Most Important Aspect for Self Defense Striking

[SummerStriker]

No, the main reason that a martial artist loses against an untrained fighter is the element of surprise. In a street fight there is no referee to start the fight, it begins with the first strike. If you don't see it coming it can end either with that first KO shot or the barrage of shots that follow. That's the key to winning for an untrained fighter, pure aggression and surprise. If the trained fighter survives the initial onslaught then 9 times out of 10 he will win.

I guess I was thinking that many martial artists, even those in combat sports, ARE untrained for the situation of fighting a larger person in a tight space.

 

[Big Nasty Edison]

The last two responses from aries and kounterpunch are dead on and are definitely some food for thought.

 

[Lone Coyote]

Ive always tried to differentiate self defense as:

Bribe-able: e.g. someone wants your wallet, someone wants you to leave... To do, not to do, or to give

Non bribe-able: someone wants to injure you because of whatever...

The first one is easy, give on to the demands of the agressor, armed or unarmed, and leave...

The second one is more complex, since the other guy wants to injure you, instead of getting something from you... In that case, i think the correct route to take is answer to the aggresion, incapacitate the opponent to avoid further confrontation when retrieving, and leave ASAP.

As in for the best skill, being talkative and assertive is my choice, you can verb out of most of the problems you walk into.

Lone coyote

 

[DoctorTaco]

I guess I was thinking that many martial artists, even those in combat sports, ARE untrained for the situation of fighting a larger person in a tight space.

I guess that means smaller fighters such as myself are at an advantage in these situations: as a natural 150 pound fighter, all of my training partners are bigger than me.

 

[DaGenius]

TS
True fighting a bigger person in a tight space is tough. In theory you are eliminating a smaller mans advantage, space to move, and making the usual strength differential sorta bigger. I think it's always important to always use what you got. If he's bigger be quicker for example.

It all goes back to the fight mind for me. Be aware so that you have less chance of being caught off guard.

 

[lpaulgib]

As a bouncer I deal with street and bar fights on a regular basis. If you make the decision to engage someone the best tactic is usually just to be the first person to strike and connect. Don't let up until they are on the ground and incapacitated.

 

[Phlog]

As a bouncer I deal with street and bar fights on a regular basis. If you make the decision to engage someone the best tactic is usually just to be the first person to strike and connect. Don't let up until they are on the ground and incapacitated.

^^ this. The battle of the mind, you hit em first an establish dominance=best chance. You can't assume you can deal with an attack. It is hard to throw first tho, possibly the hardest thing.

 

[SummerStriker]

^^ this. The battle of the mind, you hit em first an establish dominance=best chance. You can't assume you can deal with an attack. It is hard to throw first tho, possibly the hardest thing.

If that's the case, I think you need to work out ahead of time when exactly it is that you can strike first, legally and morally, so that you don't have two minds about it.

 

[KounterPunch]

The last two responses from aries and kounterpunch are dead on and are definitely some food for thought.

Thanks.

From long experience........loooooong experience.

I usually know before the other party even knows it wants to get physical.

 

[KarateStylist]

I guess I was thinking that many martial artists, even those in combat sports, ARE untrained for the situation of fighting a larger person in a tight space.

^^^ That's a good observation, given the convention of many karate competitions....

1. Woo, good catch, he told me he never did traditional kata or one steps, just hitting and sparring. There are big gaps in the guy's knowledge, despite his large amount of sparring experience. His teachers felt they were being very practical.

^^^ Traditional karate includes all the above; "conventional" sport-karate fighting karate doesn't.... which accounts for the gaps....
^^^ Furthermore, the Tang Soo Do black-belt curriculum has rudimentary self-defense techniques for each belt.... all concern close-in assault by your opponent.... so the 'in-your-face' punch or grab concept is presented....

2. And I agree, there is more to karate than most people know. I think karate has done a lot of putting a bad foot forward by generating a lot of sh*tty fighters, but obviously the real deal is out there.

^^^ See Quote #2 & reply for reason....

KarateStylist

 

[aries]

I guess I was thinking that many martial artists, even those in combat sports, ARE untrained for the situation of fighting a larger person in a tight space.

I wouldn't disagree. If I fight someone much bigger and stronger in a phone booth I am going to lose because that environment minimises all the advantages that I possess to beat the bigger untrained opponent: speed, maneuverability, flexibility. Even as someone who trains grappling if I get squashed underneath them, it's too late I'm not going to be able to do anything.

I train MT and there is a much bigger stronger guy who I spar regularly. If he gets the clinch on me I'm fucked, he's just too big and strong. Perhaps if I was much better in the clinch I'd be able to out technique him but for me currently the only way I can beat him in that situation is to not let him get the clinch on me in the first place. If I try and battle in the clinch I will lose.