Children of Mars: On Fighting

As some (most?) of you know, I paid my way through university by working the door at nightclubs, hotels and some bars in Sydney.

So I'm not exaggerating when I say I've been in a lot of fights. Gun ownership is much lower here, so there was virtually no fear of that, even in the Cross.

What there were a lot of--and still are today--are knives, broken bottles and other edged weapons.

This isn't supposed to be a talk about working site security. If you're in the industry, you already know what's expected of you.

This is for the average guy or girl going about their lives and are suddenly confronted by the prospect of violence.

For most people that's really emotionally jarring. It is for about 99% of people at one time or another. Expect adrenaline surges, expect trembling, expect to feel cold and afterward, expect some lingering effects like anxiety and/or palpations or flashbacks.

You're not weak. You're a mammal.

Don't fret. They will go away after a short while. It's just your body's way of coping with the immense stress it was subjected to.

For the sake of brevity, because this can and is a topic people vastly better qualified than me devote entire books to, let's examine some scenarios and what I think are the most appropriate responses.

All of these scenarios assume that you aren't armed.

1. Outnumbered.

Run if running is an option. Unless truly angry or motivated some other way, a gang will generally give up if you're fast enough and if they think you're headed somewhere that you might gain assistance from the police or otherwise.

Forget the Jack Reacher films. Unless you're a trained, expert fighter in a striking art like boxing or Muay Thai AND you have no escape route, run away. Know where you're going and what you'll do when you get there. Shout for help as you run. Nobody will help but they might call the police.

Running not an option: take out your keys or anything that could serve as a weapon. A key driven into an eyeball is very persuasive.

Close with the combatant you're most likely to cause swift damage to and do it. No hesitation. There are no rules. Use your teeth, go for the groin, throat, whatever is available. Headbutts are great if you're in close and you have the mount position. Place your forearm over the neck, press down with bodyweight to stop his head tilting forward, and drive down repeatedly into the middle of the face. Don't stop until he goes limp.

Throat: feel down the middle of your throat to the point where it meets with the intersection of your clavicle. Can you feel a kind of indentation? If you need to, trace the same way down an opponent's throat, and push your thumb and the knuckle of your pointer finger (dominant hand) in as hard as you can. Don't release if possible.

Testicles: grab, twist, pull. If the pants he is wearing are tight, switch to repeated short sharp blows to the general region. Don't stop.

Eyeballs & ear canal: violent intrusions will cause immediate shock and a loss of aggressive impulse in most attackers. Use keys, a pen, your finger, whatever you have on you.

Striking: Unless you're a trained boxer and/or Muay Thai practitioner, I recommend you not attempt to use your fists. Most people will incorrectly locate their fingers and wind up breaking a hand. Use a heel of palm strike up under the chin, at the base of the nose (NO, you won't kill them) to the side of the jaw or behind the ear.

Whatever you do, make it count. If you hurt the guy bad enough, his friends might settle for giving you a quick kicking before running off with him.

If you wind up on your back, get the closest guy in your guard, wrap him up like a python and allow him to take 50% of his pals' blows for you.

2. Edged weapons: ignore the instructional videos. There's no reliable knife defense. Run if you can, shout for help, use the terrain and any obstacles you come across to your advantage.

Running not an option: you're probably screwed but if there's no other option use anything to hand to distract him, throw it at his face and immediately close to try to grasp the knife hand. Use your body as a block to orevent him switching hands. If you're not pressed up tight against him you're doing it wrong. Use your knuckles on the back of his hand, grab and pull and twist a vulnerable digit, strike the upper part of his wrist just behind the thumb with anything you can. Biting is fine just try to be sure the weapon arm is completely wedged in first.

Once the weapon is out of his grasp toss it as far as you can. Don't use it on him unless he has another or something else. You can only use provable reasonable force.

Run if possible.

3. One opponent.

Do you have to fight? That's the most important question. Is this about pride or survival? If you can get away, do so. You have no idea how well trained he is or what weapon(s) he has. Unless it's wartime, you don't need to fight.

I need to fight: Unless you're a boxer don't try to box. Run in high, go low to one side (avoiding any kicks) and grab him under the hips. Lift and pivot. Drop him to the ground as hard as you can. If he's not unconscious and still a threat, drop to side control or mount and administer heel of palm strikes or elbow strikes. Don't headbutt. It looks bad. Makes you look like the aggressor.

Stop once they're unresponsive.

Don't give quarter. People these days have no honor. They'll tap or pretend to quit then sucker-pubch you. Once the fight has started, it's to the finish.

Dealing with the police after: "I was in immediate fear for my life." Please memorize that saying. You need to justify your actions. If you can't establish that the force you used was reasonable, they'll charge you.

I recommend everyone train in either a striking or a grappling art. Both, if you have the time and energy. At least 2-3 times per week.

Practice in sparring helps with fights enormously. You'll start to think rather than merely react.

Never feel guilty after. No matter what. You didn't want the fight. They did.