The Dynamics of A Street Fight

[cymry]

I've noticed that there are a lot of threads asking what the best techniques, best kicks, punches, whatever to use in a streetfight. You can argue all you want about the variables of this and that situation, but you can't argue with the dynamics of a streetfight. And not a scuffle with the neighbourhood drunk, but a real fight for your life. (Just to clarify )

 

I'm gonna list a few points. Feel free to add:

 

1. You're gonna be high on adrenaline. (This is not cowardice, it's you're body preparing for a violent alercation. Fear is a totally normal - if someone says they don't feel fear, either it's * or they don't perceive these situations as a threat. Either way, very dangerous for them.) That means your complex motor skills will go out the window. If they don't they'll be almost impossible to pull off. So no fancy wristlocks.

 

2. Your opponent will be

 

i) resisting

 

ii) moving

 

iii) high on adrenaline

 

iv)trying to attack you.

 

This boils down to the simple fact that it's very hard to get clean hits on your attacker. So no fancy pressure points will finish the fight.

 

3. You'll be at close quarters, usually about 18 inches apart. This means that you won't be able to pull off most long range techniques, such as kicks.

 

So, what does this mean for you? It means you'll have to use gross motor strikes, attacking large area of your attacker's body instead of small points. It also means you'll have to use close-range tools, such as headbutts, knees, elbows, stomps, and bites.

 

(And if this isn't true, then it means William Fairbarin and Rex Applegate knew nothing about combat. )

[Fat Donkey]

I hear what your saying! But Isn't the whole point of studying MA's to basically broaden our options when it comes to violent altercations? I mean I've had my share of street fights and because of MA's I was able to use my experience to control the situation. I haven't been hit yet (knock on wood ). I agree that certain styles lend themselves to "mastering" street fights better eg Muy Thai in which everything except the biting and butting is regularly practiced. But I wouldn't discount other styles being "unappropiate" or unrealistic. They just take longer to master. I've met practitioners of many different style who struck me as DEADLY chaps although they practised TKD, Shotokan and Aikido. All of whom had used their styles in street fights, some of them life and death. Why fight the other guys fight when u can manoever him into the situation which gives u the best chance? Isn't that why we do this stuff?

[granmasterchen]

its all true what you guys say.

 

1.the best way to prepare is by training hard.

 

2.The moves that you use most often in practice will be the ones that come natural to you in a real fight.

 

3. you will be high on adrenaline, if you have the bad luck to be in more than one fight, you may learn to start to control this element...so as not to black out and have more thinking and strategy( this is not a good reason to go start street fights)

 

4. real fights have no rules, bite, groin, eye gouge, fish hook, rip off ears, what ever it takes

 

5. be prepared for anything, there is a great chance that your opponent may have a weapon and friends to back him up

 

6. in a street fight, due to the fact that your opponent may have friends, it is not good to go to the ground...

 

7.hit hard and hit fast, move around, dont make yourself an easy target and take out your opponent as quickly as possible, this is not a game remember

 

8.when training , wear clothes that you would wear in real life...jeans, a suit.. etc. not all people travel to and from work in a gi, or sweat pants, i myself have all my work outfits checked before purchase to make sure that i can kick and move fully in them, even my suits

 

9. nothing flashy, this means no jump spinning kicks...unless you are really fast and good with them....but generally a big no

 

10. dont worry much about pressure points in a street fight

 

11. the only time you will be using submission holds is if there is only one attacker...so dont bother in a group unless you have already knocked them out

 

12.never stop the attack, keep striking until it is over and the opponent can not defend himself, you dont want to run the risk of him getting back up or pulling a gun....end it fast....

 

i will stop there....just some things to remember...on the street there is no judge no referee and no rules....no one is going to stop the fight for excessive contact...this is your life ...you either keep yours or you lose it....i myself like my life and i will do what ever it takes to keep the bad guy from taking mine....and he wont ever like it.

[Mart]

Nice one granmasterchen.

 

Excelletn advice especially about the not going to the ground when there is more than one opponent.

[Dijita]

I'd like to add following point/opinion:

 

When you fight, whether it be a tournement or a real street fight... you're going to fight purely on instinct. You can train for months and think in your head what you are going to do if a certain situation arrises... but when it boils down, chances are you're not going to do what you thought you would or thinked out in your head what you would do.

 

I think the important thing with martial arts, is that you train for years and years. Eventually (it's a slow process), the proper techniques that you learn will slowly start to be what you instinctivly do. For someone who is not trained for example, could possibly break their hand because they punch incorrectly. With years of training you will start striking more properly with greater speed. Same with all the techniques that you learn.

 

I don't believe that the argument should be what style of martial arts will make you the better fighter, but how long you practice and dedicate yourself. I strongly believe that it will take many many years before you become a decent figther because it takes a very long time for your brain to "re-code" it's instinctive behaviour.

 

I hope this made sense.

[delta1]

1. You're gonna be high on adrenaline. That means your complex motor skills will go out the window. If they don't they'll be almost impossible to pull off. So no fancy wristlocks.

 

Yes, when the adrenal dump occurs, you will be left with mostly gross motor skills. So that should be the primary focus of your training. But training the finer skills is not a waste, as you don't loose everything.

2. Your opponent will be i) resisting ii) moving iii) high on adrenaline iv)trying to attack you. This boils down to the simple fact that it's very hard to get clean hits on your attacker. So no fancy pressure points will finish the fight.

 

Your premises are true, but your conclusion is not necessarily true. Pressure points and joint locks can more easily be applied after you've softened him up with your gross motor strikes. And, sometimes, the dangdest things are just 'there' in the middle of the ****. But, again, I agree that it is imperative to have those basic, instinctive, gross motor skill movements down solid before all else.

3. You'll be at close quarters, usually about 18 inches apart. This means that you won't be able to pull off most long range techniques, such as kicks.

 

Most fights will, sooner or later, go to close quarters. But not all do, and some move in and out. Depends on the skill of the fighters and where they, or the most skilled, want to take it. And if you are fighting multiples, you need those long range skills to take out opponents before they can close. Once in close with multiple opponents, you are in seriouse trouble. So, long range skills are important, as well as medium range and close range.

So, what does this mean for you? It means you'll have to use gross motor strikes, attacking large area of your attacker's body instead of small points. It also means you'll have to use close-range tools, such as headbutts, knees, elbows, stomps, and bites.

 

I'm going to disagree with the point about hitting large areas instead of picking targets. You may not land every strike where it was intended, but you should definately try to hit a specific target. I want the point of the jaw, or the chin, not just the head.

(And if this isn't true, then it means William Fairbarin and Rex Applegate knew nothing about combat. )

 

Well, I've studied their work, and I don't recall them saying things like no long range strikes, or that you can't get clean hits on specific targets. Can you give me a specific instance, or reference? They did teach a lot of the things you are talking about, but remember that they were primarily trying to teach men to engage in hand to hand combat in a very short time. So, their techniques and tactics tend to be simple, basic, and easily learned and applied. Not a bad recomendation for a fighting art, but certainly limmited.

 

I think you are on the right track, but don't get too restricted and throw out some useful things in the name of simplification. You have more than six weeks before you jump into Normandy, so you can afford to learn a little more.

[cymry]

It wasn't my intention to say long range strikes have no merit because they do, but it's important to remember that the majority of the fight will be up close.

 

And by hitting "large" target areas, I meant things like floating ribs, kidneys, groin etc, as opposed to Gall Bladder Point 13 and Liver Point 5 etc. I didn't mean breaking it down to head, body, legs. Just to clarify

[Mart]

Hey everyone check cymry's web site!

[cymry]

http://pfsvideo.com/

 

Paul Vunak's site. Notice the material covers all ranges of combat, though whic range contains the "sledgehammer knockout blows"?

 

Also some of the best marketing for JKD I've ever seen. Fight like a man with 26 black belts! (Or 5% of 26 black belts! )

[cymry]

Interesting math. Vunak teaches you the top 5% of 26 martial arts, sooo....

 

26x0.05=1.3

 

You're not fighting like a man with 2 black belts, yet alone 26!