The average street fight lasts from seven to ten seconds. If it goes to the ground, about one-minute. A street fight is any physical confrontation between two people. It could be a bar fight, a parking lot fight, you name it, any fight where two people simply duke it out. Fighting should be a last resort however, every day, globally, it occurs thousands of times. And the vast majority of them turn out to be benign. That is to say, no one gets badly hurt because most people do not know how to fight well. Kind of like two deer fighting during mating season. They butt antlers and throw their weight around causing no real damage. But . . .
There are vicious people in the world. People who train daily how to fight or who have been raised fighting, perhaps in bad neighborhoods who can break our noses in a heartbeat or cause us grave bodily injury. So, we cannot depend on not getting hurt if we get into a fight.
There are many ways to learn to fight. Many different disciplines to learn or utilize. And there are also different ways to learn to defend ourselves. Defending yourself is a bit different than learning to fight. Yes, they’re the same but not really. Remember the 7 to 10 second stat we talked about? Or the minute one? Well, that’s what defending yourself is about. Learning to fight can be leaning to fight in a cage, on a mat or in a ring. It usually entails rules and in many instances lasts for much longer than the average street fight. Can learning to “fight” be used for defending ourselves? Yes, UNQUESTIONABLY. But it is not necessary.
If you are an average man or woman who wants to be able to defend yourself from the majority of thugs on the street find a teacher or trainer who will get you there. One who will teach you simple to the point techniques to fight off and thump your street opponent. Stay away from fancy moves. Stay away from too many moves. Stay away from too much reliance on tossing people around like a feather using their body weight that some teachers tout.
And learn to keep from being taken to the ground. There are actually just a few to the point ways to do this and you must learn them. And learn to grapple. Learn simple basics. This may be the most difficult because great grapplers practice a lot and that’s how we get good at that but truthfully, that’s how you get good at stand-up fighting too, by practicing a lot. Learn the basic and the simplest of ground moves that will work against street brutes. And once you learn techniques; grappling and stand-up, practice them often.
Most accomplished fighters or MMA practitioners are not bullies and are not abusers. I have been around fighters all my life and the ones who know how to fight and can really “throw-down” are not bullies or street abusers. They don’t pick on people and they don’t start fights. They are not the ones good people have to worry about in the street.
The fact of the matter is that street fighting is ugly. It’s tough. It’s bloody. It is not antiseptic like on TV where no one really gets hurt. Noses break and other serious damage as well as brain damage can occur. It is brutal. And what works, what wins, is in your face, lightning fast, simple and to the point moves. So, if you’re interested in prevailing in street fights, follow the old adage that you may have heard in school or in other areas of training: Keep it simple stupid.
Steve's a three-time survivor of violence in his youth, a former police supervisor and a graduate of The Police Executive Leadership College (PELC) and was also an award winning part-time college Criminal Justice instructor.
For several years, Steve did written and radio political and current event commentary and was the former host of the long running 'The Kovacs Perspective' Internet radio and TV talk show.
Steve presently owns a small businesses in Ohio--The Mayfield Academy of Self-Defense.
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