Effect of sports and culture on fights.

[delta1]

From another thread:

In Canada we have a lot hockey style fights as well,they grab on to the shirt and whale on each other and maybe jersey each ther. pulling his shirt over his head so he can't see and then rapid fire punches.

Kota...um kota...neo dude has very good insight..I've also worked as a bouncer and seen hundreds of "hockey style" fights. Great fun to see two guys hanging on to one anothers shirts and whaling away on one another.

 

Two Canadians talking there about the same common type fight. Hockey is a big sport up there in the frozen north. Where I live, wrestling is a big sport, and it is common for one guy to try to take it down if he's getting thumped. I've also lived in many places where football is the big sport, and you'd see guys just go at it, trying to bash the **** out of each other. Same where boxing is big, even untrained fighters tend to bob and weave and hook and jab. People tend to mimmic what they see.

 

So, I'm thinking, does the predominant sport in your area seem to effect how fights tend to play out? How about other cultural influences- say wearing of cowboy boots makes kicks a common effective weapon? Just a thought.

[TJS]

yea, good point diffrent parts of the world offer diffrent threats that martial artist should prepare for.

 

Like you said Here in the U.S. Wresling is in just about every high school/junior high so you should prepare for the obvious threat of someone taking you down.

[Tal]

I had a friend at college, he was big (6'4" i think) and strong, and played a lot of rugby (he went to trials for the national team once). If he got into a fight, he'd just charge at his opponent and rugby tackle them. He'd grab them at their waist while he was running, lift them several feet into the air, slam them on the ground, and land on them. It was a very effective technique for him because he was so strong.

 

However, overall I don't think sport or culture has a big offect on the way people fight in this part of the world (central England). Most fights I've seen just end up with people swinging wildly at eachother, with some form of stand-up grappling involved.

[Shorinryu Sensei]

So, I'm thinking, does the predominant sport in your area seem to effect how fights tend to play out? How about other cultural influences- say wearing of cowboy boots makes kicks a common effective weapon? Just a thought.

 

Living in Montana, many people wear cowboy boots as a part of regular attire, whether in a business suit, or jeans. With the only exception of a guy on the ground, and the attacker "putting the boots to them", I've never seen anybody do a kick in a fight yet, and I hang out and go dancing weekly at the local cowboy bar.

 

The primary sport in these parts is hunting. So far, I haven't seen anybody whip out a 30.06 and shoot anybody, so I really can't say whether it is true or not.

 

The majority of fights I've seen (I've bounced quite a bit also) are the "hockey style" fights, where they are flailing their arms, hitting just about everything except where it will do the most good, and yes, ending up on the ground much of the time because nobody lands a good, clean blow to any part of the anatomy to end the fight.

[ZR440]

Same here.

[Treebranch]

You know I think you are on to something. I think soccer players kick more in fights than most.

[SevenStar]

culture has alot to do with it. people here in TN wear big coats during the winter, like up north. thusly, a common tactic is to pull a guy's coat over his head and beat on him while he can't see and his arms are tangled.

 

we actually had a big discussion about this a year or so ago on another forum I post on. I'll find a link and post it here.

[Shorinryu Sensei]

culture has alot to do with it. people here in TN wear big coats during the winter, like up north. thusly, a common tactic is to pull a guy's coat over his head and beat on him while he can't see and his arms are tangled.

 

Didn't I see that on a 3 Stooges show years ago? lol Actually, not a bad tactic at all...just sort of chickensh*t.

[SevenStar]

in a real fight, do you really care about being a chickensh*t, or about survival? Big coats also conceal weapons... If you arms are over your head, you can't get to them. Like you said, it's not a bad tactic at all.

[delta1]

Big coats also conceal weapons...

 

Good point. And, from a different perspective, there are techniques that allow you (or your opponent) to access weapons beneath bulky clothing while protecting the draw. They are very similar to techs for drawing from beneath light, loose fitting clothing worn in hot climates. A good thing to practice and understand.

 

Another thing about bulky, heavy winter clothing- it restricts movement. It may limmit you somewhat to wider, more circular strikes as found in some northern CMA styles.