Refraining from bloodshed

[Johnlogic121]

Some martial artists really pursue a strong policy of avoiding bloodshed. They may still get into fights, but when they do, they explicitly avoid techniques that have a chance of causing the opponent to bleed. For example, punching the nose could cause a nosebleed, or punching the mouth could cause a cut lip, or punching the eyebrow could cause blood to flow by the eye. The main rationale for avoiding techniques like these that can cause blood flow is simple. The population has a large number of people who suffer from blod bourne diseases like HIV or hepetitis, and you don't want to win a battle against sombody but "lose the war" by becoming infected by something in that person's bloodstream. The knuckles are a very hard part of the body, but abrasions on the knuckles can bleed if you strike somebody in the face or head, and thus the blood they have from their wounds can get into the wounds on your knuckles. Some people even avoid using a hammerfist against the radial nerve on the top of the forearm by the crease in the inside of elbow joint because a drug user could have a broken needle still inside his arm in that area, and if you hammerfist him there, you might get a prick that could be dangerous. Does anybody have any comments about this phenomenon? Does anybody have any similiar tips for safety? Thanks, --JL

[bushido_man96]

If you don't want to bleed, don't get into a fight. If you have to defend yourself, these are things that may have to happen. The best thing to do, if this kind of thing worries you, is to go to the doctor as soon as you can afterwards, and get shots or a checkup. Things like this will be hard to avoid, but if you want to defend yourself, you have to do what you have to do.

[The BB of C]

I don't worry about it too much.