Perspectives on Fighting Multiple Opponents

[MMA_Jim]

I hear throughout the entire martial arts world the theory of being able to soundly defend oneself against multiple assailants, much what has been shown in Hollywood over the past decades.

Lots of people believe they can, at least the ones I interact with. Im simply curious of the concensus of this forum.

Lets assume people of your same athletic ability, age, size, etc. A 250lb man who beats up 3 guys who weigh 140lbs doesnt prove any technique. So assume 2-3 attackers of similar build to yourself with the exception that they've never had any formal martial arts training. Feel free to explain your choices

I'll start off with my own:

I always hear people go on and on about how grappling is great for 1 person, but bad for multiple opponents- i.e. "you should take karate for that"

(I use the term karate as a generic term)

Every martial art trains its theories of how to most effectively defeat an attacker in a fight. There are two things when learning how to fight- theory and practical application. All martial arts have the theory, but not all have the practical success as the others.

Trace back to the early MMA events that were filled with people who claimed they could defeat such numbers of attackers. Many of them proved unable to defeat a single attacker. If their theory of how to defeat one attacker was apparently flawed, their theories on how to defeat multiples would surely be exponentially more flawed. If you have such a difficult time defeating one person, what makes you thing that 2 or 3 isnt going to be almost impossible?

Nevermind comments about illegal techniques and whether the fighters involved were "real" martial artists (they were)- all fighters had to fight with the same rules, and dirty techniques such as eye gouging, biting, and groin shots are just as applicable for ground fighters as standup fighters.

[joesteph]

I chose "No, but I will use everything I have to try" because the question did specify "defeat" rather than "handle." It's not a criticism of the question as the question is valid as stated, nor is it a game of semantics; if the question had said "handle," I'd have selected the "Yes" answer that referred to my instructor and trust.

That first "Yes" would be, as I see it, for a higher belt than I have, or an individual with actual experience in that situation, no matter what belt rank.

Incidentally, my instructor has had us focus on zoning and, instead of looking to defeat the opponents, concentrate on not getting cornered. (One of the benefits of a small dojang is that the walls are right there for you to practice not being pinned against.) Although the dojang is non-contact, she permitted open hand light contact against the arms and shoulders. I remember bending the rules when I grabbed the do bok of one of my attackers in order to zone, but I wasn't using excessive force, and he was over half-a-foot taller than me.

A good thinking question. _____ _____

[tallgeese]

I voted with the "no, but..." option, just because I think we really have to deal with the realities of how disadvantaged we are when facing multiple attackers. Seriously, one dude to engage in any sort of grapple, as simple as grabbing you around the waist and trying to pull you down, and a second to start punding on you while your mobility is limited. It's not an easy thing to overcome for anyone. Even MMAers with solid takedown defese are going to have a hard time dealing with the above situation. It's enevitable.

That being said, you have to set you mind to blast thru everything nad everyone. We can split theory here, but once it's on out there, you have to beleive that no piece of garbage is going to beat you, no matter how many friends he has. That's the only mindset that will even hope to carry you thru this type of conflict.

Good question.

[unknownstyle]

i think striking is essential to defeating multiple attackers, why would you grapple or do anything else than strike them

[Tiger1962]

I voted "no" but I will use/do everything to try.

I have practiced sparring against multiple attackers in school many times and it wasn't realistic to me at all. In real life if there were multiple attackers, they would be coming at you all at once. Not like in the movies, where they form a circle and "take turns" attacking you.

In any case, in a situation like that, your best bet is to run for your life if you can or if you have a stick in your hands, just keep wacking away at random in hopes that you'd smack one on the jaw, and another in the head. But how many people actually walk around carrying a stick?

[MMA_Jim]

i think striking is essential to defeating multiple attackers, why would you grapple or do anything else than strike them

Thats the point.

By being grabbed, you're mobility and fighting ability becomes severely inhibited. If you had no grappling experience, the moment one of the multiple attackers attempted to grab you, you're defeated since you can no longer use your strikes. Someone well versed in grappling, on the other hand, stands a much better chance at breaking any grappling lock and preventing any takedown, allowing them to stay on their feet in a situation where a striker would have simply been thrown to the ground, or just held and hit.

[Prostar]

We used to train in 3 & 4 on one back in the day. It was much more dangerous to be the attacker in that class as the defender goes on the offense and all rules are out the window. Wow, that was fun!

[cross]

There are no guarantees, but some of the better material i have seen in regards to this topic comes from these guys:

[Montana]

I voted "Yes, I believe I have the neccessary skills for 2-3 people", because I have faith in the system I practice, and I've successfully defended myself once against 3 opponents and another time, two. These were street fights, not dojo sparring.

[ShawnMiller]

I voted no , but would use everything

One I do think I have a good chance at multipule attckers, as I train that way. I would not just use strikes alone I would use anything and everything. Every situation is different, if all three of them were just your average joe's and not bar brawlers or street fighters and such. Yes I feal that I could use striking to defeat them. But why limit your self, thier not.