How many real fights have you been in?

Discussion in 'General Martial Arts Discussion' started by CrowZer0, Jan 1, 2016.

  1. CrowZer0

    CrowZer0 Assume formlessness.

    Ever had to apply MA to a real situation? How did it go? Was it effective?

    Has it changed how you train, did it reinforce your training more?
     
  2. Pretty In Pink

    Pretty In Pink Moved on MAP 2017 Gold Award

    Since I started training I have been in one true fight. I started it because the guy was an absolute DoucheBro. I pushed him, he turned around squared up to me, I got a head and arm throw and mounted him. Briefly considerepunching him but we were in college and I decided against it. We got split up and I didn't get kicked out because all the staff new he was a giant DoucheBro (also I didn't hit him).
     
  3. Hannibal

    Hannibal Cry HAVOC and let slip the Dogs of War!!! Supporter

    Professionally? Over 1500 confronations not all fights as such, but avoit 1/3 end up being aggressively physical and about 50 were full on fights

    It confirmed to me I was probably training properly!! I was heavily influenced by Geoff Thompson and Peter Consterdine so the "real violence" was something I had always kept in mind. It also REALLY confirms the value of grappling in your toolbox
     
    Last edited: Jan 1, 2016
  4. Travess

    Travess The Welsh MAPper Supporter

    I've effectively applied more Verbal de-escalation, as well as awareness and avoidance, in 'real situations' than having to fall back on actual physical defense.

    The very rare occasions in my 40 years, that have resulted in violence, have all ended 'favourably' for me, save 2 separate instances, in so as far as I was able to create an exit opportunity for myself and/or my friends.

    The 2 occasions that went less favourable were -

    A) I did not see the attack coming, I missed any/every opportunity to fight back, and/or flee, and although my defenses were pretty effective, following the initial blow, I was only saved by the intervention of my friends.

    B) I was the instigator of the violence, (a girl was involved) and although every effort was made by the other party, to talk the situation down, my (16 year old) self and a friend of mine laid in to them (there were 3 of them) none the less - I look back on this as a day that my Training massively failed me, or did I massively fail my Training?

    I was involved in sports Tae kwon do, during the time span of both the instances, which up until that point, had offered little to no practical self defense training, and may well have been the catalyst for the path my Training took.

    Regards

    Travess
     
  5. Moosey

    Moosey invariably, a moose Supporter

    Zero. Resulting in zero wins and zero losses.
     
  6. Travess

    Travess The Welsh MAPper Supporter

    Resulting in a lifetime Win

    Travess
     
  7. CrowZer0

    CrowZer0 Assume formlessness.

    You have me beat! The full on fights, did you win all of them? What techniques did you find most useful in those situations? Was it spacing, movement and defensive? Did you go full throttle offensive striking, grappling etc? Did you feel it was life and death, or was your mindset mainly to restrain them?

    Edit: How do you know it's 1500? Is that a rough estimation or do you keep a log?
     
    Last edited: Jan 1, 2016
  8. CrowZer0

    CrowZer0 Assume formlessness.

    On the occasions that you feel you may have failed your training or vice versa, has it made you change art and perhaps think "this isn't working for me?" Out of curiosity what do do you study now?
     
  9. philosoraptor

    philosoraptor carnivore in a top hat Supporter

    I feel really weird talking about experiences like this. Anyone else dig?
     
  10. CrowZer0

    CrowZer0 Assume formlessness.

    Do you live in the wilderness somewhere? :p You haven't seen any violence? Had any confrontations? Or do you just avoid/de-escalate?
     
  11. CrowZer0

    CrowZer0 Assume formlessness.

    Because it's personal? Or because it brings up bad memories?
     
  12. Hannibal

    Hannibal Cry HAVOC and let slip the Dogs of War!!! Supporter

    Aggression and mindset beats most things. - right hands and chokes are good base techniques for me, but I have also used a lot.of sweeps and throws. The full nelson is also a winner

    The 1500 are all documented in reports.

    Remember my level of exposure is different by necessity as much as anything else
     
  13. Hannibal

    Hannibal Cry HAVOC and let slip the Dogs of War!!! Supporter

    Nah...its just stuff that has happened. If that helps someone then why not?
     
  14. huoxingyang

    huoxingyang Valued Member

    I got into a fight at school once. The classic "meet me in the playground at lunchtime" kinda fight where as soon as you turn up all his mates and everyone else in the school gathers around in a big circle to trap you in there.
    The fight was a non-event. He'd done some karate classes so he kept trying silly lunge punches and flying kicks. I mostly kept out of the way, though I did manage to get a hold of him and fling him about a bit but I never attempted a strike.
    In the end teachers came and broke it up, the only injury having occured was to his jumper. I had martial arts experience at that time (your usual karate stuff) but when push came to flying kick, I didn't use any of it at all (or perhaps I was just really good at tai sabaki :p) and that worked out pretty well.
     
  15. Travess

    Travess The Welsh MAPper Supporter

    I was already, from a theoretical stand point (as much as such a view point was understood by me, at 16/17 years of age) feeling 'less love' towards the sport martial arts side of things. Unfortunately, this was pretty much all I believed to exist of the martial arts, and certainly all that was available in my immediate area, so rather than shift disciplines, I just up and quit.

    It wasn't until much later in life, that I realised that there was a major difference between advertising your Training as self defence, and actually providing a more realistic environment to drill and test your Training - This it turns out, was everything that I didn't even know I was looking for.

    I now study Goju Ryu Karate, at a club which prides itself on realistic training, regularly testing both the training, and the trainees, in all aspects of the (traditional) Karate side of things, as well as the practical self protection training.

    Regards

    Travess
     
  16. CrowZer0

    CrowZer0 Assume formlessness.

    Ah so they were all to do with your job. So never any personal confrontations...? Do you report if anything personal happens? Or is that something not worth documenting online?
     
  17. Travess

    Travess The Welsh MAPper Supporter

    This is something that my Instructor (a serving soldier) has highlighted many times, when discussing the bar/street fight 'success' of Squaddies. "They may not possess the hand to hand skill, nor the combat experience, but they are drilled day in and day out for aggression."

    Regards

    Travess
     
  18. philosoraptor

    philosoraptor carnivore in a top hat Supporter

    Statute of limitations isn't up. :p
     
  19. Remi Lessore

    Remi Lessore Valued Member

    Not fighting

    In several years in the police I grappled a few times with people who objected to searches in custody or handcuffs outside. I am proud of the fact that I never struck anyone - as that would be my definition of a physical confrontation that could be termed a fight. I have been struck a few times, but never hard.
    I never walked away either.
    I was not in any special squad, just foot patrols, response, schools officer and CID attachments, and a few off duty-interventions interrupting and preventing fights between members of the public.
    I do think that the general inadvisability of striking police helped me, but I also believe that speaking courteously and firmly to people is the key.

    Working as a teacher in PRUs and LSUs has been more hairy. There, I was occasionally struck, again never hard because if you keep moving and keep your hands up you can deflect or fend quite well. As they were juveniles, though some were adult size, hitting them back hard was not a professionally acceptable option. And anyway, some grappling skills allow you to smother attacks quite well, especially if the attacker is not too strong.

    The key in not fighting, (perhaps as well as fighting) is confidence in your training AND acceptance that you might have seven bells kicked out of you.
    If you accept that possibility while being utterly determined and prepared not to let it happen, I think that translates as confidence and most would-be thugs choose de-escalation as an option.
    And that is what you ALSO need to propose - a face-saving way out for them where they will choose to do as you tell them, rather than be forced to do so.
    Again, I found that much more difficult with juveniles, and more so in teaching than in the police.

    My experience of when it did get physical (maybe 15-20 times or so) is that grappling, locks, balance, etc. in training are a MUST. And not just KM. Tai Chi was also very useful, perhaps moreso.
    This is particularly true if your purpose is to avoid hurting people as much as possible.
     
  20. Mushroom

    Mushroom De-powered to come back better than before.

    Plenty of de-escalation and jumping in to stop/separate groups.

    Actual hands on, I can't quite remember. It ranges from frog-marching someone out of a premises to bundling in and ending the fight with a knee or something that stops the other person.

    I still feel like I was going to soil my pants every time though.
     

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