Top 10 Self Defense Techniques

1. 1. evan - November 14th, 2007 at 12:41 pm

   pretty good list i like a lot of what he says, especially no rules part. if this is a street fight where, especiallly its an unprovoked fight, you are being attacked, do whatever you have to do to defend yourself, groin strikes, eyes, throat, whatever it takes.

   Getting in close, within their striking range is also a great piece of advice as long as you feel you will have the advantage there. It fairly easy to manipulate the guys arms to prevent him from punching you and what not, limits the damage he’s normal blows can deliever and easy to trip the attacker up or clinch to try and work to a mount or dominate position. also, very useful if you feel there will be a third party breaking up the fight soon, just clinch him and prevent him from attacking until its stopped (like in a bar or something where bouncers will be running to stop the fight).

   if you have no idea how to grapple and you’re not already within the grapple range, you may just want to run if it’s an option, especially if this is an attack on the streets with no signs of help coming.

   differently dont overthink your attack, even if trained in martial arts, its usually more usual to attack as a instant natural way than to try and think of a “technique” to do, that pause in thought could be the down fall. it requires a lot of training to react in a natural instant matter within a fighting style. like bruce lee says in reference to throwing a fast punch at an attacker, “I do not hit, IT hits all by itself”

2. 2. evan - November 14th, 2007 at 12:41 pm

   wow, crap lots of spelling errors and such, but i cant edit it

3. 3. jfrater - November 14th, 2007 at 12:45 pm

   evan: sorry - I will be investigating that on the weekend when I have more time.

4. 4. Joe - November 14th, 2007 at 12:46 pm

   Running is good self defense, hiding works well too.

5. 5. jfrater - November 14th, 2007 at 12:47 pm

   Oh - and in response to your comment Evan (and Joe) - when I was doing Ninjutsu training, the first thing we were taught was to get the hell out whenever possible. The first response is always flight - but if you have to fight - fight to kill.

6. 6. evan - November 14th, 2007 at 12:55 pm

   totally agree, it’s always better to avoid the fight if all possibly, but if you can’t do whatever possibly to the attacker until he’s is totally incapacitated and unable or unwilling to attack you. If this is a possible life or death situation and you have to slam the guys head into concrete or break his arm, lawsuit be damned, id rather be alive and poor then dead

   but then again, once i complete my CCW training, ill have some other options if its a life or death situation, namely a 1911 .45 or glock subcompact .40cal but then the legal stuff really becomes an issue.

7. 7. jfrater - November 14th, 2007 at 1:08 pm

   evan: would a gun that old be as effective as a modern hand gun? And yes - the legal stuff does become an issue then - but another take on what you just said: “I’d rather be alive and in jail then dead”.

8. 8. bucslim - November 14th, 2007 at 1:10 pm

   Haven’t been in a scrap in a while, but when I was, I played dirty. I was a jock in high school and the hoods were always trying to pick a fight. I’d laugh at them, because for the most part, I could have destroyed them if I wanted to. When they would square off with their dukes up, I’d put em up and then kick them in the shins. They were totally focused on my arms and hands and ignored the kick to one of the most painful parts of the body when done right. Most of the time, it put them down. End of fight.

   Except for my juvenile taunting and maybe another kick or two. Dirty Hippies!

9. 9. jfrater - November 14th, 2007 at 1:15 pm

   bucslim: haha that is brilliant

10. 10. evan - November 14th, 2007 at 1:17 pm

    the 1911 is a very very reliable powerful semi automatic, its been modernized over the year but still pretty true to the original john browning design. the exact gun itself i own was made last year. its one of the most popular handguns in the US.

    and yes, to a point the phrase “better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6″ comes to mind yes, if i truly felt it was a life or death situation i would draw my weapon, but there are issues, i mean you cant just draw a weapon on some guy because he hit you unless again you truly feel its a life or death matter. specific laws vary from state to state here in the US. if the guy had some kind of a weapon, then its a no brainer you could draw you weapon, no if he’s unarmed you would have to show a disparity of force, legally speaking. But yes, if i truly felt he was trying to kill me, and there was a decent chance that without use of a firearm i couldnt stop him, then yes better to be alive and in jail then dead.

11. 11. dalandzadgad - November 14th, 2007 at 1:29 pm

    the thing about self defense is that reading and watching videos about it cannot prepare you for the real thing. constant training and practice until the techniques are second nature is the only way to ever be prepared.

    and #7 can be added upon. the mental aspect of self defense is as important as the physical. the adrenaline rush, tunnel vision etc. when provoked can actually be used to your advantage.

    good points though. cheers.

12. 12. jfrater - November 14th, 2007 at 1:31 pm

    evan: it is amazing that a 1911 gun is still as good now as the modern ones being made.

    dalandzadgad: that is true - and something you can’t practise - even with a sparring partner.

13. 13. evan - November 14th, 2007 at 1:36 pm

    john moses browning was a genius of a gun designer, most of his designs are still used today. including the oldest firearm in the current US armed forces inventory the good ole Ma Duence, the M2 Browning .50 cal machinegun. A lot of them are older then the people firing them

    he’s credited with the design of the Colt 1911, the M2 machinegun, the BAR .30 cal rifle, the Browning Hi-power pistol, and more.

14. 14. evan - November 14th, 2007 at 1:38 pm

    another thing with the colt 1911 it was the longest running issued pistol in the US until fairly recently, IIRC lates 1990s when it was replaced by the Beratta 92 model, but there is a growning call for the reissue the the 1911 for increase lethality of the 45 round over a 9mm, and also the so called “stopping power” of the round.

15. 15. jfrater - November 14th, 2007 at 1:39 pm

    evan: hmm - I am sure someone with a lot of knowledge in that area could make a good list *hint hint*

16. 16. evan - November 14th, 2007 at 1:43 pm

    im working on it, lol it was a very busy last few days

17. 17. Randall - November 14th, 2007 at 2:18 pm

    In college in the early 80s, we had the Three Rules of Barfighting. They were succinct and easy to remember:

    1) ALWAYS get in the first punch
    2) NEVER fight fair
    3) KNOW when to leave.

    A wonderful bit of wisdom that, as I recall, I have my friend Joe to thank for. Useful stuff when you’re three or four “college boys” in preppie repp ties, blue blazers, khakis and loafers… and you’ve mistakenly lingered too long in a townie bar, surrounded by low-life guys with mullets. Whoops.

18. 18. SubliminalDeath666 - November 14th, 2007 at 2:33 pm

    Awesome list jfrater! I learned like 8 out of 10 of these things when I train in Muay Thai. This type of martial art is very brutal! You can use elbows and even knees to strike your opponent! Uh oh! Great! Now talking and reading self defense has gotten me in a fighting mood! I feel like kneeing someone in the face! FATALITY!!!

19. 19. Kelsi - November 14th, 2007 at 3:16 pm

    Technique 11: Smother them with love. This will confuse them and make you look like the bigger person.

    …okay, this may not always work, but I’m a lady. I’ve never been in a *real* fight.

20. 20. jfrater - November 14th, 2007 at 3:17 pm

    Kelsi: while I applaud your positive outlook - I can’t see that working on a junkie looking for $5 for his next hit

21. 21. yaurt - November 14th, 2007 at 3:34 pm

    Grabb stuff! asstrays, bottles, glasses, them can help you if they struck your opponents head. And the good old hunting knife is an excelent adition to you fashion style if you plan on being atacked.

22. 22. Kelsi - November 14th, 2007 at 5:03 pm

    Yaurt: I’m sure by asstrays you meant ashtrays? Like that scene in Just Married where Brittany Murphy hits Ashton Kucher in the head with one…haha, that’s one of the only funny parts in the whole movie. xD

    jfrater: Yeah, in that case running usually works just fine, and if not that then I guess your list could be useful.

23. 23. EAL - November 14th, 2007 at 5:48 pm

    For #5- There is an unwritten male code that forbids kicking another guy in the groin

24. 24. thaifighter91 - November 14th, 2007 at 7:31 pm

    EAL- isn’t there also a written law that forbids attacking another person :), only evening the playing field.

    Yaurt- You caught me, I should have added improvised weapons on #5! :)oh well…

25. 25. trebek - November 14th, 2007 at 8:39 pm

    +100 for including a picture of Anderson Silva!

26. 26. NSEW - November 14th, 2007 at 9:26 pm

    this list talks a lot about not getting yourself brought into court but then it tells you to throw the first punch? wouldn’t that do exactly what the list is telling you not to?

27. 27. Tats - November 14th, 2007 at 11:17 pm

    The greatest victory is the battle not fought.

28. 28. Lasse - November 15th, 2007 at 1:19 am

    I would ALWAYS try to run away first. You pick your own battles. One more advice:

    12. Scream like a raving lunatic when you attack. That will surprise your opponent and lead him to believe that you in fact are a raving lunatic thus making him afraid of you.

    13. Get some excercise in a boxing gym. It is very good excercise and you can practice a fighting situation under safe conditions. Plus
    having recieved at few punches will prevent that a real attack gives you a severe psychological trauma.

29. 29. evan - November 15th, 2007 at 6:13 am

    NSEW, most states in the US, don’t require you to be physically hit for it to be assualt or for self defense, you just have to be or feel threatened and feel immediate physical danger and you can defend yourself, even if that means hitting first.

30. 30. T - November 15th, 2007 at 3:01 pm

    I find that a technique used in hockey is really effective. grab their shirt around the collar area with your weak hand and use your dominant hand for punching. your opponent isn’t able to put full force into the punches with your outstretched arm grabbing them, and you are able to control the situation.

31. 31. Dana - November 15th, 2007 at 6:47 pm

    But whatever you do, remember: Don’t mess with Danny Bonaduce.

32. 32. Bryon - November 15th, 2007 at 9:10 pm

    One other thing. If you do find yourself in court, make sure your defense is that you used only enough force as you felt was necessary to remove the threat.

    None of this “fight to kill” stuff. If you HAVE to kill, then that’s all cool, but legally, you are only allowed to use as much force as you deem necessary.

    Oh yeah. I’m not a lawyer.. bla bla bla…

33. 33. steve - November 16th, 2007 at 8:11 am

    If you are going to use a 1911 type of pistol,
    get a 1911A1 and drop in a Springfield Match Barrel, a #5 link and pin, Kings gunworks adjustable trigger and fully adjustable BoMar rear sight and a Full length recoil rod with 15pound recoil spring, Hoague Mono grips and Mag well bevel and finish off with a 10 round Pachmayer Magazine loaded with 200gr Black Talon (if allowed for civillian CCW) or Win. SilverTips.
    This worked for me for over 23 years in harms way

34. 34. evan - November 16th, 2007 at 8:19 am

    i wish i could make a semi custom 45, but alas i dont have the extra money for that stuff. I got a taurus 1911, and for the money its excellent. so far zero problems with it. The only thing i dont care for is the ambi saftey is a little too large. but i guess i could always take a dremel to it if need be.

35. 35. paul - November 16th, 2007 at 10:13 am

    Great article.

    I’ve had lots of fights in my time, I’m not proud of that but most of them weren’t initiated by me. I live in a fairly rough town and there are plenty of knuckleheads looking for a fight.

    During my first couple of years at secondary school (age 11/12) I was a quiet kid, so occasionally one of the ‘hard’ kids would start on me. I applied the ‘punch first’ technique many times during that period. If one of the hard kids came up to me and started pushing me I’d punch them in the nose as hard as I could. Fight over.

    Eventually the hard kids caught on to the fact that I would not tolerate being pushed around and they left me alone for my remaining time at school. Some were even scared of me. I didn’t let it go to my head though, I was still the quiet kid. But, the quiet kid that will punch you in the face if you start. Good times.

    I had never run away from a fight until a few months ago (I’m 32 now). It was 2am, I was walking across a bridge and noticed a group of six teenagers emerge from under the bridge. One of them shouted “let’s jump him” and they all started running up the bank.

    I was in a similar situation a few years back and made the incorrect decision to stand and fight. One cracked cheekbone, broken jaw and broken finger later I had learned my lesson - know when to run.

    This time I ran as fast as I could and managed to get on to a main road nearby where I knew there would be passing cars. My plan paid off and they retreated.

    I felt slightly ashamed afterwards, but the shame gradually turned to pride as I realised I made the correct decision - there is no way that I could have won that fight and with todays youth, here in the UK, I more than likely would have been stabbed or beaten to death.

36. 36. el duderino - November 16th, 2007 at 11:48 am

    A Glock 10MM, two spare magazines and a cold, hard heart.

37. 37. J - November 24th, 2007 at 1:38 am

    A very good list with great principles to follow for the street, and oh yeh bring your Glock-Fu!! lol!!

    Simple Self Defense

38. 38. Jim - November 30th, 2007 at 1:49 pm

    Very dangerous advice here. First, a clear distinction should be made between social violence and criminal attacks, which are a matter of life or death. Social violence should be avoided at all costs but if a schoolboy needs to punch someone in the nose to avoid being bullied, fine. All that has nothing whatever to do with criminal violence. The only solution here is to attack immediately the most vulnerable and incapacitating point available: eyes, neck, throat, gonads, etc., and to keep striking until the attacker is totally incapacitated. If that means permanently incapacitated, fine. It is a matter of life or death. The idea that one should avoid striking some area in such situations because there might be legal repercussions is both ludicrous and dangerous. Equally silly: gauge the eye, but don’t strike the spine (presumably the back of the neck). A person asking you for your wallet with a gun or knife is very likely a potential murderer whether or not you comply. So, in truly criminal situations, violence is the only answer–delaying tactics, reasoning, reaching for pepper spray, and the like will simply get you maimed or killed–whereas in social situations–bar situations, and the like–it is never or almost never the answer. In social situations, it is the ego that is on the line, typically, whereas in the criminal situation, it is your life that is on the line. If your ego is on the line, get over it and walk away; if your life is on the line attack first and with full force with a clear target.

39. 39. Jorge - December 1st, 2007 at 12:23 pm

    Yeah, I agree. Most people don’t get it. Attacking to save your life is not “fighting.” You’re not trying to “win” a match. You’re trying to put the guy or guys down, because you have no other choice in a criminal attack. Items 5 and 9 are contradictory and will get you killed:

    5. This is the street, there are no rules

    “That means pull hair, gouge eyes, pinch, bite, fish hook, and whatever you need to do to get out of this situation. Men, for some reason refuse to strike the groin. Why? In the hopes he won’t? To ensure he doesn’t kick you in the groin first, strike him in the groin and run. Who cares if people make fun of you, you’re not whose hurt. However, I wouldn’t recommend striking the spine, or back of the head as this could maim your opponent, which would land you in court.”

    Go ahead and gouge out an eye, but don’t hit his spine?! Please. “Yes, your honor, I let him stab me because I didn’t want to maim him…”

    Then, in flagrant contradiction to the basic idea of number 5 comes number 9:

    9. Your objective is not to win

    “If you hurt your opponent unnecessarily, you can find yourself in court. Also if you stun your opponent somehow (for example, you knock the wind out of him) you don’t need to do anything more - just run. You will find that you are not hurt and you are not getting sued. That’s winning to me.”

    I can’t imagine a more stupid piece of advice. Of course, if you can run away in the first place, or after one telling blow, that would be best. But putting the attacker down, really down, is the only intention that will allow you to survive. In a life and death situation, you can’t possibly be concerned with not “hurting your opponent unnecessarily.” The word “opponent” here is the giveaway; this is not a match, its a struggle for life with someone who obviously has no qualms about hurting you or killing you.

40. 40. ZoSo - December 24th, 2007 at 7:11 pm

    Sadly, and inevitably this list will bring about the type that like to make extravagant of their chokeholds on siblings and scuffs with the homeless backed by a few of their lawn-dart weilding buddies a true “brawl”. I’m surprised we’ve not seen the lesser of us claiming Ed Norton curb-stomps outside strip malls and the like.

    You did leave out a crucial tip though. If you actually are stupid enough to go with odds outside your favor (a 4+ on 1) please, for the love of God or Cassius Clay, keep moving. Staying calm works, but only if you’re funny. Talk, if you’re smooth, and talk alot. Anything to delay the seige on your ego, and give you a chance for planning, no sudden movement, but be sure to let the idea that you’re about to get your ass kicked and your wounds licked by your girlfriend sink in, so your adrenaline surges.

    In many, many circumstances you do NOT want to go with the biggest guys first, I’ve made that mistake a few times. But just think about it. Smaller guys get in ALOT more fights than bigger guys, trust me on that. I was a vars OLB/ D-end and regional champ 220+ Heavyweight grecco and roman back in school, us big guys don’t put up with half the shit that little guys do, so be less weary to let size intimidate.

    Number one reason for losing a fight? Intimidation. Don’t be wreckless, but do NOT let gender or race or size get in the way. Black or mexican or white, everyone is human, and everyone has a weakness. I club in Dallas, where all types colide, and the number one reason I always see someone initiate a fight with a punch or push is because the other person shows a weakness and/or is white.

    1.) Leave if you can, but in most social circles it’s much more acceptable to get your ass beat than run away from a fair fight. I’ve gotten a few beers out of putting up a good fight and losing.
    2.) These are only tips on simple brawls, no weapons or ex-convicts involved.
    3.) Outnumbered? No rules, whatsoever.
    4.) Keep your back away from a group of spectators and or opponents, you never know who will jump in for the hell of it, especially with hispanics (dont call me a racist, it’s from plenty of personal experience.)
    5.) Breath rapidly while striking, slowly while manuevering, make your opponent waste his breath catching up.
    6.) Do not go on the defensive, this will get your ass kicked 9 times out of 10, some circumstances apply to those with a height advantage or with steel organs for a improv rope-a-dope, or if your opponent is 12.
    7.) Hit first.
    8.) Use the Water-boy, fill your thoughts with outright hatred for the person. Imagine him training your mom or picking on your little brother, anything to secrete more adrenaline, so every punch you take will hurt you less, and every punch you throw will be minimally weaker than the last.
    9.) You are NOT Roy Jones Jr. or Vladimir, do NOT BOX. DO NOT BOX. If he does, then laugh at him. DO NOT THROW JABS IN STREET FIGHTS. Stick to your predominant hand and leg because the sooner it’s over, the fewer times you have to say “well you should’ve seen the other guy”.
    10.) If you’ve got friends at your back, keep them out to avoid a group confrontation (always much more violent) and go for submissive techniques, and if the guy does check you with a cheap shot after he cries uncle, you know you’ve got some referees to back up your fight. Ground em, pound em, left elbow on his throat, your right hand pulling his knee as far to your chest as you can.

    And in the end, if you win a fight, always buy the guy a beer if he’s up for it, gaining two of my best friends took me a 3rd degree clavical breakage and three broken digits, plus you decrease the risk for escalation (fists to threats, threats to knives, knives to guns, etc)

    Lastly, never fight an Irishman, he’ll fight you until he wins, no matter how long that takes.

41. 41. Monkey Nuts - January 18th, 2008 at 11:36 am

    Zoso, excellent list, it’s great that you included psych tactics, which are very important.

    Jfrater, pretty good list, with one deadly exception, rule #8. NEVER EVER EVER do what your attacker wants, especially if that involves letting him take you to a more remote locaton, because then, you get raped or murdered. NEVER let someone call the shots in any situation, do whatever you can to take control from them. It is insane to trust a thug not to kill you. Now that you’ve got me all riled up I will make my own list lol with a few more specifics.
    P.S. are you the only listmaster or can I upload my own?

    1. Size up your opponent and take the situation into account. This will largely decide how you approachthe situation. A fight with a punk at a party is very different than a mugging by a crackhead. For one you can probably talk the punk out of the fight using humility and humor, whereass with a crackhead I would not suggest it. Do whatever you feel is necessary in the situation to make your life easier. If you are in a dangerous life threatening situation(e.g alone against someone with a knife robbing you) then GIVE NO QUARTER. However if you are fighting a high school football player cuz you looked at his girl, try not to do anything more than break a few bones. You can get away with killing a crackhead, but not a punkass rich kid.

    2. Strategize-During the initial confrontation(shit-talkin) look around, be aware ofyour environment.Does he have friends that might help him? Is there ANYTHING that you can use as a weapon? (e.g. a stick, a tree, a wall, the ground). Does he appear to have a weapon? (watch out for unseen hands, they often hold weapons). Is there anyone who might help you? Is there an escape route you can use once you have incapacitated them?

    Note: the rest of the list will be assuming that you are being accosted by a dangerous degenerate who wants to rob/rape you,and not a drunk frat boy(being that fighting dumbasses s usually voluntary, and thusly not really self defense)

    3. Be prepared- This is the best of the rules. This doesn’t just mean staying physically fit and practicing combat, but also being mentally prepared. Being prepared to be hit, possibly even cut or shot. You have to instill in yourself the idea that if you don’t walk away from this fight on your own terms, then you probably won’t walk away at all. The stakes are as high as you can imagine, life or death. Everything you ever knew, everyone you ever loved, they are all on the fucking line. Failure is not an option, don’t think that you can call time out after you start bleeding , because that is the time they will move in for the kill. Be prepared to do ANYTHING to survive. Carrying a weapon at all times is a good idea, a pocket knife is the most practical.

    4. Be Deceptive- don’t hesitate to use ANYTHING you can to win. It can be as simple as quickly pointing over your attackers shoulder and screaming “what the fuck is that!” when they look to see what it is you will have a split second to get the advantage. If you have martial arts experience don’t let them know about it or go into fighting stance right away, let it be a suprise. And most importantly if you have a knife or other weapon, don’t brandish it, don’t tell them about it, and try not to let them see you pull it out. If you have a knife they shouldn’t know about it until it is lodged handle deep inside of them and they are leaking like a faucet. If that’s not a psychological advantage I don’t know what is.

    5. Don’t fight DIRTY, fight fucking FILTHY- don’t kick a man while he’s down, stomp him! Don’t punch him in the jaw, grab his jaw and rip it the fuck off! Don’t gouge his eyes, rip them out! A mugger or rapist isn’t playing by the rules, so why should you? This also goes along with #9.

    6. Get fucking ANGRY! Once it has been established that the fight is going to happen no matter what, don’t be a placid defensive victim, be the aggressor. Scream, curse, go fucking insane. Not only will this give the attacker second thoughts it will also keep you fighting after you are injured.

    7. Never let anyone you don’t know get to close to you in the first place- If a vagrant walks up to you tell him to stay away from you, if he gets within your personal area back off or deal with them immediately, do not let them get so close that they could stab you or assault you before you have time to react.

    8. Stay out of stupid situations- this is more a preventative measure, but is a golden rule. Don’t go into a bad neighborhood at all. Don’t go near a crackhouse. If you are white don’t go to a black or hispanic neighborhood, sometimes that will be enough to get you jumped.

    9. Turn the Tables- usually when a thug fucks with a “normal” person they have the psychological advantage of thinking they are badder/crazier than them. Make it apparent that you aren’t a normal person. Keep him talking as long as you can and allow your anger to escalate. Envision every bad thing that has ever happened to you. Think about all you life’s dissapointments, think of every enemy you’ve ever had, everyone who has ever done you wrong. Think of someone kicking a puppy, or an artocity from history that particularly upsets you. Then envision that your enemy is all of those people, that he is responsible for everything bad in the entire world. Envision everyone you love or care about, then imagine how much it will hurt them if you let this fuck kill you .Put it in the context that if you don’t destroy this fucker utterly and without quarter then everyone you love will suffer for it. He will notice the madness welling up out of your eyes and it may make him hesitate. Lastly, say the most horrible awful things you can think of to him. Tell him that you are going to fuck his corpse and rape his children, tell him that you are the voice of god sent to purge the world of sinners, but don’t just say it, believe it. This fucker thought he was robbing mr. rogers, not charles manson. Once he realizes that he’s messing with a fellow deranged sociopath he might back off, if he doesn’t be prepared to do everything you told him you would.

    10.RUN!- After you have utterly destroyed this fool who dared to fuck with you. After you have left him weeping in a pool of his own blood and urine, or freed his soul from it’s mortal vessel, don’t stick around and wait for his homeboys to showup, and don’t wait for the cops. You are still in a volatile situation and should get to a safe location as soon as posible. Call the police at your own risk, because in today’s world of dickless politically correct pussies, you might be considered the bad guy for defending yourself.

42. 42. Cyn - January 18th, 2008 at 1:31 pm

    Monkey Nuts - “P.S. are you the only listmaster or can I upload my own?”

    check out:
    http://listverse.com/contribute

43. 43. baobao - March 22nd, 2008 at 8:16 pm

    “1. Keep your hands up” has the main advantage of keeping the head from being injured. By keeping the arm and hands up, like boxers do, we block most moves that are directed towards the head. Minimizing head injuries = less chance to lose consciousness.

44. 44. Decypha - April 17th, 2008 at 12:13 pm

    LOL… Monkey nuts took the words straight out my mouth… you comment actually psyched me up it’s crazy!!!

45. 45. Vear Lynn - June 23rd, 2008 at 5:51 pm

    I have not actually ever been in a fight. Close, but once I step up and inches from their face, they back down.

    #40 ZoSo Go Led Zep!

46. 46. MPW - June 23rd, 2008 at 5:55 pm

    heres my advice come on calm and finish strong

47. 47. Honestly - June 23rd, 2008 at 6:00 pm

    I hope you people realize how ridicules you sound. Speaking from personal experience, the only things to consider in a violent situation are as follows:
    1)Fighting is a last resort. Always attempt to defuse or remove the situation before resorting to it.
    2)If you are attacked, RUN. No-one wins a fight. No matter what happens, by fighting, you lose.
    3)If the person has a weapon, do what they say, unless they order you to go to a secluded location. To use an extreme example, being raped is an atrocious thing, but remember that funerals are for the living. If you die, you leave behind all the people who need and love you.
    4)When someone attacks you, they automatically forfeit any right to not get hurt. Fortunately, this does not mean you are free to use lethal tactics.
    5)If someone pulls a knife or pipe on you, or they outnumber you, you are allowed to defend yourself with fairly excessive force. But if a man pulls a knife on you, and you so much as even brandish a firearm, you will go to prison. I guarantee it. If you shoot someone, unless they also had a gun, and were actively preparing to use it, you are guilty of at least manslaughter, possibly murder.
    6)Breaking bones is totally acceptable.
    7)As soon as you stun or disable your attacker, run(oh, but if you follow Monkey Nuts advice, you will get arrested. Never any exceptions. EVER. by running from a murder, you admit your guilt, totally and legally.).
    8)Never, EVER, throw the first punch. As soon as you do, you are the attacker, that simple. He is defending himself, and is right to do so.
    You deliberately escalated the conflict.
    9)When fighting for your life, feel free to use as much force as NEEDED, and only that much. Anything short of lethal or permanently disabling is O.K.
    10)When faced with a group, keep them in front. Then run.

48. 48. Mr.Graves - June 23rd, 2008 at 6:25 pm

    @Honestly

    I’m sure your heart is in the right place but you are completely misinformed on half of your advice. I don’t think you should be giving legal advice when it is wildly off base.

    To start, anyone that teaches rape prevention will tell you 75% of women who fight back as hard as they can against a rapist cause the rapist to flee. The only time you are taught not to fight is if there is absolutely no chance. There is no reason to assume someone who will gladly rape you won’t kill you when they are done so there are no witnesses. Rape is about power and a woman showing ferocity and fearlessness is the exact opposite of what the rapist is looking for- rapists are by nature, cowards that want to feel powerful. Your advice is completely wrong. The ony time you don’t fight back is when you have no chance.

    Lethal force is determined on a case by case basis. Throwing the first punch has no legal ramifications whatsoever and self defense instructors have taught for years that as soon as you know you can’t avoid conflict, you strike as hard and as fast as possible. Waiting for the other guy to throw the first punch is playground mythology and has no legal standing. The court definition of assault doesn’t wait for you to be injured before you have the right to defend yourself.

    Also, if a person pulls a knife on you and it can be considered an agent of deadly force while you have a gun, you are completely within your right to shoot them. The weapon being weilded has nothing to do with the legal stance; whether it is considered to be a tool with the intent of using deadly force upon your person is the determining factor.

    Running from the scene of any crime is not an automatic admission of guilt. It`s actually a separate crime- fleeing. It has no bearing on whether you are actually guilty of the crime commited though, but will look bad.

    When fighting for your life, you are completely within your rights to use lethal and permanent force. Again, let`s go over that first part… when fighting for your life.

    I`m sure you had good intentions with your post but you are terribly misinformed on the law and the reality of the applications. I taught rape prevention, jiu jitsu and self defense for years and it involved always being abreast of your legal rights and what is permissible in what situation.

    I`m not advocating anyone pretend they are a movie martial arts actor anymore than I advocate following your advice- both stances are unsafe and based in misconception and will get people injured or killed.

    The best way to be safe is to not get your advice from the internet and go out and study under professionals and educate yourself on a constant basis. No website will make you safer than you were before reading it; sadly misinformation can make you less safe though.

49. 49. 63jax - June 27th, 2008 at 2:35 am

    I don’t know…My opinion is that you can’t generalize because you never know ho you are fighting with.Every situation is different you have to shape after your opponent to counter every action he does. In the streets you never know, you can have a shock for instance and you’re paralyzed of fear. The best move is to avoid as much as possible and only then kill the motherfucker.Excuse my english.

50. 50. Merv - August 5th, 2008 at 6:34 am

    Bruce Lee believed that if the fight was not over in 2 seconds, there was something wrong with your technique. And he was right.

    But you don’t have to be an expert at martial arts or in street fighting. The chances of your attacker being skilled in a fighting discipline, in any case, is highly improbable. So the element of surprise is on your side.

    You just need to use common sense. The most powerful self-defense tool available to you is your mind. Use it to learn all the vulnerable parts of the body, and the effect of hitting those spots.

    When facing an attacker, always stay calm. The element of surprise is on your side. Like all bullies, your attacker rarely expects you to act against him. When you do act, don’t worry about what a cop will say or what a Court judge will think. Just worry about your life. If you don’t, you could die.

    As far as the authorities are concerned, he attacked you… it happened so quick… you can’t remember what happened…you just ran off in absolute fear! And you want the bastard charged!

    I am just going to give a few hints here… work out the rest. Your attacker’s eyes… your attacker’s neck (wind pipe)… your attacker’s pubis… your attacker’s ears… your attackers kidneys… All these areas require fairly minor force resulting in devastating effect.

    Please only apply this in life or death situations.

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