A talk about what works. Please participate.

Do people with dense bones have dense minds-intelligence as well?

 

Nope, that's genetics.

I disagree. Humans have been interbreeding for millenia. Genes don't tend to remain 'distinct' in 'specific geographic areas'. They tend to spread. Truly isolated human societies are extremely rare.

There are genetic variations. The concept of 'race' is outdated and serves no useful purpose as far as I can see. genetics explains everything comprehensively. I don't see any need to attempt to overlay this with a misleading concept of 'race'. It's simply an outdated concept.

 

heeyy and back on topic. What works = everything , what doesnt work = everything. What stops you getting hurt = common sense.

 

Not being there in the first place

 

I'm so grateful that you've returned to us wiser.

 

amen to this

 

Great thread. You touch upon many of self-defense's most hottest topic. I'm not going to sit there and talk like I think I know the answers but merely present my opinions.

This touches about one of the facets of self-defense almost never taught to civilians: Avoidance, deterrence and de-escalation. Many self-defense experts (I recommend reading Rory Miller) talk about this at length. Basically most self-defense and martial arts schools teach (or try to) the answers of a problem they don't bother to enunciate or teach how to avoid in the first place. Where does violence happen? Why? Who is at risk? Who's more prone to violence? What does even qualify as self-defense? (hint: getting into a shouting match and subsequent bar fight isn't). What does force law say where you live? How far are you willing to go? What do you have to do demonstrate the course of action you chose does qualify as self-defense? All this stuff simply skipped, and mostly not known by the people who teach self-defense/MAs to be honest. Avoidance, deterrence and de-escalation is like the rest. It has to be learned.

I've always thought the MMA vs street debate was a bit ridiculous. Sure, MMA training doesn't deal with weapons, multiple attackers and pure self-defense concepts...but let's be real...how often is a weapon or several attackers involved? A trained professional MMA fighter is going to destroy his opponent in a street fight almost every time, even people with training in self-defense or a martial art. To show the edge of someone who trains full time in a discipline vs someone who only does as a hobby or even as part of their job, watch some BJJ between Renner Gracie and trained soldiers.

I think this is where the question of who and in what conditions those Wing Chun practitioners destroyed becomes very important. Experience in martial arts, even one that fairs poorly for pure self-defense vs others, is better than none.

Exactly.

Going to the ground on purpose is a bad idea. Obvously, if you are forced to go there, you want to know what you're doing, but going there on purpose is bad. Against multiple attackers, it's downright a death wish, but even against one attacker it's not so good. Obviously if it's just the two of you on a desert island, have at it, but in a public place, the street, a bar, the mall etc you just never know who might come behind you, whether he has friends there etc. Plenty of videos on the web where you see two guys going down and one gets kicked in the head by the other guy's buddy. And take this from someone who LOVES doing takedowns... The whole "every fight ends on the ground" forced fed by the Gracies in the 90s is simply not true. Most fights ends in knockouts and knockdowns where one of the guys is severely rocked.

Lets have a free exchange of our own expiriences and try to get to the bottom of it. Remembering that many things you learn in competition will absolutely help you in a streetfight. HOWEVER many things you cannot do in competition would be great in a streetfight.[/QUOTE]

Well, I'm gonna be a stickler here. Obviously not being where danger can be is the first line of defense. If you can't avoid it, what has worked for me is zanshin - awareness of the mine. I'm always of where I am, what time it is, what vibe I'm projecting, what and who's around me etc etc. Last time I got close to fighting, I deterred and avoided. To be honest, I did not actively attempt to de-escalate but it came as a result of the other guy being deterred by confidence and firmness. As far as what would work in an actual fight? The element of surprise. Striking first, hard and not stopping until the guy is out. I'm always baff;ed by those street fights where guys shove each other 5 times before engaging... If you feel the fight is unavoidable and you or someone with you is under threat, skip over the rooster dance and take the guy out. Also, my training material covers a wide range: strikes, throws, submissions, ground work, weapons. I would never try to circle around someone who seems to be trained in boxing, or grapple with someone who starts lunging around like a grappler. In other words, don't fight people on their terms.

 

Fully aware. The intent was that you want to employ whatever method your opponent is not proficient at if you can make that determination. Self defense is not always going to be a strike/submit/control/get away 5 second affair.

 

I didnt know grapplers go around lunging at people?