10 Things you need to know win any fight #10
If you are taking Martial Arts or thinking about taking a Martial Arts class one of the reasons you probably are taking the class is “to learn how to win a fight”. I have been teaching and training in Martial Arts for 46 years and I have found that there are 10 basic ways to “win a fight”. During the next few days I will be discussing each in detail. Here’s the list and let’s begin the discussion.
Block the initial attack and make your response overwhelming
Don’t fight their fight. Fight to win.
Take them down and pound them
Don’t get sucker punched, always be ready for a fight
Relax and breath
Stay low in your stance and with your kicks
Use a weapon if you have one
Be aware of where you are at all times during the fight
Do everything with Bad Intentions
Don’t believe them when they “give up”, unless they are hurt
Let’s look at #10: Don’t believe them when they “give up”, unless they are hurt.
When I was in junior high school I learned the hard way that the actual fight is not over until the other guy is “hurt” and not just saying “I give up”. I was in a school fight with a kid that I was beating up pretty easily and had him on the ground when he said “I give up” and I foolishly let him go, turned my back and started walking away. Well he immediately sucker punched me from behind in the neck knocking me down, and I was in a longer harder fight that I should never have allowed to happen. I won, but had to win the fight 2 times and was in a fight that I wound up getting unnecessarily hurt in because I believed him when he said “I give up”.
I am sure when you were young you have had this happen to you, and this may sound silly to you if you are an adult, but let me assure you it happens to adults in fights all the time and in fact in some of the biggest fights in the World and even on National TV. When Royce Gracie was fighting in the one of first UFC fight he was fighting a huge guy, I think it was Kimo and was beating him very easily. He had him in his guard and was applying a kimuro when Kimo tapped on Royce as if to give up, the referee didn’t see it to stop the fight, but Royce felt it and let him go. That was a mistake he would regret. Kimo proceeded to start pounding Royce and hurt him pretty badly because Royce had thought the fight was over and had quit protecting himself. Thankfully he recovered and put Kimo into another submission hold and this time when Kimo started tapping out, he didn’t stop the hold and kept applying pressure until he broke Kimo’s arm. Royce remembered this lesson in all his subsequent fights and would never let go of a submission hold until the referee literally pulled him off. He learned the hard way that you don’t quit beating your opponent until you are certain he is hurt and can not continue the fight. You don’t let go because you feel him tapping, you let go because the referee pulls you off.
When you are in a street fight you are in a situation that could get you permanently hurt or even killed and you must not treat that situation lightly. You are defending your very life and that means a street fight is not the time to be Mr. Nice and let the guy go before he is hurt, only to be jumped on from behind when you turn your back. You must finish the fight in such a way that you are certain the other guy will not continue to fight back when you stop your attack.
I am not saying you should permanently injure the attacker or kill him, or do significant physical harm to him that will last for months or even years. I am saying that if someone attacks you in the street, they will not get off with a take down and a slap to the face. They should be incapable of continuing the fight when them let them go. I will gladly give them the option of saying “I quit”, but I will also make sure that the reason they are quitting is that something has happened to them that would not allow them to continue the fight with any efficiency or power. If that means breaking their arm, nose, knocking out some teeth or knocking them unconscious, then that is what must be done. You do what you have to do to win the street fight. You are not there to make friends. You are there because you have been forced to defend your life from a violent attacker who intends to do you significant harm.
There certainly will be times when you don’t have to break someone’s arm to end the fight or knock them out. You can win a fight by simply beating the other man to such an extent that they no longer want to continue the fight, and have completely lost their desire and will to continue to fight back or attack anymore. This is fine and if you can do it, then please do however, do not stop your counter attacks and defense of your life in a real street fight unless you are certain the attacker is not going to continue the fight when you stop your counter attack
One more point, if you know the person you are fighting and if you beat them up and they get mad and then plot a strategy to attack you again to get even with you. You may find yourself in the position of getting injured or killed by someone with a vendetta that is hide determined to get even, and not play fair the next time. So I suggest that if you know the person and feel that they might have some plot to get revenge that in the first fight you beat them in such a manner that they realize that if they do try to fight you again, they will be permanently hurt and you won’t stop until you have done lasting damage to their body. Make it perfectly clear in the first fight that if there is another, they won’t be able to walk away.
To summarize, it’s not nice to be in a street fight, and it is not a situation where you should be more concerned about the health and safety of your attacker than your own health and safety. If someone attacks you, you have the right to defend yourself and to use enough force to assure that the attack will not continue. That does not mean you stop your self defense when the other person says “I give up”, when there is no good reason for him giving up. You are in the street fight to win not to make friends.
For more info: Grandmaster Ted Gambordella is the author of 42 books and 24 DVD’s. For more info see his website www.blackbeltinabox.com