spiking and your mind is racing. You simply won’t have time to feel the pain... It’s the debilitating blows you need to be weary of and guard against, and if you keep taking your opponent’s power away, they won’t be able to take you out.
Kicking
Just... Don’t. Seriously. It’s suicide, unless you’re highly trained - and I mean Bruce Lee caliber, or, failing that, you have an insane opportunity. Kicks are pretty much all flash and flair for your audience, and leave you VERY open to counter attacks and moves that can throw you off balance. It’s just plain stupid in a real fight situation to try doing a bunch of roundhouse nonsense.
Not him? Don't kick.
Elbows and Knees
Seriously powerful blows can come from the knees and the elbows... However, they force you to be close, and you need some training to use them effectively (elbows especially, since they pretty much remove your guard when you use them). Feel free to practice these on your heavy bag (or, if you don’t have one, head up to the Salvation Army and get an old twin mattress and some duct tape - you can make one in pretty short order). Just know that they are to be used when opportunity permits, not as primary strikes.
Grappling
There’s a very high liklehood - especially if you keep stepping in and frustrating our opponent - that you will be taken to the ground or wrapped up in some way. This is not the end of the world, especially if you can keep your cool. So long as they’re wrapped up on you, they’re not throwing punches... It’s only when they can get you into a position of opportunity that they can strike you, so your primary goal is to GET OUT.
If your opponent has you from behind in a standing position, there are three moves you need to be doing over and over in succession or simultaneously until you break free:
- Stomp the instep - come down as hard as you can with your heel on their instep. You will damage or disable your opponent’s foot bones and provide yourself with the ability to escape.
- Backwards Headbutt - keep flinging your skull back toward their nose. If you make contact, freedom awaits.
- Wring the fingers - don’t pull at the wrists of your opponents’ clenched hands. Get your hands around any or all of his fingers and wring the hell out of them until he either gives up or breaks one.
If you’re on the ground and wrapped up, you need to do the following things as quickly as possible:
- Prevent the mount - don’t let them get on top of you.
- Get on your side or belly
- Scramble like hell to get out of there.
If you end up on your belly, prevent a choke from behind by keeping your chin to your chest and keep your hands around your neck. If you start to feel punches on the back of your head, remember - minimize the distance. Try to get to your knees and get them off of you.
If you can gain the advantage on the ground, mount the opponent and punch the face until they are incapacitated. If they’re on their belly, get around their neck and choke them until they pass out - just make DAMN sure you let go once the snorting starts (you’ll know what I’m talking about if you ever hear it). Going any further, and you could kill them. However, if this is a flee-for-your-life situation and you somehow managed to choke your opponent out, feel free to break an ankle or dislocate a knee to prevent pursuit. Do this in a high school fight, however, and you’re going to end up in juvenile hall.
This leads me to a very important point: if you do gain the advantage in a grappling situation, do NOT perform any ridiculous moves you see on WWE or on movies and telelvision. No body slams, no DDT, no Pile Driver... That shit will seriously injure or kill someone, and there’s a very real part of fighting that you have to consider - what happens tomorrow. If you break someone’s neck and paralyze or kill them, you might be arrested or sued, and no one will let you off with “self defense” when you took the time to perform some ridiculous move on an opponent who was already disabled or overcome.
Plus, there’s the chance that you’ll hurt yourself and lose... And again, losing is counter to the goal of this guide.
Impossible situations
In all of the following situations, fleeing is the optimal response. Get the hell away from the situation and live to fight another day... These situations are unfair, and to be honest, anyone putting you in these situations is out to hurt you in ways that go far beyond simple matters of pride or minor altercations.
Assuming flight is not an option, try to keep the following in mind:
- Facing a much larger / stronger / better trained opponent: stay fast, stay away. Don’t allow them to grab you, and avoid any and all strikes if possible. Look for an equalizer - gain elevation on them, grab a weapon, throw dirt in their eyes. You need to bring them down to your level if you want to stand a chance... Otherwise, enjoy your ass-beating.
- Groups of two or more opponents: Find a corner and get into it. Don’t allow them to surround you, no matter what happens. Lash out as hard as possible at one opponent, then immediately move to your strong side and take out the next. Get one guy in front of another - try to keep yourself fighting one person at a time. Again, a weapon or equalizer of some sort should be sought. Go for one-attack-per-person until you break them up and can get out of the situation. If you do find yourself surrounded, attack the man in front of you, then immediately go for the one behind you, turning to face your left and right opponents once you can create a break in the circle.
- Opponent has a weapon: Get as many objects and as much distance between you and your opponent as possible. Find a shield or other object to deflect the force of a blunt weapon. If the weapon is a knife or other blade, you need to get it stuck in something that isn’t you as quickly as possible. Knife fights look daring and crazy in the movies, but in reality, they bleed you until you die. As an interesting experiment, get your friend to arm himself with a red marker and try to fight him without getting any ink on you. Take a look after the fight to see just how many times you would have been cut. More than once anywhere on your body, you would have died. Once anywhere in your gut, you would have died. Knife wounds are serious. Get the hell away from it.
Final Thoughts And Tips
It’s so important, it bears repeating - confidence wins. Go into a fight with the attitude that you’re going to get your ass kicked, and you’ll get your ass kicked. You want to win? Throw as much bravado and confidence at your opponent as you can. Even if you know they’re better, they don’t know that you realize that. Just keep roaring and flashing your feathers like nature dictates you should. At the very least, you might lose the fight, but the next guy who wants to mess with you will know you won’t go down easy and might think twice about attacking you.
Always maintain awareness of your surroundings. Know where your exits are. Know if your opponent has friends in the crowd. Know where to grab a chair, bat, or other weapon - especially before your opponent can.
There’s no such thing as a fair fight if there’s no money on the line or men in striped shirts judging you. You need to win. More than that, you need to not lose. These goals are paramount. Keep them in mind at all times.
At any point you get the chance, disable your opponent. Take out the eyes. Take away the breathing passages. Remove mobility. An opponent who cannot see you cannot fight you. An opponent who cannot breathe cannot attack you. An opponent who cannot move cannot pursue you.
Above all else, remember that standing up for yourself is hard, and sometimes it can hurt... But nothing hurts more than being someone else’s bitch. And so long as you are willing to stand up for yourself, it won’t matter if you lose this one fight - you’ll win respect from your opponent and anyone else considering taking you on, and that’s worth fighting for.
**Update - 1.10.08 1:32AM: I'm honored that there's been a lot of attention on this article! I've posted some responses to questions / comments here. **
**Update - 1.13.08 2:32PM: One last response to comments here, regarding my stance on "fleeing being the first priority" **
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165 Comments:
This guide is just, a bit misguided--you'll end up hurting yourself in a really bad way.
If you can see anything in the vicinity that can be used as a weapon--go for it; the sharper the better.
If not:
1. If you don't know how to punch, DON'T.
2. If you DO know how to punch--you already know what to do, which is: AVOID USING FISTS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
Elbows, knees, open palms (to the neck and ears), teeth, shins will be the tools you'll have to use. An unprotected fist in a street fight is just asking for $$$ in hospital bills. Hits to the liver, kidneys, stomach, and balls; your fists are fine.
If you're outnumbered, run. If you're out of shape (more so than your opponents) run to the nearest place you can seek help.
But hey, if you can take him/them on by all means, do your stuff.
haroldmenne00@gmail.com
If you're stingy (like me), go buy a duffel bag (salvation army) patch it up and line the inside with duct tape the fill it with DRY sand. I don't recommend hanging it on a chain since the seams eventually rip apart so just prop it up on whatever that's about waist level and against a wall/column/tree.
^^same guy
The comments about roundhouse kicks are also misguided.
HIGH roundhouse kicks in a street fight leaves you with the possibility of getting hurt.
Low level roundhouse kicks (knees, inner thigh) give you an extreme advantage if they aren't expecting it.
Powerful side kicks are good defensive techniques if someone is running into you.
You'r not ugly at all. Tnx for the info.
A random comment - a friend of mine taught me (and proved to me by doing it) that when grappling, if you poke at your opponent's rectum, he will let go of you to get away from your fingers/thumb. I don't know how well this would work in an actual fight, but it seems like a reflex.
Pretty, pretty, PRETTY please read my responses linked in the article (and for simplicity, here. ).
not too bad of an article I however completely disagree on your instructions on stance. Strong foot forward?? what!? You cripple the ability to put power BEHIND a punch.
Stand at a 45 degree angle to the opponent with your weak foot/arm in front. Use the weak side to throw jabs which aren't a power punch. Jabs are intended to keep the opponent at a distance and size them up and hold out until you see your opportunity to throw a stronger punch.
The strong punch will be thrown from the back side. When you see your opportunity to get a strong shot in you will step from the back foot and go at the opponent. At the same time your hips are twisting towards the opponent. The transfer of weight forward and rotational movement of the hips is where the power comes from.
Watch any sport fighting and you will never see a good fighter put their strong side up front. Hell any sport at that! Quarterback throwing a football...strong side in back and step through it.
Also when in a grapple don't go in thinking they only are trying to accomplish better position to get free and punch. When fighting for your life remember how powerful the human jaws are. Biting and flesh tearing is a major concern.
Oh, and about the UFIA (poke them in the rectum) comment: You are 100% correct.
There was a rugby player who was banned from Australia's league for doing that very thing, and apparently, it's a popular bonding exercise in Ohio Lacrosse...
And the "Sand in a duffel bag" idea - GENIUS. Great suggestion.
"Watch any sport fighting and you will never see a good fighter put their strong side up front..."
Exactly. Trained fighters put the strong foot back, so they can prepare for combination punches that end with an uppercut or hook "haymaker" with tremendous force.
A beginner, however, needs all the balance they can get, and honestly, if a beginner is going to connect with a haymaker of any kind whatsoever, it won't matter if it's strong or weak hand, so they're FAR better off getting that strong / balance leg in front.
As I said in the Reddit.com comments, I've never, ever met a fighter - trained or otherwise - who can't handle a situation with the strong foot forward. I have, however, seen a bunch of people, both trained and not trained, lose enough balance on a "strong punch" to be attacked from a side-duck or even a simple whiff punch and thrown completely off balance.
My goal in this guide is to hand every single advantage - that feels natural and is easily remembered (and recalled in a fight situation) - to a beginner that I can. I understand that others, especially trained fighters, have differing opinions on a lot of this stuff, and not only am I "okay" with that, I highly advocate that - I would rather see discussion than just blind acceptance. But because I'm the author, I have a responsibility to do what I think is right, and what I think is right for a BEGINNER is to give them the most solid base possible.
Thanks for the comments!
"At any point you get the chance, disable your opponent. Take out the eyes."
You might just want to clarify that one a little - I assume you mean throw sand, beer, etc to TEMPORARILY blind them and not actually try to gouge their eyes out. It's all fun and games until they sue your ass off in court. :)
Fantastic Article!... Sums up everything I've ever learned about street/prison fighting over the years...
I think stepping into an oncoming punch to mitigate its affect is dangerous. Many people get knocked out this way due to timing. And I would say that using low level kicks(Knee Level) & sweeps are good, but I do agree that high level kicks are nothing but trouble even for an experienced fighter in a bar room brawl.
Not the same guy from before lol. Also if u are afraid of being taken down then take ur oponent down first. Grab low, behind the knees, lift and fall foward onto ur rival. From the ground elbows are really affective. Place ur hand over ur rival's face and slide it to the side and fall onto his face with ur elbow. this = pain and cuts. Elbows are like knives, get a couple in and ur rival will be bleeding and wont be able to see as well anymore.
Novabones@tmail.com
Knees. Don't be afraid to use them. Really good in short distance.
It goes like this: enemy is punching you in stomach. You step forward so punch is weaker, you grab his head and take it down to knee. Game over. If you missed head you still should be close enough to knee him in balls or belly. If you hit good just elbow back of his head. his on floor and you won.
And as creator said - there is no fair play. If he is on the ground and is still moving don't sit on him or anything. Kick. Hard. In a face.
Where is the balls kick, eye poke, and Mike Tyson ear bite?
Pierre - author said that kicking is bad for unexprienced fighter becouse it throws you out off balance. So as balls kick.
But balls grab that is different thing. Oh this can finish a fight without actually hurting anyone. Grab opponents balls and he will start to negotiate at once. Just use your advantage wisely.
beddy@interia.pl
By the way this post was partially translated in sport+fun related blog in Poland (one of the biggest, witten by proffesional sport journalists) "Zczuba.pl". http://www.sport.pl/sport/1,74696,4829393.html
That it how I found it. (Sorry for writing to comments in a row, I just forgot about it>
"You are going to get hit. When you get hit, it does not feel good."
That is so freaking true! People who have never been in a fight before need to understand that before all else. It definately will happen. Both of you will be hurt by the end of it.
Also, you want to time the fight so you hit them as hard as possible or knock them down while you are still on your feet in that first minute or so. Do what you must to end it. Then back away and try to get it broken up. You don't want to end up in a 3 minute fight, or you will have to be carried out of there from sheer exhaustion.
Used this exact technique for years...both in school and working as a bouncer in a cowboy bar...got hit and bled many times, but was always the last one standing.
Kicks take time to execute, especially for someone who doesn't know what they are doing. If someone tries to use a kick on you, step into it and punch the at the face. Almost everyone lowers their hands to kick and you can often hit them in the face before the kick lands.
I have a friend who has spent years training in the martial arts. He doesn't like to spar with me because I won't stand still and take the kicks and punches like the other people he trains with. I am always in his face and stepping into his punches and kicks.
Fighting isn't about winning, it is about surviving. And the best sruvival technique is to avoid the situation. Confidence it key, most people fear pain, if you can appear to not be afraid of it, it will put more fear in your opponent...
As far as stance goes, whichever fist is forward protecting your face, the matching foot should also be forward. A classic martial arts fighting stance is about balance and protecting your weak points, and power comes from the hips and torso, not just the legs. Balance is the most important thing in any altercation.
But...you live in AMERICA. Why not just whip out the Saturday Night Special?
God made men...and Sam Colt made them equal
from your article:
You should keep your feet about shoulder width apart, with your “strong” foot slightly forward.
You're dong it wrong.
Remember kids, throwing the first punch is almost always a criminal act.
Some guy tried biting my ear during a fight when i was about 20 years old, the only problem was that i broke his knee before he could do too much damage :D
Never rule out the full on english football style headbutt to the nose either, it works wonders!
Don't get into fist fights with ugly people: they have nothing to loose.
A good thing to put in your hand is a Bic lighter, fits perfectly, and in my opinion I would rather carry around a lighter than a roll of quarters...and it really does keep your hand from getting messed up not to mention the added force
Since this guide is for "student or a frequenter of bars" , it's not for me.
Or my advice.
Which is GLOCK 19.
I have never been in a real fight, i am 31 years old and have only been hit twice in my life. I consider myself very lucky, some may consider me a wimp but i am ok with that. I am luckier since I am 6'4 260 and most big guys i know are the target of drunken bravado. Either way if i ever do get caught in a fist fight i will use this info since i don't know the first thing about fighting. So thanx for posting this!
You are so hot.
Don't forget to use speed over brute force to set up more than 1 strike. If you pop someone fast in the mouth or nose, they'll bleed like crazy and it hurts like all get-out.
Plus you have a better chance of recovering and not getting taken down if you aren't committing your leverage to that huge power shot.
PLUS the first person to land a few good shots is usually going to be the winner. It's really hard to stay focused on current events when you keep getting smacked in the face, which makes it much easier to get hit again.
Great article, I really enjoyed it. The best way to learn how to fight is by actually doing it. Start when your 6 or 7 years old and it is an enjoyable activity. Stop at the age of 18 (or when you start doing serious damage to opponents) but remember all of your lessons. Keep in mind, fighting should always be used as a last resort such as defense: pride doesn't count. But, when some idiot wants to "play" with you, you'll, know what to do if required.
I did plenty of scrapping in my younger days and there is one thing I learned: fighting hurts.
Even winning can mean lots of doctor bills and lots of pain.
I won a bar fight once with a single right that knocked the guy clean out.
I couldn't work for weeks due to a broken hand.
Now that I am older the last thing I am going to do is duke it out with someone.
I carry a North American Arms .22 in my belt buckle at all times.
I'm gonna shoot long before fisticuffs.
Afirst unch is never a criminal act if the act is made in the face of an imminent and reasonable fear of an attack. You dont need to get hit first to protect yourself. just match force with force with force
Not recommended, but it worked for me once. I stood my ground in the face of 2 opponents after my friends ran off (one of them had already been whipped and told he could leave, which he did). I was ready for a fight and a probable asskicking , but I was not going to run, it turned out that they had more respect for me because I stood my ground rather then run. Initially we had them out numbered, go figure!
Awesome article. My brother was an extremely experienced street fighter, and he tutored me pretty much the same way (knowing that I was not experienced).
One thing he always stressed to me was to aim for a point behind the target. Not too far -- or you'll lose your balance. For example, when you straight-punch someone in the face, act as if you're aiming for a point on the back of his head (as if you're punching *through* his head). Very devastating if you don't miss.
Thanks for the poke-the-rectum trick!
Grabs
Someone might have said this, but if someone grabs you from the front or the back, and you need to get the hell out of there and aren't worried about your pride or whatever, hit them in the balls as hard as you can. Few expect it, it hurts like crap, and they're down for the count.
Throat
if you have an opportunity, hit em in the throat. Hurts like a bitch and you can't breath
In a bar fight, look for a FOLDING CHAIR! A bar stool, not too heavy, will do, but a folding chair is ideal. Can be used as a shield against a knife or a broken bottle, can be swung/thrown as an offensive weapon. Throw them behind you as you run for the door if you're outnumbered.
I have studied martial arts for over 30 years -- Shito Ryu, Shotokan, Wing Chun and Aikido. You are absolutely right about the kicks. Unless in a controlled environment (a martial arts tournament), I would almost never kick higher than the quadriceps, and generally would target the knee, ankle or shin. Kicks look good and pack a lot of power, but they are generally slow and well telegraphed. However, a low snap or stomp kick is almost undefendable, and crushed instep will take the fight out of almost anyone.
Good article, good advice for a beginner.
The best street fighter I ever met always started off with a punch to the nose. He said it made the other guy's eyes water so he couldn't see to fight back.
like they said at The Cobra Kai Dojo: "Strike first, strike hard, no mercy, sir" This is the best piece of advice especially if the person you are in a fight with has not taken a punch before and is just looking for one in the face.
I've been in a few fights and usually go right for the jaw or somewhere in the middle of the face and the last 2 fights were 1 punch and done...a good connect in the face can easily deter a person from fighting. I hit one guy in the face while he was shit talking and "getting ready to fight" and I quickly just ended it.
I did have a BIC in my hand...so that is a great tip...also a lit cigarette can give a nice "shock" to a foe as well!!!!
I usually kick them in the mudkips.
Just stab them in the gut as much as possible.
Shoot them in the face.
Stick it in there pooper.
Kick the in the penis/balls area. Fight won, no pain to you, and it will be funny as hell.
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Great guide !
Some great advice here. I was raised as white trash as they come so I've seen my share of brawls. This article would have helped quite a bit early on. Some notes though:
1.) It's a lot easier to hurt someone than you think. I beat a guy in a street fight and he ended up in ICU. I'm not a big guy. I also punched a guy just once and broke his orbital socket.
2.) Get mad. Drool, growl and go ape shiat. Big is intimidating but nuckin futz is downright frightening. Be remorseful later.
3.) Head butts to the face are fight enders. Use ur noggin. Nuff said.
Great article. Makes me wanna do some violence though.
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Carry a gun. problem solved.
I treat fighting like I treat my gun; I don't take it out unless I intend to shoot it, and shoot to kill.
I don't believe in physical fighting just to exchange blows and whoever wins, wins. If you decide you are going to fight someone it is because there is no other choice. Without a choice the fight is forced, so the fight should be considered a fight to the death - anything goes.
If you feel that your life is in danger, out comes the gun shooting, or the fists slugging. For no other reason are they used.
At the age of 50+; chubby, with a 'hail fellow well met" personality, I ran into a situation that looked like a fight.
NOT in a bar, but in a dangerous place. The much youger punk wanted to take advantage of an old, fat man and was willing to beat me up to do it. I stayed confident, lowered my voice (in volume and timbre) leaned into him and said "I outweigh you by 100 pounds and when I land on top of you and start to choke you , I may not know when to stop." Fight over...
Quick note to the "kick them when they are down" comments. The advice he gave on kicking is paramount here. Kicking a person that is on the ground is like kicking a two hundred pound bag of sand. In order to do damage on any strike, you have to power through with it. When someone is on the ground, kicking them is going to likely result in more damage to you. Either you will break your ankle by kicking them with your instep or you will pull tendons in the back of your knee. You are now an immobile target and royally screwed.
Never kick someone when they are down. If you are worried about them getting up again and continuing the fight, stomp them. Avoid the head, neck and torso. You can paralyze or kill. Stomp a knee, elbow, ankle or wrist. Disabling someone produces the same result as if you knocked them out cold.
id like more advice for when people try to 'choke you out' from behind. i only see stomping on their instep as a way out.
open palms are always a better option over fists. metacarpal fractures are almost guaranteed when throwing fists.
i HIGHLY suggest krav maga.. its really easy to learn and its very effective. youtube some videos, practice with a friend if you dont want to spend the money on a class.
check out this video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qb0OoV96yZo
I suggest changing:
"you need to be weary of and guard against"
to: "wary".
I've trained martial arts most of my life. Reflecting on the stages I've gone through, from beginner who knows enough to be dangerous to himself all the way to instructor, I've come to realize that the best way to win fights is not to get into them at all. Being able to tell when a situation is starting to get volatile and avoiding it goes a long way. These days the cops will just haul everyone involved to jail, indescriminate of whether you were the defender or aggressor.
My friends often ask me what magic move I have to show them that will help them defend themselves; if you really think that you can learn something like this in five minutes you are sadly mistaken. There is no magic to knowing how to fight, only hard work and hours spent training. I've seen lots of disappointmant following that answer, but I choose to be honest and not to fill someone's head with a load of B.S. There is no silver bullet; just work.
Most people are just not in shape or conditioned for combat. It's not like the movies; you are going to gasp for air within seconds, your arms are going to weigh hundreds of pounds, you will get hit, and you are going to hurt.
If you absolutely have to fight because it truly could not be avoided, then the best thing to do is hit first and keep doing it until either they run away, you can get away or the other person simply can not get up to run away. Use a chair, use a bat, use your fists, anything. Because anything else you simply will not remember; your body in a fight goes into Fight or Flight Mode and pretty much acts on instinct. The exception to this is someone who has trained for just this encounter, is desensitized to the rigors of hand to hand combat, and who has trained instincts of their own to take over. If you encounter someone like that JUST RUN.
When you get a chance, GET OUT OF THERE! If you get out of Dodge, you lessen the chances of arrest, legal and civil trouble, and hard feelings from your opponent's friends. Don't walk, RUN.
I realize that while articles like Joes and even my own posting for that matter are helpful, they are quickly forgotten by the first punch.
Hey man, nice article you got here. Very informative, really.
I trained in Tae Kwon Do for several years and i learned very few things that i would use in an actual street fight except that when a person is rushing you to side kick them in the stomach or, if you've trained long enough, to the face. Always slide forward if you are going to do this and let their momentum carry into your heel. Other than that there is no reason you should kick an opponent above the waist during a fight.
Remember to maintain steady calm breathing at all time
I just want to say that I really like the rectum poke idea. Better still, in any fight get naked and try to "poke" each other in the rectum with you know what.
Awesome spectacle, and the winner truly gets to enjoy the "win".
To the anonymous one who said your weak foot should be forward. That is good if you are trained and that is what your used to but Bruce Lee, undoubtedly one of the best martial artists ever, fought with his strong side forward. This is useful because your strong hand is stronger and more coordinated than your weak hand so it is easier to block with.
Good article. I've been in a few fights and being fearless (or at least acting fearless) is definitely the way to go. I avoid them like the plague now, but I did learn that a gouge using the base of an open palm at the throat unnerves a lot of people.
One thing this guide doesn't mention is that you should connect your punch with the index and middle fingers' knuckles, if you connect with your ring or pinky fingers' knuckles you'll end up with a swollen hand at best. I learned this the hard way, and my knuckles have never looked the same.
If you don't practice throwing a punch don't let your first time be when you're forced to fight. Never get fancy, and intimidate your opponent as much as possible. Also, NEVER EVER get into a fight drunk -- you're guaranteed to loose.
To make it legal, let them hit you first (roll with the punch) and you'll get off with the judge ruling it "mutual combat" most likely. And really, only use force when there is no other option. Make them force you to fight.
i agree with many points of the article however like someone posted there is no quick "magic" move to win a fight every time. Fighting for longer then 3 minutes will have most people feeling more tired then they have ever felt if unconditioned. fighting takes practice. also i have seen some comments about stepping into punches and kicks. This MIGHT work if you practice this. If not your setting yourself up for an easy knockout from an elbow. And putting your strong foot forward is known as fighting southpaw and takes practice to have good footwork which is probably one of the most important things to fighting. I am no expert however i have studied taekwondo which is practically useless and am now in Muay Thai. i am just saying this because following a anonymous post and trying something brand new to yourself will get you easily beaten by an experienced opponent.
one thing that ive been taught by a boxing trainer is that for a proper lined jab, one needs to have ones hand relaxed until right before the moment of impact in order to increase hand speed and power of the punch, the other is the 3 rules of fighting, 1. dont be afraid to deliver a hit
2. dont be afraid to take a hit
3. there is no such thing as a fair fight in the real world
In my own, experience, I've found that's it critical to recognize how drunk you are.
You think you're coordinated, have balance, acting macho, whatever, and then you throw a punch and end up so off balance you might even fall over on your own. If your opponent is also drunk, I would let them make the first move (and therefore the first chance to leave themselves wide open).
Also, if you're at a bar or some other social setting, I think that, like in a hockey game, the crowd will usually break up the fight once it gets down on the ground. So if you're up against someone bigger and stronger than you, I try to get in close, grapple, trip, and get it down on the ground so that the crowd intervenes and pulls you apart. Of course, we've all seen Dazed and Confused, so don't do this if there was some talking and posturing before the fight started, and the crowd is looking forward to watching.
As a practitioner of Brazilian Jujitsu (a ground grappling martial art), I would have to disagree about turning onto your belly.
If someone mounts your back (sits on you with your belly on the ground), your options are almost zero. If the opponent has any heft at all, you will not be able to get onto your knees or turn around.
It is virtually impossible to effectively defend strikes to the back of your head from that position. At least, if you were on your back, you could more easily block with your arms by covering your face.
Either way, you are pretty much screwed if the opponent takes you down.
I would totally agree with avoiding any and all types of submission type moves you've seen in MMA or WWE. It is probably more effective to just ground and pound. And chances are, you really don't know what you are doing anyway.
I've gotten into one knife fight...it left me with fugly scars on my left hand and forearm--and luckily just that--I used my trenchcoat to entangle him--forcing him to drop the knife, and proceeded to beat him into a nearby wall until I was pulled off.
This is one of those rare articles you find on the internet that are actually informative, well written and interesting. Excellent job, Joe. I actually bookmarked this.
what about good old fashioned hockey fighting? i'm positive all of you have seen at least one hockey fight. if you use your right hand to grab the shirt "shoulder" of your opponents right side, (assuming they're right handed and you are as well)they would have to punch over or around your arm to get to your face. sure they could go low and do a few ab punches, but while you're doing that you can get them good with your right hand or jab them with your left hand. if you think about it, your left hand has that shirt balled up, so you get that filling the void problem fixed. granted the left hand punches won't be as strong, but they weren't going to be anyway. and never underestimate the simple stepping past your opponent and placing your leg behind their body and just shoving them to the ground. once there; a knee to the chest and a few good blows will finish them off.
A couple additional suggestions here:
Footwork
Moving is good, but do *not* cross your legs. Sure, Bruce Lee looks cool when he does the cross-step in the movies, but as soon as you put on leg across the other, you're off balance and can get tripped very easily, especially when fighting in an unfamiliar environment that may have lots of obstacles (bar stools, spilled drinks, etc). When circling, one foot should never pass in front of the other.
Keeping an eye out
Like JtP says, always keep your eye on your opponent...but that doesn't mean ignore what's around you. I know it seems like a no brainer, but if you allow yourself to get "tunnel vision" and zone completely in on your opponent, you're going to trip on something, loose your footing because of something in the environment...or just not notice the guy with the pool cue coming in on your flank. Learn how far your peripheral vision reaches. Most people have a viewing range somewhere between 150 and 180 degrees. That means you're not likely to see something that is directly to your side. To compensate, turn your head slightly somewhat regularly. Not a lot though, if you start seeing the bridge of your nose in one eye, you've turned too far. Turn just enough to turn that 160ish degrees into 180, 190 or 200. Have a friend help you learn the limits to your peripheral vision...grab some 3x5 cards and write one and two digit numbers on them. Use marker and make the numbers nice and big. Then have your friend stand off to your side and hold up a card. While looking straight ahead, see if you can identify the number. Then just have them step forward and back, holding up a different card...as soon as you can't easily make out the number, that's your effective limit on your peripheral vision. Once you've got that down, have your friend stand just past your limit, and then you start the head turning...you'll be surprised at how much more around you becomes visible in your peripheral vision by moving your head even a little bit.
Laws of motion
"A body in motion tends to stay in motion", to paraphrase Newton. When an opponent in front of you moves in to attack, try to stay aware of where their hips are. Your opponent can move their torso and limbs all sorts of ways to try a feint or to fake you out, but once they commit their hips to moving in a specific direction, the rest of them has to follow. (If you're facing someone who is good enough to hip fake, you're outclassed anyway.) One key to survival in a fight can be summed up in four words: "Get off the line". By staying aware of where their hips are going, you can get "off the line". That is, not be where their body weight is headed. Don't expect to avoid taking blows this way, you're still going to get hit, but if you're even a little bit out of the direct line of their movement, the blow is going to do less damage.
One the flip-side of this, don't let yourself fall prey to the same principle. Don't charge in toward an opponent. If you have to take more than two steps to reach them, don't. Let them come to you. It's a lot harder for them to redirect their momentum than it will be for you to start yours.
Stay bouncy
Don't lead with your body weight, especially not your upper torso (that's a good way to get your ass knocked down). Your feet aren't there to catch your weight when you lumber about. When moving, your foot should be at its destination before you put any substantial weight on it. This will keep you on balance, and give you more opportunity to change your footing if you encounter an obstacle.
Protect the jewels
If you know that you are going to be somewhere that there is a very high chance that you will get in a fight, go prepared...wear a cup. Getting a knee in the crotch with a cup on is still going to hurt like a mo-fo, but if you're not protected, the fight is over at that point. A cup also completely negates your opponent's ability to go for the "nut grab". I'd recommend looking for a cup that is more ergonomically shaped than the cheapo triangle ones they sell in the sporting goods section of your local department store. Find a sporting goods store and take a look at their selection. I don't fight much, but I do play some football and basketball with friends who can get a little rough when tackling or driving for the board, and I can tell you first hand that those triangle ones are damn uncomfortable when you take a hit. Also, the cheap ones have been known to shatter when they take a really hard hit...which is Very Not Good®. I picked up a "Nutty Buddy", which works great. Check nuttybuddy.com for em. No, I'm not affiliated with the company or trying to plug em...they just happen to do their job very well...and something like that could mean the difference between waking up the next morning really sore, or waking up in the hospital with a ruptured testicle.
Sharp things
If you are facing someone that has a knife, watch how they hold the knife. If they are gripping it lightly, blade up, and holding it somewhat close to their body with their elbows in, get the hell out of there now...they likely know how to use a knife in a fight and you're in no small amount of danger.
If you absolutely cannot get away from the fight, make damn sure that you protect your vitals at any cost. Even a severed tendon in your arm is better than bleeding to death from a stab wound in the gut. When facing a knife, completely and utterly ignore the "stepping into the blow" tactic. A knife doesn't need anywhere near as much momentum to severely injure or kill you, so you want that blade to stay as far away from you as possible. The "get off the line" concept is incredibly important here. A cut wound is usually better than a stab wound, so getting off the direct line of attack is paramount.
The most dangerous places to get stabbed are going to be the immediately obvious ones, neck, gut and face, but one of the worst, mostly because it's the least obvious to a lot of people, is your upper leg. Your femoral artery runs along the inside of your thigh. If it is severed (and you don't happen to be fighting in a hospital ER ;)), you are going to bleed to death.
The comments about this article are so miguided.
This advice comes from David Letterman's Mom (really), "In a bar fight go for the legs -- man can't walk, man can't fight"
Not sure who was talking about putting your strong foot back. It's weird because I'm left handed yet my right leg is my strong leg. So really I would fight with my strong hand forward to jab with and my weak hand back for power punches. I am no expert but when I learned to fight I learned left handed so I can switch stances but I'm not really sure which one feels more comfortable. I definitely feel more comfortable kicking with my right leg though so I guess I'll just have to live with a strong jab and work on my right hand.
Hmmm, I read this because i'm bored at work. Nothing new but i'm not actually trained in the MA or anything I have used HIGH kicks (Not just low kicks) in brawls before. However I do walk around kicking all day..so...yeah i'm weird. And yes, when it fails it fails hard.
About "stomping" and not kicking a lying person - you are 100% correct with that if you don't have good boots. Big with metal and so on. But in most cases stoping is better. Very true. My mistake, forgot that it was complete beginners guide in that aspect.
1) Don't get drunk in a bar. It's that simple. Have a beer or two, and enjoy yourself, but don't get DRUNK. Most instigators are shitfaced, and being sober is the best advantage you can have.
2) Buy a nice pair of steel-toed running shoes that don't look steel-toed. A nice snap kick to the shin or ankle can drop your opponent.
3) If you need to be in a rough area, carry a pool cue in a case that can be opened very quickly. Stash a chalk or two in your pockets as cover..."Gee Officer, I'm not armed, I just like 9-ball."
4) My sensei once told me, "There will come a time when you KNOW that a fight is coming. This is the time to attack." Don't allow your opponent to get the wind in his sails...take the initiative while he's still blustering and building up his courage.
5) Remember, nobody wins a fight. My sensei once said, "If I knock out two of your teeth, and you knock out three of mine, does that mean you have won?" Get it over with and get the hell out, fast.
6) There's no such thing as dirty fighting. A friend was grabbed from behind, he slid his hand into the guys pants, grabbed the guy's balls, bent his legs and drove his hand toward the floor. As the guys knees buckled, my friend then straightened his legs and ripped his hand upwards. Fight was over.
Who Dares, Wins --- motto of the SAS
TKD for years and years and can do all the fancy kicks, out of all that training I would only kick to the groin, as soon as it was open and as hard as I could.
Just buy a 45 acp or something. shoot to kill, not to wound.
not bad!thanx!!!..theirs this one thing i wanted to noe...i have fights with my brother...and smtimes they turn into physical ones...am i allowed to hit him in the balls?
I love all the comments about guns and shooting people. Those people will certainly need to know the backwards headbutt when their cell mate is poking their rectum in prison.
I'm not a fighter but always figured the best place for the first punch is the other guys throat. I don't see anyone mentioning this though. Why? Not effective or too easy to kill someone?
Effective and very easy to kill someone, there are small bones and bits of cartalige in the throat if they're crushed then the only way to survive is a trachiotomey. I'd aim for the nose first it's easier to hit then the throat and if it dosn't break you'll still water his eyes, which'll give you enough time to get away.
Excellent guide overall. Most of the above criticism are hollow, many obviously from people who've never been in a fight.
I disagree on just one point. If you're being attacked by multiple people, and you don't have a weapon, getting backed into a corner is not a good idea. If you stay in a corner, they'll have time to organize and come at you at once, preventing you from lining them up such that you can dispose of them one at a time. Furthermore, you'll have a low chance of escape.
The key here is to continually move forward, giving the illusion that you are in control of the fight. It increases the chances of you getting an opening to get away.
The risk is, if you can't move through your opponents, you'll get caught and they'll get you from behind. But if you stay in a corner, they're going to get you anyway unless you have a hook like Foreman, in which case you would not need this guide.
Lots of interesting stuff, I could have the lot of you.
All I can add, ney agree with, is the head but rules. No-one expects it and a gentle nod into the bridge of their nose is superb, sound effects too. They dont want to know after that.
aigght. No guns in our country so cant do that one.
As a former martial arts instructor who had a bit of a rough past, let me offer this:
1. Never, EVER back into a corner. Yes, others have already said it, but this cannot be overstated. If your back is against the wall, you've got very few options. And if you're in a corner, you only have one way to move, and that's forward. No one, no matter how experienced they might be, should expect to be able to move directly past their opponent without the serious risk of getting hit.
2. Always connect with the knuckles of your index and middle fingers. They are by far stronger than your other knuckles, which will almost certainly break. The last man who managed to land a hit to my face made this very mistake. I got a bloody lip from that strike; his hand was in a cast the next day.
3. You can never be certain that you will win a fight. No matter how much experience or training you have, there will always be someone out there whose technique will defeat yours. And even if you are dealing with a completely untrained fighter, you still run the risk of losing; they can be the most dangerous of all.
4. If you're at a serious disadvantage (facing a much bigger/stronger opponent), by all means MAKE THE FIRST MOVE. Avoid the fight if you can; if you can't, break his nose while he is still working up his nerve.
5. RELAX. If you're tense, you will tire much quicker. Only tense up when a hit is imminent; if you're out of your opponent's range (and can't simply escape), let your muscles relax. Many people will instinctively tense every muscle in their body throughout a fight, some so hard that they physically shake. This is going to wear you out more quickly than throwing punches.
6. Don't strike at the throat unless you are prepared to deal with the consequences of a dead opponent.
7. It really is true; no matter who you are, avoiding the fight is always best.
Just so all of you real men out there who like to carry a gun around with you. You're all a bunch of pussy's. And when you go up on that murder or manslaughter charge, you aren't going to have a gun on you in the big house, and you'll not only regret carrying a gun on you and getting yourself put into stir, you'll also regret not getting any practice with real fighting when the other inmates want to turn you into their bitch.
Carrying a gun does not make you strong or a good fighter. It gets you into serious trouble and keeps you weak and dependent on it for your personal defense. Do yourselves a favour and man up. And do everyone else a favour and stop trying to sound tough talking about guns. Any pussy can pick one up and become a killer. It takes a real man to go toe to toe with someone.
I have had lots of fighting experience and have found over many years that most fights are one before they start you cant make some one who is not a fighter a fighter if they don’t have it in them
I agree its confidence
The hardest guy to beat is the guy that doesn’t no he’s beaten
It’s not the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog
That decides who wins
Let's see now - fight like a hockey player - - duh, do you mean I should wear a helmet and never get hit??
And Johnlancia: In my state, we have a "Right of Defense" law that says I have the basic right to protect myself, my family and my property. What that means is that if I feel threatened I have the right to defend myself with a gun and no charges will be filed against me. Google it, this is Florida, not California. Other states have followed suit, too.
Now, for just a bit of humor:
Marine Corps Rules for Gun Fighting
1. Bring a gun. Preferably, bring at least two guns. Bring all of your friends who have guns.
2. Anything worth shooting is worth shooting twice. Ammo is cheap. Life is expensive.
3. Only hits count. The only thing worse than a miss is a slow miss.
4. If your shooting stance is good, you're probably not moving fast enough nor using cover correctly.
5. Move away from your attacker. Distance is your friend. (Lateral and diagonal movement are preferred.)
6. If you can choose what to bring to a gunfight, bring a long gun and a friend with a long gun.
7. In ten years nobody will remember the details of caliber, stance, or tactics. They will only remember who lived.
8. If you are not shooting, you should be communicating, reloading, and running.
9. Accuracy is relative: most combat shooting standards will be more dependent on "pucker factor" than the inherent accuracy of the gun.
10. Someday someone may kill you with your own gun, but they should have to beat you to death with it because it is empty.
11. Always cheat; always win. The only unfair fight is the one you lose.
12. Have a plan.
13. Have a back-up plan, because the first one won't work.
14. Use cover or concealment as much as possible.
15. Flank your adversary when possible. Protect yours.
16. Don't drop your guard.
17. Always tactical load and threat scan 360 degrees.
18. Watch their hands. Hands kill. In God we trust. Everyone else, keep your hands where I can see them.
19. Decide to be aggressive ENOUGH, quickly ENOUGH.
20. The faster you finish the fight, the less shot you will get.
21. Be polite. Be professional. But, have a plan to kill everyone you meet.
22. Be courteous to everyone, friendly to no one.
23. Your number one option for personal security is a lifelong commitment to avoidance, deterrence, and de-escalation.
24. Do not attend a gunfight with a handgun, the caliber of which does not start with a "4."
Navy Rules for Gun fighting:
1. Go to Sea
2. Drink coffee
3. Send in the Marines to do your fighting for you.
Now, I happen to be a retired sailor and I just love the Marine Corps. So if I use a gun to end a fight, someone can still call me a pussy, but I'll be the pussy standing up and not bleeding, unlike the other pussy on the floor. And I won't go to jail for it because my state protects those who are forced to take drastic action to protect their own life. What it boils down to is that if I am threatened by someone, I have no way of knowing if they intend to just hurt me a little bit or a lot or just kill me. Like it says above, go strong early.
Each and every one of those rules for gun fighting can be applied to fisticuffs, every one of them. They apply directly to the gist of this article.
Guns are good. Life is good.
Signed,
A living pussy
Let's see now - fight like a hockey player - - duh, do you mean I should wear a helmet and never get hit??
And Johnlancia: In my state, we have a "Right of Defense" law that says I have the basic right to protect myself, my family and my property. What that means is that if I feel threatened I have the right to defend myself with a gun and no charges will be filed against me. Look in up, this is Florida, not California. Other states have followed suit, too.
Now, for just a bit of humor:
Marine Corps Rules for Gun Fighting
1. Bring a gun. Preferably, bring at least two guns. Bring all of your friends who have guns.
2. Anything worth shooting is worth shooting twice. Ammo is cheap. Life is expensive.
3. Only hits count. The only thing worse than a miss is a slow miss.
4. If your shooting stance is good, you're probably not moving fast enough nor using cover correctly.
5. Move away from your attacker. Distance is your friend. (Lateral and diagonal movement are preferred.)
6. If you can choose what to bring to a gunfight, bring a long gun and a friend with a long gun.
7. In ten years nobody will remember the details of caliber, stance, or tactics. They will only remember who lived.
8. If you are not shooting, you should be communicating, reloading, and running.
9. Accuracy is relative: most combat shooting standards will be more dependent on "pucker factor" than the inherent accuracy of the gun.
10. Someday someone may kill you with your own gun, but they should have to beat you to death with it because it is empty.
11. Always cheat; always win. The only unfair fight is the one you lose.
12. Have a plan.
13. Have a back-up plan, because the first one won't work.
14. Use cover or concealment as much as possible.
15. Flank your adversary when possible. Protect yours.
16. Don't drop your guard.
17. Always tactical load and threat scan 360 degrees.
18. Watch their hands. Hands kill. In God we trust. Everyone else, keep your hands where I can see them.
19. Decide to be aggressive ENOUGH, quickly ENOUGH.
20. The faster you finish the fight, the less shot you will get.
21. Be polite. Be professional. But, have a plan to kill everyone you meet.
22. Be courteous to everyone, friendly to no one.
23. Your number one option for personal security is a lifelong commitment to avoidance, deterrence, and de-escalation.
24. Do not attend a gunfight with a handgun, the caliber of which does not start with a "4."
Navy Rules for Gun fighting:
1. Go to Sea
2. Send the Marines
3. Drink Coffee
Now, I happen to be a retired sailor and I just love the Marine Corps. So if I use a gun to end a fight, someone can still call me a pussy, but I'll be the pussy standing up and not bleeding, unlike the other pussy on the floor. And I won't go to jail for it because my state protects those who are forced to take drastic action to protect their own life. What it boils down to is that if I am threatened by someone, I have no way of knowing if they intend to just hurt me a little bit or a lot or just kill me. Like it says above, go strong early.
Each and every one of those rules for gun fighting can be applied to fisticuffs, every one of them. They apply directly to the gist of this article.
Guns are good. Life is good.
Signed,
A living pussy
Admins: I somehow got my comments posted twice. Please delete one of them.
Thanks,
Bogie
IF YOU'VE NEVER FOUGHT BEFORE:
2 issues
1.
The first time you do damage to someone you'll be tempted to pause/stop. DON'T. Make SURE the person is no longer a threat before letting up.
2.
Don't underestimate how much you can hurt yourself trying to strike someone. Hitting someone in the skull is like punching a bowling ball.
Nice article, I would also like to suggest to check out some video tutorials on this subject, a picture is better than a thousand words, and video is even better of course.
Go to: http://www.expertvillage.com
and do a search on BJJ (Brazilian Jujutsu) and Krav Maga.
Afterwards search for MMA, UFC and Pride FC on YouTube and you're done :)
Right of defense, blah blah, protect my family and my property, blah blah blah...
Give it a rest Gramps, you can vote republican on election day. My comments were for the people saying that they'd bring a gun to a fist fight. WTF is up with that?
Anyway, its a good thing all you honest citizens own guns to protect yourself from all those dishonest citizens who also own guns. Too bad those right of defence laws can't tell the good guys from the bad guys, now everyone has guns. Hey, maybe if none of you owned guns and had to come out from behind your loaded dick replacements, then the USA might not have the worlds highest murder rate. It's a lot harder to murder someone with an honest punch after all. What's that? The worlds highest murder rate you say? Good thing all the honest citizens own guns then. Oh wait, we already covered this part.
Hey, John, Chill, man. This is an interesting post. My comments were intended to be humorous - maybe you don't have a sense of ha-ha.
My apologies. That is, I'm sorry you don't have a sense of ha-ha - it must have disappeared when you went to prison, and you have never had your "rights" restored, so the next thing you'll tell us is that you can kill a man seven ways from Sunday. Good for you.
This article was not intended for you, if that be the case. It was intended for us who have never been in a fist fight, we're fat, old, soft, and scared as hell to have a heart attack. So, please, sit down and STFU.
Thank you very much,
LOL
God made men...and Sam Colt made them equal
This.
For John
Please check your facts on murder rates. The U.S. is not the number 1 or even in the top ten. Plus the murder rates in this country tend to be the highest in the states and cities with the most restrictive gun laws. I am in no way in favor of violence, whether by fist or firearm. As someone with a herniated disc and limited movement, being faced by an aggressor that I can't avoid leaves me with limited options. As a licensed gun owner for nearly 20 years I have yet had to use one, but I have the ability to protect myself.
Cool article. I was lucky enough to have a dad who boxed, so he taught my brother and I to fight when we were old enough to throw a punch. I think the best advice is to Throw the First Punch. Look, you know when you are about to get into a fight. When someone steps inside your "zone" you have to let it fly. Plus, assuming you are not the aggressor, you will likely have the law on your side. Assuming you know how to throw your hands properly, doing this can often even help you to avoid a fight altogether; One punch ain't no fight. If you do get into a proper fist fight, use your jab. The jab is the most underused/most effective punches in a street fight simply because no one uses them correctly, if at all. (If you're not sure you know how to throw a jab correctly, heres how you can tell: [for a righty] stand with your left shoulder against the wall and throw your jab with your left hand. If your elbow hits the wall, you are NOT throwing it correctly) Watch most street fights, and its usually a couple cats trying to throw hay makers; a combo with a lead jab drastically increases the probability that your following punch will not only connect, but also helps ensure it will bring the devastation you hope for. If you've never knocked someone out before, you'd be surprised how easy it is. After you knock him out, bounce. Cops come quick. Easy.
Yes, yes, lots of insults mixed with jokes and emoticons to hide behind. Just what I'd expect from someone who thinks that hiding behind a gun is the way to go. Congratulations Bogie, you've shown yourself to be exactly what I thought you are. With your cutsie LOL's and pretenses at humour. Killing another human or going to prison isn't something to be talked about lightly and they're not something that I would ever want to do. So you chill out man, and stop talking smack. You're using the internet like you use your gun. To hide behind.
As for who this post is for, it seems to me that its for people who want to discuss street fighting. Not jack asses who admit they've never been in a real fight and go on about how they need a gun to hack it in the world.
What really bothers me about all of this gun nonsense is that when I was younger and had a penchant for all things rough, you used to be able to go out and count on getting into a good brawl with a bunch of like minded bastards. Now, you never know what the little shit who shoots his mouth off at you is going to do. Is he just an idiot ready for an ass beating, or does the wimpy little creep have a gun or knife on him giving him all that courage. Makes me sick. Guns aren't an equalizer, they're pretend balls for bitches. Just my opinion though Bogie et al. All in good fun after all.
Well anonymous, even though I have been told that this post is not meant for me by bogie who admits to never being in a fight. I once again find myself having to defend myself against a gun 'enthusiast', on a posting that addresses what to do in a fist fight.
As for the USA's murder rate, this is of course always shown as relatively low because they never count the war fatalities. Between a hundred thousand and one million in Iraq alone at the hands of US soldiers and private security contractors. Not to mention all the other US fomented conflicts raging all over the world. But this is not the place for that discussion, so try as you might I won't comment on this subject any further. The floor is yours alone.
what a bunch of rubbish.
This should be a must read guide in the Jerry Springer green room.
Aye, leery of article on fighting that has a section titled "final thoughts"...
im a disabled army veteran, X 5th group and wanted to say to you other soldiers out there, thgat we are heald to a different standard depending on training. I have no use of my left arm, carry concealed .45, and the situation i never wanted to come up did. Some jerk slapping the crap out of his year old and i stopped him. hes drunk and pissed and i thought he would just go away but he pulled a knife i pulled a pistol,he came anyway, i didnt want to kill him in front of his child, so i tossed the pistol under a car, he cut me bad twice, i took it away, and cut him twice, put him on the ground with a smack to the throat. Then i broke his knee leg and forearm. Even though i didnt kill him, because of my training i was told i should have avoided the altercation. i got 2 weeks in jail. so its different if youve got training be careful guys you dont want to go to prison
If someone comes at you with a knife and no chairs or other suitable objects, like a club, are handy, use your belt (and hope your pants don't fall down). If you are wearing one with a heavy buckle so much the better.
If there is a chair handy, hold it by the bottom of the back rest and use the legs to jab. It is better than swinging it.
My father gave me two very good pieces of advice: 1. Never lease a car when you can buy it. and 2. Don't get into a fight with someone who is older than you. Age and deception always win out over youth and strength. And an old man has lived his life already; when the time comes, he will have no qualms about taking your life, if necessary.
Retired Coast Guard with many years in the Straits ... although we carry guns, generally it's frowned upon to shoot Haitians and Cubans during Migrant Interdiction Ops. That said, these guys have a certain level of anxiety when we round them up, a desperation that kinda transcends the motivation of a bar drunk.
Since they're prepared to either get away from you, or drown in the process, it can be tough. You need to control them, control the situation, don't escalate it to others, defuse if possible, plus ultimately, accept responsibility for their well-being while in custody. All this ain't easy ...
Now, superior numbers are great, but as Coasties, hardly practical. It helps to convince them you're Billy Badass, and you have no compunction towards just killing them and dumping the bodies. In the end, tho, man-on-man, you have to ratchet up your aggression A LOT. Then use whatever they give you against them.
If it's one arm out, use speed and forward momentum to gain control of it, and take them to ground. Sometimes, not often, they will try a kick. Just be prepared for it, and again, your forward momentum to take them to ground. Those, to me, are the elements of gaining the upper hand - aggression and your forward momentum.
Never, in all that time, did I walk into a punch. Nearly always, it came in form of a "push-off", that you can shrug to one side. I believe that the forward movement negates the timing and placement of punching.
The only danger I expected might come from somebody prepared for my charge, and able to turn it against me in a "judo" fashion. Again, taking control of one limb pretty much negated the full implementation of any "move".
Finally, the thing that bothered me was scratches from filthy nails, open wounds from falling to the deck and possibly getting bitten. Never got bit, tho ...
everything in this article is bull.
everything in the comments are bull.
the only way to learn how to fight is to fight.
1. Stop talking and stare,this can be unnerving to an amateur and a pro will recognize it as trouble.
2, Pace yourself,figure the fight will last 20 minutes. It won't. A lot of guys panic after two minutes or less.
3. Don't stop,unless you get the chance to run. Remember, you didn't start this.
4.Never miss the opportunity for a head or face shot.
I've been practicing martial arts for about 15 years so far in a pretty amateurish way. I must say this guide is really good and sensible - much better than any other I've seen.
Minor things I'd disagree - I think low kicks should be encouraged (if in shoes, kicking shins, sweeping of the ground and kicking at knees) rather than forbidden.
Also, when brawling, going for the eyes is a good way to get free. One could also add that an elbow of the stronger arm can be used to protect the corpus.
Good sociotechnique is to hold arms high before the fight starts (as if surrending) because it, in fact, is easy to take a guard.
But all in all - chapeau bas, really good job!
Word of advice: Don't bite. You're just leaving yourself open. Odds are your opponent won't even feel it until later. I had a guy bite me in the wrist while we were fighting, I just beat him with the other hand until he let go. Because of the adrenaline I didn't feel it (or my broken hand) until the fight was over.
Also, I wouldn't want someone else's blood in my mouth.
Excellent article, interesting comments. I think it's different if you're a guy, us girls have it a lot harder going into a fight.
1. If it's against a guy, social conditioning means that if he's shaping up to fight you, he really doesn't give a damn about hurting you because you're a girl, and he's also going to be overly confident. Use that to your advantage - as has been suggested numerous times, take the aggressor role decisively and quickly, it will put him off balance and give you a chance to run away.
2. If it's against another woman, chances are it's going to get really nasty really quick - most women don't fight with fists, they slap, pull hair and scratch. Punching them hard in the face will give you a good chance of running away.
A good trick if you get the opening and your opponent is wearing a collared shirt, cross your wrists and grab hold of his collar on each side, then bend your wrists towards you - this will compress the back of your fists into each side of his throat and because you have hold of his shirt he won't be able to pull away, plus it gives you leverage for greater force. This doesn't choke so much as it cuts off blood flow to the head, let go when his eyes roll back into his head and he starts to topple or you will kill him and that is bad. The point is just to black him out with minimal damage to yourself, giving yourself a chance to run away.
Also, if you happen to get into a fight in a bar, and it seems like a good idea to pick up a glass and smash it into someones face, don't. If you really have to though, hold it with the base of the glass (ie the strongest part) against your palm and fingers down the sides, as it connects with the other person open your fingers out flat and keep driving with your palm, this will make it a lot less likely to cut you when it breaks, which it will, and if you're holding the glass the same way you would if you were about to have a sip you will almost certainly end up with shards of glass in your hand, disabling you as much as your opponent. But try to run away before it gets to the glassing stage.
for the most part, i agree with most of what was said ... but i would also add that the whole, 'winning at all costs' mentality should only be exercised if attacked or when defending oneself (unless mutually agreed that it will be a clean/fair fight in advance).
if, on the other hand, buddy comes at you clean and you have no desire to fight, then i say, do whatever is necessary to put him down. but i don't subscribe to grabbing something to defend yourself during a mutual fight just because you're losing. i say either take it on the chin or take a knee.
to add to my comments above ^, after reading some of joe's supplements, i now see that he's since made my concerns pretty clear:
http://www.joethepeacock.com/2008/01/fist-fighting-2nd-and-final-followup.php
specifically, "the intention of all that followed was to give advice on what to do if [fleeing] was not an option"
all-in-all, a good article!
One more thing from a former bouncer, for all aspiring bouncers:
The best weapon in my arsenal was threatening to have the bar cut them off, if I hadn't already been instructed to throw them out. Seriously. Non-threatening, matter-of-fact: "If you don't cool it, I'm afraid I'm going to have to have the bar cut you off."
I seriously believe it defused many possibly bad situations, especially since some of the time it made the person actually realize that they were acting like drunken assholes.
They really didn't want to spend the rest of the night as sober assholes.
i only disagree with two things. fighting stance is not always your strong side forward. in boxing and MMA its the opposite. second, if your fighting a group, dont get into a corner. thats where you will get left.
Never underestimate the effectiveness of a kick to the groin. Just my two cents.
If u want 2 really devestate an opponent that has u in a grapple from the front; grab them around the waist and drive ur head into their chest just under their chin, then lift them by the waist and pull towards you while driving foward with your head and drop to the ground. This will cause them to smack the back of their head on the ground with full force as ur head will prevent them pulling their head foward. DO NOT PERFORM IF THEY WILL LAND ON A CONCRETE SURFACE, IT WILL CAUSE SEVERE HEAD INJURY AND POSSIBLY DEATH.
lol what a crock of garbage
if you don't know how to hit you better learn self defense is always a must unless you enjoy the hospital first off no such thing as a fair fight one opponent always has an advantage reguardless of size i have seen
guys five feet tall beat the hell right out of guys that were six feet plus. i myself am six feet six and weigh 300lbs and have been involed in some 300 plus fights
never been taken off my feet and never been to the hospital as a result of a fight . i have however had both my eyes closed and my nose has been broken 14 times getting hit does not hurt that bad unless it is by a car or bus or you are just a woman
i rather enjoy pain and have learned to tolerate it very well
in short the old saying the bigger they are the harder they fall is bull and i have had more than one person say that to me the last one wound up with two broken arms 9 broken ribs a broken leg and a severe concussion all with just my two fists all you people who need weapons to fight are gutless cowars and deserve what you get
PULL OUT YOUR HUGE FUCKING PENIS AND PUMMEL HIM TO DEATH WITH IT
there are a lot of good tips both in youre article and comments below it,but they are to much.if youre just fighting in the school yard or in a bar for example u should keep in mind just a few tips,that is if youre not an experienced fighter looking to improve yourself.the best tips are to hit first and as much as possible thus not leaving your opponent enough time to strike back,expect pain and know how to finish the fight,cause you can fight for hours,if you just dont know how to put him on the ground knowing he wont come back up or making him run.other the that u should just be confident.half of the fights are won before they even begin.and as a last tip,u should never run only if your facing a serious situation like multiple enemies with weapons etc.cause if u fight,it doesnt really matter if u win or lose cause u will still get respect for ure courage if u allways stay proud.
I heard that in a fight against a group of people that the ones you have to be careful of are the small guys- having being picked on most their lives they will have learned a fair bit about fighting and are to be careful of.
However, a distinct psychological advantage can be gained by trying to take out the biggest guy there, reliant on his size he will not be as skilled at fighting as the little ones and you may put some people off the fight if you have just taken him out.
Is this correct or what?
Joe I am very happy to have stumbled unto your site, my son has been bullied most of his years in school for being the petite little guy that he is he is 13 years and so far faculty at school including the principle have not helped us resolve the ongoing situation. Well, I let my son read some of your pointers and I am happy to report the bullying has stopped. Thank you so much. Keep up the advice.
Good job, Joe.
You've made an informative article about a necessary evil, without glorifying it, or yourself.
It's a fine line to walk, and you did good.
2 step self defense course
Step 1: Don't get hit in the face.
Step 2: Hit someone in the face.
In the words of my former kickboxing teacher Jim Harrison (#4 inductee to karate hall of fame and US martial arts pioneer), if you are ever in a bar fight:
1) Use furniture if possible - bar stools, beer glasses, whatever.
2) If you can run, do it. Try to create an opportunity to run in the fight if you can.
3) if you have to fight, try to kill. People are hard to kill w/ bare hands, and most people will back away from someone fully prepared to kill to defend themselves. Street fights are no joke - do whatever you have to do. This sounds harsh and overly dramatic, I know, but it is absolutely true.
Also, never kick unless you're trained, and only kick low, even if you are trained (knees, ankles, sweeps) (are you listening, taikwando guys?). Use open hands to the head so to avoid breaking your hands, use knees and elbows in close, keep your center of gravity low when in close in order to keep your balance, and most important - aim low! crush the knee, the foot, grab the balls and squeeze. Choke if you can. Break fingers, hook the nose/mouth/eyes and try to tear the skin. Yank hair and rip at ears. Bite hard - try to take out chunks. Whatever you do, do not try to fight fair - there is no fair street fight.
Most importantly, be confident (as suggested by the author of this piece). The average alpha bully wants to intimidate you. If you stay calm and confident, chances are, no one will mess with you.
My 2 cents.
One thing that the author touched on should be explored more.
Breathing.
Unless your opponent has been training for fights (why the hell your fighting a trained person) he is running out of air.
As your fighting, consciously command your intake of air. It's a mental process and it takes a degree of control to do because the adrenaline your releasing is burning through your oxygen quicker than you know. You have to control it or you will lose strength fast.
If your not clinching or grappling, and your exchanging blows, keeping him off balance, counter punching as he opens the distance and watch his GULP. Once that gulping starts, you have won the fight. Increase the tempo like you have just got your second wind.
I have fought several times with opponents that were stronger and quicker. Had they been trained to breath correctly they would have easily killed me. Fortunately they had not so it took a long time for them to kill me. Just kidding, each time as soon as they started to gulp air I was able to take them down (That's where they want to be at that point)and quickly get a dominant hold.
If they can't breath. they can't fight. Watch when they begin to gulp and gasp for more air and then kick up your attack. All the while calm your mind and focus on air for yourself.
Last thing, if you choke someone out. Don't leave until you see he is coming around. His brain has received an injury. You have forced him into unconsciousness. He is not jumping back up like Freddy Kruger. He is going to have a difficult time getting his feet back under him. You have won the fight. Don't risk the idiot getting halfway up and losing his balance and breaking his neck.
Once his wits are mostly back you can walk off the victor. If it seems that he wants another round feel free to jump on him while he is shaky and remind him why he is in that condition.
Good guide. Straight forward and realistic. Another poster said this:
"Watch any sport fighting and you will never see a good fighter put their strong side up front..."
Bruce Lee would be a good example of a fighter who puts his strong foot forward. This is because he believes you should have your strong hand in front because the front hand is going to score most of the hits so you want it to be your strongest weapon. And having strong hand forward but strong foot back would be really uncomfortable and ineffective. So according to Bruce, its strong hand forward and strong foot forward.
practice with your friends regularly
- benjamin koshkin - http://www.benkoshkin.info
Thanks for a well written and entertaining article. And many of the comments also made me laugh.
And I know these do not apply, but I could not resist.
The Rules of Fight Club.
1. You don't talk about fight club.
2. You don't talk about fight club.
3. When someone says stop, or goes limp, even if he's just faking it, the fight is over.
4. Only two guys to a fight.
5. One fight at a time.
6. They fight without shirts or shoes.
7. The fights go on as long as they have to.
8. If this is your first night at fight club, you have to fight.
Very nicely written and well done! Entertaining and useful! Regardless of what others say, as you mentioned if you know how to fight, this will not apply to you, but to the person who doesn't very helpful!
ood advice, but the first time I stepped in the ring, it was after training fr 3 months. Yeah, I could do things with pretty good form, but nothing prepares you for the real thing. The most important part of this blog post is the part about YOU WILL GET HIT.
A couple of items from personal experience.
Once in Kung Fu class, I got carried away sparring with an instructor. I had him off the ground in a cradle hold and he had me in a headlock. I was going to bodyslam him to the floor. As we were going down, he rotated his body away from me. Since his arm was still around my head, my head hit the floor first under the full weight of both of us. The flooring was only industrial grade carpet with little if any padding under it. I felt very fortunate not to have sustained a major concussion or fracture out of that. If it had been a bar fight and not a classroom, I would have been done for. The lesson: if your oponent has you off the ground, get hold of him, preferably by the head, and don't let go. If he tries to drop or throw you, he'll go down with you and just maybe he'll get the worse end of it in the fall.
Also, once as a college freshman, a larger and much stronger football player (and former high school wrestler) who lived across the hall in the dorm wanted to show me that Kung Fu ws no good. After tearing my shirt in a take down and cranking my neck over so that my ear nearly touched my shoulder, I grabbed him by the ball sack and told him to get the F*** off me. He did and never touched me again. Goes to what the article was saying about gaining respect from your opponent. :-) Also, when grappling, you can send a strong message by grabbing the more sensitive parts of your opponent's anatomy: balls, ears, hair, etc. Just make sure to use your other hand/arm to protect yourself. Also, a finger or thumb to the front of the neck can be pretty effective too.
For the gun people: first carrying a gun into any establishment that serves alcohol is at least a class A misdemeanor in almost all 50 states. Even in states with concealed or open carry permit laws, all they have to do is post a sign. If you ever get the chance to draw it, you've now reached the big leagues as in assault with a deadly weapon, even if you just use it as a threat, and it only gets worse from there. The latter pretty much guaruntees jail time where you will get to fight for your life everyday, without your gun.
Interesting article, first off you only get into an altercation if absolutely necessary. You may have noticed I didn’t say fight, this is simply because on the street its not MMA, WWE or a martial arts tournament.
You are not there to trade punches, you’re defending yourself. Your goal is to disable your opponent as quickly as possible.
Showing you are not scared is paramount since most people who attempt to bully someone are cowards at heart. If they see that you are not intimated they usually think twice.
Now that being said, the best option is to try to talk the situation down. Odds are if you use some common sense and don't add fuel to the fire (Like telling someone you will kick their ass trying to be a bad ass and getting in their face) the person will back off.
Now depending on the situation your response will have to vary.
Check your surroundings! Possible weapons to use, or be used against you?
Size up your opponent or opponents, possible strengths and weakness?
Are you outdoors, or inside?
Are you out numbered? Untrained retreat – (the art of war)
Trained- and want to prove a point pick out the leader of the pack (toughest guy) and drop him quickly, the rest will back off usually.
If this is a bully situation he most likely has friends nearby, trying to show how tough he is. The door comment is notable if you are inside, more importantly is that you control the situation and keep your back facing a wall (staying around 5 feet away), enough room to escape if necessary.
Never let any one get behind you. In the best-case scenario if you were to start taking control (winning) his friends would get you from behind.
Bullies usually run in packs!
All the courage in the world will not save your ass if you are out numbered and your not prepared mentally (knowing what to do) and physically prepared.
Never stand toe to toe, this is not TV. If you are right handed stand with your right foot back from your front foot about two feet turned out slightly to the right with your knees slightly bent (don’t be standing still legged).
This will give you more stability, agility, and better punching power. More importantly it makes you a much smaller target for your opponent. Imagine you are looking at a target to shoot., now turn that target sideways. Not as easy to hit!
Trading punches is for fools, unless you are getting paid to entertain.
And if you haven’t trained for bare knuckle fighting you probably break your hand anyway. Then you will be dead meat!
If a guy is drunk he won’t feel shit anyway for the most part.
Go for vital areas throat, eyes, Stop him in the knee as hard as you can. Kick him in the family jewels. Once you have your man hurt, hurt him again as fast as possible, once on the attack don’t stop until he isn’t getting up.
Never ever let anyone grab on to you, break free quickly. Spin, turn, drop and roll, if you can punch him in the bicep. Try hitting your own bicep you will get the point!
Never ever end up on the ground unless you absolutely know this is a one on one situation. Always be in control of your surroundings!, if you end up there get up fast.
And never ever throw the first punch unless you are confronted with a weapon, unless you don’t care about going to jail, getting sued.
If you want to learn how to get in shape come visit my blog.
PUNCH THE THROAT! has never failed for me you may think its a bitch move but it works.
umm seriousy tho to the guy who said using a folding chair in a bar fight from a broken bottle or knife ugh why dont you break a bottle and have a broken bottle fight :D
This is great info, for all the ladies out there, here is some good info, This is off the subject but is self defense if you are not prepared.
A group of rapists and date rapists in prison were interviewed on what they look for in a potential victim and here are some interesting facts:
1) The first thing men look for in a potential victim is hairstyle. They are most likely to go after a woman with a ponytail, bun, braid or other hairstyle that can easily be grabbed. They are also likely to go after a woman with long hair. Women with short hair are not common targets.
2) The second thing men look for is clothing. They will look for women whose clothing is easy to remove quickly. Many of them carry scissors around specifically to cut clothing.
3) They also look for women on their cell phone,searching through their purse, or doing other activities while walking because they are off-guard and can be easily overpowered.
4) Men are most likely to attack & rape in the early morning, between 5:00 a.m.. and 8:30 a.m.
5) The number one place women are abducted from/attacked is grocery store parking lots . Number two: Are office parking lots/garages. Number three: Are public restrooms.
6) The thing about these men is that they are looking to grab a woman and quickly move her to another location where they don't have to worry about getting caught.
7) Only 2% said they carried weapons because rape carries a 3-5 year sentence but rape with a weapon is 15-20 years.
8) If you put up any kind of a fight at all, they get discouraged because it only takes a minute or two for them to realize that going after you isn't worth it because it will be time-consuming.
9) These men said they would not pick on women who have umbrellas, or other similar objects that can be used from a distance, in their hands.
Keys are not a deterrent because you have to get really close to the attacker to use them as a weapon. So, the idea is to convince these guys you're not worth it.
10) Several defense mechanisms he taught us are: If someone is following behind you on a street or in a garage or with you in an elevator or stairwell, look them in the face and ask them a question, like what time is it, or make general small talk: 'I can't believe it is so cold out here,' 'we're in for a bad winter.' Now you've seen their face and could identify them in a line-up; you lose appeal as a target.
11) If someone is coming toward you, hold out your hands in front of you and yell STOP or STAY BACK!Most of the rapists this man talked to said they'd leave a woman alone if she yelled or showed that she would not be afraid to fight back.
Again, they are looking for an EASY target.
12) If you carry pepper spray (this instructor was a huge advocate of it and carries it with him wherever he goes), yell I HAVE PEPPER SPRAY and holding it out will be a deterrent.
13) If someone grabs you, you can't beat them with strength but you can by outsmarting them. If you are grabbed around the waist from behind, pinch the attacker either under the arm (between the elbow and armpit) OR in the upper inner thigh VERY VERY HARD. One woman in a class this guy taught told him she used the underarm pinch on a guy who was trying to date rape her and was so upset she broke through the skin and tore out muscle strands - the guy needed stitches. Try pinching yourself in those places as hard as you can stand it - it hurts .
14) After the initial hit, always GO for the GROIN. I know from a particularly unfortunate experience that if you slap a guy's parts it is extremely painful . You might think that you'll anger the guy and make him want to hurt you more, but the thing these rapists told our instructor is that they want a woman who will not cause a lot of trouble. Start causing trouble and he's out of there.
15) When the guy puts his hands up to you, grab his first two fingers and bend them back as far as possible with as much pressure pushing down on them as possible . The instructor did it to me without using much pressure, and I ended up on my knees and both knuckles cracked audibly.
16) Of course the things we always hear still apply. Always be aware of your surroundings, take someone with you if you can and if you see any odd behavior,don't dismiss it, go with your instincts!!!
You may feel a little silly at the time, but you'd feel much worse if the guy really was trouble.
1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do: The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do!
2. Learned this from a tourist guide in New Orleans . If a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you....chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you, and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!
3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car, kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy. The driver won't see you, but everybody else will. This has saved lives.
4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping, eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc.) DON'T DO THIS! The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side, put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR, LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE.
a. If someone is in the car with a gun to your head DO NOT DRIVE OFF, repeat: DO NOT DRIVE OFF! Instead gun the engine and speed into anything, wrecking the car. Your Air Bag will save you. If the person is in the back seat they will get the worst of it. As soon as the car crashes bail out and run. It is better than having them find your body in a remote location.
5. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot or parking garage:
A.) Be aware: look around you, look into your car, at the passenger side floor, and in the back seat.
B.) If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.
C.) Look at the car parked on the driver's side of your vehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out.
IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)
6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. (Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot. This is especially true at NIGHT!)
7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control,ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times. And even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN, preferably in a zigzag pattern!
8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP! It may get you raped or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well-educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked 'for help' into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.
9. Another Safety Point: Someone just told me that her friend heard a crying baby on her porch the night before last, and she called the police because it was late and she thought it was weird. The police told her'Whatever you do, DO NOT open the door.'
The lady then said that it sounded like the baby had crawled near a window, and she was worried that it would crawl to the street and get run over. The policeman said, 'We already have a unit on the way, whatever you do, DO NOT open the door.' He told her that they think a serial killer has a baby's cry recorded and uses it to coax women out of their homes thinking that someone dropped off a baby. He said they have not verified it, but have had several calls by women saying that they hear baby's cries outside their doors when they're home alone at night.
Please pass this on and DO NOT open the door for a crying baby ----This
should be taken seriously because the Crying Baby theory was mentioned on America's Most Wanted this past Saturday when they profiled the serial killer in Louisiana.
Well said.
lol love the post. I agree with the impossible situations man... screw pride, I'm throwing low blows, cheap shots and sucker-punches; scratching faces and hurling stuff at their head. People think its embarrassing to fight dirty- It's embarrassing to lose.
Of course: run, negotiate, try anything to diffuse, even walk away politely (looking out corner of your eye), but sometimes you're stuck.
Take it to the ground:
A: suprise him(or her)
B: give you that critical edge of being in control, at least mentally for a spit second
C: minimize your opponents punches, because you're so close, and he/she is still kindof in shock that now your down to the ground.
D: headbutt, because heads are heavy and hard, and you can bite his nose, which will make you look like a madman, or a pussy, but at least you're not getting your ass kicked
Thank you! I wish I'd known this in junior high school.
I dont see how a good boy like me could win a fight. Simply because i have been sosialised into not hurting anybody. Wouldnt my non violence upbringing always make me slower simply because im thinking? I find it strange that nobody has talked about thinking. Isnt the first rule not to think, When u think thats when u loose? (Never been in a fight just stumbled upon the page)
Well now you've armed the legions. Pitty the few remaining drunken houligans little prepared for the barrage of jarringly straight fist-arrows to the nose.
I'm happy to say that the stance and attitude is all I've needed for a while. Cuz I don't know karate but I know carayzee!
This is the best article on this matter Ive come across. Gives sensible advice and goes to the point. I find this information very useful and realistic.
OTIS DRIFTWOOD SAYS:
Carry a nice 459 S&W 9mm.
a front kick to the groin or diaphragm is very effective especially if the attacker is comeing towards
Got a bad knee from twisting funny getting out of a tight place, so kicks are absolutely out of the question for me anyway. Not to mention I have poor balance already. Plus, if you plant your other foot when you kick, you can destroy your own knee. Cartilage never grows back as far as I know, folks.
And being a large female, intimidation is nice on one hand and bad in the other. I'm very glad I'm female and live in a rural area where fighting pretty much doesn't happen. I've never had to fight anybody--mostly because I'm a nice person. People will leave you alone, even if you are big, if you just talk nice. Be that awesome guy that everyone likes to hang out with, and you'll have little problem. Same with the girls. If someone is pickin' on you, hell, shock 'em with a compliment--no matter how much of an ass they're making of themselves! I've always thought the Element of Surprise was the best way to go, if I had to get into a fight. So give 'em a compliment, and then sock 'em good--but only if you have to. I don't even have to mention that the "hey, what's that?" won't work unless their drunk or lacking brain cells meant for Homo sapiens.
As for the gun-wielders: don't boast about lugging around a gun to protect yourself. You know what kind of people carry guns? GANG MEMBERS. And they're sorry excuses for human beings, since they try to initiate little kids into their gangs. I have a friend who lives near Philadelphia. She made a scarf with red and black in it for her fiance's brother. The kid's _8_, and he gets harassed at school, the other kid threatening him and asking him if he's a BLOOD. The Bloods and the Cribs still exist, guys. And pulling a gun in a fight is nothing short of signing a Death Certificate for either yourself or another human being. I'm a girl, and I know that.
Then again, saying all that, if you're looking here, then obviously you need info for fighting. This is definitely the article to read for that. Then again, also, if you're reading this, then you've already read it.
I am a very small person, thin, out of shape, and weak even for a female, so needless to say I hope I will never find myself in this kind of situation (I would probably get killed no matter what) - but in case it should happen, I am wondering about a few things --
~First, I am rather short, and live in Norway (where people are, on average, taller than in most other countries), so it is probably safe to assume that anyone i might have to fight would be considerably taller than me. How should this affect how I fight (if I have to)? For me, punching "head high" would mean hitting the opponent's chest...
~Secondly, what if anything can a slightly built (i.e. thin, presumably weak bones) person do to protect her-/himself from getting a broken arm while using it as a 'guard'?
~Any way to use my smaller size to my benefit? (sadly, "being faster" is pretty much out...)
This article has mixed implications... I hope everyone understands that there is no substitute for martial arts training or a self defense course. Your impossible situations area made me chuckle, because I -AM- the better trained one, and I've had to prove it.
Other than that, kicks are highly useful. Nothing above thigh level normally though... although a kick to the gut can send someone down like a rock.
"im gonna fuck this motherfucker up, right the fuck now!"......say this mentally in your head, take what you learned form this article and the comments and sock that bith in his nose. First.
and you should have the cat in the bag baby, works for me hahah... and if you dont know know you know.
Utilize ninja eye poke technique at all times
Wonderful read. teaches people like me (wimp in a fight) and probably some better fighters out there just how important fighting 'dirty' is. it can literally save your life!
i was once punched in the jaw while sat on a bus minding my own business.. what a tw@ !!
next time he'll have my fingers in his eye sockets and my knee thoroughly lodged in his b*llocks.
thank you for this article once again... :)
Regarding kicks, roundhouse kicks are easy to block and hard to throw without lots of training. Front kicks, however, are ridiculously underrated.
The kick I'm thinking of, you raise your knee and snap it to extension, just b4 your thigh is pointing at the guy's stomach, while driving the ball of your foot thru his solar plexus (imagine you have to kick the front of his tshirt thru to the back of his spine)
With a little practice, say a month of karate, you can generate huge power, and no one (other than a professional fighter) expects this kick, especially if you raise your fists and look him in the eye when you do it. People expect to get kicked in the balls or head, but the solar plexus kick is 100x more likely to work, and also is more likely to incapacitate an attacker (rather than just make them more angry) without killing them.
I always wonder abt the "don't use your fists" advice. Maybe I'm biased because I've trained in a lot of martial arts, but I think 90% of the time a palm heel from someone who doesn't know how to throw a punch (or how to fight) would just piss an attacker off and end in a broken nose....SO..
..Here's what you do instead:
A)Avoid the fight. If you don't know how to fight, why take the confrontation there, where the odds are stacked so high against you?
or
B)In a dire situation, like someone sexually assaulting you or your family members or w/e, make a fist around your key with the tip sticking straight out right under your knuckles, between your index and middle fingers. Then when you punch, just imagine you have to stab your key into a wall, only instead of a wall it's the would-be rapist's eyes, temples, cheek-bones, throat and ribs.
On a serious note, please don't ever do this if it's a fair fight.
A well-placed front kick to the solar plexus can kill easily, and should NEVER be used in a fight. The same goes for the throat and neck.
You shouldn't lock your fist until you actually contact them. Tires your muscles out. Keep your hands loose. I didn't read anything after the bullshit about a fist, so whatever.
I just stumbled across this archived article & it made me crack up. #1. I am a female. #2. My dad taught me the instep thing, jab for the windpipe, and that knees, elbows & heels are the strongest tools for fighting off an attacker as far back as I can remember. Imagine getting up for a glass of H20 and suddenly in a choke hold being asked "What are you gonna do now?"
I bring up these points because as demented as I thought my dad was growing up, I have to thank him time & again. When my son was a baby, I was staying at a friends home in the middle of nowhere overnight babysitting with the 2 babies in my bed. A neighbor broke in while I was asleep & tried to rape me. I kicked in his front teeth, knocked him through a closet door & the next day paid a visit to his home, with his wife there, with a group of friends in tow. More recently, I was in a bar when a man groped me & ran like a coward. I did warn the bartender that if he came near me again he was dead meat. After ripping my thumb nail off punching him in the face after he came after me on the dance floor (and yes the coward ran away a 2nd time!) several men strong-armed me from going after him. Third time's the charm, we passed in the hall, exchanged words, he made a wrong move so I had to embed one of my middle finger nails in the cornea of his eye! Granted, he should have been cut off, he accosted several other patrons- all female- & not one man did a darn thing about it! Even their boyfriends- and I probably should have just called the cops- but it was much more satisfying to inflict pain on someone who desperately needs to be taught a lesson.
We women may be the weaker sex but I was taught to defend myself as if I was in a fight to the death and there is NO SUCH THING AS A FAIR FIGHT. So I say again, THANK YOU DADDY!!! And I hope that all you guys out there teach your daughters that there may not be someone there to fight for them!
interesting stuff. time to go get in a fight! ;)
Carry A 45
This article was pretty good although i wouldn't really see it as a practicle guide to fighting (the only practical guide to fighting is to fight obv)although I would say it would defiently help anybody whos worried about their fighting capabilitys in that it would give you more preparation and more of a level head towards violence and build up a little bit of foundation confidence "in the ring". Thought it was well said and very down to earth, so fair play ,lets hope its inspired people to crack some skulls ;)
To the comments!
Right all this mental preparation and technique is pretty much useless for an amateur fighter, really. Once the shit hits the fan and the adrenalines going who the fuck is thinking "right strong foot forward, shuffle in circles, keep arm straight, maintain balance, posture and game face, wait what did bruce lee do again?"*CRACK*. What really happens when you're in a fight and don't know what you're doing is you almost completely loose your sense of self-awarness(unless a trained fighter and well conditioned to combat situations of course)due to,mostly, being un-accustomed to the intensely high levels of adrenaline and you're head then breaks down to work on a more primal level(the fight or flight response, but giving the context is about a 'no way out' situation flight isnt an option).Following your primals urges is really a better key to winning a fight. Most men seem to have developed a complex where he thinks he is something more than an animal, if a situation does turn nasty,(and with honour being no more than another word in the dictionary), thats what you have to shrug off. Anyone who has mentioned anything about scratching, biting and screaming is right on the mark. If you don't know how to throw a punch, don't. if you don't know to maneouvre, don't(it'll just give the victor something to laugh about after i.e 'that fruiter danced like a pansy')
If your not trained and someone else is,you'll loose.If you are smaller than someone else, you will more than likely loose infact pretty much if you havent fought before,you're going to loose especially if you try and fight like a pro would. A more instinctual form towards combat would be a better approach. If your opponent is racked with aggro and really going for it(or drunk,ha)then the screaming, clawing ,biting and animilistic violence is the best way to go about.If you're opponent is considering the possibility you might eat him and bathe in his blood afterwards, you've got him. Overloading their senses and leaving them no time for decisions and practical thinking is (well i'd say anway) the most effective way of taking advantage over your opponent. Guttural screams can really fuck your opponents head hence why warriors of old,blood and steel,and all that would have war crys for demoralising their foe. Now it doesnt havent to be he-man style, keep your cool and grace type sound(your not on a catwalk), if this is literally a life or get your ass chucked in a river situation don't be afraid to go falsetto, a guy screaming like a girl or a bird to plucked is much more unexpected and can really throw your opponent off guard. The more you can shock and appaul them the less they'll want to carry on fighting you. The more animilistic, primal and out of control you seem the more fear you will put in them, bringing up memeorys of feral animals and their behaviour while trapped, and when at their most dangerous. Nothing is a more fearsome quality in man than that of desperation, the lowliest and most wretched of all emotions. Embracing the moments of bloodshed, violence and ultimately fear can give you the utmost advantage in that the more you embrace your base violent instincts, the more it becomes home and the more comfortable you look while in this moment of insanity the more your oppoents going to be thinking 'oh jesus christ he's going to chew my fucking face off if he gets half a chance'. Would you like to fight someone you thought was going to chew your face off?
Okay sort of realised the general point might have been skipped over there. What i'm getting at is that a fight is more than just the physical aggression between people, most of a fight happens inside the head and the key for the inexperienced is to summon up all their suspressed anger, angression and rage and simply become it at the time and express it against whoever seeks to harm you. The main points are
1.If they can fight, don't let them. Keep distance minimal to stop them from throwing punches and keep straight in their face so thats all they can see.
2.If you can't dance the dance you better talk the talk really god damn good.If you have a nice oval friendly face obviously trying to pull a clint eastwood grimace to look hard as fuck is not going to be entirely sucessful (infact it'll just look kinda pathetic) but looking like you've been pushed to far for the last time and might be heading down the slippery slope of a bloody rampage is a good one...and alot more believable
3.Try to steal their senses, block their vision and hearing by getting right in their face and screaming and shouting insane and profane things (like "i'm gonna wear you like a sheepskin rug" as you sink your teeth into their throat), so you freaking out is the only thing they can see and hopefully a domino effect will ensue.
4.Forget all this (this'll be the easiest one) and just go with the flow, if you cant fight like a boxer fight like a fucking animal and it'll scare the hell outta' them.
and by the by that poking the anus thing is fucking hilarious, last resort type of thing but still priceless....
These posts are all well and good, but remember to watch for the unexpected. I've seen huge Samoans sucker punch unsuspecting people into comas. No warning, talk or anything beforehand.
Learn to size up a room and everyone in it without making eye contact. You'll see others sizing you up, that's a cue you need to position yourself with your eyes on them at all times.
The best thing is to avoid places were trouble can start, if you live in a area near troubles, move.
I agree with the others about not getting backed into a corner. If you're not trained in how to slip past an attacker as they are attacking you, it would be better to get something like a table or some chairs in between you and the attackers. You can throw chairs, upend the table - this tip was given to me the by a guy who grew up on the wrong side of the tracks.
ive been in one or 2 fights im not especially trained or anything but for what i matters go for the clothing unless its something long (getting tangled is bad) i ended a fight in one move i ripped his shirt i mean if they are drunk or something dont try this they dont care until the next morning. Also another thing to keep in mind grab them around the neck so you are standing beside them sort of in front if they are big good this gives you huge leverage to choke them out and is only counterable by s punch to the kidney but if ur fast enough this wont be an issue tighten twist them onto the ground backoff if they come again stop them somehow (kick to the knee is good) and wash rinse repeat ive never lost a fight 1-by picking them well
2-by not being an idiot in them ex. try to use nunchuka like a pro with out any training this is like going "Jackie Chan" on them in a real fight will do....it sucks it is painful i know this from experience
The best and most important advice is to always stack the deck. I'm a pretty skinny guy, standing 6' 150 lbs. Most of my "training" is in fencing. However when cornered in a bar fight, if you can, grab a wooden pool cue and slam the end 3/4 against a corner or the wall, most of the time it will beak with a jagged sharp edge. Getting punched is one thing, getting impaled is scary as hell.
Another thing about the palm strikes... If you feel confident using them that is all nice and good, but this is written for untrained fighters. If you miss with a palm strike you are quite possibly going to get your fingers broken by overextending them. Also those fingers pointed back gives your opponent a great grapple hold, it is the same with any silly chop motion you see in movies. If you are highly trained it may be a great technique, if you are not, don't try it.
Like I said though, stack the deck, appeal to the crowd, a bully may be trying to impress his friends yeah. However if you are in a normal bar setting (rather than in a gang bar, why are you in there anyway?) chances are there is probably a few drunk frat boys looking for a chance to impress their mildly retarded girlfriends. Use those tools to your benefit, it may be a cheap move, but this is under the pretense that you did not start that fight.
Fight smarter not harder, use a weapon, use a friend, use a distraction to get away, unless you actually look like a badass don't try and scare them off, be calm but not cocky. Much of the time people will come to help an unfortunate soul in a bad spot, but if you act like a cocky jackass they will be less inclined to help you.
Everyone who says to bring a gun - you are all a bunch of fucking pussies. Be a real man, for fucks sake.
And, being hit doesn't hurt at all.
IT FEELS GREAT.
But by all means, don't /try/ to get hit.
Good and entertaining post. Many people trained in martial arts and fighting seem to almost be looking for a situation where they can use their skills. This is the classic mistake Generals make of expecting your enemy to do what you want him to do.
As an adult, I have found that I now have the instincts to see danger coming a mile away - and I know it is usually the sucker punches that get you (and not always the physical ones). Never do what your opponent wants you to do. If you are confronted by a trained fighter, sue him. If you are confronted by a lawyer, punch him.
The poster is right about confidence. The U.S. Military did a study of solders in Iraq who were best able to sense danger - even roadside bombs, and what they found was the ones who do best at avoiding danger act like "predators" not like "prey". So if you are older, or smaller, and you find yourself walking through what looks like a tough crowd think to yourself "should I kick their asses, or should I spare them this time". It really works!
The few times I have been in fights I used this technique - not really a technique - but while I was hitting them, I was screaming at them to "stop" and "cut it out". The "cognitive dissonance" of being ordered to stop when they were the ones being attacked (at least for that moment) was too much, and both fights quickly ended.
Women. If you are ever in trouble, break a window. Any window! Nothing attracts attention like breaking glass, but for some reason no one ever thinks to do this. If you are in your own home, just throw something through your window - you neighbors will come to help - and windows don't cost that much to replace. If there is no window make LOTS of noise however you can- with your voice if necessary. Most people don't think of it that way, but noise is a weapon.
RG
If it hasn't happened yet and it's mostly ego-based, I'll put myself in what I call a "prayer hands" position. Both hands palms touching each other with what appears to be a pleading motion. Keep your words monosyllabic. This appears as if you're begging for mercy, but in your mind you've got your hands up in a non-threating position. If it is going to happen; he cocks his fist back, or threatens you verbally, there's you're go. Launch your entire body weight with both hands to his Head/neck area. Lifting his chin will destroy his balance, If there are multiple attackers, push one into the others.If you can step on his foot, or sweep him he will fall. Hard. If it's on cement he might die. I practice this on a palm tree or on a heavy bag. You'll need to get used to closing the distance. The word "fight" implies that the other guy gets a turn. Don't give it to him. Don't even use that word in your internal dialogue. If you can't avoid it, start it. Now that you know this, if you use it you might have to sit in your cell knowing that you did what you had to. It should also give you enough internal strength to avoid the "come outside and fight like a man..." crap. Punch to the trunk, and/or slap to the head. For all of you guys who keep getting in these bar fights, consider a new hobby. I go to bars to chase skirt and catch a glow. If you've seen or been in more than a few bar-fights, then that's what you're looking for, and you deserve what you get. Try in every way to avoid it. You can win the fight and find yourself in prison. We know that it could end in the hospital, then prison, and/or 6-feet under. A bad ending for any night on the town. So, don't presume to teach anybody a lesson. The only other thing is nobody ever goes thier entire life undeafeted. Bruce Lee lost. Muhammad Ali lost. Everybody loses. If you're undefeated, you might want to keep it to yourself. Maybe you can take anybody. Can you take everybody? Don't fight if you don't have to, but if you have to, don't lose. Personally I don't argue or gamble either. I've got to go do something else..
Im a trained boxer..
2 years and counting
So, i wont run..
I will never run..
We are trained to walk..
Taunt me, ill laugh...
Follow me, ill drop you..
Im a trained boxer. Once Again
If somone wants to pick a fight..
Walk, dont look back, at the same time be aware of there location.
Youll have nothing to do with it..
If they Follow.. Sure... run..
Get friends..
But like i said..
you could be fighting me....
I hit you once, your down..
It just isnt worth it...
try and be the cool guy..
If you cant..
you have to know what to do..
Joe Obviously knows what hes talking about, good advise..
If you dont..
like the anonymous moron,
go ahead grab the sharpest object
get yourself killed..
not the sharpest spoon in the tool shack.
its a tuff world..
Get tuff right back
Thanks joe
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