What do you prefer most when it comes to avoiding an attack?

For sparring I like to abuse footwork and distance while I wait for a mistake. I also try to gauge range by throwing some kicks that are akin to a jab that somebody will throw to gauge their range.

For SD, as a shorter person, 5'5 (I've grown from 5'4! ) I like to close the distance. Or hit them in the baby maker and run.

 

I thought you said a long time ago that you couldn't always count on that?

 

Those are real goolies....virtual ones work everytime

 

Teeps. Head movement and simultaneous overhands, to the clinch if I feel like I need to. Trips and throws. Grounded striking from knee-on-belly. Leglocks. In that order.
It would have to get pretty hairy to bring up the leglocks.

And of course this is in that middle area between simple restraint and deadly force.

 

whether in the ring, on the street, on the mat or in the gym, on a plane or bus, or in an elevator, my answer will always be the same, "use what works" and if you are already in the process or motion of being attacked, i think a few of our martial art predecessors said it best, one particular said "in motion, water, in stillness, a mirror, respond like an echo" or something to that effect, and i still believe that is probably the best answer i've ever heard from anyone in regards to combat

 

So what works then?

Without an adequate or tested physical system to back it up it is meaningless and empty rhetoric

Q: How do I become a millionaire quickly?
A: Win the Lottery
Q: How do I do that?
A: Pick the winning numbers?
Q: What will they be
A: The ones that are picked

It's typical pseudo mystic crapola

 

valid point,

and ironically, as disappointing as it may seem, that is a question that nobody can answer for you, everyone has to take that path by themselves, it is the journey of becoming and flowering as a martial artist, since what works for you might not work for me, and what works for me might not work for you - it is like the problem archeologists, historians, anthropologists and nuclear physicists have in the scientific field - the evidence is lacking, therefore nobody knows the whole truth, and that is why theories are created and tested continuously, both in their scientific fields and in ours

 

Punching someone square in the jaw works, as does choking them out

"There is nothing complicated in this art; punch when you have to punch, kick when you have to kick"

I know what works through empirical evidence which is what i pass onto my students, and in some cases my Sifu

 

I thought this was a fun video on head movement, now understand that all fights are situational and this is simply an example of head movement. If you dont want to listen to the talking and intro skip to 1 minute 40

Watch "How To Win A Street Fight WIth Head Movement, Learn Simple (But Awesome) Street Fighting Techniques" on YouTube
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSX0PCQXiO4&feature=youtube_gdata_player"]How To Win A Street Fight WIth Head Movement, Learn Simple (But Awesome) Street Fighting Techniques - YouTube[/ame]

 

that might work

or it might not, i say again, because maybe you have stronger hands than some people, maybe you dont, or maybe you have weak knuckles, maybe it would be better to palm strike, or what if your hand is already broken? break it again, why not, it's a fight right? or maybe there really is a better way, something more logical at that moment which you can use, like a baseball bat, or an armlock, maybe the guy you are fighting has a jaw of steel, so what right? just hit that button below his ear and he should fall, right? but what if it doesn't? and what if he's too tall and you can't reach? what if his reach is longer than yours? would it be better to kick him in the kneecap? maybe you're not trying to injure anyone, you just want to wear him down and make him tired, then what? there are wayyyyyy too many variables for anyone to determine what will work best at any given moment

 

Not had many fights have you? I have had plenty and there about 6 techniques I use on a regular basis

There are never any guarantees, but there are high probabilities and high percentages - that is what we should default to first.

To take a specific you mention, a palm heel is reinventing the fist, and the delivery system remains identical

 

your question is rhetorical: "not had many fights have you?" no matter what answer i give you, it still sounds the same, but what is your definition of skill? do you judge someone based on how many fights they've been in? or how many they've avoided? in short, i'm too fricken experienced to be bothered with such trivial questions

the point i was trying to get at is the one you just said about guarantees - since nothing is ever guaranteed, especially in martial arts - regardless of high probabilities and percentages, and all we can do is keep training, keep learning, keep moving forward and progressing, developing, strengthening, loosening, and gaining little by little one step at a time - the very process which gives us those percentages

one's mental state during combat is just as important, if not moreso than his chosen technique, since your mental state will eventually over-ride whatever training you previously had with whatever you feel is appropriate for any particular situation under attack, i've seen guys with many years of martial experience end up losing a fight due to pure dumb luck, so what really matters i think is one's mental state and how he approaches the situation in his soul

 

In the vast majority - and I am talking high 90% here - of my conflicts avoidance was not an option

You have just undermined your entire point be saying "we train to find out what works" - that's exactly right'; we train it (in my case regularly apply it) and then we pass that advice on, WHICH WAS THE POINT OF THE THREAD IN THE FIRST PLACE AND THE ADVICE CONTAINED HEREIN

"What works" can be answered relatively simply if one has the training and experience

 

. Good questions, and so I will give you my own personal opinion on this topic. Somewhere along the way in my martial arts journey I found out that it was very very important to be able to quickly size up my opponent because my self defense technique would largely depend on him, or how many of them there are.
In the ring however with a man of equal size my thinking on and preference of technique is this, keep it simple. Foot work is perhaps the greatest factor in determining range so if he's really active on his toes i likely would try to use that to exploit that with a jab cross combo while side stepping or bobbing and weaving, if he proves a good counter fighter I might continue this approach if I feel my punch or kick is hurting him more than his is hurting me.
I suppose clinching is an option, at least it is for me with an opponent of equal size, this is tricky though and I'm usually careful not to become to focused on getting ahold of him, I usually prefer to stay mindful of blocking and landing strikes even if I really wanna grab him.
That's my two cents I guess, maybe it was helpful I hope it was, so to put it shortly I like basic technique and I try to control the contact point by getting real busy as soon as either of us comes into range.

 

In self defense, I prefer avoiding situations that might involve confrontation. As well as being aware of my environment. Wherever I am, I always try to be subconsciously aware of any dangers or threats that may be around me. If a confrontation does arise, most of the time I tend to play the submissive role, if the situation gets out of hand I either walk or run away depending on how threatened I feel. Fortunately, its only ever gotten to that point for me (and rarely does that happen).

In psychical self defense, I would opt for the groin and face. I tend to be a counter striker, which in self defense may not be the best thing, ideally you want to be able to stop an attack before it makes contact with you or avoid it. Full contact sparring has been the closest thing I've gotten to psychical self defense. But make no mistake, sparring and self defense, although they share similar features (defending and responding to an attack) they are two different animals. The last thing you want to do is spar with someone when your life is potentially on the line; the longer the fight, the more at risk you are of getting seriously hurt or even killed.

I come from a Boxing and Muay Thai background, but I also have experience in ITF Taekwon-do and Goju Ryu Karate. In sparring I tend to favor my fists, a strong stance and a solid guard (Kia Kaha - stand strong - as my Maori ancestors would say). Simplicity is what I opt for as it requires less energy, less thinking about, and its more likely to be instinctual and consistent. I also like to catch kicks and execute throws. I'm still yet to have any grappling experience (its on the bucket list).

 

So, as one who practices MT... or to anyone else who does it. How effective is it in an SD situation? The kicks of course are powerful after thousands of times and the elbows and knees work for in close fighting I would imagine... but what's everyone elses opinion on MT as a whole?

 

No disrespect intended but from my experience all this talk about sizing up your opponent before deciding how to fight isn't realistic in IMHO. I may vary my training but when it comes down to the nitty gritty I always react in the same way, probably using the 6-7 techniques that work well for me. I dont see anything wrong with pre-emptive striking it's extremely effective if justified. Hit hard and hit fast to the jaw. Grab, jam, pull and twist off balance. Choke, gouge, use the head, if you can bite do that too. Real fighting isn't pretty.

 

I'd like to try a nice, hard, Wing Chun kick to the hip, as the attacker is entering.

 

I'd ditch that. The other person is likely to be well inside that range before you even know you're in a situation. Unless you've got a wall right behind you, you'll probably end up on the floor from bouncing off.

 

It's really surprising that you'd say that.

The guy I'm talking about is at the perfect range.

I'd give it a shot, just for giggles.