Defense against the face punch

[cross]

if the confrontation cant be avoided, strike 1st, and take out the eyes...disabling the old optic system should signifigantly reduce further aggression. When he's done screaming like a howler monkey, you can be long gone!

Im not sure that striking the eyes is a one-size fits all solution to physical altercations.

[joesteph]

I think we have to remember that the OP was defense against a punch to the face, particularly "the old one-two."

Before there can be a counter of any kind, such as clawing the face to get the eyes, there has to be a blocking action, from a hand or forearm raised to a sidestep or a combo of these. Then anything from a punch to a kick to clawing can be your next move, perhaps the first in a chain of strikes you could let loose.

[joesteph]

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=njPgVLPTWZk&feature=PlayList&p=259EEC8605280211&index=0&playnext=1

In the above clip Rodney King explains that the position of only used momentarily during defense, you still stand in a normal boxing stance at other times.

Unfortunately, this video is no longer available, but if you go to the October 2002 issue of Black Belt magazine, there's the article "The Shield" by Richard Ryan (p. 56) that seems to address this.

It's accessible at:

http://books.google.com/books?id=b9wDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT5&dq=Black+Belt&lr=&source=gbs_toc_pages&cad=0_1#PPT51,M1

[Kuma]

if the confrontation cant be avoided, strike 1st, and take out the eyes...disabling the old optic system should signifigantly reduce further aggression. When he's done screaming like a howler monkey, you can be long gone!

Maiming a guy's eyes just for trying to punch you won't go over too well in the court system.

[joesteph]

if the confrontation cant be avoided, strike 1st, and take out the eyes...disabling the old optic system should signifigantly reduce further aggression. When he's done screaming like a howler monkey, you can be long gone!

This sounds like a move against someone with a weapon. I remember a saying about if the other guy pulls out a knife: "All bets are off."

[bushido_man96]

if the confrontation cant be avoided, strike 1st, and take out the eyes...disabling the old optic system should signifigantly reduce further aggression. When he's done screaming like a howler monkey, you can be long gone!

Maiming a guy's eyes just for trying to punch you won't go over too well in the court system.

This is going to vary from situation to situation. If the attacker has verbally announced that his intent is to cause bodily harm to you (in not so many words... ), then you may be able to articulate it to a court.

if you go to the October 2002 issue of Black Belt magazine, there's the article "The Shield" by Richard Ryan (p. 56) that seems to address this.

It's accessible at:

http://books.google.com/books?id=b9wDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT5&dq=Black+Belt&lr=&source=gbs_toc_pages&cad=0_1#PPT51,M1

I like the idea behind the shield. It is much like a Boxing guard, and the use of the elbows is nice, too. It also demonstrated usage against a shooting takedown.

[Kuma]

Still, using the reasonable man standard (what would a normal person do in that situation), the courts are going to look at it and say hey, the aggressor was unarmed and swinging but not to the point where it would warrant force of that caliber (as deadly force can be considered not only that which kills but also causes serious injury). You'd be looking at a hefty lawsuit and, depending on the totality of circumstances, you yourself might be legally responsible since you acted outside of what was needed.

There's also another problem to face: not everyone who gets jabbed in the eyes is going to immediately stop fighting. Sugar Ray Leonard fought 12 rounds with a detached retina in his eye and still won his fight against Thomas Hearns.

Especially in this day and age, you can't be snapping a shuto into windpipe of every guy that mouths off to you at the Quik-E Mart or break the kneecap of the sloppy drunk who tries to push you in a bar. Using any kind of MA technique is risky enough (for example, you could give the guy a nice punch and then he falls, cracking his head open), but using ones deliberately designed to cause serious injury in a relatively non-life-threatening situation is just asking for major trouble.

[bushido_man96]

I'm not completely disagreeing with you there. The key is being able to articulate your fear. No, not every situation is going to warrant the attack. Like I said, it depends on a lot of factors in the situation. All I'm saying is never say never...