The reality of real fights

Everyone is a critic when it comes to the Internet and the content that gets posted. My videos receive mostly great feedback, but there's also the contingency that reminds me that the technique I demonstrated could be easily countered with a spinning back kick, or a hook to the body. Perhaps a well timed wedgie could render my strike useless, in a vacuum.

But the reality is that each fighting situation is different, and those golden opportunities to use that ca-ca-ca-combo breaker technique rarely presents itself. Fights are usually spontaneous, involve more than 2 people, and sometimes introduce improvised weapons. The video below came from MyMuayThai's blog this morning, and it reminded me that training for a fight in the ring does not prepare the fighter for what could happen outside the squared circle.

Here's a few tips to survive a situation like the one you're about to watch:

1. Look for an exit, if possible make your way towards it.

2. Do not stay in the same spot long - be dynamic, moving about in a zig-zagging, unpredictable manner, constantly changing directions.

3. Try to remain on the perimeter of the room/area. If you're in the middle of the room, get to the perimeter.

4. If you have to engage somebody in a brawl, think about incapacitation, punching to the head will not stop an adrenalized attacker.

5. Watch for flying objects, this video provides a textbook example of how it works.

This brawl escalates pretty damn fast, and the 4 minutes fly by.

Bareknuckle Boxing for Beginners

Here are some basic considerations when learning to strike bare fisted for the first time.

You must wrap your head around the fact that punching bareknuckle is different then gloved.

Also the impact is different on the body.

Next the making of a fist is very important along with the correct angle to strike from.

You also must understand that modern boxing comes from pugilism or bareknuckle boxing and is different in its techniques and tactics.

The angle of the fist and the knuckles you hit with will be more important when punching bare fisted.

A “fist” is not just your hand only, but also wrist and forearm.

You will need to use a softer heavybag of 40 to 50 pounds, made of leather with 2 inch of padding and stuffed soft, hard bags are made for gloved punching.

If you can’t get one make a bag out of two canvas dufflebags stuff one into the other and then filled with rags and sawdust.

You want your bag to feel like a body, and sink in a little when you punch it, just like a real opponent.

You can also use a soft leather medicine ball to strike at if you don’t have a heavybag, but you will need a partner to hold it for you as you strike.

These are just a few basic things you will need to do if you will be training to punch bareknuckle.

Remember it’s more than just taking off your gloves and hitting a bag or a person.

Do it wrong and you can injure your hand badly, but do it right and you can be a force to be reckoned with.

Take care and above all train smart.

Daniel Sambrano