Run or fight

[sangngak]

I was "raised" in Kajukenbo in Honolulu in the late 50's, early 60's. I remeber one of our teachers asking us if we knew the difference in "Cat" style and "Monkey" style MAs. He said most Karate people were monkey style. Monkey see, monkey do type training. (I didn't mention Kajukenbo guys and Karate guys were always yapping at each other like this) Cat style he said was different. You can touch a cat and he'll roll over and purr etc but if you grab him with a rough intent he will unload all four paws and claws and teeth on you and won't let up until you are finished. That's how we responded to people trying to ask for trouble.

That's how we were taught to fight I caught a guy one night in waikiki (Ohua St) trying to rape a girl. I walked up and told him to not do that. He jumped up and got a bit frisky, so a few minutes later he was out cold, bleeding profusely from wounds where I had pounded his head onto the curb stone, and I walked off and got a beer. Next day Emperado sent for me (How the hell he knew I had done this I'll never know) and I assumed he or his brother Joe would want me to fight them "as a lesson to me". But all he did was make me sweat awhile, then ask me to do him a favor when I went to LA the next week.

A caution: if you don't have the fighting spirit of the old Kajukenbo, the Cat style, then learn to run and use that when needed. They will both work.

[a_ninja]

Well i think that if there was only one person then stay and fight, but get a weapon if you see one around, but if theres more than one pick up a weapon and run, but thats just my opinion

[IcemanSK]

My best friend had an odd thought about fighting vs. walking away. About 10 of us all trained together in high school (a million years ago). The theory was, "I pay someone (my instructor) to have me put on pads & fight him. He kicks & punches me harder & in many more ways than most folks could think of doing. (Let alone actually do themselves). Therefore, since I pay someone to abuse me like this, why in the world would I want to fight you? You can't do anything to me that isn't already done to me on a regular basis. I'll walk away."

His twisted logic makes a strange sense.

[bushido_man96]

That is an interesting way to look at it.

I think that if it can be avoided, then it should be. When it can't be avoided, then it is 100% go time. At this point, you are committed, and must be, to see yourself through.

[NightOwl]

My Dad's friend had the best idea ever-

Whenever he went to a bar he always carried some extra cash which he called (imaginatively enough) 'bar money'. Whenever somebody started acting tough and wanting to start something, he would slap the money on the table and say, 'I'll give 100 bucks to anyone who will take this guy for me'.

That usually settled the problem.

[bushido_man96]

My Dad's friend had the best idea ever-

Whenever he went to a bar he always carried some extra cash which he called (imaginatively enough) 'bar money'. Whenever somebody started acting tough and wanting to start something, he would slap the money on the table and say, 'I'll give 100 bucks to anyone who will take this guy for me'.

That usually settled the problem.

That is AWESOME! Nothing like a little barroom mercernary action to save your butt!

[white owl]

It really depends on the situation. I would try to avoid it, if at all possible. But if it can came down to protecting my family you better believe I would fight.

[Fast-K]

Look them stright in the eye like you mean business. That way you don't have to run, or fight.

I've done this a good dozen times and it's never failed me. Never been in a streetfight to this day.

[cross]

Look them stright in the eye like you mean business. That way you don't have to run, or fight.

I've done this a good dozen times and it's never failed me. Never been in a streetfight to this day.

This is where problems start to arise when it comes to teaching self defense. If something worked for a person a few times that doesnt automatically make it applicable to everyone, or mean it equates to smart self defense.

In this case staring down an aggressor(let alone a group of attackers, which is what the question was related to) will most likely get you seriously injured, or worse and is in no way an effective means of de-escalating a situation.

Dont get me wrong, posturing(staring people down, acting tough) etc is a valid method of preventing a situation from becoming violent, in certain circumstances. But against multiple attacks it would be one of the last options on my list of things to do.

[bushido_man96]

In regards to this, I don't think everyone has the same capacity to 'stare down' the attackers. Some people have a look to them; some don't.