1.09.2008:
How To Actually Win A Fist Fight
12:15 AMOk, well, with the response from yesterday's post, I felt compelled to go ahead and do this. Without further ado:
You know it has to be said, first sentence, first paragraph: the best way to win a fist fight is not to get into one in the first place.
No shit, sherlock.
Every single mens magazine who has ever attempted to publish an article like this has started (and ended) exactly that way and is usually devoid of any real information - sometimes because someone on the editorial staff wanted to avoid putting the periodical at risk for a lawsuit; other times because the author has absolutely no clue what they’re talking about, so they cop out with this “Verbal Judo Wins The Day!” crap.
It’s common sense - avoid fighting if at all possible. No one likes to get hit (and if you do, there’s no need to go crawling pubs to find it. There’s any number of clubs filled with rubber-suited men and women who will give you a safety word and a few bruises for the right price...). But sometimes, diplomacy erodes to a good old fashioned bust-up, or worse, your opponent is just a big bully who’s looking to drive a knuckle into your nose. In either case, you are - at some point in your life - going to be called upon to defend yourself.
So... What to do? Well, I can’t promise that the following information will turn you into a hands-of-steel cage fighter who can handle any MMA bruiser in a back-alley match... In fact, if you’re actually in NEED of the information in this article, I can guarantee you that a trained martial artist or fighter will destroy you. But all things being equal, if you’re simply an untrained person who’s facing your schoolyard nemesis, or someone looking to simply get the basics under your belt in case something gnarly goes down, I can assure you that you’re way better off knowing this stuff than not.
The Basics
First, you need to know a few things:
- You are going to get hit.
- When you get hit, it does not feel good.
Knowing and accepting those two things as fact will free your mind up enough to begin thinking about much more important stuff, like strategy and technique. If you’re petrified with fear over how much it’s going to hurt when the big bad guy hits you, you’re going to be out of focus. Thus, you'll be much more vulnerable to taking damage than if you can just accept the reality of the situation and move past it... And perhaps, walk into the situation with a bit of confidence.
Confidence CANNOT be overvalued in a fight situation. If you walk in knowing you will win, your chances of winning are far greater... If for no other reason than the fact that you will gain a psychological edge on your opponent. If you don’t have confidence, fake it. Seriously, it’s important.
If you’re fighting in an enclosed area, position yourself so that there is an exit to your rear. If you cannot, try to get an exit positioned to your strong side (right side, if you’re right handed, left side if you’re left handed). The ability to retreat can make the difference between getting punched and getting beat. It’s helpful to remember that “retreat” does not always mean “flee” - sometimes, you have to back off a bit to get your act together.
If you’re a student or a frequenter of bars, you need to know that there is a very high liklihood that your fight is going to take place in the center of a huge ring of people who are chanting, yelling, screaming and whatnot. If this is the case, get to the door and get in position before they can seal it off as a crowd of spectators.
Lastly, if you’re up against two or more guys, someone with a weapon, or other crazy situation, don’t be a hero - get the hell out of there. If you simply cannot escape, look at the end of this article in the section “Impossible Situations”.
Your Stance
Your stance is the way you stand and position yourself during a fight. It’s by far the most important part of your actual fighting technique. Now, this sounds like crap, but it’s absolutely true. Your base - the position of your feet and legs - determines how much power you can deliver in a blow. You should keep your feet about shoulder width apart, with your “strong” foot slightly forward. Your knees should NEVER be locked - keep them slightly bent, but not so much so that you feel a strain in your upper legs.
As far as your “guard” goes, there are any number of techniques and positions that you could adopt, but the most simple is your strong hand in front of your face, your weak hand slightly below it guarding your chin, and your elbows very slightly pointed outward guarding your chest.
A proper stance and guard will keep you from looking as ugly as I do
Never, EVER drop your guard. Keep your hands in front of your vital areas at ALL times, unless actively delivering a blow or in the midst of grappling with someone.
Keep your chin tucked to your chest as much as possible, and ALWAYS keep your eyes up and on your opponent. You will find that, if you take away the chin and neck as targets, your chances of becoming disabled (knocked out or unable to breathe) are reduced by an order of magnitude. We’ll cover more of this in “Taking A Punch” - for now, you just need to know how to stand.
Now, with that strong foot forward, your strong-side hip is going to be slightly pointed at your opponent, and your strong hand - when you throw the punch - is going to place a lot of pressure on your strong leg. This is vital - if you can use the power of physics to align the transfer of energy from your foot, up your leg, through your hip and shoulder to your fist as you throw the punch, you will devastate your foe when you connect.
Keep moving. Don’t dance around like a moron, or you can get tripped up and probably knocked out... But definitely keep moving to the side, occasionally changing direction. Don’t pick your feet up off the ground completely; rather, try to shuffle slightly. Stay as much of a moving target as you can without putting yourself at risk of being tripped, pushed, or otherwise taken out stupidly. You’ll DEFINITELY want to practice this in your room / garage / backyard to get the hang of it.
Lastly... No wild blows. Don’t go into a fight flailing like a madman, trying to hit whatever you can as much as possible. You’re going to wear yourself out VERY quickly, which will leave you completely vulnerable to the patient opponent - which is completely counter to the goal of this guide, right? You want to win, not end up a bloody lump of exhausted meat on the ground. Find your target, be patient, look for openings, and deliver your blows carefully and with great purpose. And that leads me to...
What You’re Actually Here For: How To Punch Someone
First, the fist:
- Fold your four fingers downward into your hand
- Place your thumb on the OUTSIDE of your fingers
Now, the particulars:
You want to fill the space in your palm with whatever you have at your disposal - a roll of pennies, some dirt or hunks of grass... Anything to reduce the space between your fingers and the inside of your hand. If you have nothing available (or, don’t want to be accused of “dirty fighting” or whatever... But let’s face it, all’s fair when there’s no ref’s and the threat of bodily harm), try to grab the “meat” of your palm, where all those callouses are, and wrap it slightly under your fingertips.
Mmmmmmm.... Palm meat.
Whatever you do, do NOT fill that space with your thumb. Your thumb MUST be outside your fingers, sitting at a 90 degree angle to your index finger and bent at the second knuckle. Don’t let it stray off to the side; don’t do that little “thumb out” fist-pump swagger thing you saw DMX do in that one Jet Li movie...
The same goes with your pinky. Some flashy morons try to show how cool they are by sticking their pinkies out in the air while waving their fists at you, like it’s wine-tasting time. Don’t be that guy. Keep your fist tight - all four fingers folded and your thumb out of the way, or they’ll be sticking WAY out... In a fiberglass cast for six to eight weeks.
Now that you’ve made a fist, it’s time to fling it at someone. First, a word of caution (or, if you prefer, a note on technique): It is IMPERATIVE that you keep the back of your hand completely in line with your forearm at all times. Never, ever flex your wrist in any direction when delivering a punch, or you’ll break it.
There are several types of punches, and I’m sure you can readily call to mind several types based on what you’ve seen in movies, televised boxing matches, MMA bouts, etcetera. The type of punch that I most highly advocate - especially for an untrained fighter - is a simple straight punch. Keeping the elbow bent and at a 30 - 45 degree angle to the body (and in front of your face - remember, don’t drop your guard), extend the fist forward with simultaneous extension of the elbow and the shoulder. The elbow should straighten the arm, the shoulder should deliver the force... It sounds strange, but try not to deliver force by the extension of the elbow. Let your body weight push through your shoulder into your arm. Connect the blow at the peak of extension to get the maximum force out of your blow. Connecting too soon, you'll lose power; Connecting too late, you'll throw yourself off balance.
Hooks - the wide-sweeping side punches you see a lot of people throwing - are great for boxing or other score / tactical fighting... But they don't deliver the force a good straightforward punch will, and they're SLOW. If someone's out there scoring you on how many times you connect, sure, go for it. But otherwise, just stick to the straight punches. The same goes for uppercuts and light jabs. Stay away from those unless you've been training purposely with combinations and whatnot (which this guide assumes you're not, since you're obviously here to learn the basics. All you "trained" fighters out there, I don't need your emails about how I'm wrong to suggest avoiding these. You know what you're doing? Go for it... Otherwise...).
Make your punches count - give a full-force blow that connects quickly at the apex of extension each and every time.
Taking A Punch
Have you ever seen the movie Million Dollar Baby? You know the part where Clint Eastwood tells Hillary Swank to step into a punch to minimize its effectiveness? Well, it’s 100% true. Short of simply not being there to take the punch, minimizing the distance between the point the punch was thrown and the point at which it connects will reduce the impact it can make.
The downside is that you’ll need to retreat to set yourself up for your punches. However, that’s not necessarily a bad thing if you’re aggressive with your defense - because your opponent will do that work FOR you. If you continually turn your body into punches and step forward, they will keep backing up and backing off. This will not only give you the distance you need to throw your punches, it will also give you the opportunity to do so - each time they have to step back, they’re resetting for another attack. This is an opportune time to strike.
Remember our discussion on stances - keep your chin tucked to your chest and keep circling your opponent. Keep them in a situation where they have to calculate movement along with distance to judge strikes. Balance is a key factor in fights, both physically and mentally - if you can keep them off-balance, the edge is yours.
Train yourself to flex your abdominal muscles and keep your core tight on command. When your opponent goes for a solar plexus hit, if you fail to turn into it so that the blow glances off the side, you won’t lose your breath when they make impact.
Lastly... Keep breathing, slow and purposely. Keep the oxygen going to your brain. Don’t allow yourself to lose your breath, or run low on air when you must exhale and flex your stomach to guard against a mid-blow.
Remember this - no blow feels as bad during a fight as you think it’s going to. Your adrenaline is pumping, your nerves are spiking and your mind is racing. You simply won’t have time to feel the pain... It’s the debilitating blows you need to be weary of and guard against, and if you keep taking your opponent’s power away, they won’t be able to take you out.
Kicking
Just... Don’t. Seriously. It’s suicide, unless you’re highly trained - and I mean Bruce Lee caliber, or, failing that, you have an insane opportunity. Kicks are pretty much all flash and flair for your audience, and leave you VERY open to counter attacks and moves that can throw you off balance. It’s just plain stupid in a real fight situation to try doing a bunch of roundhouse nonsense.
Not him? Don't kick.
Elbows and Knees
Seriously powerful blows can come from the knees and the elbows... However, they force you to be close, and you need some training to use them effectively (elbows especially, since they pretty much remove your guard when you use them). Feel free to practice these on your heavy bag (or, if you don’t have one, head up to the Salvation Army and get an old twin mattress and some duct tape - you can make one in pretty short order). Just know that they are to be used when opportunity permits, not as primary strikes.
Grappling
There’s a very high liklehood - especially if you keep stepping in and frustrating our opponent - that you will be taken to the ground or wrapped up in some way. This is not the end of the world, especially if you can keep your cool. So long as they’re wrapped up on you, they’re not throwing punches... It’s only when they can get you into a position of opportunity that they can strike you, so your primary goal is to GET OUT.
If your opponent has you from behind in a standing position, there are three moves you need to be doing over and over in succession or simultaneously until you break free:
- Stomp the instep - come down as hard as you can with your heel on their instep. You will damage or disable your opponent’s foot bones and provide yourself with the ability to escape.
- Backwards Headbutt - keep flinging your skull back toward their nose. If you make contact, freedom awaits.
- Wring the fingers - don’t pull at the wrists of your opponents’ clenched hands. Get your hands around any or all of his fingers and wring the hell out of them until he either gives up or breaks one.
If you’re on the ground and wrapped up, you need to do the following things as quickly as possible:
- Prevent the mount - don’t let them get on top of you.
- Get on your side or belly
- Scramble like hell to get out of there.
If you end up on your belly, prevent a choke from behind by keeping your chin to your chest and keep your hands around your neck. If you start to feel punches on the back of your head, remember - minimize the distance. Try to get to your knees and get them off of you.
If you can gain the advantage on the ground, mount the opponent and punch the face until they are incapacitated. If they’re on their belly, get around their neck and choke them until they pass out - just make DAMN sure you let go once the snorting starts (you’ll know what I’m talking about if you ever hear it). Going any further, and you could kill them. However, if this is a flee-for-your-life situation and you somehow managed to choke your opponent out, feel free to break an ankle or dislocate a knee to prevent pursuit. Do this in a high school fight, however, and you’re going to end up in juvenile hall.
This leads me to a very important point: if you do gain the advantage in a grappling situation, do NOT perform any ridiculous moves you see on WWE or on movies and telelvision. No body slams, no DDT, no Pile Driver... That shit will seriously injure or kill someone, and there’s a very real part of fighting that you have to consider - what happens tomorrow. If you break someone’s neck and paralyze or kill them, you might be arrested or sued, and no one will let you off with “self defense” when you took the time to perform some ridiculous move on an opponent who was already disabled or overcome.
Plus, there’s the chance that you’ll hurt yourself and lose... And again, losing is counter to the goal of this guide.
Impossible situations
In all of the following situations, fleeing is the optimal response. Get the hell away from the situation and live to fight another day... These situations are unfair, and to be honest, anyone putting you in these situations is out to hurt you in ways that go far beyond simple matters of pride or minor altercations.
Assuming flight is not an option, try to keep the following in mind:
- Facing a much larger / stronger / better trained opponent: stay fast, stay away. Don’t allow them to grab you, and avoid any and all strikes if possible. Look for an equalizer - gain elevation on them, grab a weapon, throw dirt in their eyes. You need to bring them down to your level if you want to stand a chance... Otherwise, enjoy your ass-beating.
- Groups of two or more opponents: Find a corner and get into it. Don’t allow them to surround you, no matter what happens. Lash out as hard as possible at one opponent, then immediately move to your strong side and take out the next. Get one guy in front of another - try to keep yourself fighting one person at a time. Again, a weapon or equalizer of some sort should be sought. Go for one-attack-per-person until you break them up and can get out of the situation. If you do find yourself surrounded, attack the man in front of you, then immediately go for the one behind you, turning to face your left and right opponents once you can create a break in the circle.
- Opponent has a weapon: Get as many objects and as much distance between you and your opponent as possible. Find a shield or other object to deflect the force of a blunt weapon. If the weapon is a knife or other blade, you need to get it stuck in something that isn’t you as quickly as possible. Knife fights look daring and crazy in the movies, but in reality, they bleed you until you die. As an interesting experiment, get your friend to arm himself with a red marker and try to fight him without getting any ink on you. Take a look after the fight to see just how many times you would have been cut. More than once anywhere on your body, you would have died. Once anywhere in your gut, you would have died. Knife wounds are serious. Get the hell away from it.
Final Thoughts And Tips
It’s so important, it bears repeating - confidence wins. Go into a fight with the attitude that you’re going to get your ass kicked, and you’ll get your ass kicked. You want to win? Throw as much bravado and confidence at your opponent as you can. Even if you know they’re better, they don’t know that you realize that. Just keep roaring and flashing your feathers like nature dictates you should. At the very least, you might lose the fight, but the next guy who wants to mess with you will know you won’t go down easy and might think twice about attacking you.
Always maintain awareness of your surroundings. Know where your exits are. Know if your opponent has friends in the crowd. Know where to grab a chair, bat, or other weapon - especially before your opponent can.
There’s no such thing as a fair fight if there’s no money on the line or men in striped shirts judging you. You need to win. More than that, you need to not lose. These goals are paramount. Keep them in mind at all times.
At any point you get the chance, disable your opponent. Take out the eyes. Take away the breathing passages. Remove mobility. An opponent who cannot see you cannot fight you. An opponent who cannot breathe cannot attack you. An opponent who cannot move cannot pursue you.
Above all else, remember that standing up for yourself is hard, and sometimes it can hurt... But nothing hurts more than being someone else’s bitch. And so long as you are willing to stand up for yourself, it won’t matter if you lose this one fight - you’ll win respect from your opponent and anyone else considering taking you on, and that’s worth fighting for.
**Update - 1.10.08 1:32AM: I'm honored that there's been a lot of attention on this article! I've posted some responses to questions / comments here. **
**Update - 1.13.08 2:32PM: One last response to comments here, regarding my stance on "fleeing being the first priority" **
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117 Comments:
This guide is just, a bit misguided--you'll end up hurting yourself in a really bad way.
If you can see anything in the vicinity that can be used as a weapon--go for it; the sharper the better.
If not:
1. If you don't know how to punch, DON'T.
2. If you DO know how to punch--you already know what to do, which is: AVOID USING FISTS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
Elbows, knees, open palms (to the neck and ears), teeth, shins will be the tools you'll have to use. An unprotected fist in a street fight is just asking for $$$ in hospital bills. Hits to the liver, kidneys, stomach, and balls; your fists are fine.
If you're outnumbered, run. If you're out of shape (more so than your opponents) run to the nearest place you can seek help.
But hey, if you can take him/them on by all means, do your stuff.
haroldmenne00@gmail.com
If you're stingy (like me), go buy a duffel bag (salvation army) patch it up and line the inside with duct tape the fill it with DRY sand. I don't recommend hanging it on a chain since the seams eventually rip apart so just prop it up on whatever that's about waist level and against a wall/column/tree.
^^same guy
The comments about roundhouse kicks are also misguided.
HIGH roundhouse kicks in a street fight leaves you with the possibility of getting hurt.
Low level roundhouse kicks (knees, inner thigh) give you an extreme advantage if they aren't expecting it.
Powerful side kicks are good defensive techniques if someone is running into you.
You'r not ugly at all. Tnx for the info.
A random comment - a friend of mine taught me (and proved to me by doing it) that when grappling, if you poke at your opponent's rectum, he will let go of you to get away from your fingers/thumb. I don't know how well this would work in an actual fight, but it seems like a reflex.
Pretty, pretty, PRETTY please read my responses linked in the article (and for simplicity, here. ).
not too bad of an article I however completely disagree on your instructions on stance. Strong foot forward?? what!? You cripple the ability to put power BEHIND a punch.
Stand at a 45 degree angle to the opponent with your weak foot/arm in front. Use the weak side to throw jabs which aren't a power punch. Jabs are intended to keep the opponent at a distance and size them up and hold out until you see your opportunity to throw a stronger punch.
The strong punch will be thrown from the back side. When you see your opportunity to get a strong shot in you will step from the back foot and go at the opponent. At the same time your hips are twisting towards the opponent. The transfer of weight forward and rotational movement of the hips is where the power comes from.
Watch any sport fighting and you will never see a good fighter put their strong side up front. Hell any sport at that! Quarterback throwing a football...strong side in back and step through it.
Also when in a grapple don't go in thinking they only are trying to accomplish better position to get free and punch. When fighting for your life remember how powerful the human jaws are. Biting and flesh tearing is a major concern.
Oh, and about the UFIA (poke them in the rectum) comment: You are 100% correct.
There was a rugby player who was banned from Australia's league for doing that very thing, and apparently, it's a popular bonding exercise in Ohio Lacrosse...
And the "Sand in a duffel bag" idea - GENIUS. Great suggestion.
"Watch any sport fighting and you will never see a good fighter put their strong side up front..."
Exactly. Trained fighters put the strong foot back, so they can prepare for combination punches that end with an uppercut or hook "haymaker" with tremendous force.
A beginner, however, needs all the balance they can get, and honestly, if a beginner is going to connect with a haymaker of any kind whatsoever, it won't matter if it's strong or weak hand, so they're FAR better off getting that strong / balance leg in front.
As I said in the Reddit.com comments, I've never, ever met a fighter - trained or otherwise - who can't handle a situation with the strong foot forward. I have, however, seen a bunch of people, both trained and not trained, lose enough balance on a "strong punch" to be attacked from a side-duck or even a simple whiff punch and thrown completely off balance.
My goal in this guide is to hand every single advantage - that feels natural and is easily remembered (and recalled in a fight situation) - to a beginner that I can. I understand that others, especially trained fighters, have differing opinions on a lot of this stuff, and not only am I "okay" with that, I highly advocate that - I would rather see discussion than just blind acceptance. But because I'm the author, I have a responsibility to do what I think is right, and what I think is right for a BEGINNER is to give them the most solid base possible.
Thanks for the comments!
"At any point you get the chance, disable your opponent. Take out the eyes."
You might just want to clarify that one a little - I assume you mean throw sand, beer, etc to TEMPORARILY blind them and not actually try to gouge their eyes out. It's all fun and games until they sue your ass off in court. :)
Fantastic Article!... Sums up everything I've ever learned about street/prison fighting over the years...
I think stepping into an oncoming punch to mitigate its affect is dangerous. Many people get knocked out this way due to timing. And I would say that using low level kicks(Knee Level) & sweeps are good, but I do agree that high level kicks are nothing but trouble even for an experienced fighter in a bar room brawl.
Not the same guy from before lol. Also if u are afraid of being taken down then take ur oponent down first. Grab low, behind the knees, lift and fall foward onto ur rival. From the ground elbows are really affective. Place ur hand over ur rival's face and slide it to the side and fall onto his face with ur elbow. this = pain and cuts. Elbows are like knives, get a couple in and ur rival will be bleeding and wont be able to see as well anymore.
Novabones@tmail.com
Knees. Don't be afraid to use them. Really good in short distance.
It goes like this: enemy is punching you in stomach. You step forward so punch is weaker, you grab his head and take it down to knee. Game over. If you missed head you still should be close enough to knee him in balls or belly. If you hit good just elbow back of his head. his on floor and you won.
And as creator said - there is no fair play. If he is on the ground and is still moving don't sit on him or anything. Kick. Hard. In a face.
Where is the balls kick, eye poke, and Mike Tyson ear bite?
Pierre - author said that kicking is bad for unexprienced fighter becouse it throws you out off balance. So as balls kick.
But balls grab that is different thing. Oh this can finish a fight without actually hurting anyone. Grab opponents balls and he will start to negotiate at once. Just use your advantage wisely.
beddy@interia.pl
By the way this post was partially translated in sport+fun related blog in Poland (one of the biggest, witten by proffesional sport journalists) "Zczuba.pl". http://www.sport.pl/sport/1,74696,4829393.html
That it how I found it. (Sorry for writing to comments in a row, I just forgot about it>
"You are going to get hit. When you get hit, it does not feel good."
That is so freaking true! People who have never been in a fight before need to understand that before all else. It definately will happen. Both of you will be hurt by the end of it.
Also, you want to time the fight so you hit them as hard as possible or knock them down while you are still on your feet in that first minute or so. Do what you must to end it. Then back away and try to get it broken up. You don't want to end up in a 3 minute fight, or you will have to be carried out of there from sheer exhaustion.
Used this exact technique for years...both in school and working as a bouncer in a cowboy bar...got hit and bled many times, but was always the last one standing.
Kicks take time to execute, especially for someone who doesn't know what they are doing. If someone tries to use a kick on you, step into it and punch the at the face. Almost everyone lowers their hands to kick and you can often hit them in the face before the kick lands.
I have a friend who has spent years training in the martial arts. He doesn't like to spar with me because I won't stand still and take the kicks and punches like the other people he trains with. I am always in his face and stepping into his punches and kicks.
Fighting isn't about winning, it is about surviving. And the best sruvival technique is to avoid the situation. Confidence it key, most people fear pain, if you can appear to not be afraid of it, it will put more fear in your opponent...
As far as stance goes, whichever fist is forward protecting your face, the matching foot should also be forward. A classic martial arts fighting stance is about balance and protecting your weak points, and power comes from the hips and torso, not just the legs. Balance is the most important thing in any altercation.
But...you live in AMERICA. Why not just whip out the Saturday Night Special?
God made men...and Sam Colt made them equal
from your article:
You should keep your feet about shoulder width apart, with your “strong” foot slightly forward.
You're dong it wrong.
Remember kids, throwing the first punch is almost always a criminal act.
Some guy tried biting my ear during a fight when i was about 20 years old, the only problem was that i broke his knee before he could do too much damage :D
Never rule out the full on english football style headbutt to the nose either, it works wonders!
Don't get into fist fights with ugly people: they have nothing to loose.
A good thing to put in your hand is a Bic lighter, fits perfectly, and in my opinion I would rather carry around a lighter than a roll of quarters...and it really does keep your hand from getting messed up not to mention the added force
Since this guide is for "student or a frequenter of bars" , it's not for me.
Or my advice.
Which is GLOCK 19.
I have never been in a real fight, i am 31 years old and have only been hit twice in my life. I consider myself very lucky, some may consider me a wimp but i am ok with that. I am luckier since I am 6'4 260 and most big guys i know are the target of drunken bravado. Either way if i ever do get caught in a fist fight i will use this info since i don't know the first thing about fighting. So thanx for posting this!
You are so hot.
Don't forget to use speed over brute force to set up more than 1 strike. If you pop someone fast in the mouth or nose, they'll bleed like crazy and it hurts like all get-out.
Plus you have a better chance of recovering and not getting taken down if you aren't committing your leverage to that huge power shot.
PLUS the first person to land a few good shots is usually going to be the winner. It's really hard to stay focused on current events when you keep getting smacked in the face, which makes it much easier to get hit again.
Great article, I really enjoyed it. The best way to learn how to fight is by actually doing it. Start when your 6 or 7 years old and it is an enjoyable activity. Stop at the age of 18 (or when you start doing serious damage to opponents) but remember all of your lessons. Keep in mind, fighting should always be used as a last resort such as defense: pride doesn't count. But, when some idiot wants to "play" with you, you'll, know what to do if required.
I did plenty of scrapping in my younger days and there is one thing I learned: fighting hurts.
Even winning can mean lots of doctor bills and lots of pain.
I won a bar fight once with a single right that knocked the guy clean out.
I couldn't work for weeks due to a broken hand.
Now that I am older the last thing I am going to do is duke it out with someone.
I carry a North American Arms .22 in my belt buckle at all times.
I'm gonna shoot long before fisticuffs.
Afirst unch is never a criminal act if the act is made in the face of an imminent and reasonable fear of an attack. You dont need to get hit first to protect yourself. just match force with force with force
Not recommended, but it worked for me once. I stood my ground in the face of 2 opponents after my friends ran off (one of them had already been whipped and told he could leave, which he did). I was ready for a fight and a probable asskicking , but I was not going to run, it turned out that they had more respect for me because I stood my ground rather then run. Initially we had them out numbered, go figure!
Awesome article. My brother was an extremely experienced street fighter, and he tutored me pretty much the same way (knowing that I was not experienced).
One thing he always stressed to me was to aim for a point behind the target. Not too far -- or you'll lose your balance. For example, when you straight-punch someone in the face, act as if you're aiming for a point on the back of his head (as if you're punching *through* his head). Very devastating if you don't miss.
Thanks for the poke-the-rectum trick!
Grabs
Someone might have said this, but if someone grabs you from the front or the back, and you need to get the hell out of there and aren't worried about your pride or whatever, hit them in the balls as hard as you can. Few expect it, it hurts like crap, and they're down for the count.
Throat
if you have an opportunity, hit em in the throat. Hurts like a bitch and you can't breath
In a bar fight, look for a FOLDING CHAIR! A bar stool, not too heavy, will do, but a folding chair is ideal. Can be used as a shield against a knife or a broken bottle, can be swung/thrown as an offensive weapon. Throw them behind you as you run for the door if you're outnumbered.
I have studied martial arts for over 30 years -- Shito Ryu, Shotokan, Wing Chun and Aikido. You are absolutely right about the kicks. Unless in a controlled environment (a martial arts tournament), I would almost never kick higher than the quadriceps, and generally would target the knee, ankle or shin. Kicks look good and pack a lot of power, but they are generally slow and well telegraphed. However, a low snap or stomp kick is almost undefendable, and crushed instep will take the fight out of almost anyone.
Good article, good advice for a beginner.
The best street fighter I ever met always started off with a punch to the nose. He said it made the other guy's eyes water so he couldn't see to fight back.
like they said at The Cobra Kai Dojo: "Strike first, strike hard, no mercy, sir" This is the best piece of advice especially if the person you are in a fight with has not taken a punch before and is just looking for one in the face.
I've been in a few fights and usually go right for the jaw or somewhere in the middle of the face and the last 2 fights were 1 punch and done...a good connect in the face can easily deter a person from fighting. I hit one guy in the face while he was shit talking and "getting ready to fight" and I quickly just ended it.
I did have a BIC in my hand...so that is a great tip...also a lit cigarette can give a nice "shock" to a foe as well!!!!
I usually kick them in the mudkips.
Just stab them in the gut as much as possible.
Shoot them in the face.
Stick it in there pooper.
Kick the in the penis/balls area. Fight won, no pain to you, and it will be funny as hell.
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Great guide !
Some great advice here. I was raised as white trash as they come so I've seen my share of brawls. This article would have helped quite a bit early on. Some notes though:
1.) It's a lot easier to hurt someone than you think. I beat a guy in a street fight and he ended up in ICU. I'm not a big guy. I also punched a guy just once and broke his orbital socket.
2.) Get mad. Drool, growl and go ape shiat. Big is intimidating but nuckin futz is downright frightening. Be remorseful later.
3.) Head butts to the face are fight enders. Use ur noggin. Nuff said.
Great article. Makes me wanna do some violence though.
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Carry a gun. problem solved.
I treat fighting like I treat my gun; I don't take it out unless I intend to shoot it, and shoot to kill.
I don't believe in physical fighting just to exchange blows and whoever wins, wins. If you decide you are going to fight someone it is because there is no other choice. Without a choice the fight is forced, so the fight should be considered a fight to the death - anything goes.
If you feel that your life is in danger, out comes the gun shooting, or the fists slugging. For no other reason are they used.
At the age of 50+; chubby, with a 'hail fellow well met" personality, I ran into a situation that looked like a fight.
NOT in a bar, but in a dangerous place. The much youger punk wanted to take advantage of an old, fat man and was willing to beat me up to do it. I stayed confident, lowered my voice (in volume and timbre) leaned into him and said "I outweigh you by 100 pounds and when I land on top of you and start to choke you , I may not know when to stop." Fight over...
Quick note to the "kick them when they are down" comments. The advice he gave on kicking is paramount here. Kicking a person that is on the ground is like kicking a two hundred pound bag of sand. In order to do damage on any strike, you have to power through with it. When someone is on the ground, kicking them is going to likely result in more damage to you. Either you will break your ankle by kicking them with your instep or you will pull tendons in the back of your knee. You are now an immobile target and royally screwed.
Never kick someone when they are down. If you are worried about them getting up again and continuing the fight, stomp them. Avoid the head, neck and torso. You can paralyze or kill. Stomp a knee, elbow, ankle or wrist. Disabling someone produces the same result as if you knocked them out cold.
id like more advice for when people try to 'choke you out' from behind. i only see stomping on their instep as a way out.
open palms are always a better option over fists. metacarpal fractures are almost guaranteed when throwing fists.
i HIGHLY suggest krav maga.. its really easy to learn and its very effective. youtube some videos, practice with a friend if you dont want to spend the money on a class.
check out this video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qb0OoV96yZo
I suggest changing:
"you need to be weary of and guard against"
to: "wary".
I've trained martial arts most of my life. Reflecting on the stages I've gone through, from beginner who knows enough to be dangerous to himself all the way to instructor, I've come to realize that the best way to win fights is not to get into them at all. Being able to tell when a situation is starting to get volatile and avoiding it goes a long way. These days the cops will just haul everyone involved to jail, indescriminate of whether you were the defender or aggressor.
My friends often ask me what magic move I have to show them that will help them defend themselves; if you really think that you can learn something like this in five minutes you are sadly mistaken. There is no magic to knowing how to fight, only hard work and hours spent training. I've seen lots of disappointmant following that answer, but I choose to be honest and not to fill someone's head with a load of B.S. There is no silver bullet; just work.
Most people are just not in shape or conditioned for combat. It's not like the movies; you are going to gasp for air within seconds, your arms are going to weigh hundreds of pounds, you will get hit, and you are going to hurt.
If you absolutely have to fight because it truly could not be avoided, then the best thing to do is hit first and keep doing it until either they run away, you can get away or the other person simply can not get up to run away. Use a chair, use a bat, use your fists, anything. Because anything else you simply will not remember; your body in a fight goes into Fight or Flight Mode and pretty much acts on instinct. The exception to this is someone who has trained for just this encounter, is desensitized to the rigors of hand to hand combat, and who has trained instincts of their own to take over. If you encounter someone like that JUST RUN.
When you get a chance, GET OUT OF THERE! If you get out of Dodge, you lessen the chances of arrest, legal and civil trouble, and hard feelings from your opponent's friends. Don't walk, RUN.
I realize that while articles like Joes and even my own posting for that matter are helpful, they are quickly forgotten by the first punch.
Hey man, nice article you got here. Very informative, really.
I trained in Tae Kwon Do for several years and i learned very few things that i would use in an actual street fight except that when a person is rushing you to side kick them in the stomach or, if you've trained long enough, to the face. Always slide forward if you are going to do this and let their momentum carry into your heel. Other than that there is no reason you should kick an opponent above the waist during a fight.
Remember to maintain steady calm breathing at all time
I just want to say that I really like the rectum poke idea. Better still, in any fight get naked and try to "poke" each other in the rectum with you know what.
Awesome spectacle, and the winner truly gets to enjoy the "win".
To the anonymous one who said your weak foot should be forward. That is good if you are trained and that is what your used to but Bruce Lee, undoubtedly one of the best martial artists ever, fought with his strong side forward. This is useful because your strong hand is stronger and more coordinated than your weak hand so it is easier to block with.
Good article. I've been in a few fights and being fearless (or at least acting fearless) is definitely the way to go. I avoid them like the plague now, but I did learn that a gouge using the base of an open palm at the throat unnerves a lot of people.
One thing this guide doesn't mention is that you should connect your punch with the index and middle fingers' knuckles, if you connect with your ring or pinky fingers' knuckles you'll end up with a swollen hand at best. I learned this the hard way, and my knuckles have never looked the same.
If you don't practice throwing a punch don't let your first time be when you're forced to fight. Never get fancy, and intimidate your opponent as much as possible. Also, NEVER EVER get into a fight drunk -- you're guaranteed to loose.
To make it legal, let them hit you first (roll with the punch) and you'll get off with the judge ruling it "mutual combat" most likely. And really, only use force when there is no other option. Make them force you to fight.
i agree with many points of the article however like someone posted there is no quick "magic" move to win a fight every time. Fighting for longer then 3 minutes will have most people feeling more tired then they have ever felt if unconditioned. fighting takes practice. also i have seen some comments about stepping into punches and kicks. This MIGHT work if you practice this. If not your setting yourself up for an easy knockout from an elbow. And putting your strong foot forward is known as fighting southpaw and takes practice to have good footwork which is probably one of the most important things to fighting. I am no expert however i have studied taekwondo which is practically useless and am now in Muay Thai. i am just saying this because following a anonymous post and trying something brand new to yourself will get you easily beaten by an experienced opponent.
one thing that ive been taught by a boxing trainer is that for a proper lined jab, one needs to have ones hand relaxed until right before the moment of impact in order to increase hand speed and power of the punch, the other is the 3 rules of fighting, 1. dont be afraid to deliver a hit
2. dont be afraid to take a hit
3. there is no such thing as a fair fight in the real world
In my own, experience, I've found that's it critical to recognize how drunk you are.
You think you're coordinated, have balance, acting macho, whatever, and then you throw a punch and end up so off balance you might even fall over on your own. If your opponent is also drunk, I would let them make the first move (and therefore the first chance to leave themselves wide open).
Also, if you're at a bar or some other social setting, I think that, like in a hockey game, the crowd will usually break up the fight once it gets down on the ground. So if you're up against someone bigger and stronger than you, I try to get in close, grapple, trip, and get it down on the ground so that the crowd intervenes and pulls you apart. Of course, we've all seen Dazed and Confused, so don't do this if there was some talking and posturing before the fight started, and the crowd is looking forward to watching.
As a practitioner of Brazilian Jujitsu (a ground grappling martial art), I would have to disagree about turning onto your belly.
If someone mounts your back (sits on you with your belly on the ground), your options are almost zero. If the opponent has any heft at all, you will not be able to get onto your knees or turn around.
It is virtually impossible to effectively defend strikes to the back of your head from that position. At least, if you were on your back, you could more easily block with your arms by covering your face.
Either way, you are pretty much screwed if the opponent takes you down.
I would totally agree with avoiding any and all types of submission type moves you've seen in MMA or WWE. It is probably more effective to just ground and pound. And chances are, you really don't know what you are doing anyway.
I've gotten into one knife fight...it left me with fugly scars on my left hand and forearm--and luckily just that--I used my trenchcoat to entangle him--forcing him to drop the knife, and proceeded to beat him into a nearby wall until I was pulled off.
This is one of those rare articles you find on the internet that are actually informative, well written and interesting. Excellent job, Joe. I actually bookmarked this.
what about good old fashioned hockey fighting? i'm positive all of you have seen at least one hockey fight. if you use your right hand to grab the shirt "shoulder" of your opponents right side, (assuming they're right handed and you are as well)they would have to punch over or around your arm to get to your face. sure they could go low and do a few ab punches, but while you're doing that you can get them good with your right hand or jab them with your left hand. if you think about it, your left hand has that shirt balled up, so you get that filling the void problem fixed. granted the left hand punches won't be as strong, but they weren't going to be anyway. and never underestimate the simple stepping past your opponent and placing your leg behind their body and just shoving them to the ground. once there; a knee to the chest and a few good blows will finish them off.
A couple additional suggestions here:
Footwork
Moving is good, but do *not* cross your legs. Sure, Bruce Lee looks cool when he does the cross-step in the movies, but as soon as you put on leg across the other, you're off balance and can get tripped very easily, especially when fighting in an unfamiliar environment that may have lots of obstacles (bar stools, spilled drinks, etc). When circling, one foot should never pass in front of the other.
Keeping an eye out
Like JtP says, always keep your eye on your opponent...but that doesn't mean ignore what's around you. I know it seems like a no brainer, but if you allow yourself to get "tunnel vision" and zone completely in on your opponent, you're going to trip on something, loose your footing because of something in the environment...or just not notice the guy with the pool cue coming in on your flank. Learn how far your peripheral vision reaches. Most people have a viewing range somewhere between 150 and 180 degrees. That means you're not likely to see something that is directly to your side. To compensate, turn your head slightly somewhat regularly. Not a lot though, if you start seeing the bridge of your nose in one eye, you've turned too far. Turn just enough to turn that 160ish degrees into 180, 190 or 200. Have a friend help you learn the limits to your peripheral vision...grab some 3x5 cards and write one and two digit numbers on them. Use marker and make the numbers nice and big. Then have your friend stand off to your side and hold up a card. While looking straight ahead, see if you can identify the number. Then just have them step forward and back, holding up a different card...as soon as you can't easily make out the number, that's your effective limit on your peripheral vision. Once you've got that down, have your friend stand just past your limit, and then you start the head turning...you'll be surprised at how much more around you becomes visible in your peripheral vision by moving your head even a little bit.
Laws of motion
"A body in motion tends to stay in motion", to paraphrase Newton. When an opponent in front of you moves in to attack, try to stay aware of where their hips are. Your opponent can move their torso and limbs all sorts of ways to try a feint or to fake you out, but once they commit their hips to moving in a specific direction, the rest of them has to follow. (If you're facing someone who is good enough to hip fake, you're outclassed anyway.) One key to survival in a fight can be summed up in four words: "Get off the line". By staying aware of where their hips are going, you can get "off the line". That is, not be where their body weight is headed. Don't expect to avoid taking blows this way, you're still going to get hit, but if you're even a little bit out of the direct line of their movement, the blow is going to do less damage.
One the flip-side of this, don't let yourself fall prey to the same principle. Don't charge in toward an opponent. If you have to take more than two steps to reach them, don't. Let them come to you. It's a lot harder for them to redirect their momentum than it will be for you to start yours.
Stay bouncy
Don't lead with your body weight, especially not your upper torso (that's a good way to get your ass knocked down). Your feet aren't there to catch your weight when you lumber about. When moving, your foot should be at its destination before you put any substantial weight on it. This will keep you on balance, and give you more opportunity to change your footing if you encounter an obstacle.
Protect the jewels
If you know that you are going to be somewhere that there is a very high chance that you will get in a fight, go prepared...wear a cup. Getting a knee in the crotch with a cup on is still going to hurt like a mo-fo, but if you're not protected, the fight is over at that point. A cup also completely negates your opponent's ability to go for the "nut grab". I'd recommend looking for a cup that is more ergonomically shaped than the cheapo triangle ones they sell in the sporting goods section of your local department store. Find a sporting goods store and take a look at their selection. I don't fight much, but I do play some football and basketball with friends who can get a little rough when tackling or driving for the board, and I can tell you first hand that those triangle ones are damn uncomfortable when you take a hit. Also, the cheap ones have been known to shatter when they take a really hard hit...which is Very Not Good®. I picked up a "Nutty Buddy", which works great. Check nuttybuddy.com for em. No, I'm not affiliated with the company or trying to plug em...they just happen to do their job very well...and something like that could mean the difference between waking up the next morning really sore, or waking up in the hospital with a ruptured testicle.
Sharp things
If you are facing someone that has a knife, watch how they hold the knife. If they are gripping it lightly, blade up, and holding it somewhat close to their body with their elbows in, get the hell out of there now...they likely know how to use a knife in a fight and you're in no small amount of danger.
If you absolutely cannot get away from the fight, make damn sure that you protect your vitals at any cost. Even a severed tendon in your arm is better than bleeding to death from a stab wound in the gut. When facing a knife, completely and utterly ignore the "stepping into the blow" tactic. A knife doesn't need anywhere near as much momentum to severely injure or kill you, so you want that blade to stay as far away from you as possible. The "get off the line" concept is incredibly important here. A cut wound is usually better than a stab wound, so getting off the direct line of attack is paramount.
The most dangerous places to get stabbed are going to be the immediately obvious ones, neck, gut and face, but one of the worst, mostly because it's the least obvious to a lot of people, is your upper leg. Your femoral artery runs along the inside of your thigh. If it is severed (and you don't happen to be fighting in a hospital ER ;)), you are going to bleed to death.
The comments about this article are so miguided.
This advice comes from David Letterman's Mom (really), "In a bar fight go for the legs -- man can't walk, man can't fight"
Not sure who was talking about putting your strong foot back. It's weird because I'm left handed yet my right leg is my strong leg. So really I would fight with my strong hand forward to jab with and my weak hand back for power punches. I am no expert but when I learned to fight I learned left handed so I can switch stances but I'm not really sure which one feels more comfortable. I definitely feel more comfortable kicking with my right leg though so I guess I'll just have to live with a strong jab and work on my right hand.
Hmmm, I read this because i'm bored at work. Nothing new but i'm not actually trained in the MA or anything I have used HIGH kicks (Not just low kicks) in brawls before. However I do walk around kicking all day..so...yeah i'm weird. And yes, when it fails it fails hard.
About "stomping" and not kicking a lying person - you are 100% correct with that if you don't have good boots. Big with metal and so on. But in most cases stoping is better. Very true. My mistake, forgot that it was complete beginners guide in that aspect.
1) Don't get drunk in a bar. It's that simple. Have a beer or two, and enjoy yourself, but don't get DRUNK. Most instigators are shitfaced, and being sober is the best advantage you can have.
2) Buy a nice pair of steel-toed running shoes that don't look steel-toed. A nice snap kick to the shin or ankle can drop your opponent.
3) If you need to be in a rough area, carry a pool cue in a case that can be opened very quickly. Stash a chalk or two in your pockets as cover..."Gee Officer, I'm not armed, I just like 9-ball."
4) My sensei once told me, "There will come a time when you KNOW that a fight is coming. This is the time to attack." Don't allow your opponent to get the wind in his sails...take the initiative while he's still blustering and building up his courage.
5) Remember, nobody wins a fight. My sensei once said, "If I knock out two of your teeth, and you knock out three of mine, does that mean you have won?" Get it over with and get the hell out, fast.
6) There's no such thing as dirty fighting. A friend was grabbed from behind, he slid his hand into the guys pants, grabbed the guy's balls, bent his legs and drove his hand toward the floor. As the guys knees buckled, my friend then straightened his legs and ripped his hand upwards. Fight was over.
Who Dares, Wins --- motto of the SAS
TKD for years and years and can do all the fancy kicks, out of all that training I would only kick to the groin, as soon as it was open and as hard as I could.
Just buy a 45 acp or something. shoot to kill, not to wound.