Action Beats Reaction

[straightblast]

if someone threatens my personal space and I have the room, I will back up and give them one chance, then I would intercept if they move in or destruct the limb ( defang the snake ) if they strike. One thing I like to stress is weapons training ( blunt object and knife ) it enhances your empty hand techniques.

[ninjanurse]

Action whether physical or mental is always the best choice.

[ff100]

I would say that 95% of the time you can judge if something physical is going to happen before it does and when it does you can tell which side the attack is coming from even though you dont know what it going to be ie a kick or punch or both . I strike at that moment and just hope im fast enough.

I have only had to do it a couple of times in 20 years and count myself lucky.

[P.A.L]

for a well trained person street fighting is easier than sparring.

No, it's not.

sparring won't help that much on the street.

yes, it will.

hard blocking works on the street

no, they don't - not very well, anyway. fights happen too fast to have time for a lot of blocking. evasion will serve you better. In all the encounters I've had as a bouncer, I've never once blocked -I evade. The guys I work with who have no formal training don't block either - they evade.

but it won't work that good for sparring, because there is no commitment in sparring.

yes, there is - unless you only do point sparring.

1- there is a scienc we call it Statistics, accordingly the chance for a well trained martial artist to get in fight with a well trained person is pretty slim

2-yes it helps but not that much, in partcular if you do point sparring.

3-evading and blocking and hitting should happens almost together , if you limit your understanding of a block to a middle block which does not work ,then yes it's true. evading, a drunk guy who sees two heads on your shoulder and can't make his mind to hit which one first, is pretty enough.

4-comitment has nothing to do with point sparring, i do full contact and it still needs determination,tactics and fake moves which you wouldn't see in street fight, just look at the street fights video clips, 99.9% ends up to a rain of creazy heymakers ,there is comitment in all the moves,there is no fake move, here is the time that a hard block works, or a soft art like Aikido has a chance.

[Orca]

I subscribe to the 'never start the attack' philosophy. However, If I am pushed, shoved, tackled, or grabbed, I would consider the 'attack' started. The same if I see a potential opponent loading up for a strike or assuming an 'on guard' (fists up, squared away, getting on my face and yelling) position. If there is an argument I just look to create space between me and the opponent, while keeping my eyes on the opponent and trying to prevent the attack verbally. (I am primarily a striker, so that would be an advantageous position for me).

If there were multiple opponents, being surrounded and/or pursued would be enpough for me to consider the attack started.

Being insulted, slighted, ot challenged to a fight wouldnt constitute an 'attack started', either for me or for the law where I live.

Of course, all this is theoretical, my actual reactions would also be determined by context and on what my instincts tell me.

respectfully,

Gero

[Kempohands]

I would persoanlly never be the first to ATTEMPT to hit someone. However, it is my goal to be the first to land a hit. Even if someone puts their hands up in a fighting position, I will not throw a strike. The only exceptions would be:

-I see/or for some reason belive that my opponent has a weapon

-Their are multiple aggressors

-I am in a situation that I feel overly uncomfortable and threatened in

[Orca]

I would persoanlly never be the first to ATTEMPT to hit someone. However, it is my goal to be the first to land a hit.

Very well put.

[Jiffy]

Orca, you summed up my feelings exactly.

[Zorbasan]

I subscribe to the 'never start the attack' philosophy. However, If I am pushed, shoved, tackled, or grabbed, I would consider the 'attack' started. The same if I see a potential opponent loading up for a strike or assuming an 'on guard' (fists up, squared away, getting on my face and yelling) position. If there is an argument I just look to create space between me and the opponent, while keeping my eyes on the opponent and trying to prevent the attack verbally. (I am primarily a striker, so that would be an advantageous position for me).

If there were multiple opponents, being surrounded and/or pursued would be enpough for me to consider the attack started.

Being insulted, slighted, ot challenged to a fight wouldnt constitute an 'attack started', either for me or for the law where I live.

Of course, all this is theoretical, my actual reactions would also be determined by context and on what my instincts tell me.

respectfully,

Gero

thats pretty much what i was trying to say in my post back at the start, just not so well

[parkerlineage]

Even if someone puts their hands up in a fighting position, I will not throw a strike.

If they get their hands up and ready, and yours are still down, you're going to have to be really fast to hit them first. Just a thought.