Self Defense

[MentorX]

I've been in a lot of fights. Never lost. The only time I've gotten hurt is when I was outnumbered or weapons were involved. Even then, they were the ones to run. I didn't start this post to brag. I just think that it's important for everyone to be able to defend themselves in any circumstance. The extent of my formal training does not go past a white belt in karate. It was good to learn the basics, but the street teaches so much more. I'll avoid posting videos of black belts in a classroom (dojo).

This is what a woman wants in a man.
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Notice how he took a fighting stance and kept on beating them until they were no longer a threat.

[lies on myspace]

One of the best self defense techniques available is the Vulcan Nerve Pinch:

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Pinch the base of the neck with all four fingers. But take care to do it correctly, as doing it incorrectly will cause your victim to go into a fit of rage, as seen on the video (seriously, that dude is angry!).

[ready_aim_rock]

Depends on what you mean by 'self defense'. In a matter of life and death, to be honest I'd prefer a knife, or at least some sort of melee weapon (baton, sap, cudgel) over any amount of martial arts or combat training, to give me an edge (or level it out if the assailant is similarly armed), even if it's nothing more than a bit of reach. In scraps, though, it's certainly wise to have some sort of training, or at least, as you said, the basic principles. Defense of natural rights is something nobody should be without.

And I'd take a steady, calloused fist over the Vulcan Nerve Pinch 11 times out of 10 =P

[Tostig]

I've been in a lot of fights. Never lost. The only time I've gotten hurt is when I was outnumbered or weapons were involved. Even then, they were the ones to run. I didn't start this post to brag. I just think that it's important for everyone to be able to defend themselves in any circumstance. The extent of my formal training does not go past a white belt in karate. It was good to learn the basics, but the street teaches so much more. I'll avoid posting videos of black belts in a classroom (dojo).

This is what a woman wants in a man.
7gWYrX0apNY

Notice how he took a fighting stance and kept on beating them until they were no longer a threat.

What an ass. Didn't even bother to find out if the beating was necessary. I hope he got arrested and prosecuted. They weren't a threat; it was an accident. A real martial artist (and a real man) would have known the difference.

I've been in over 300 fights in my life, some intentional (SCA, martial arts training), some were due to some ass being himself. I've lost a few, and won a few. I'd much rather have training than a weapon. If you pick up a weapon with no training, you're as likely to hurt yourself as your opponent. Trust me on this. I know from experience.

[Jugular]

I have a brown belt in karate. In ryobu kai, thats one step down from a black belt. I only didn't keep going because I was getting too annoyed with it all.

I've been in two fights, neither of which karate really helped me. The only thing that did help me was just learning fast reflexes in general and tightening your muscles to withstand blows.

I feel like boxing could teach me endurance and help me throw stronger punches. So I'm gonna do that this year. I made it a news years resolution.

[Tostig]

I have a brown belt in karate. In ryobu kai, thats one step down from a black belt. I only didn't keep going because I was getting too annoyed with it all.

I've been in two fights, neither of which karate really helped me. The only thing that did help me was just learning fast reflexes in general and tightening your muscles to withstand blows.

I feel like boxing could teach me endurance and help me throw stronger punches. So I'm gonna do that this year. I made it a news years resolution.

The problem with forms like karate, tae kwon do, tang soo do, etc, is that they're very linear and very kata driven. You progress through exercise and memorizing katas. While these build discipline and muscle memory, you can also be easily thrown off by unexpected movements in your oponents. My jiujitsu teacher used to have me spar students from other forms and oblique movements and throws took most of them by surprise.

[lies on myspace]

What an ass. Didn't even bother to find out if the beating was necessary. I hope he got arrested and prosecuted. They weren't a threat; it was an accident. A real martial artist (and a real man) would have known the difference.


Wasn't an accident. I remember seeing this video on another site. They were intentionally standing there to 'accidentally' punch people who walk by. Which is why it was being filmed.

[PainInThe*ss]

The problem with forms like karate, tae kwon do, tang soo do, etc, is that they're very linear and very kata driven. You progress through exercise and memorizing katas. While these build discipline and muscle memory, you can also be easily thrown off by unexpected movements in your oponents. My jiujitsu teacher used to have me spar students from other forms and oblique movements and throws took most of them by surprise.

True..but i counter that weakness by sparring with a friend of mine who learns kung fu..too bad he moved away..now i got no one to spar with except the guys at my taekwondo class..and that only once a week if i'm lucky..

[Happytoad]

Fuck all of that I use the 357 self defense plan. If the gun itself doesn't scare them off I guaranty they'll run when I shot one of their friends dick off.

[disturbed86]

Fuck all of that I use the 357 self defense plan. If the gun itself doesn't scare them off I guaranty they'll run when I shot one of their friends dick off.

I could be wrong, but I really want to call BS on that.

[MentorX]

A real martial artist (and a real man) would have known the difference.
You bring up a good point. I know plenty of guys who could cripple me in a second, some bigger, some smaller than myself. I'm not scared of any of them because I know that a "real martial artist" is also trained to avoid fighting without a good reason. I'm not the one to give them a reason to fight. Hence, there is no reason to fear them because there will be no fighting. ALWAYS AVOID A FIGHT IF YOU CAN!

Wasn't an accident. I remember seeing this video on another site. They were intentionally standing there to 'accidentally' punch people who walk by. Which is why it was being filmed.

If you watch the "set up", you can see how they were blocking the sidewalk and were fully aware of the couple walking down the street. You'll also notice at the end that the boxer(?) could have continued to pummel them but walked away. "The fight is over when your opponent is no longer a threat." ~ Bruce Lee (135 lbs.)

The next video shows what happens when nobody knows what to do.
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There are so many things that went wrong, but the main lesson here is to be aware of your surroundings.

ps: I'm happy to see that there are some real martial artists in here giving good practical advice.

[Tostig]

You bring up a good point. I know plenty of guys who could cripple me in a second, some bigger, some smaller than myself. I'm not scared of any of them because I know that a "real martial artist" is also trained to avoid fighting without a good reason. I'm not the one to give them a reason to fight. Hence, there is no reason to fear them because there will be no fighting. ALWAYS AVOID A FIGHT IF YOU CAN! That's very true. My jiujitsu teacher always said to run away if someone wants to fight you. If they catch you, then you do only what is necessary to allow you to run away some more. Of course, in jiujitsu (as with aikido or any other grapple-based art) that usually meant you left them behind with a broken or dislocated limb.

[sharkybyte]

Go to YOUTUBE. Look for Jim Carrey Karate Instructor. BEST self defense lesson ever.

NO... I don't wanna give the link here. NO... I don't want to look for it right now.

[Ball Masher]

I've studied Karate for 8 and a half years. I'm a first degree brown belt. (one short of black). I'd already be a black belt but, I crossed over from wa-shin-ryu to Shotokan. And I started when I was 6. I've never been in an on-the-ground fist fight. My last two fights, my friend was jumped 2 days in a row by some psycho twins and I did a stiff leg kick above the knee. (I hate the kids but I didn't want to blow out their knees.) ok I did want to, but that'd be wrong.

Anyways, those kids are scared of me now cuz I told them both that next time I'd kill them.

Every other situation, I've taken the kid by the throat and they've never bothered me again.

And yeah, I carry a knife most everywhere, and I know how to use it, but 9 out of ten times, you won't have time to pull a knife.

Some of my favorite techniques are the v trigger. (a v-shaped nerve on the top of your hand starting at you pointer and middle finger knuckles.)

And general grapples. the "crowbar" is my favorite. You can dislocate the shoulder and break the arm in multiple places in one solid move. Also, if your opponent has a knife, you can slice their face open as you bring it down. This is rather gruesome, but if they have a knife, and the attacker is trying to kill you, they deserve it.

I hope no one has a lower oppinion of me, I only use harmless nerve strikes unless my life is actually in danger.

[Jugular]

The problem with forms like karate, tae kwon do, tang soo do, etc, is that they're very linear and very kata driven. You progress through exercise and memorizing katas. While these build discipline and muscle memory, you can also be easily thrown off by unexpected movements in your oponents. My jiujitsu teacher used to have me spar students from other forms and oblique movements and throws took most of them by surprise.

Oh we sparred too. I was kick ass at it. Not the katas though. those were a pain

[sharkybyte]

Karate is an offensive martial art. Aikido is a defensive art. If you want to study self defense and for it to be really called defense... then study aikido.

[YoungYesrod]

When I was younger I spent 8 years doing two forms of martial arts until I turned 16. The one thing any good dojo master will teach you is how to avoid a fight. In my dojo we valued the power of the mind even over the technique of our forms. Even more than our sparring. This has kept me out of many fights that I ended up solving to my advantage. That and the fact that I usually stay out of shitty drama so I haven't had a lot of people try and fight me over the past year. Whoo hoo!

[That1Guy]

Notice how he took a fighting stance and kept on beating them until they were no longer a threat.

Notice how the hit didn't seem intentional? I wouldn't even consider this self-defense because they weren't even fighting back and if anything they looked as if they were trying to reason with him.

Edit: Back on topic:
I used to be in a self-defense class when I was younger, but I was only involved because my brother was so I didn't have much interest in it. At this point I am much more interested in martial arts and really wish I could have stayed involved in it.

[MentorX]

In my dojo we valued the power of the mind even over the technique of our forms. Even more than our sparring. This has kept me out of many fights that I ended up solving to my advantage. That and the fact that I usually stay out of shitty drama so I haven't had a lot of people try and fight me over the past year. Whoo hoo!
When I was in Boot Camp (Ft. Jackson). there was a kid who was in such physical condition, that the Drill Sargeants could not punish him with push-ups. If they told him to drop and give 100, he did so without a problem. One day I was asking him about his workout routines and then he told me something that his Grandmother taught him, "The secret to a strong body is to have a strong soul." Amen to Grandma.


Notice how the hit didn't seem intentional?
I have to disagree. A back handed fist to a woman's face is not accidental. Watch the beginning a few times and you'll see that it was no way accidental nor did it seem that way (at least to me).

ps: It's never too late to start training.

[53V3N]

I chanced upon this site (http://www.5min.com/StreetSurviv) a while back. Just thought I'd throw it in the mix.

BTW the Jim Carrey Karate Teacher sketch was pretty funny.

[Unforgiven]

I don't need self defence.

People look at me and turn to stone.

[eyeknow]

I studied ninjitsu and hapkido to the brown belt level 2nd degree and they just about brainwashed us into fleeing until no other option existed but to fight. That lil puke thought he was clever with his backhand and merelygot what he deserved.

[Supreme]

Modern martial arts are useful for self defense, but they are only practical to a certain extent when compared to hand-to-hand combat systems.

I am a practitioner of judo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and kick-boxing and I find that the training I go through with these martial arts tend to focus more on scoring points, and following a set of rules. I wanted a "no holds barred" self-defense system that is more practical on the streets, to rip my opponents' voice boxes out of their necks.

Then I found Krav Maga, an Israeli military combat system developed solely for self-defence in a "real life" context. I have been training Krav Maga for 2 and a half years, and I personally find that the most practical part of its syllabus is emphasized on maximum efficiency when faced with real life threats and situations: For example, disarming and defending against armed opponents, and fighting against multiple opponents.

But like a few of the posters had mentioned, the best way to win a fight is to avoid one, and run like a bitch.
So, you should take up pakour:
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[MentorX]

The number one reason I avoid fights whenever possible is because I might kill someone unintentionally. Self defense is not about going out of your way to do harm. If any martial arts instructor ever heard you say that you want to rip out someone's voice box, he would or should refuse to train you.

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Some links to this video say one of the men died after the fight. Sure the boxer was outnumbered, but the fight started over a traffic accident. That's hardly a reason to kill, even accidently. That would be a burden on my conscience that I do not care to carry. I can get angry and I say things about putting a permanent hurt on certain assholes, but even in a fight, I look out for my opponent's well being.

[Supreme]

If any martial arts instructor ever heard you say that you want to rip out someone's voice box, he would or should refuse to train you.

Sorry sir, but you are wrong. Different martial arts have different goals or morals that they follow, and I respect your view in not wanting to hurt your opponent.

However, there are martial arts and combat systems that teach you specifically how to hurt your opponents BAD when it comes to a lethal street fight. For example, the ripping of eyes/ hair/ balls/ throat is taught in Japanese Jujutsu. Of course they do not advice you to use any of their lethal techniques, unless you desperately NEED to.

I'm not sure if it's advisable to think about the well being of your opponent in a street fight from where I live.
Imagine a group of thugs with broken bottles and knives in their hands, spitting at your face, and threating to kill you and rape your girlfriend who's right next to you. In that kind of situation, I would want to cause as much damage as I need to my opponents, and then get the hell out of the scene.

There are three official guidelines in Krav Maga that might interest you:
You're not going to care how much damage you're going to cause.
Cause as much damage as possible and run.
Do not try to prolong a fight. Do what needs to be done and escape.There are A LOT of people who find it disturbing or ruthless, but in brutal street fights (that has happened in my life), it's really a fight for survival. If you have your kind of mentality in my neighborhood, sure, they'll appreciate your concern for their well being. But you will end up either on a wheel chair or, well, DEAD.
(BTW, I wasn't implying that I'm looking forward to rip the voiceboxes out of my opponents throats. But if I NEED to, then I will.)

To each his own yeah? :happysad: And here are some cool clips from Bas Rutten's street fighting defence DVD:

Here's the introduction of the series
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2nd clip.
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and the rest..
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EDIT: Upload clip

[bracham]

I would have to argue with whoever says that the first swing in that first video was an accident.

It is obvious that the guy who is further from the camera was watching the approaching couple and most likely telling his friend where they were. Just before the couple comes into view, the guy on the left takes a step backwards and glances over his left shoulder, towards the couple. When they are right behind him, he looks over his right shoulder, and then swings right into the girl's face.

The two guys were simply caught off guard when the other guy attacked them. But in my opinion, they deserved the beating they got. As someone else already said, the boyfriend didn't beat the shit right out of them; he simply showed them that they messed with the wrong person, and then walked off.

[Unspun]

that is fucking hilarious ( the first video )

I honestly believe you should stick up for those weaker than you, regardless of whether it's a female, a man or someone who acts tough when you know for a fact that they aren't. A child needs to be protected, and so do animals, and anybody that just sits idly by and watches someone unfortunate get hurt needs an ass beating themselves, there's no excuse for it.

[MentorX]

Sorry sir, but you are wrong. Different martial arts have different goals or morals that they follow, and I respect your view in not wanting to hurt your opponent. ...

I'm not sure if it's advisable to think about the well being of your opponent in a street fight from where I live.
Imagine a group of thugs with broken bottles and knives in their hands, spitting at your face, and threating to kill you and rape your girlfriend who's right next to you. In that kind of situation, I would want to cause as much damage as I need to my opponents, and then get the hell out of the scene.

One summer night, I was hanging out with some friends in the Village, drinking and smoking and having a good time. We were just people watching from a corner when a bottle rocket came out of nowhere and exploded on my friend's pregnant fiance. Who the fuck was stupid enough to light fireworks on a crowded street? I was furious. I spotted 5 guys hanging out across the street next to a car, laughing. I went over to the biggest one and asked if they had any fireworks they could sell me. I did that to make sure I had the right guys. As soon as he said yes, I pushed him hard and was ready to throw a few at him. I had my friends and they saw what was up and it turned into a mini-riot. Just before I could hit the guy I paired up with, I saw someone run from my right side to my left. He managed to hit me in my left eye but before he got away, I managed to grab his hair with my left hand and pulled him back to me. He tried to protect his face but it didn't work. The first time I hit him in his mouth he doubled over. Someone else took over the guy I first wanted to hit so I was free to punish this kid. Still holding him by his hair he tried with both arms to protect himself but I just powered through his arms with my right and connected again to his mouth. I could feel his teeth start to give way. Another punch and he started spitting teeth. His sister freaked out at what I had done to him as I started to leave the scene. She came after me trying to scratch at my eyes. I backhanded her just to get her off me. She grabbed at my shirt and I just slipped out of it since all the buttons were ripped off. I continued walking away and she started throwing fruit at me from a fruit store across the street. She was yelling at me, "You're gonna pay for my brother's teeth!" My friends caught up with me a few blocks down and they told me that the guy was hurt pretty bad. All I had was a couple of teeth marks on my knuckle.

Three days later I went to the Police Department. I told the Desk Sargeant about the fight and was turning myself in. He called the precinct that covers Greenwich Village and he asked about any incidents that might have happened that night. He hung up the phone and said that nobody filed a complaint and that I could leave. He then asked why I would come to the police if I got away with it. I told him how I didn't sleep for the three days since the fight. Yeah, I'm fucking weird that way.

Six months later, a girl gets into my cab. It was the sister. She looked at me and asked if she had met me before. I told her who I was. It was surreal. I'm driving her home and she was apologizing to me for that night. They were drunk and got stupid. I told her about me going to the police. She forgave me for hurting her brother and for hitting her, fuck, she even gave me her phone number. She then told me that her brother had to have his jaw wired and that he freaked out one night when police were trying to handcuff him. "Not the face, not the face!!" she quoted him yelling. He was damaged more than just physically. After I dropped her off at her home, I never saw her again. She never tried to get revenge and she could've since she knew for which company I worked.
__________________________

If someone tried to harm my family or I was in a war situation, I could kill with no problem. People have been killing each other with bare hands since the beginning of time. It doesn't take a lot of training or intelligence. Someone here called me a crackpot with a tinfoil hat because of what I've written in this thread. Until you've actually done real harm to another person, you can't understand what guilt feels like. Only animals don't feel guilt.

______________________
This guy is lucky he didn't kill the pimp. Even he was surprised by the effect of one blow.

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[Supreme]

I was furious. I spotted 5 guys hanging out across the street next to a car, laughing. I went over to the biggest one and asked if they had any fireworks they could sell me. I did that to make sure I had the right guys. As soon as he said yes, I pushed him hard and was ready to throw a few at him. I had my friends and they saw what was up and it turned into a mini-riot. Just before I could hit the guy I paired up with, I saw someone run from my right side to my left. He managed to hit me in my left eye but before he got away, I managed to grab his hair with my left hand and pulled him back to me. He tried to protect his face but it didn't work. The first time I hit him in his mouth he doubled over. Someone else took over the guy I first wanted to hit so I was free to punish this kid. Still holding him by his hair he tried with both arms to protect himself but I just powered through his arms with my right and connected again to his mouth. I could feel his teeth start to give way. Another punch and he started spitting teeth. His sister freaked out at what I had done to him as I started to leave the scene.

That's a pretty interesting story, but if you asked me, I'd say in the beginning, you should have left the scene after the first or second punch. He didn't sound like a life threatening opponent. if I were you, I'd just trip him to the floor after the first punch or so, and run like the wind.

I'll only use fatal punches and kicks when I know that its either this or death, and I've come across that line a lot. It's a hell different from your scenario only because your street fight is more of a street brawl, and mine's a free-for-all massacre.

Gang violence is one of my worse case scenario, and it was just a couple months back when this incident happened with some Vietnamese crew.
It all started when my buddy, Henry, started dating this chick, without knowing that she's the ex gf of some Vietnamese gang member.
So we were sitting at an outdoor cafe, just chilling out, when out of nowhere, 6 Vietnamese punks came into the scene with machetes in their hands charging and swinging their blades violently. I was quick to dodge a couple of blows, but I saw 3 blades swinging in at Henry all at the same time. His girl could only try and pull some of them back, but the damage has been done. His arms were bleeding profusely because of those deep cuts.
We had to hit and run nonetheless, and trust me, we didn't hold back on those punches to their vital points. We managed to out run them but suffered many cuts to the body. I'm sorry to say this, but without such ruthless self defense, we couldn't have escaped without getting our hands chopped off.