Fighting Tactics

[Lighthawk]

Man, getting jumped by a bunch of Crips is not the ideal situation to learn, but I can tell you: most training goes out the window, and you'd better hope your training has influenced your instinct.

Well, my sensei always used to tell us that in a real fight, you wouldn't have time to think, only to react. The whole idea behind putting in endless hours of punching, kicking, and blocking was to train your body to react without thought, to let the attacks and defenses come out on their own without you having to think about it.

Also, it appears that we'd really be the wrong group of nerds to f*ck with.

Never judge how dangerous a person is by how he looks; learned that one real early in my training. There is this little old lady, she looks like she's 90, not even 5 foot tall. She moves like fucking lightning though, and sparring with her used to leave me with bruises from blocking her strikes. I pity anyone who tries to snag her purse.

[Capt. Jethro]

Growing up I always tried to avoid a conflict, never backed down though, but avoidance is best. If that didn't work then too bad for the other guy.

Fast forward to the present. In my line of work, if there is a conflict then you'll hear about it in the news.

I fight like a girl.

YOU WIN!!!!!!!!

[Mikey]

I fight as dirty as I can. I'll pick up a rock, brick, stick, bottle, or whatever. And I try and make that first shot a crippling shot. I really don't WANT to hurt anyone, so if I can take the fight out of them quickly, there ya go.

Indeed. "Age and treachery will always overcome youth and skill."

Man, getting jumped by a bunch of Crips is not the ideal situation to learn, but I can tell you: most training goes out the window, and you'd better hope your training has influenced your instinct.

Indeed. The "one case" I referred to was getting run-up on by a trio of skinheads outside the old Limelight. I still don't know what would have happened to me if some buddies hadn't been a few minutes away; but I can tell you that rational thought had no place in my mind.

[Nickswitz]

but I can tell you that rational thought had no place in my mind.

Does it ever?

[Mikey]

Sure - in the back corner of the cellar.

[Sionnach Glic]

My first tactic in any confrontation is to try and defuse the situation and just walk away. If that's not possible, I'll follow the age old saying of "The best defence is a swift kick to the balls", along with beating them with any blunt object that's within reach. Also, if you get your attacker on the ground then start kicking like crazy - it's the best chance you've got of ending the fight. When you're satisfied that your attacker has no will or no capability to continue the fight, run away. Don't walk - run. This prevents your opponent coming after you.

Some people will tell you that such a fighting style isn't "honourable", but it's worth remembering that if those same people had lived a few hundred years ago they'd have died before the age of 30 leading a cavalry charge into a battery of cannons. As far as I'm concerned, being able to go home at the end of the day with all your bones intact is better than being able to put "Died honourably" on your tombstone.

[Aaron]

I hold to the tenets they taught in hand to hand (assuming things got that far); fight dirty, use anything you can at hand, sand, chairs, glass, etc. Honour is just another word for pride and I'd rather going home to my family then fulfilling some half-witted notion of pride.

[Tsukiyumi]

Amen.

[Capt. Jethro]

A true southern fight is for everyone to go back and drink beer after everyone has beaten the crap out of each other. True story from a coworker at job I had in high school/college.

[Aaron]

Yeah, the Army was like that too. Settle your differences out back and thats it.

[sunnyside]

The only "serious" fights I've been in have been with wandering dogs out in the country.

It would seem my style to to fall back and get a weapon, any weapon.

. My only Martial art as such is wrestling, as I took that as a sport back in high school, and a fair bit of tousling at school and in the country. Which, actually, work pretty well for the only sort of fights I've had with humans, which have been of the not so serious nature, with the worst outcome being at most bruising. I find punching for the diaphram works well after going for the head as it seems most people don't really bother blocking body shots as well as they ought once you've gone for the dome a time or two. Ditto for kicking at the lower parts of their leg.

In "fighting for fun" situations I've found wrestling to be quite useful. When going up against martial artists who should be better than me, I've faired quite well because their talents lie in doing serious bodily harm.

Also, while perhaps it might be negated by sufficient skill, I credit my success in fighting people largely to my bulky 6' 2" frame.