Street fight advice.

[Coco]

I have not been on a street fight so far, but I somehow have a HUGE feeling one is heading my way.

 

Maybe its beacause every time I walk back home from my dojo at about 8:30 pm, I always see 4-5 gang kids walking around making fun of me beacause im wearing a karate uniform. They dont bother coming close, but they yell out at me and my brother. That, plus a bunch of drunk/drug addicts/psychos hang out on the streets around my house.

 

I have been looking though the forums and im mostly going to get the following answers :

 

1.Run

 

2.Hit the face

 

3.Hit the groin

 

4.Hit the knee

 

I have been thinking really good about why most people post these answers. Running should be the best answer, but the gangsters can prolly outrun me.

 

Mostly, if you are about to hit someone in the face, unless they have a super slow reflex, they will move/block, plus, if I hit a gangster on the face the other 4-10 will jump me...

 

Anyways, I can see that the knee, groin and face would be the best places to hit beacuse there is no fat/muscle to protect those spots, but are there other effective, fast techniques I can use?

 

I also checked out the spinning backfist... whoa thats powerful! Any other powerful/effective techniques I can use?

 

Also, if you post a technique, can you explain how to do it, or have a link to a website that explains?

 

Thanks alot

[karatekid1975]

My technique would be .... change before you go home. I wear my dobak/gi home, but I don't walk or live in a bad area.

 

I have used MA in self defense. I just re-acted. It just came to me (yes one tech was a backfist). I did that with only 9 months of training. If I remember right, you have been training long enough to have things come to you right away.

 

Don't think about it, just re-act (God forbid) if anything should happen.

[Luckykboxer]

if someone were to hit me in the groin, they may as well make sure im dead because i would come back after them whether it took a day a week or a month and i would put them in the hospital.

 

think about that when you make that decision.

 

Obviously you will have to make a choice when it comes to that time, but maybe another option is to bring a backpack with a change of clothes and change at the studio.

 

I know that at our studio we require that students do not wear their belts outside the studio.... now that doesnt include uniforms, but /shrug..

 

if your looking for a fight keep wearing it, from what you have said it seems like that will lead to one..

 

If you want to avoid a fight, and it may be too late to do that, but obviously the uniform is drawing reactions at this time..

[ramymensa]

Stop wearing the uniform. I really don't know why you take it out of the dojo in the street. I leave it on me only in wintertime with a wintercoat on it, without belt and only when my BF takes me home and I really have no time to change it. I feel a bit ashamed to have the people stare at me. They can do that in my dojo

 

So I'd say leave the karategi for the dojo. Use "normal" clothing outside and thus you won't have people try to figure out if they can beat a guy who does "kuhroty"

 

The best thing on the streets is to "blend in", don't stick out by wearing unusual clothing ..

[Coco]

Well, thats a good idea, but change clothes to walk a block to my house...? Seems kinda useless as nothing can prolly happen in one block of walking but the gangsters always hang around the entrance of my house. Anyways, if me and my brother were both to change after class , we would have to wait about half an hour for the other people to finish, then walk home 30mins to an hour later, which could bring more trouble as it is completely dark. Besides, my brother wont be up for it anyways.

 

Im guessing ill just have to run home. By the way, this topic wasnt about how to not get into a fight when walking home, its about what to do if i get into one

 

Thanks anyways.

 

Coco

[Shorinryu Sensei]

Maybe its beacause every time I walk back home from my dojo at about 8:30 pm, I always see 4-5 gang kids walking around making fun of me beacause im wearing a karate uniform.

 

As others have stated already, don't wear your uniform to/from your workout. All it does is bring attention to yourself and could possibly be perceived as a challenge to others. If you have to wear your gi for some reason, take the jacket and belt off and put them in a gym bag or backpack and wear a t-shirt to/from the dojo.

 

Just a quick side note, I had a student years ago that would often go to the local bar after class wearing his complete uniform, brown belt and all. I asked him nicely the first time to please quit doing that, as it reflected poorly on my dojo and myself I felt. Hew said OK, then did it again the next week (I had people calling me and telling me they saw him that way). I seldom do this, but I "ordered" him to cease and dissist doing this. He didn't, so I kicked him out of my class.

They dont bother coming close, but they yell out at me and my brother. That, plus a bunch of drunk/drug addicts/psychos hang out on the streets around my house.

 

If you live in this sort of neighborhood, it is pure stupidity to be wearing your gi and walking through there. I would think that would be obvious.

Running should be the best answer, but the gangsters can prolly outrun me.

 

Unless you are VERY good and have been involved in the MA's for quite a while, I would NOT recommend standing your ground and trying to fight 4-5 people either.

Mostly, if you are about to hit someone in the face, unless they have a super slow reflex, they will move/block, plus, if I hit a gangster on the face the other 4-10 will jump me...

 

4-10 of them? Again, leave the gi in a bag, and start finding a different way to get home. Get a ride, or take a different route...even if you have to walks many blocks out of your way. I think there's very few people in this world that could have any hope of successfully defending themselves against 8+ people realistically. To try to fight this number of people is suicide.

I also checked out the spinning backfist... whoa thats powerful! Any other powerful/effective techniques I can use?

 

Yes, it's OK in the power department. However, it is difficult to be accurate with the technique. If you miss, it can throw you off balance. If you hit, it can also throw you off balance. It works GREAT in the movies though!

 

If you are being threatened by thugs as you walk home, you are obviously bringing on the situation yourself and the consequences will be your fault for not being aware of your situation and the obvious reasons that you are in the situation in the first place. Fighting is not the answer against the odds you are describing. Using your brain instead of your brawn is!

[JerryLove]

My first piece of advice? You've cited "because we are wearing Karate uniforms" as the reason you attract their attention... change into normal clothes at the school.

 

A different route home? Get a ride? Find more friends going the same way to go with?

 

The real reason for the knee as a target is less because it's vunerable (though it certainly can be) and more because damaging the knee interferes with your opponent's ability to move (such as chase you).

 

(writing this, I notice it's already been said, so I'll stop here and just agree with SS above).

if someone were to hit me in the groin, they may as well make sure im dead because i would come back after them whether it took a day a week or a month and i would put them in the hospital.

 

Note to self: If fighting luckyboxer, make sure to empty a magazine in him afterwards.

 

Guys, I won't hunt you down at all.. feel free to go easy on me.

[Shorinryu Sensei]

Note to self: If fighting luckyboxer, make sure to empty a magazine in him afterwards.

 

Now there's good advice!

[shotochem]

Im guessing ill just have to run home. By the way, this topic wasnt about how to not get into a fight when walking home, its about what to do if i get into one

 

Thanks anyways.

 

Coco

 

Do not even think about fighting 4-5 people you will get hurt. Do not overestimate your personal abilities. Wearing a full uniform in a tough area is not a good idea, it is asking for trouble.

 

If you live only a block away why not have a parent or adult walk you home. Most punks would not have the .... to start something with an adult present.

 

The best weapon you have to use against those kind of people is your brain and a little common sense.

[aefibird]

if someone were to hit me in the groin, they may as well make sure im dead because i would come back after them whether it took a day a week or a month and i would put them in the hospital.

Note to self: If fighting luckyboxer, make sure to empty a magazine in him afterwards.

 

better note to self - don't ever pick a fight with luckykboxer....

 

Coco, I'd stop wearing your uniform to and from martial arts training. Even though you're only going a block, if you're 'standing out' (and you will be) you're asking for trouble.