Biting is often overlooked, but some practicers, such as Jamie O'Keefe, are great advocators of using your teeth. So is it wise to use one of natures most feared weapons or are the risks too great? If you were to bite, is there a technique or is it just clamp down and hope for the best? What situations would you use a bite if at all?
I would bite a guys nose or cheeks if he was close enough. But to see the best technique of bite fighting rent "Ichi the Killer" or read the comic.
Biting is a god way to get out of holds or locks. Anything that helps get yourself out a bad situation is worth using.
Biting, gouging, ripping etc are all techniques that a lot of people say that cannot / would not use to defend themselves. But i think most people would resort to using these simple tactics given the right situation. There is a filipino art - Kino Mutai that concentrates on biting. gouging etc. Paul Vunak has a video out on this subject and he also talks abouit in His Book, Anatomy of a Street Fight. Quite an interesting subject, one training methods they use to develop their biting is to chew on chunks of beef.
Both of my JKD instructors are qualifed under paul vunak and teach the kino mutai material to us. It is very useful however the main warning we are given is that if you use it you must be 100% commited, if you bite half hearted the chance is you will get bitten back as you have laid your cards on the table. The idea behind it is that it is prolonged continuous biting so they can't get away and beats them emotionally. Also from a legal / health perspective it is obviously something only to use in a very serious situation
bitings great if you dont mind catching something. and you better make sure you win the fight because otherwise you are going to have one SERIOUSLY ****ed off person, instead of someone who was just trying to grab your wallet and run.
Biting is a valuable and legitimate tool used in the right context i.e. ...in a VERY serious encounter ...backed up with a very functional delivery system. In other words, like many so called "dirty tricks" if you can't fight WITHOUT them chances are you can't fight WITH them.
There is a right way to bite and a wrong way, Grapplers in Brazil are aware that given lack of ground fighting skills most will result to biting so they also have counters to those that don't know how to bite AND BREAK YOUR JAW OR CRUSH IN YOUR TEETH.. FMA systems that teach biting also teach certain targets are also better than others. Once knowledgheable in these things it becomes a solid part of your arsenal of fighting becasue you are not fishing to use it, if you know what your doing you will know how to use it properly AND KNOW IT'S STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES.
in a leglock on the ground, and if i cannot break free, i will bite the other man in the thigh. in a sleeper hold from behind i will bite the forearm or wrist area, many people get paranoid when their wrists begin to bleed.
Not directly. But the stuff I do shares many similar traits - and Matt's stuff has definately had an effect on the evolution of what I do.
Great points Yoda. In regards to the issue of blood bourn pathogens and diseases, I think Yoda's second point addresses that. If I've got to choose between biting someone to get out of a situation or possibly not making it home, I'm going to choose biting. I'd much rather take the risk of contracting a blood disease that could be cured (or controlled) than the alternative. And as usual, Yoda's second point is equally important. We do engage in self defense training that includes biting. - Matt
Oh how I hate to quote Bruce Lee but..... "Biting...is efficient in close quarters. Don't make a plan of biting...that is a very good way to lose your teeth."
Enter The Dragon > The deleted scene.... "Don't concentrate on the finger, or you will..." <<GNASH!>> "Aaarg aaargh he bit me!!!!"
If you take the time to study the art of biting you will learn proper ways to bite so as not to loose your teeth, there are ways to alsio not break the skin (think clothing) biting can be a good add on to your arsenal , If you study it you will find ways to avoid the pitfalls or at least learn the risks and how to avoid or work within it's limitations...why are certain thinks called dirty or tricks rather than a different tactic ? Do what you have to do to survive if you don't want to hurt the other person , don't fight. Obviously biting is one of the fail safes and may not be the primary choice but an effective one and it has it's proper place.
kickchick thats not fair!! I was just about to quote bruce on that exact line!! But that is another key point. Biting can be very effective but among the risk is your ability to chew solid food ever again.
Have to say that I have used a bite in a fight, once. However I was in the unfortunate situation of being pined by one guy and having another punching me. The bite itself was one of the few methods still available to me, and did have the desired effect of allowing me to escape the pine. However the police didn't take well to such an action and the only thing that saved me was that there were two of them. Like always, you have to be able to justify "reassemble force", and police are generally biased against the idea of a bite being reassemble, so be carful.
