Basic fighting skills

[Cornfed]

If you were designing a course in basic fighting skills, what sort of things would you include? I'm informally tutoring a couple of teens, teaching them the basics of judo and boxing and some self-defence tactics for more serious situations. I wonder if boys are still normally taught this stuff in mainstream Western society. It seems like a basic course might be valuable for people in general.

[Pixel--Dude]

If you were designing a course in basic fighting skills, what sort of things would you include? I'm informally tutoring a couple of teens, teaching them the basics of judo and boxing and some self-defence tactics for more serious situations. I wonder if boys are still normally taught this stuff in mainstream Western society. It seems like a basic course might be valuable for people in general.

For self defence you could teach some Thai boxing so that they have a strong base and incorporate kicks into their training. Also some basic take downs and take down defence will be good knowledge to have in a street fight scenario so they know how to deal with different situations.

[Lucas88]

If you were designing a course in basic fighting skills, what sort of things would you include? I'm informally tutoring a couple of teens, teaching them the basics of judo and boxing and some self-defence tactics for more serious situations. I wonder if boys are still normally taught this stuff in mainstream Western society. It seems like a basic course might be valuable for people in general.

I would include some basic boxing (strikes, blocks, parries, etc.), Muay Thai-style clinch and knees and how to defend against them, how to check leg kicks, some basic wrestling (single leg, double leg, etc.), and some basic pinning/restraining techniques such as knee-on-belly and mount.

The reason for the basic boxing and clinchwork is self-explanatory. The checks against leg kicks is for in case our students come across somebody who knows how to kick (this is important because a leg kick could blow the knee out if not checked). The wrestling techniques are for in case our students come across a superior boxer and need to shoot a blast double. The pinning/restraining techniques are for the purpose of controlling and neutralizing a violent troublemaker.

Do you have a written-out syllabus for your fighting/self-defense training, Cornfed? It sounds interesting.

[Cornfed]

Do you have a written-out syllabus for your fighting/self-defense training, Cornfed? It sounds interesting.

No, but maybe I will write one after I've taught a few lessons.

[Cornfed]

I would include some basic boxing (strikes, blocks, parries, etc.), Muay Thai-style clinch and knees and how to defend against them, how to check leg kicks, some basic wrestling (single leg, double leg, etc.), and some basic pinning/restraining techniques such as knee-on-belly and mount.

Eh, we don't do blocks or parries in the boxing I learned. I think I will have some version on most of the rest of that covered. I'm obviously limited to what I know. The issue of restraints is interesting. I guess that is worth a lesson or two.

[Lucas88]

I would include some basic boxing (strikes, blocks, parries, etc.), Muay Thai-style clinch and knees and how to defend against them, how to check leg kicks, some basic wrestling (single leg, double leg, etc.), and some basic pinning/restraining techniques such as knee-on-belly and mount.

Eh, we don't do blocks or parries in the boxing I learned. I think I will have some version on most of the rest of that covered. I'm obviously limited to what I know. The issue of restraints is interesting. I guess that is worth a lesson or two.

I meant things like covering with the elbow against a cross and subtly parrying an opponent's jab. Not the kind of exaggerated uke techniques of Karate and other TMAs. Obviously head movement and boxing footwork are paramount too. But I admit that boxing isn't my forte at all. I've just done some basic Muay Thai and generic MMA striking.

As for restraints, I think that the knee-on-belly technique from Jiujitsu is ideal because you can easily strike a downed opponent or threaten to strike them and also very quickly get back to your feet should you need to:




Mount position for controlling an opponent with restraint in mind:




Defense against mount (don't forget escapes):




What methods do you use to teach striking techniques, Cornfed? At my old MMA gym we used to do Dutch drilling. I think that it's a really good method to develop muscle memory for combinations and reactions against attacks and to teach techniques in the context of their real-life application:




Hey, if you make your own syllabus, would you mind sharing it with us in this thread? Pixel--Dude and I are thinking about starting our own fighting/self-defense sessions with a few other guys soon. To tell you the truth, I'm not sure how to go about teaching pure fighting/self-defense and will have to improvise. My experience is limited to teaching no-gi grappling and basic MMA.

[Huddo]

I’d just start with some basic boxing skills and then go from there. When I was 17 I did a tafe course, full time for a year to become a motor mechanic. There was a boxing gym in the facility run by an ex Olympic weight lifting coach, who also was an amateur boxer in his youth. We spent an hour a day in the gym. I’ve never needed to use the skills gained, but it was a great experience.

[Shemp]

Humans rule the world because of weapons and team work. Likewise, any group of humans, no matter how physically weak and unskilled, can easily defeat the best human fighter in the world of they are armed and work as a team. A little child can shoot a gun (assuming they are prepared for the recoil). A group midgets with sticks can easily defeat a giant by attacking from all sides.

The most important part of self defense is mental preparation. Avoid danger and fights. Have a weapon if you must fight. Be prepared to flee the scene if the weapon kills or injures your opponent. Always wear footwear that allows running, and insist women with you do the same when outdoors (they can change into nice shoes indoors).

As for fighting, serious fighting is almost always with weapons (possibly improvised like sticks, bottles, screwdrivers, etc) and always designed to kill (get rid of the witness) or maim (put the witness down so you can flee). Practicing serious fighting is very tricky.

Meditations on violence by Rory Miller is good.

For actual hand to hand fighting, keep it super simple. Keep your chin down, protect throat, solar plexus, eyes, liver. Channel your inner animal instincts and use explosive speed. Extend fingers, use swimming motions to claw at or flat hand poke opponents face. Hopefully one of your fingers will catch eyes or nose. Flee as soon as possible. Screwdrivers, pens and other improvised stabbing weapons are very good magnifiers or force.

Sticks, including sturdy umbrellas, also excellent weapons and allow you to keep distance. Poke hard at the opponents face, then flee if you connect. I never feel unsafe around wild boar and bear, which I encounter, frequently here in the mountains of Bulgaria, if I have a stick. Stick is less helpful against dog, because they attack in packs from all sides. This brings us back to my original point: most real fights are by packs of criminals against lone victims. You can't win such fights without a gun. You need to avoid the situation before it arises, or outrun the criminals.

[Cornfed]

For actual hand to hand fighting, keep it super simple. Keep your chin down, protect throat, solar plexus, eyes, liver. Channel your inner animal instincts and use explosive speed. Extend fingers, use swimming motions to claw at or flat hand poke opponents face. Hopefully one of your fingers will catch eyes or nose. Flee as soon as possible. Screwdrivers, pens and other improvised stabbing weapons are very good magnifiers or force.

Ye-es well it might be good to have the skills to have a slightly broader range of options. If I was interviewing someone for a job in the security industry and they gave that as an answer to a question about how they handled violent situations, I might not think they would make the best fit.

[galii]

For actual hand to hand fighting, keep it super simple. Keep your chin down, protect throat, solar plexus, eyes, liver. Channel your inner animal instincts and use explosive speed. Extend fingers, use swimming motions to claw at or flat hand poke opponents face. Hopefully one of your fingers will catch eyes or nose. Flee as soon as possible. Screwdrivers, pens and other improvised stabbing weapons are very good magnifiers or force.

Ye-es well it might be good to have the skills to have a slightly broader range of options. If I was interviewing someone for a job in the security industry and they gave that as an answer to a question about how they handled violent situations, I might not think they would make the best fit.

I never did real martial arts but I do some shadow training regularly. Lately I integrated some wrestling drills that you can do at home.

[Lucas88]

For actual hand to hand fighting, keep it super simple. Keep your chin down, protect throat, solar plexus, eyes, liver. Channel your inner animal instincts and use explosive speed. Extend fingers, use swimming motions to claw at or flat hand poke opponents face. Hopefully one of your fingers will catch eyes or nose. Flee as soon as possible. Screwdrivers, pens and other improvised stabbing weapons are very good magnifiers or force.

Sticks, including sturdy umbrellas, also excellent weapons and allow you to keep distance. Poke hard at the opponents face, then flee if you connect. I never feel unsafe around wild boar and bear, which I encounter, frequently here in the mountains of Bulgaria, if I have a stick. Stick is less helpful against dog, because they attack in packs from all sides. This brings us back to my original point: most real fights are by packs of criminals against lone victims. You can't win such fights without a gun. You need to avoid the situation before it arises, or outrun the criminals.

A much better approach would be to invest time in learning some actual combat skills. Learn how to box with correct mechanics, how to clinch and control an opponent in close-quarter combat, and how to defend oneself intelligently against common attacks. Also some kind of live sparring or combat simulation should be included in one's training in order to prepare the student both physically and psychologically for real violence (most untrained people become paralyzed by panic due to a lack of psychological conditioning). Violence is a part of life. Every man should prepare himself so that he can adequately handle a violent situation. I think that Cornfed has the right idea.

[Cornfed]

For actual hand to hand fighting, keep it super simple. Keep your chin down, protect throat, solar plexus, eyes, liver. Channel your inner animal instincts and use explosive speed. Extend fingers, use swimming motions to claw at or flat hand poke opponents face. Hopefully one of your fingers will catch eyes or nose. Flee as soon as possible. Screwdrivers, pens and other improvised stabbing weapons are very good magnifiers or force.

Sticks, including sturdy umbrellas, also excellent weapons and allow you to keep distance. Poke hard at the opponents face, then flee if you connect. I never feel unsafe around wild boar and bear, which I encounter, frequently here in the mountains of Bulgaria, if I have a stick. Stick is less helpful against dog, because they attack in packs from all sides. This brings us back to my original point: most real fights are by packs of criminals against lone victims. You can't win such fights without a gun. You need to avoid the situation before it arises, or outrun the criminals.

A much better approach would be to invest time in learning some actual combat skills. Learn how to box with correct mechanics, how to clinch and control an opponent in close-quarter combat, and how to defend oneself intelligently against common attacks. Also some kind of live sparring or combat simulation should be included in one's training in order to prepare the student both physically and psychologically for real violence (most untrained people become paralyzed by panic due to a lack of psychological conditioning). Violence is a part of life. Every man should prepare himself so that he can adequately handle a violent situation. I think that Cornfed has the right idea.

I take Shemp's point that what you can do with your body isn't much against modern weapons or multiple opponents, but the reality is that there are many situations in everyday life where a little fighting skill can come in handy.

[Lucas88]

I take Shemp's point that what you can do with your body isn't much against modern weapons or multiple opponents, but the reality is that there are many situations in everyday life where a little fighting skill can come in handy.

Yep, multiple opponents and weapons are always tricky situations, but even in those cases having some realistic combat training is still better than having nothing at all since it might give you a slightly better chance of fighting off those multiple opponents or a guy with a knife and getting away relatively unscathed. And yes, there are many situations where a little fighting skill can come in handy. Combat training is a good investment.

Another aspect is the psychological one. If a guy learns combat and feels confident about his ability to defend himself then he will usually project an image of confidence too. Fewer people will want to get physical with him since he looks like he can handle himself. Bullies usually only escalate things when they sense fear and weakness.

[CaptainSkelebob]

Multiple opponents are easy if youve had plenty of boxing training
I remember once some guys picked a fight with me outside the pub and I just went boooooooshka!!!! and knocked them out.
So focus on boxing and you should be alright. Most ppl will not beat you with advanced boxing technique the rest of it is all overkill

[E Irizarry R&B Singer]

Legs should only be used as last option to retreat and/or to choke out your opponent once he/she's subdued. The hands/fists are your cavalries.