Let’s say you’re out with your buddies (or maybe a lovely young lady) having a good time, when all of a sudden some jackass shoves you. You didn’t do anything to instigate the guy, but it doesn’t matter.
There is a special breed of males, that when inebriated, start fights with random people. This breed, when found in their wild habitat, are often accompanied by their similarly boneheaded buddies.
Or perhaps you and your posse end up in a rumble with the Socs because one of your buddies killed a Soc while trying to save Ponyboy from being drowned by a douche bag Soc. Man, I hate them Socs. Stay golden Ponyboy.
What can you do to prepare for a street brawl and protect yourself in this type of situation? Here are 8 simple steps you can follow to avoid ending up in the emergency room after a street fight.
1. Wake up! When someone threatens you, snap to attention. Be aware of your environment. Look for objects that you can use for weapons. Searching out a place to escape to is especially important if you’re outnumbered.
2. Try to defuse the situation. Try to talk with the guy and calm him down. If you did something unknowingly that offended him (like looking at him funny), then apologize. Don’t let your ego get in the way of apologizing for something you didn’t do. Your first goal should be to avoid fighting. Maintain confident body language. Don’t show the guy you’re afraid.
3. Walk away. If talking to the knucklehead doesn’t work, start to leave the scene. But maintain alertness and walk away backwards, still facing your opponent. If he’s a no-good, yellow-belly rat, he’ll attack you from behind.
4. Assume a fighting position. If the jerk is still threatening you and you have nowhere to go, assume a stable fighting stance. Spread your stance to about shoulder width apart and slightly bend your knees. The goal is to maintain balance so you don’t end up on the ground. Keep your hands up to protect your face and clench your teeth. A solid punch to an open mouth can lead to a broken jaw.
5. Defend yourself. The goal is to defend yourself from violent and unjustified aggression, so don’t be afraid to fight dirty. If you have any object to use as a weapon, use it. This can be anything like a chair, a bottle (extra man points for first breaking the bottle and then thrusting the jagged part at your opponent), or a 2X4. Here are some other techniques that could be used in this sort of situation:
- Knee to the groin. No explanation needed why this is effective.
- Low kicks to the knee, groin, or abdomen. Kick like you’re kicking down a door, using the bottom of you foot. A solid kick to one of these areas can incapacitate your attacker long enough for you to get away.
- Headbutt to the face. Your forehead is one of the hardest bones on your body. Use this to your advantage by headbutting your opponent hard across his nose. If done correctly, you can do some serious damage.
- Throw a punch. If done correctly, an overhand punch can put your attacker out of commission.
6. Take punches effectively. While you should do your damnedest to avoid getting punched, you can’t avoid them all. If you have to take a punch, strive to absorb it in a way that minimizes the impact and damage..
- A punch to the head. Move towards the punch, tighten your neck muscles and clench your jaw. By moving into the punch, your attacker may miss the mark wide to either side. Absorb the punch with your forehead. It’s the hardest bone your body. If your attacker hits you there, his hand will be hurting and you’ll have minimized the damage to yourself.
- A punch to the body. Tighten your stomach muscles, but don’t suck in your stomach. Try to shift so the punch lands on your obliques rather directly in the stomach or vital organs.
7. Give your best war cry. While defending yourself, make as much noise as possible. There are two reasons for this. First is the intimidation factor. Yelling may distract and intimidate your attackers, leaving you a better chance of getting in some good blows or getting away. The second reason is to draw attention. The more people who gather around you, the easier to call a douche bag’s bluff.
8. Make your escape. After you have incapacitated your attacker using the methods described above, get the hell out of there.
Inspired by The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook
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Great article, loved the war cry suggestion, and lots of other fantastic pointers!
I knew it! See guys. Fight dirty. Fight to win (or at least to survive). The hospital is littered with guys who fought like a gentleman.
…well, probably not, but maybe.
Things get dramatically easier if you are packin’ a spare billy club or side piece.
@ Raconteur – agreed. I’m not afraid to fight dirty if I haveta. Protect ya neck.
First three steps shouldn’t be overlooked. A lot of people seem to jump straight into throwing fists when put into this situation. And yes, there is no such thing as gentlemanly fighting when a drunken lout starts shoving you.
I would also suggest going for his eyes, as it makes it easier to get away quickly while he is temporarily without vision.
You forgot the best way..be in decent shape. Being in decent shape can make muggers overlook you, and it can also give you the confidence to be not nervous even when threatened. Be proactive.
Hah, this article comes about 4 days too late for me. I got in a scrap due to a buddy of mine breaking a glass door at a bar. It wasn’t pretty, but I did end up choking a guy and hitting him in the kidney a few times.
I would move the “war cry” up to the top, after trying to defuse the situation. Shouting serves two purposes: First, it conveys your readiness and may dissuade your opponent from attacking. Maybe the conflict ends there… He makes up some poor excuse (“You’re not even worth it”) and walks away. Second, it draws attention to the situation and may bring help from others or intervention by law enforcement.
“Use a weapon”? “First to break a bottle gets extra man points”? WRONG. You should never bring a weapon into the situation unless you’re trained how to fight against it. A weapon can always be wrestled from your grasp and used against you. If you’re forced into a brawl, do your best to ensure that it’s empty-handed.
“The goal is to maintain balance so you don’t end up on the ground.” Actually, this can be the safest place to be, if you know how to grapple. Many fighters actually want to end up on the ground — And I guarantee you, 90% of streetfights end up on the ground anyway.
Of course, it stands to be reiterated that the best scenario is to defuse the situation and avoid the confrontation altogether.
If you’re forced into the fight, the way you handle yourself depends on your level of experience. If you don’t know how to defend yourself, then your first priority is self-preservation (or defense of your loved ones) by whatever means necessary. However, if you can manage a brawl, then the morally superior route (and the most manly action) is to subdue your opponent without inflicting permanent damage. Breaking your opponents knees or knocking out a few of his teeth may feel good when you do it, but it’s better to bring your opponent into submission. This ends the threat immediately but allows him the opportunity to amend his ways and walk away with a new lease on life. (Not all adversaries take advantage of this, but it is the ethically superior thing to do.) This is not the “gentlemanly fighting” people are alluding to in the comments above — I would define “gentlemanly fighting” as a duel. Rather, I am arguing for using your prowess, whether inside the ring or outside in the streets, to control the situation and choose, carefully, the level of injury inflicted upon your attacker. The ability to control the fight is the hallmark of the “manly” fighter.
Alessandro-great points. The stuff about using chairs and bottles was my attempt to be humorous. Alas, my tongue in cheekiness often gets misinterpreted.
@Kyle-Good point. If you look like a weenie, it’s going to be a lot harder to negotiate your way out of a confrontation.
@Aaron-At least you’ll have a great story to share in the weeks and months to come.
The most manly thing about a fight is the ability to prevent it from ever happening. I took a martial arts course where the instructor when through examples of blocks and attacks that would hold up in a court of law (course for bouncers). There’s no good in defending yourself against an attacker if they take you to court for thrashing them (or worse, ending up in jail with assault charges). If your opponent can’t be talked down (with your Frank Sinatra lingo and cunning mental prowess as a gentlemen, this should not be too difficult), apply basic rules of engagement: DO NOT ATTACK UNLESS FIRED UPON. A great defense against a punch to the head or attempted strangling is what I call the ‘prayer position.’ Put your hands together as if praying (palms together), step forward into the punch with your dominant leg, and thrust your arms forward. this creates a V shape to deflect the punch and, if aimed correctly, might take out some eyes. This also puts you in a close situation with your opponent where your attacks can be quick and powerful to soft spots, like the ribs. Nothing like a few cracked ribs to slow someone down. What’s most important about this maneuver is if you do end up in court or in contact with police, hey “I was praying he wouldn’t hurt me, but he attacked anyways. Everyone who saw can say I had my hands in a prayer position.”
Unfortunately, there are too many variables for a “this is what you should do” solution. If you’re in a fairly nice bar, chances are that the bouncers will be aware of a situation before any punches are thrown. If they’re not and someone punches you it might be better to take the punch rather than laying the jerk out and later finding out he has a high-priced lawyer, or worse, is one. Jon was correct in his warning about attacking first.
If you’re in an alley at 3 a.m. it’s anything goes, although if you’re in an alley at 3 a.m. you deserve to have your ass kicked. Nothing good happens after midnight. The only people out at that hour are cops and criminals, and the cops wear uniforms.
In such a case, your primary targets are all on your opponent’s centerline – Eyes, nose, throat, solar plexus and groin.
straight punch to nose. if it doesnt break it then it’ll make their eyes water and give you time to run for cover.
failing that – throw your girlfriend at them, run for cover.
on weapons
Do not carry one since it can get you more into trouble if you don’t have a permit.
Second: Do not use a weapon if you can’t fight without it. i knew i guy that always got beet up by some guys that had something against him. one day they tried beating him up at school but he got his hands on a broom and beat them up really good. he had been studying kendo for some time…they left him alone after that but he couldn’t carry a shinai or a stick around every time so he took up another martial art.
only use a weapon if it enhances hour fighting skill or if you really need to use one to defend yourself and your loved ones.
you carry weapons on you and you don’t even know it:
Keys – put them in your fist. it’s called “granny’s fist” and it can be deadly
A news paper – roll it up and you can beet someone with it. if they try to grab you hit their wrist…it hurts like hell.
A belt…a piece of leather with metal on an end…need i say more?
A pen can be used to put pressure on soft tissue. the neck and eyes are an obvious choice, so is that point under the ear.
Fingers: poke eyes, try to rip mouth tissue, grab the other guys finger and push then the other way.
I disagree with the war cry suggestion. One of the main reasons for loosing a battle (physical, verbal with a friend or significant other or in a board room) is to become angry or altered. Yelling would alter your senses and not let you be as centered as necessary to react quickly.
I would also suggest taking Krav Maga classes, by far the most effective fighting system in the world.
Take care,
Art Gonzalez
Check my Squidoo Lens at: Quantum Knights
DON”T Break a Bottle
Not just for the weapon charges alone, You break a bottle wrong and you wind up with a handfull of broken glass… There is a technique to that that can’t always be duplicated in the heat of the moment.
In my school days my fight checklist went something like this.
1. Try to talk my way out of it. – Self depreciating humor worked most times.
2. Run – Under the philosophy that “he who runs away lives to run away another day.”
3. Get beat up – Obviously the least desirable outcome.
I didn’t learn to successfully defend myself until I got older, and really tired of that third step.
For outstanding training and practice in all of these techniques (and more, as well as fitness sessions and more advanced fighting classes), start here:
http://www.kravmaga.com/
Hey, you forgot run like your hair is on fire! Oh yeah, I don’t have any hair. Oh well, I still like the idea of creating a distraction and running like crazy to get out of the situation. It may not be very manly and you can call me a chicken if you like, but avoiding a fight is the best way to survive it.
For the advanced lessons. When you and your buddies are are faced with an unescapable bar fight with an equivalent or greater number of aggressors:
- Pick out the smallest guy in the opposing group and jump on him first
- Repeat until all little guys are disabled
- Of the remaining big fella’s jump on the least largest one with the most number of your buddies already on him
- Repeat until all the big fella’s are disabled
Great article, should i find myself in a street fight i will do my darndest to recall this.
Quick question, where did the picture for the article come from?
You forgot to mention step 0: avoid the situation entirely if possible. Like it or not, some places are more likely than others to attract the more bone-headed of the populace. Avoiding certain bars, parts of town, or other such places will go a long way toward staying out of the bar brawl entirely.
For that matter, if you’re going out to the bar, never go alone. For one thing, drinking alone is a bad idea in and of itself. For another, never assume there’s only one bone head; he’s probably out with his equally bone-headed friends. Have backup, you may need it.
growing up I was trained in jujitsu. two reasons:
1) putting some one in a painful lock does not normally leave marks, so you don’t get that whole lawyer with the bruise photo’s.
2) many of the trips and throws look more like the other guy is clumsy and fell, again probably will not land you in court.
throwing a punch or a kick is clearly aggressive, so even if you did not start the fight, you look just a guilty. locks and trips are rather innocuous, and hopefully will go un noticed.
the way my old man always said it, ‘”put the guy on the ground, then walk away so he has time to decide whether to get back up”.
Chris Cree
I think we went to the same school!!!! The only difference for me was that I switched your steps 1 and 2.
I think Krav Maga would be more popular if they called it Jew Jitsu. Whee! Seriously, has anyone done an in-depth study comparing Krav Maga and Jiu Jitsu in terms of defensive efficacy? I’m curious.
P.S. I liked the piece but I think it’s unclear that the bottle recommendation is a joke (although the part about breaking it is amusingly phrased).
War cry works good – often freaks people out and confuses them.
Another effective strike is to hit them with an open palm, striking upwards to the jaw (easy knock-out) that way you can say it was in self defense. (you were pushing them)
NEVER turn your back on an enemy – I took a serve beating years ago after i thought I had won the fight – I walked away after knocking the guy down and the guy got back up punched me in the back of the head: resulting in a face plant into the concrete… Not cool.
Last tip – stay sober
@Mooja: The smallest guys are normally the worst guys to try to take – size does not determine the skill of a fighter.
I was in a fight recently, for relatively chivalric reasons, and although I came off very well, this article has still been interesting and helpful.
However, I have one critisism (this may have already have already been discussed in the comments, I haven’t read them all so I apologise if I’m repeating something someone else has said). In point 5, Defend Yourself, you suggest using a weapon, and this is something I would always advise against. I realise laws vary from state to state, and are obviously different in my home of England, but usage of a weapon, particulalry something with a sharp or jagged edge will always land you in trouble with the law, regardless of circumstanses(although courts will be more lenient if you use something blunt, rather than something that can be seen as a “deadly weapon” like a glass or a smashed bottle). A couple of years ago, friend of mine was attacked by multiple opponents who were older and bigger than him, and in a moment of desperation picked up a glass and hit one of his assailants with it. Although my friend was defending himself, was seventeen at the time and had no previous convictions, because he used the glass, a “deadly weapon” he was seen as the criminal, regardless of circumstances. He was sentences to 21 months in prison last December.
This has been a rather longwinded comment, and I have rambled on too much. The point I am making is using a weapon, especially if you could cut or stab someone with it, is to be advised against as it is more than likely it will land you in far more trouble than you’re already in.
I don’t know about this. The last fist fight I got into was when I was 22 yrs old at a nightclub. Some guy was being a moron and hitting on my girl, we ended up leaving but he followed me out and swung at me. It landed me in county jail for a night because this a-hole who turned out to be a government official. No charges were pressed thank God. But I remember afterwards looking in the mirror and seeing my face all beat up and bruised and thinking to myself how immature it was for me to even fight the guy. I think a real man handles his problems without having to get physical about it.
The best advice that I ever got about fighting was to steel yourself for the fact that you are going to get hit and that there is a good chance you will get beat up. As long as no one brings weapons, fistfights are rarely lethal, and getting your butt kicked really isn’t that bad.
These are some good tips overall for someone who is clueless and needs guidance on how to behave like a man in this situation.
Some good stuff in the comments too, but I think people missed the point. This is a tip for someone to use in a bad situation, not for people who want or need to learn to fight.
One point, sometimes you simply cannot avoid a bad situation. Not too long ago I was in a very nice, reputable, normally calm and quiet bar when an entire drunken wedding party stumbled in. They had reserved an adjacent banquet hall and wandered in when it closed. The security officer that was working was not going to be any help either, he was about 60 and maybe 5′7 going 275 I’d guess. Not the picture of intimidation.
Of course some sloshed buffoon comes over and plops down in my wife’s seat as soon as she gets up to use the restroom. He was there to order a drink. My wife came back and the guy had no clue what was going on, and insisted that he was going to get his drink. Fine buddy, just get out of my wife’s seat. His response was something like “wife? her? husband? ah.. you? well I’m going to get my drink dammit”.
My inclination was to just yank the bar seat out from under him and let him knock himself out when his chin hit the bar, but me vs. an entire wedding party seemed like bad odds to me. I just stood there and glared at him and said again that I was her husband and my wife wanted her seat back. He got his drink and then his loud mouth drunken female companion pulled him away saying something about ignoring us because we were just trying to start trouble.
We paid our tab and left after that. And I knew that if the guy started trouble, I’d have been jumped by a bunch of drunks and whooped.
So, my rather long drawn out point is again, you can’t always avoid trouble. And you can’t always think that any technique you know is going to save you, there is always someone better. And you always have to be ready to face the fact that, yes, you are about to get an ass whooping, just do your best and take it like a man.
@ Brett
I understand part of what you were doing here was to be humorous, but this kind of article is best written without anything that could be misunderstood. A broken bottle is bad on so many levels. It becomes a deadly weapon which will land you in jail on weapons charges, plus, in the heat of battle it is very likely not to break as expected an leave you holding a handful of broken glass.
@ everyone suggesting run away
It’s not only non-manly, but it could actually cause you to get hurt worse. Fleeing from an agressor will trigger a response. That response is generally to chase after the fleeing prey (which at that moment, you are in his eyes). It is best to stand up to him, but you have to do that right as well. When trying to talk your way out of the fight, it is EXCEEDINGLY important that you give away NO sign of weakness. Stand at your full height, pull your shoulders back slightly and get a little cocky. Be fair and reasonable about what you say. In the given example from the article, tell the guy that you didn’t mean anything with your look and that you were amused by something else going on. Smile slightly and act friendly, but let your body language convey a readiness to defend yourself. If you are at a bar, offer to buy the guy a beer as a peace offering and move on, you might even end up with a bar buddy.
I’d rather be judged by 12 than carried by six….
Test
The only time I got into a streetfight was when I was recovering from surgery on my foot and hobbling back out of town through a carpark.
4 guys surrounded me, started pushing me, getting little jabs into my sides and tried stamping on my bad foot. Considering that I had no chance of running away and wouldn’t be very good at kicks to the groin of 4 physically more capable people than myself I went straight for the face of the biggest guy, the ringleader. It hit him in the eye, the cheek and the nose and must have killed. Anyway the rest of the pack immediately backed down, muttering vague threats and agreeing with each other about the psycho they’d just met.
I fully expected a call from the police over the next few days since I lived in CCTV Britain and probably had about 5 cameras trained on me at any one time, possibly following me to the car, but I guess the buffoons didn’t want anyone to know that a cripple had scared off the whole lot of them.
I guess I didn’t really have a point to share, just wanted to share the mentality of some people.
Nothing wrong or unmanly about running. Hell, it’s even a military tactic. If they chase you, they’ll have less energy to hit you with. People who say “I’d never run. I’m a man” have never been beaten badly, or maybe just once. I’ve been in alot of fights, and lost alot of them. When I did run and get away, sometimes one of the trouble makers would see me later and try to start in on me without his crew around, and he’d get hurt. If you’r doggin people for bailing the scene, you are insecure in your manhood. And another thing, when you stand up tall, you are an easier target and less balanced.
@iamsofakingit: you are toatlly right, get it in your head you are going to get hit, and it willprobably hurt.
@maxwell demon: I have compared the 2 somewhat. I’m more familiar with krav maga. The main diff is one is a martial art and the other is a survival technique. One you can use to subdue, the other is for destruction.
You need to set a point at which you will take physical action against your opponent. eg he lays a hand on you or tries to touch you in some way.
You must then retaliate quickly and with as much force as you can muster. You are going to be scared, so decide when he crosses that boundary you have no choice but to act. And do it with all your might.
Aim for the bits that hurt, nose, eyes, bridge of foot. A kick to the side of the knee can sometimes work. Don’t bother with Karate. Bare knuckle fighters beat black belts.
When you have the opportunity, run away.
A solid and swift punch to the breast bone on the chest is amazing at dropping someone without no serious damage. Try feeling for the pain point on yourself, its right around the bottom point where your left and right rib cage’s meet. Tap it gently and you’ll see how it would become extremely painful, it also winds your opponent too.
I’ve studied Karate for the last six years and a lot of your advice is good, especially step 3. If you can, walk or run away.
Fighting is simple. Hit Hard – Hit Fast – Hit Often. Aim to finish the fight within 5 seconds ( the longer the fight the more chance you will get hurt) and if you chose to fight, give 110%. Your life may depend on it.
I never reccomend using a wepon, one way or another it will get you into trouble. A strong “war cry” is great as it helps tense your abs & forces you to breathe. Don’t headbut or step into a punch to the head, move sideways & attack into their side (head, knees, kidneys). Also take a body punch front on, into the tensed abs. a hit to the side can easily rupture your kidneys if low or break a rib if high.
Remember, you will get hit and it will hurt. Walk away if you can.
First of all, trying to defuse the situation is the best way to start. Personally, I don’t want to hurt anyone and get sued and I don’t want to get hurt. Plus I’m trying to go to law school and they and the New York State Bar frown on felony convictions. A felony is a possibility in any street or bar fight, no matter what you think. You punch a guy, he trips over something, hits his head and goes into a coma. Guess what? You could be held responsible for his coma.
Speaking of felonies, weapons? Really? If you’re outnumbered OK but you run a serious risk of hurting someone enough to catch a charge if it’s one-on-one. Besides, shouldn’t a man know how to defend himself with his hands, especially against a lone opponent?
It helps that I’m not a guy who starts fights, if you couldn’t tell from the first paragraph. Also, it’s really hard for other people to bother me. True self-confidence is good like that.
Any quality woman that you’re with won’t want you to get into a fight unless there is absolutely no alternative and they mean ABSOLUTELY no alternative. I like dating attractive women (imagine that) and if they can’t handle being hit on by creeps and drunks by themselves, I don’t want them. Besides, isn’t it more embarrassing for them when she shoots them down and I just sit there and watch them crash and burn? As long as they don’t touch her or do something stupid, it’s great entertainment for me.
Still, it’s a good idea to learn and practice some type of self-defense, even very basic types. Often if you show that you can defend yourself even a little bit your attackers will back down. What’s also good about this is that self-defense training (martial arts, boxing, etc.) is wonderful exercise and it’s rarely boring. It’ll help you stand with confidence in front of an aggressor, which is often a great help in diffusing a situation.
First of all, trying to defuse the situation is the best way to start. Personally, I don’t want to hurt anyone and get sued and I don’t want to get hurt. Plus I’m trying to go to law school and they and the New York State Bar frown on felony convictions. A felony is a possibility in any street or bar fight, no matter what you think. You punch a guy, he trips over something, hits his head and goes into a coma. Guess what? You could be held responsible for his coma.
Speaking of felonies, weapons? Really? If you’re outnumbered OK but you run a serious risk of hurting someone enough to catch a charge if it’s one-on-one. Besides, shouldn’t a man know how to defend himself with his hands, especially against a lone opponent?
It helps that I’m not a guy who starts fights, if you couldn’t tell from the first paragraph. Also, it’s really hard for other people to bother me. True self-confidence is good like that.
Any quality woman that you’re with won’t want you to get into a fight unless there is absolutely no alternative and they mean ABSOLUTELY no alternative. I like dating attractive women (imagine that) and if they can’t handle being hit on by creeps and drunks by themselves, I don’t want them. Besides, isn’t it more embarrassing for them when she shoots them down and I just sit there and watch them crash and burn? As long as they don’t touch her or do something stupid, it’s great entertainment for me.
Still, it’s a good idea to learn and practice some type of self-defense, even very basic types. Often if you show that you can defend yourself even a little bit your attackers will back down. What’s also good about this is that self-defense training (martial arts, boxing, etc.) is wonderful exercise and it’s rarely boring. It’ll help you stand with confidence in front of an aggressor, which is often a great help in defusing a situation.
Crap, double post. Sorry.
I’ve got to say, if you’re worried about getting in fights I’d highly recommend just getting some training. Track down your friendly local MMA gym and train. If you really commit yourself to training (every class, every time) for even just 4 months you’ll be able to wipe the floor with any asshole that gets in your shit. Everyone I’ve ever met at my gym has been an awesome guy, they’re not meat-heads who just want to intimidate you or make you quit. Its usually pretty reasonable too. My gym is $140 a month to take every class they offer which works out to nine classes a week not counting open gyms. It gets to the point where you never want to fight your average joe simply because it would be so fucking boring to do so. On top of all that its an amazing way to get in shape.
stay safe!
as my mom said ” Only losers complain about a fair fight. KICK EM IN THE BALLS!”
no really.
that is what my mom told me about fighting.
I think it is worth noting that, in certain circumstances, trying to diffuse a situation verbally will weaken your position. You can mentally off-balance a drunk, but that is not the same as reasoning with him.
The best thing for an unprovoked street fight for a man over 60 is a concealed carry permit and a S&W 342Ti.
Definitely check out krav maga many of the points above are emphasised in classes and honed to perfection.
Get trained.
Then get packed.
Then stay away from bars/clubs.
There’s plenty of people in those places you should avoid.
Stay out of them
However, should I find myself in a serious ’social encounter’, here’s what I would do:
If necessary, draw gun, back away slowly. Do not fire warning shot. The fact that you are retreating is necessary in court if the worst happens. Get yourself gone!
Very few tough guys will take on a gun, especially if you look like you know what you’re doing.
Forget the war cry. It takes your mind off your retreat.
Get in your car and leave immediately once the threat is over. Don’t hang around to gloat or chat. Leave. It’s probably not a good idea to go home if the perps know where you live. Wait a day or two somewhere else in case of reprisals
IF YOU HAVE TO FIRE, fire twice and aim low. Most hurried shots miss too high.
Remember these words: “Your honor, the man threatened me, I feared for my life. As I was leaving, he came toward me and attacked. I discharged two rounds in his direction.”
EXERCISE YOUR RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT. Only a judge can compel you to answer questions. Consult your attorney at the earliest convenience even if not arrested. The perps may cook up a story later to try and get you arrested. Tell your man first and get his advice.
DISCLAIMER Remember, these are suggestions that I follow. I do not encourage others to take these suggestions as to the course of action that they should follow. Only you can decide what to do.
“A .38 beats a full house”–Jesse James
“God gave fat guys guns” — John Goodman– “Sea of Love”
.
Fighting and chess- “Everyone plays chess, but few are really experts. Few really fight, but everyone is an expert”.
“Don’t bother with karate. Bare knuckles beat black belts”.
Many of the posts here are absolutely hilarious.
Seriously, if you are not just scared half to death, do you really want to break someones knee over a bullshit brawl? It is ridiculously easy to do, never heals right again, and the guy will limp for the rest of his life. If you can’t fight and desperately need to get away, okay, but what kind of attack besides life and death rise to the need to permanently maim someone? If you’ve never actually broken a bone on another person, you will be amazed at how sickening it is when you feel and hear it………….
Go find a Kyokushin dojo and tell them all about your bare knuckles beating their black belts.
How about number 9 – don’t muck about and kick the jackass square in the nuts – job done.
Its all good, just dont go for the bottle unless necessary.. I saw stick to the punches.. shattered glass its just like a knife, and thats a different game…
I haven’t read all the comments, please forgive me if I’m repeating something. I’m a firm believer in being a gentleman 24/7, but in my opinion, there is no such thing as fighting like a gentleman. Fight dirty, and fight to put him out of commission just long enough for you to get out of there, and fast.
In regards to taking a punch, if possible, don’t take one at all. I suggest dodging. A punch can open a man up. If he punchs with the right hand. slide to your left his right, move out of the way of the punch and get in close, perfect position for that knee to the groin or a few good punches to the gut.
And don’t miss The Steven Seagal Guide to Ending Violence Quickly!
LISTEN the main thing you need to survive and thrive in a violent street fight is….guess what?
MENTAL READYNESS.
now you cant really teach anyone to be tough-you can be as ripped-up with muscle as you like and have black belts in various martial arts….BUT if you cant handle yourself and your adrenaline while in a dark street corner, fist to fist with someone who is quite possible willing to KILL or seriously injure you…….you will still lose.
i am now 20 and when i was younger i did take a few beatings because i simply didnt know how to handle myself, but now i no longer “freeze up” at the prospect of being hit, and get in there with some simple ballistic moves like elbows and headbutts.
unfortunately, thats the only way you can truly learn to be a street fighter.
years ago, i simply didnt have it in me to “just get in there and do it” but i learned that out there, noone is gonna be gentle with ya so you might as well not worry about “escalating the violence”.
and finally, when it comes to technique-just use simple, dirty moves and try and get into close quarters.
Awful advice, I would like to se eyou in a fight and see what happens using this,
Never use a weapon you can only get in serious trouble,
if you cannot fight run get out of there asap
As for taking a punch go with it to minimize damage, if you go into it and he connects good night, you have all your force and his force colliding instead of some of his force hiting you.
My advice if you cannot run, Hit him and do not stop hitting him neck, groin, or nose work best if ther eis more than 1 hit the largest one of them the rest will be in shock
I’ve only been in one fight as an adult… I was sucker punched after a party we had at my college house. This (uninvited) racist guy was just ripping into a friend of mine who is half black and half Asian, and it took him a while to leave, despite much persuasion. he came back after we had thrown him out and I advised him it was time for him to get heading home… and he sucker punched me in my own doorway. I have to admit, it took me by a bit of surprise… as I was trying to dodge the punch, my hand went through the drywall… but after I took it, and went outside after him. We both slipped on the ice and fell down 3 steps… but we were on the round then. He really had no chance… I was 8 inches+ taller and a good 60 pounds heavier than he was and gave him what for.
I’m usually the guy who is there to back up my dumbass friends when they start shooting their mouths off… they start jawing and right before things get tight, I’ll step in and ask the other guy if he really is interested in a tussle… It usually helps that the guys I hang out with (for the most part) are all former college athletes like me and can take care of themselves… but probably more importantly, LOOK like they can take care of themselves, so it usually isn’t an issue.
During my brief stint at bouncing, a wiser, more successful (fewer facial scars) doorman told me to always pretend your Italian and talk with your hands. That way you’re closer to having a chance of blocking the drunken sucker shot.
@ MightyKC- Wise words indeed. Plus you might frighten them with all the commotion. My wife’s Italian grandmother is one of the toughest broads I know. She can easily strike fear in the heart of grown men, despite the fact she’s 5 feet tall.
Back in the day, long term bouncer here. Seen a lot of fights. Actually had very few myself, bouncers fight dirty because we always triple or quadruple teamed. Lessons from a bouncer:
1. Don’t fight bouncers. They are sober. They have other bouncer friends. They don’t care about “winning” they just want to remove you, and don’t care what furniture and fixtures hit your face on the way out.
2. Most males really really don’t want to fight, they want to posture. They love it when the bouncer shows up and they can back down with honor. Fuck honor. Be a craven lickspittle in a bar fight situation, apologize and cower and make the fight go away. And running away is a very very good ideal, there are very few things in life worth getting damaged for, and they aren’t found in bars.
2b In a prison situation the opposite is true, if you don’t react violently and insanely, you will pretty shortly find yourself with a sore bum. Just saying.
2c Girl fights are a bouncer’s nightmare. Not only do they not care a damn about honour and so on, they actually want to kill each other. Secondly, they almost certainly have a boyfriend pleased as punch to be fought over, who will take any manhandling of either of his (probably soon to be ex)girlfriends very seriously. With friends.
3. Do not try for the balls. They are amazingly hard to hit, and most males have a bunch of protective reflexes that are extremely hard to overcome. True, it is a game winner if you can do it, but it is very very difficult.
4. When looking for weapons, distance weapons are the best. Fending off the dude with a chair a la a lion-tamer is about the smartest move you can make; because eventually, in most situations someone (like a bouncer or three or the cops) will intervene. Actual weapons, things like bats and hockey sticks, actually leave you very vulnerable. And can lead to serious criminal charges. Any weapon, hold onto it like crazy, you really don’t want it taken away from you. You really don’t.
5. Throw the first punch. Sorry to say this, but watching many many fights, the guy that stops the posturing phase and lays on some sudden and unanticipated pain and damage, almost always wins. If you can’t back out, can’t run away, go postal, as soon as you can.
6. Going postal is actually a good strategy. Get in there close and violent, you will take a lot of damage but it will be in the initial adrenaline fueled phase when you can’t feel it, and the surprise factor really helps. The odds are that a guy that wants to fight with you is probably more skilled at fighting that you are, fencing with him is a serious mistake.
7. Your single most effective hitting surface is your elbow, not your fist. You will do more damage with your elbow, and receive a lot less, than with your fist.
8. Your second most effective hitting surface is your foot. A good kick to any major muscle mass will temporarily freeze it, making it much easier to run away, or if you can’t, to do further damage.
9. Once a fight starts, don’t fuck around. Shut your yap, don’t circle and spar, lay into the dude like a maniac. It is actually your best chance at survival.
10. Don’t knife fight. Someone pulls a knife, run like hell, dodge, weave, anything to put something or some distance between you and that knife. Knives are very very dangerous and nobody but a martial arts master, if that, can avoid very random very serious damage from them.
11. I’m sorry, but a war cry is stupid. If the dude you are up against knows anything at all about a fight, has been in more than one, your war cry will have about the effect of a cream pie dropped on a marshmallow from about an inch away. Basically, in the adrenaline rush of a fight, you are pretty much deaf anyway.
12. Oh, and getting angry, really really angry? Nothing but good. Adrenaline is your friend.
I think Orval above has it all covered. In a nutshell: run like hell or fight like hell. Nothing in between and no hesitation. And if you have to use something as a weapon, don’t wait around for the cops. You will go to jail.
Well a late night, after a party, I was going to go gome alone, suddenly a big foreign guy across the street yells somethin, I look at him, and he walks over to my side of the street, then he asks me why I look at him funny, I didn’t know what the hell he was talking about, so I apologized if I had done him wrong in any way, but he still wouldn’t leave, he was about 6.2, and I was 5′7 at the time, he was pretty buff, and suddenly he punches me in the face, push me down on the ground and starts stomping at me, luckily a couple of guys from the party witnessed the whole thing, and scared the guy away…
So after that incident I thought that I had to learn how to fight, so I don’t get assaulted again..
BTW, I’m not racist, the guy just made up that I was looking at him funny, cuz he wanted a fight…
yeah this is a smart way to fight i don’t know maybe in dumb i just react if i get hit i swing full force to the nose i”m usually very accurate. and no where im from using a weapon is wimp shit and kicking in groin man hell no i mostly giveiem an old 1 2
one in the nose one in the temple if that dont hurt em them damn!!
Listen if your gonna get in a fight then its gonna happen, always keep a good stance as to not fall over. always keep yours eyes on your oponent, best thing to do is if he throws a common right hand then kick him in the gut. jump up and elbow him in the face. or try and block the punch take your right hand and place it to the left side of his head, wrap around into a headlock and knee the crap outa him, or kick his thighs, not straight on but do a turning shin kick. it will make him unable to wwalk if done effectively. if hes up[ in ur face grab the back of his head and headbutt the hell out of his nose. if he goes to spear tackle then lean forward and grab his head and push straight down either to the floor or into your knee. other useful things u can do is a side kick to there kneecap (onl if his leg is straight) it will snap it instantly… you canm do the same with an elbow… when ever you get in a fight speak up. yell!!! im gonna kill you or something to show your anger. never back down because people always have it on there phones after. if you on the ground try and get up and kick them or get on top and punch them or get them in a sleeper hold and knock them out…. the MOST effective thing you could ever do is get them ion a firm headlock, have a wide stance for balance and use whatever you have left to knee, punch, elbow or whatever you can do to knock him out. always keep your hands up unless your experienced or fast. play off the jab or use youlegs which are effective against reach. keep applying the pressure dont give them the advantage to regain themselves and attack…
CONTROL THE OUTCOME!!!!!
Listen if your gonna get in a fight then its gonna happen, always keep a good stance as to not fall over. always keep yours eyes on your oponent, best thing to do is if he throws a common right hand then kick him in the gut. jump up and elbow him in the face. or try and block the punch take your right hand and place it to the left side of his head, wrap around into a headlock and knee the crap outa him, or kick his thighs, not straight on but do a turning shin kick. it will make him unable to wwalk if done effectively. if hes up[ in ur face grab the back of his head and headbutt the hell out of his nose. if he goes to spear tackle then lean forward and grab his head and push straight down either to the floor or into your knee. other useful things u can do is a side kick to there kneecap (onl if his leg is straight) it will snap it instantly… you canm do the same with an elbow… when ever you get in a fight speak up. yell!!! im gonna kill you or something to show your anger. never back down because people always have it on there phones after. if you on the ground try and get up and kick them or get on top and punch them or get them in a sleeper hold and knock them out…. the MOST effective thing you could ever do is get them ion a firm headlock, have a wide stance for balance and use whatever you have left to knee, punch, elbow or whatever you can do to knock him out. always keep your hands up unless your experienced or fast. play off the jab or use youlegs which are effective against reach. keep applying the pressure dont give them the advantage to regain themselves and attack…
Weapons are a no-go in conjunction with a war cry. The last thing you want to do when using a weapon is draw attention to the skirmish. Let the belt, bottle, or traffic cone do the talking. Never ever use a weapon in a public setting. A broken bottle in a bar fight can land you 5 years in prison for assualt with a deadly weapon – even if you’re defending someone else and it’s your first offense.
i got into a fight on monday night, this is how i went about it, i was dancing with some girls on my own when some arse hole came up to me out of the blue screaming fuck off before he knocked my teeth out because that he liked these girls i was with , the girls were my friends, he had his face about 12 inches from mine, i put my hands up in a defencive manner trying to diffuse the situation i stepped back on numberous occasions, then assumed a sturdy stance,in a flash i grabbed his shirt and pulled him into a headbutt he brought his hands up to hold his now smashed nose obscuring his vission before he had time to recover i smashed him with a flurry of hard punches once he tried to curl down to protect his face i grabbed his shirt and proceeded to upper cut him and knee him till he was out of action, a supprise, fast ,frenzied attack is the best form of defence hopefully that so called man will look in the mirror at his mangled face and think more about his behaviour in the future and go out to clubs to have a good time like everyone else.
Im sorry but you probably you never were in a fight on the street. Ground is THE LAST place you want to end up…As soon as you are on the ground there is nothing that can prevent his buddies to stomp you…and if you believe that a scum picks up a fight with you when it is alone then you are deluded! i dont know where you have the 90% business. as i told…as soon as somebody is on the ground he is a good target for stomping. so yeah my main objective in the fight is to put HIM on the ground and NOT go down there with him…As soon as he is down its up to your consciousnes and fantasy what you can do with him
And you should never fight for submission in a streetfight. You can if you work as security or bouncer but if its a fight against some street scum and you cant escape (which is absolutly correctly in your post – defuse the situation OR run away if there is nobody you have to protect) then just try to do as much damage as possible before he can. Yeah you have to think about legal stuff and it depends on the stituation how far you go but if there are many of them or he has some kind of weapon you can basically do anything to him. Watch for witnesses though and be sure they will be on your side.
but the best thing while maybe not so manly is to try and avoid it at any means. Talk it down, talk to the bouncer if you are in a club or somewhere where they are, leave the place or simply run away if you can.
best regards
your article is cool. man,i never thought of many things written over here before hitting someone. these should be “Points To Remember”.
Seems like there’s a semi-consensus here that it’s best to avoid street fights at all costs, which I will join. Words of wisdom from a bouncer: if you get into a fight you will end up in the hospital, in jail, or in court, most probably all three.
I have had alot of street fights and bar fights so here is a list of what I have learned. any pointers are welcome.
1. THERE ARE NO RULES IN THESE TYPES OF FIGHTS. USUALLY THE DIRTIER, CLEVERER, AND LOWEST MAN WINS. I have busted up a black belt simply because i tossed my drink in his face followed by a disastrous sucker punch. NEVER THINK THAT BECAUSE YOU ARE SKILLED YOU WONT GET YOU BUTT KICKED. I am an amateur boxer with over 65 fights and that is nothing on the street. In fact SOME MARTIAL ARTS MAY GET YOU KILLED IN A FIGHT.
2.IF YOU CAN TALK YOUR WAY OUT OF IT PLEASE DO THAT. AVOIDING A FIGHT IS BETTER THAN WINNING A FIGHT. However watch yourself whle you speak. the guy you are speaking to might take this as an opportunity to pounce on you or one of his buddies sneak up from behind and bust you head open with a bottle or something.(Trust me I been there)
3.RUN AWAY. Honour DOSENT EXIST in fights. BECAUSE THERE ARE NO RULES. Trying standing against two cutlass or knife wielding dudes because you think you are trained in some exagerated fighting system and you will be in for a RUDE SUPRISE.
4.NEVER TAKE THE FIGHT TO THE GROUND. You may be overwhelming your opponent with your slick Ground and Pound game, but that won’t count for shit when his bonehead friends begin to STOMP THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS out of your stupid ass and KICK YOUR FACE IN.
5. IF YOU ARE DRUNK DO NOT FIGHT. your punches will not be going as fast as you think they are and then …………..well you know the rest.
6. IF YOU ARE TAKING SELF DEFENCE COURSES TRY SOMETHING LIKE MUAY THAI or THAT Israeli Shit. avoid sport karate and others. STREET BONEHEADS AND PUNKS can take an awful amount of punishment and still fuck you up. I have seen black belts HAD THE THEIR ASSES HANDED TO THEM DREADFULLY.
7.ALWAYS HIT FIRST. In most street fights the person who lands the first blow wins because it is usually followd by a rapid succession of blows and you will be on the floor nursing you wounds before you even get your fighting stance in position.
8.WHEN YOU HIT HIT TO IMMOBILIZE YOU OPPONENT. Whats the point in punching a guy only to have him recoil and STAB YOUR DUMB ass.
9.THE LAW. You don’t wanna get fucked up but you don’t wanna go to Jail or Pay the fine. I have done both. Judged by Twelve rather than carried by Six. Im still here am I not?
In the end i think that fighting is a rather despicable thing that should be avoided at all costs. however if you are backed into a corner make sure to FUCK YOUR ENEMY UP. There is no honour in being DEAD or CRIPPLED.
Cowering and crying like a little girl should not be overlooked. Scumbags don’t necessarily want to beat up a sissy.
It’s better to walk away looking like a pussy than not walking away at all.
submissions are good, some guy started shit with me and i leg sweeped him then put him in a rear naked choke. i won and didnt get in any trouble whatsoever
”
Dave on June 12th, 2008 7:33 pm
“Don’t bother with karate. Bare knuckles beat black belts ……..
Go find a Kyokushin dojo and tell them all about your bare knuckles beating their black belts.
”
This is the most ignorant comment of all hands down.
does this ignorant know about karate kyokushin ?? , sure not because he’s an ignorant and a sissy too, I dare you to go to a karate kyokushin dojo and fight anyone , any student. they will fracture your sorry ass, kyokushin is the hardest , toughest of all karate styles , full contact, bare knuckes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vD2Nmk0JiFk
REad about it ignorant(Dave) before posting your BS again.
by the way you wouldnt last very long , and iam not talking about a fight ( you’ll be in a wheelchair) , am talking about the training .
A less mentioned weapon: Textbooks
A cardboard cover surrounding 600 pages of knowlege.
I was in a short (Incredibly short) brawl a year or so ago, I was carrying my textbook on my way to my car, and a student wanting to start a fight punched me in the back of the head. Immediately, I swung around and dealt a two-handed textbook blow to the side of the head, colliding with an almost comically loud crack, sending him sprawling and ending the fight right there. I continued on my merry way, and he never went near me again.
I hope this comes in handy for me as soon as tonight i plan on using these techniques tonight
Lots of great ideas here, and you can tell we’re all of the same mentality. Nice to see there are men out there who know how to fight, and how to avoid the confrontation. Then there are times where you face an opponent who may not be of sound mind. I read in a fighting book of philosophy once that the best way to look at your attacker, is as though a loved one was running out of a burning building, and on fire, and coming at you. You must contain them, and put out the fire without hurting them. That being said, I’ve fought multiple people at once, and some times it is unavoidable. You may even exhaust yourself on the first one, or the second, only to be sucker punched by the third (this happened to me). At that moment, I contained the third attacker, and made a choice. Do I do the next move which could possible kill this guy, or let him slip away. It seemed to come down to that. I let him go, i had nothing to prove. I think it should be noted that you can’t beat good technique, or the confidence it instills. However, there are times when you must make a decision about taking that next step. I felt at that moment, I could not go there. I fought 2 guys again years later, I was approached by a crazy person who liked my girlfriend lately, and walked away, I can think of two people who might jump me. It is important to be prepared mentally, and know that in our world, threats are real. It is important also to ask yourself this question even before you potentially engage next time. I’ve studied multiple martial arts, I’m about to start training again. I can’t see how any person could defeat me with the techniques, and reflexes that I have. I guess the simple concept I would advise in a situation is the following:
Any attacker, by definition is leaving himself open.
You must move away from the impact point, and into the vulnerable zone in one move.
You must then use a measure to contain the person. Be it restraining them, or striking them, and moving them into another oponent to confuse the situation, while perhaps striking a third oponent. There are many books and arts which pertain to these techniques. I think you must realize that you can’t always avoid situations, particularly avoiding all clubs when you have a beautiful girlfriend. You can’t walk away from all attackers. Remember, be prepared, wait to see how the attacker strikes, if it’s a fist get behind it, if it’s a kick grab it and throw them on their ass. Always fight with your hands up and open so you can grab the punch and elbow them to the face, or grab the kick at the thigh as it’s coming toward you. Don’t get drunk in public, and always try to get out of it! Don’t use weapons, take them away and don’t use them! Try to avoid lethal blows where necessary. Always try to think what a true master of martial arts would do. Ego is not involved. Nor hate, nor fear. Be relaxed when you fight, stand centered, use L-stance. Find a martial art that you love, and a master you admire. Stick with it. I’ve studied off and on for longer than most of you are alive
well yesterday i someone attacked me and gave me nic punch in to the head . One thing i have problem is that i don’t keep my hand up . Thank you very much for this article appreciate this.
One swift kick to the bridge of the nose usually finishes your opponent.
i’ve had to fight dirty before and it wasn’t a pretty site. the guy had me in a headlock so i bit his arm, elbowed his stomach, kicked him in the groin and threw him over.
i like the warcry idea.
In fights people genrally lose their thoughts and instinct kicks in. I’m trying to stop doing that.
Nothing quite like an article on fighting to bring out all the internet tough guys.
Just remember that whatever you do, you’d best be able to explain to a jury why you did it. A lot of tough talkers on here who have never been in a street fight, much less explain what happened afterward in a courtroom situation. BTW, if you’re a martial arts badass and you decide to show off and open up that can on somebody, chances are you’re going to face charges of excessive use of force unless you’ve used that in a situation where you had no other alternative. I know of two situations similar to the above where both ma guys saw jail time of no less than six months. Yep, six months.
Gary Slaughter -
” If you’re in an alley at 3 a.m. it’s anything goes, although if you’re in an alley at 3 a.m. you deserve to have your ass kicked.”
I don’t know about that – ever heard of night work ? I was just back from a shift when I was attacked by a burglar with a carpet knife. Did I deserve that ??
First of all attacking with all out force is number 1, it’s 90% mental. All out force s key. There are alot better things to do then punch, palm strikes, axe hands, knees, elbows, hammer fists all much more effective and are less likely to hurt you. As far as weapons, use them if u have them. If your decide your going to thrust a knife is someones gut, there is no way they can get it from you without being severely injured. Getting in trouble is the least of your worries if someone is attacking you. I’ve been in some fights. The court room is the least of my worries. Six months in jail vs. enternity in a grave or being serverely injured, i’ll take the jail. Anyone really interested in self defense should check out Kelly Mccann and his teachings. SImple real life methods of self defense.
“extra man points for first breaking the bottle and then thrusting the jagged part at your opponent”
Overall a good article, but this bit of humor could get somebody charged with aggravated assault, or worse. Unless you’re being clearly threatened with deadly force, you’re not allowed to use it either.
Again, Louis, it was to be taken as a joke. I don’t think a fight should escalate to having to use weapons.
When I was a boy I was jumped by 4 guys because I was from “the other side of the tracks”. I kicked one in the groin the other in the knee and punched one in the face when he was trying to get up, the other two ran. I had no choice but to fight. My advice is to aim for area’s that are sensitive, that’s what my Dad tought me.
Old post i know, but i feel it’s necessary for me to put my two-bobs-worth in… Who ever said going fucking mental is good, was totally right. I am not a tough guy by any means, I’m fairly short and quite unfit and can’t fight for shit. But the other day on the oval at school, some guy came up and spear-tackled me to the ground for no reason then when we were on the ground he punched me in the balls. I knew that if i fought with him, that i’d lose and i realized i had to do something really dramatic so i rolled over, as he was still on the ground next to me, and king hit (head butted) him in the face then got up and shouted hysterically at him lying on the ground… needless to say that he hasn’t bothered me since.
The way to win a fight is to be as animalistic as you possibly can. Do whatever you can to get the apponent to no longer have the will to fight. Also that UFC stuff doesn’t work in a street fight, don’t try it. Try to avoid the fight as much as possible but if you can’t do NOT hesitate that’s the easiest way to wind up on the ground.
i myself think that going all out on the opponent is the best solution. and by all out i mean them being dead or in a coma. i personally believe when you attempt to commit a crime against someone you should lose all your rights and be at your victims will. if he wants to smash your nose into your brain, its your own fault for instigating. it makes me so mad when i see honest, good people imprisoned because some arsehole decides to screw around with them and gets more than he bargained for.
ok well if ur gunna fight do it and dont be afraid to get in there and get hit of course your gunna take a few punches but from experience if the guy is bigger hit his nose cauz it will water up his eyes then either cheap shot or run and also hit as fast and as hard as you can there are no rules in a street fight so hit him where ever and dont be afraid to do some grappling if hes down and your on top of him you have a big advantage
This is a better option for someone about to street fight http://www.ehow.com/how_5677196_win-stand-up-street-fight.html
First of all, good advice here.
Secondly, Andrew who left the post in 2008 – shut up smacktard! In a fight there are NO RULES!! If that jackass wants to hurt me, he could also hurt my family. That’s how I like to think if I’m ever in a situation. It’s either him or me and it sure as hell isn’t going to be me!
I’m in High School by the way and this year 7 walks up to me and says, “Let’s have a look.” (I was holding a bottle by the way) and I pushed him away quite gently and this year 10 says “What do you think you doing?!” and pushed me aggressively. I didn’t know what to do (I’m in year 9 btw) so I punched him in the face (I deeply regret doing that). Although, when I did that; he went aboslutly nuts, punching me like mad. I also got a few more punches on him, gave him a nose bleed but I’ve got a black eye. I’m going to look like an idiot when I go into school tomorrow. He called me a pussy after the fight. I’m going to beat the shit out of him tomorrow I’m really pissed.
~I’ve been reading comments and I’m going to use a few of them. I don’t think the guide is that great; 3/5.
Some seriously bad advice from sofa warriors in the comments of this article. -____- If you want to learn how to win fist-fights, get into MMA. If you want to learn how to win REAL fights, like the ones that happen with guns and knives, better get armed and go find some tactical training near you.
The tips provided in the article (and presumably, the book which inspired the article) seem to be of such a nature as to provoke a fight more than to increase one’s odds of a successful outcome. Remember that this situation describes dealing with an intoxicated lout. Reason is not likely to work, and a “war cry” – seriously, would a drunk person’s fight/flight mechanism be functioning enough to be scared of some yelling? I have a sneaking suspicion that yelling might trigger the fight.
If you can’t diffuse the situation using speech and rationality, you have two options – fight (defend to begin with, then end the fight fast) or remove yourself from the situation. Either of these actions are fine choices, but whether one is better than another depends on the situation. If you are outnumbered and / or weapons are involved, run. If the guy is by himself, or is very intoxicated and with others, you have the option of fighting. I would prefer to have the fortitude to take a stand in a situation which is not likely to end my life or permanently injure me, and teach some idiot a lesson they sorely need, than back down, feel like a coward, and reinforce to them that their behaviour gets them what they want.
Oh, and since I’ve been back at the gym for 2 months now, I’ll be getting into Krav Maga in maybe another 2 months when I’ve prepared enough for it. I’ve wanted to do it for years!
Listen Im only 14 and I’ve been in 3 fights I have a couple of rules that guarantee success.
1) Be Aware- If you know a fights about to happen have someone there to back you up in case you get ganged up on
2)1st- be the first to hit because one clean shot to the head and you opponent won’t wanna fight any more
lastly talk mad shit and if It comes down to it release your inner rage and manup