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.