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Hitting Between The Eyes – By Jim West

A Volatile Mixture

In 1989, while stationed in Ft. Gulick Panama prior to the Panama Invasion “Operation Just cause”, I had several bar room brawls, mainly in the NCO Club. We had many visiting troops from the US crowding our space on Ft. Gulick. It is a small base and we had 100’s maybe 1,000’s of visiting soldier bivouacking in our home. This caused some overcrowding and the visiting troops were there for war.

They didn’t live there and were encroaching on our territory. When you put Green Berets, garrison troopers and infantry guy’s crammed into a small place, the testosterone gets a little high and nerves sometimes get on edge. I know mine did.

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True Story

I was working out and doing fight training every day at the Ft. Gulick gym and our visitors were bogarting the heavy bags, ring, weights etc. and frankly pissing me off and making me very anxious.

Between that and crowding the SF guys out of our drinking hole and acting like they owned everything, I figured it was only a matter of time before tensions lead to conflict and not with the Panamanians.fight training with my students in the

It started at the gym when I was doing some boxing ring, when a few hard looking visiting soldiers came by watched for a bit and then tried to intimidate me by telling us to give them the ring so they could work out.

They basically tried bullying us out of our own house. In short, I invited one of them into the ring and promptly knocked him out. This is what led to the real fight later that evening over beer and shots in the NCO Club.

It was about 7 p.m. when I arrived to the club and I preceded to the bar where I was standing and drinking my beer. About an hour and a half later, the same asshole bullies from the gym showed up.

Bar Room Brawl

I noticed them long before they noticed me. Eventually the guy I knocked out recognized me and told his friends. Next thing I noticed was they were beginning to crowd the bar to both my left and to my right.

The guy to my right about 25 years old, 6″1″ 230 muscular started giving me a ration of shit. He started by saying things to me like, “So, you’re the fighter”, “You’re the bad-ass,” and on and on.

Needless to say I was getting aggravated and realized it was just a matter of time before a fight went down. There were 5 of them. I started to size them up- size, age, left handed or right handed, which of them was going to be the biggest threat, etc.

It just so happen it was the 6’1″ guy to my right. He was kind of the leader, the big dawg! He was not the one I had knocked out earlier; I guess he felt strength in numbers, when they found me drinking alone.

At the time I was wearing my Special Forces Ring… The guy to my right told me “when you leave here tonight we are going to kick your ass”. In the true TRS and Fightfast tradition, I formulated my plan and was ready to get it on. I don’t know about you, but I do not like waiting.

The Problem With Waiting

I believe when you wait, negative anxiety builds up and can cause you to lose power, energy and metal focus. For me it’s like pulling the handle on a slot machine, when the cherries line up on the win line, you (I) need to fire in the hole and strike. When you feel it…just go with it.

While he was running his mouth, I was turning the ring upside down where the crown was located on the inside or palm side of my finger, upside-down. Remember he had already issued the threat. All threats should be taken seriously. If someone says they are going to kick your ass while drinking, I believe you should strike first!

I took a last drink from my beer while stepping backwards with my right foot, creating distance for maximum leverage. As I sat my beer down onto the bar and as I was stepping back, I had already achieved a solid base, with balance and prepared to hit him with my 3 points of leverage.

I stepped back another 6 inches and pronated my open hand, palm facing out towards the asshole. As I stepped out, I hit him right between the eyes with the Special Forces ring and blood flew from his face as he reeled backwards, shocking his friends and other onlookers.

Warning His Friends

As he lurched backward and put his hand over his face, I used angulation and placed him between me and the others. I immediately realized the others wanted no part of me now. They were just hot air at the end of the day. I hit the first guy behind the ear and dropped him; he really never had a chance. He should have hit me and not telegraphed his intentions.

Because this was our house, I was allowed to finish my drink. I was walking to the door to leave and I had a beer in a can in my right hand holding it by the top (i.e. my hand was covering the top of the beer can). I guess I was going to sneak it out.

More Trouble

Oddly enough as I was leaving, a short Spanish guy/soldier blocked my exit by cutting me off. He had a girl on each arm and was wearing a gold chain around his neck. He asked me if I was Jim West. I said yes. He said I hear you used to work out with Joe Lewis and I said yes.

Then he said, “Joe Lewis is old”. Yep, red flag radar was turned on again.

He grabbed his gold necklace held it up under my chin and said, “While Joe Lewis was getting old, I was earning gold”. I said wow; you know there is a lot to learn from old people.

He told me to go fuck myself and he said I ain’t shit just because I knocked the other guy out. I shrugged my shoulders and gave him a perplexed look and hit him directly on top of his head in the soft spot with the beer I was holding. I stepped back hit my base much like using a hammer fist to break a board with or chop wood.

This was very effective. It was actually funny as I hit him he went straight down and the beer can exploded and took off to the ceiling, falling back down and hitting him in the head twice. He was down for the count. At this point I left and went home before any more trouble came my way.

I guess it’s good to stay relaxed and learn how to hit hard without telegraphing and with minor subtle distractions.

© James Smokey West
Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.

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87 thoughts on “Hitting Between The Eyes – By Jim West”

  1. How could something like this be applied to some one who is 4 1/2 ft tall? I don’t go to bars, however, I am alone a lot.
    Your advice is appreciated…..

  2. Well, Ole! That’s just funny right there…I don’t care whoyare! Wish I could’ve been there and seen it firsthand. Although the telling was quite enjoyable by itself!

  3. Mr.West,

    Great post, thank you for sharing this info with the Fight Fast supporters, and providing your many years of insight and experience. Keep up the good work.

    Thank You,

    Joe Breen

  4. The photograph seems a little off.Having seen pix of Jim,I would venture to say that the dude to the left is Jim West and that the guy to the right as indicated in the inscription below the photo.Anyway Jim is an interesting and proven guy with a lot of good fighting tips and obviously a hell of a lot of experience to back it up.

  5. Great story and llesson. The older people always have valuable info if we’re mart enough to lissten! Thanks Jim West

  6. As someone who grew up roaming alone from age five on downtown streets of big city and a military vet who worked herself through engineering school at a University, my response is: “GROW UP!!!, get over it!!!” Stop expecting handouts and get to work!

    Yes, anxiety is tough. But so is danger and the thug who wants to rape. When I felt unsafe, I got door locks and dog and baseball bat.

  7. enjoyed your bar encounter, We train to maintain our skills,62 yrs.old we still fight to the kill move weekly and maintain an operational ready standing my inner perceptions that something truly wicked This way comes are alerted to more inner threats these days,And my family like most today are not ready to head for the hills,I know they may fail to launch but at least I will be ready to lead from the front,Survival up here in Canada can be a rough transition especially where we’d be going clear off the radar/grid,At least my skills will allow us to elude current systems as for the future,I’m sure it will prove challenging. I Personally can’t simply remain in place be fema interred (they exist and coordinate ops up here also)my current Russian combat systema skills may be great personal use today but my survival, evasion/counter dectection, weapons,tracking,hunting,gen nasty tactics.enough said this is probally just some robo generated bulk mail trigger response right.

  8. Hi,
    You know what?? how can you be ready when a guy rolls down his car window and shoots a man in the face, with out a word of conversation?? I am sick of what is going on in my neighborhood, from white to BLACK and lock every thing in site.Detroit with 1.2 Million now 700 thousand. the rest all in my back yard now. I need all the breaks I can get in front now. thank you

  9. Cowboys didn’t wait to get shot first before returning fire. It was “The Quick and the Dead ” not “Wait and be Dead”. The quick draw stayed Alive. Don’t “wait” to find out how good a fighter someone might be. Verbal and Non Verbal “Assault Ques ” given off….Fire Away! Great Story Jimbo.

  10. Jim, I love all of your TRS/Fight Fast stuff, all filled with very effective moves. Plus, your stories and sense of humor are classic. Cheers!

  11. Cool story! Not that I wish any misfortune on anyone, but i guess the best fights are the ones we avoid, but you bring up some valuable points. I guess all the fighting skills in the world are useless if the other guy doesn’t hesitate and smashes beer bottles over your head BEFORE you make the fist strike

  12. Yea, I had a few beer bottles busted over my head and in my face to the tone of 64 external stitches and 26 inside stitches. I,m blessed to have a hard head. I survived and won in every case. Everyone is different. It is these type situation that allow me to have stories. It’s all about surviving

  13. Barry I know guys your size that get away with a lot. They have attitude, precision and don’t get tiered so fast. My dad used to tell me it ain’t the size of the dog in the fight, but the fight in the dog. Stay focused my friend

  14. Author you are right. It ain’t easy, but it’s nothing new. In 1973 I had jut that happen to me only he missed. A car pulled down the street slowly and as he got closer he rolled down his window. I timed his approach and stepped towards the back door and hammer fisted the hand with the gun. By moving in close and behind him he tried to stick the barrel out if the window giving a moment to survive. I actually ran into a parking lot to escape. It’s all about awareness knowing angles and making quick decisions under fire. We call this critical decision making.

  15. Lloyd I’m 60 and totally get it. Training is training, but there is no substitute for real fights. When you fight for your life your intent and tactics will take on a meaning of their own. Evil intention comes from a life of surviving, generally at a very young age having to deal with big brothers, bullies when you are smaller and less experienced, trying to run with the big dogs. Been there, done that. Sound like you live with a do or die perspective. BTDT too. I’m with brother. You have seen a few things I’m sure. It’s tough and lonely when everything is a threat and most won’t understand. The question was always are you a lone Wolf alone or just a lonely wolf. I appreciate you comments.

  16. Trish, life is tough in the big city. Then you got the crazy country boys, poor and no toys. There are so many crooks, crazies and criminals. Tough love is hard and makes us hard and non trusting. Yes to the ball bat. Just practice your swing. Oh and don’t look through the doors peephole or stand in the fatal funnel. If it doesn’t seem right, plan some escape and evasion tactics. I believe if you are planning to use equalizers you are thinking right. Learn to breath sometimes. It seems you had it rough. Life doesn’t have to be doom and gloom.

  17. Hall, hit them in the other head a good nut buster really works. I’ve actually bitten a few. Teeth can be a hell of a deterrent remember, no rules in a street fight. A spike or knife to the top of the foot. Are you kidding, you present a small target, harder to get an accurate strike in on sometimes. There are some advantages to be small, just learn what works. Demon speed will never let you down.

  18. Yep, I’m the one with the shaved head in the pic. The funny thing is I never saw that picture until it showed up on Dale Comstock or Jack Murphy’s Facebook. I trained in the same gym with joe Lewis and we did some training together. We used to hang out a bit also. I learned extremely valuable fight information from Joe and others. He was a real fighter. Joe wrote an article once called “Triple Edged Phenomenon”

  19. Hello Jim,
    I’m still familiar with Panama after all these years. When I was a kid in 1963 I was stationed at Fort Kobbe with the 1st Air Commando Wing from HUrlburt Field Florida. We ran counter-insurgency missions with 7th Special Forces.
    I never had to deal with jerks like you ran into at the bar. The Air Commandos were a small but feared group. We had a great friendship with the 7th SF.
    We watched each other’s back. Great guys.
    Contact me any time. I’m 72 now and I’d love to share some history with you.
    Mike

  20. Mike nice to meet, we did a number of trips and training with your group. CAS was a blast. Being from a HALO, SCUBA Team we did spent a fair amount of time in your neck of the woods. We will stay in touch.

  21. Thanks Russ, I’m just now starting to share. I appreciate all of the comments.

    Wallace, you are teaching them right, but it takes a lot to walk away sometimes. Great job.

  22. Sound’s like Good Advise, I was warned by my Roommate’s that when I get home I have a fight comming my way from our neighbor, I have been away for 3wks now. He is a complete ASSHOLE! He want’s to fight with everybody.I’m 5’8″. 165lb’s, he 5’10”. 240-260lb’s and he is a Alcholic, alway’s Drunk. I have never been in a fight.

  23. Hey, Jim, this was an enjoyable and very readable story. I hope I am able to recognize you first the next time I am in Windy’s so I can run as fast as my old pudgy legs can carry me! I like the story. It is a good lesson, though, for making the case for being aware of your surroundings. So you pulled the ole “Bambino” on him (Brother of Trinity – the movie – Get the “Trinity Series” and watch them if you haven’t seen them all ready.) That must have been some confrontation to behold! Again, Best Wishes. – GDH

  24. Mr. West, Chief … Long time don’t see or hear from you. It is good to see you are still at it old warrior friend. To some these anecdotes may seem like story telling; but having had the opportunity to share with you and Old Warrior Gary O’Neal training at Callahan Gym, working on “The Feud in Fayetteville” PKC event you put together, or just hanging out—I am here to tell the non-believers that you guys don’t just talk the talk, but that in fact you’ve walked the walk. I know there are many more interesting and way more intense anecdotes, as well as lessons learned you should be sharing… Keep them coming and stay hard my friend …!!!

    PIZO

  25. Brother James! You are one of the Founding Fathers of the legendary reality that beer isn’t just for breakfast anymore!

    Back in the bad old days in Chicago’s New Town/Old town night ‘recreation’ areas i always deployed ‘distraction’ tactics also after deciding a situation would have to end in an initiatory smack down in cases like these.

    My favorite was ‘interrupting’ the tense moment by standing off the bar stool shouting “Hey Bartender, one for my friend here” pointing and waving at the bartender and when the moron glanced at the bartender, my other hand would do the ‘trick’. usually a quick stealth palm heel strike or elbow to the chin that was so fast that he or anybody else never saw it happen, which usually knocked him off his stool and down. Then i’d exclaim “Hey dude! what happened, you alright?!” and quickly kneel down with my obvious hand under his head as if to help him while the other was less obvious around his throat squeezing his carotid arteries just enough to keep him ‘quiet’ until all his piss and vinegar evaporated all the while commenting to anyone paying attention that “hey, poor guy lost his balance and collapsed, you should cut him off and get him out of here”!

    Being a very young undercover vice cop at the time taught me to be a decent actor, as well, lol!

    After one of these skits where i knocked cold a jerk who suddenly seemed to have a bunch of ‘friends’ trying to wake him up– at a place called The Phoenix near the intersection of Broadway and Clark in 1972, which was a kind of ‘higher class’ bad ass disco joint with the hottest babes around but also frequented by the Town’s high rolling ball players who always had a fighting chip on their shoulders–, i thought it prudent to ‘dee dee hucking mow’ while the getting was good because i really didn’t want to have to shoot any of the guy’s friends who were now trying to revive him while giving me the suspicious dirty look treatment.

    Once ‘safely’ outside, a handsome devil of a dude came up behind me politely and said, “hey man, that was some of the coolest shit i’ve ever seen!, are you a trained fighter or boxer?”

    I replied that it would be better to keep a distance of a few steps away from me as i discreetly reached in my jacket pocket where i kept my Beretta Lynx instead of obviously reaching around to the .38 Detective Special in the small of my back, as we continued the discussion, and he politely introduced himself and explained that he was a martial artist of the ‘unconventional kind’ and admired my ‘proficiency’.

    We became buds and notorious drinking and whoring Players, as well as martial arts circuit competitors. I was a formal Nidan Shorei Goju stylist in the MBBF but used a hybrid psycho combat type of fighting learned from ROK hand to hand instructors in Nam, for serious street ‘recreation’.

    Little did i know at the time that my new friend John Keehan would go down in martial arts history as ‘the Deadliest Man Alive’. And while I never considered myself as ‘talented’ as the likes of Jim West here, or John, who could certainly ruin your day if you pissed him off enough, or any of the great ones, but i could certainly hold my own in ‘drinking and wenching’ competition,lol!

    I’ll be publishing a book this year that will be very interesting to martial artists as well as ‘crime’ buffs this coming year now that all ‘suspects’ are ‘safely’ deceased. It included a description of the developmental history of reality fighting v. traditional, and some revelations and good ‘war stories’.

  26. PIZO, it’s been along time my friend. I’m in NYC these days and I am starting a neweb site. It’s all about people extending their fight knowledge. The page will be launched in a few weeks. Come to my face book Jim West. If you call Fight fast or TRS ask for my email. I don’t think I can post here.

  27. GEES I WOULD HATE TO PISS YOU OFF. IAM AN X-MARINE. AND I KNOW WHAT IT MEANS AND FEELS LIKE TO GO DOWN HARD. I LIKE THE HIT BEHIND THE EAR. VERY VERY EFFECTIVE. NICE GOING JIM. YOU REALLY CAN WALK THE WALK.

  28. Hey, Nice right up but it happened 25 years ago. We were all young and stupid. We are old farts now. I have 20-30 years on you. My secrete was to have my “guys” around me. I was their Corpsman. No body screwed with “Doc” You know where I’m coming form. I avoided situations as those described. I was a good X-ray tech but I never was a FMF Hospital corpsman . 2- 9month trips to Nam I survived, I didn’t hurt any one and didn’t do bad with anyone. I’m good with that 45 years later. I will tell you that if any one wanted to piss in my corn flakes.. there was a Colt 1911 in the small of my back and I was very very good with drawing and firing it. Very good………. I carry a Combat 1911 today every where except into our school. I lock it up in the drug locker of the ambulance I’m in responding in as a volunteer Paramedic. I have been in the school 3 times armed . The county sheriff knows this and just shakes my hand for being there. There’s 7 rounds of hand loaded 200 gr. soft lead flat -round nose bullets that will knock down a bear ….Promise. Velocity, expansion and damage testing. If some offensive person tries to attack me … At 70 years old.. the Commonwealth attorney has no problems with me popping 2 in the chest and 1 in the head. The proper wording is stop the perceived threat. I have a pistol range less then 100 feet from my front door.. It goes to 25yds. It extends to 50 yards but rough. The commonwealth attorney only give me 7yds..21 feet because I am considered a combat vet and a perceived threat has to be at a short range or it is not a threat. I have shot on the range with him. I qualified shooting with him on the FBI qualifying course. (COOL) I’d never shot against the clock before. I didn’t have my 1911, I was using a Bersa 9mm Compact. (A sweet super shooter–Double action like glass) The 7rd magazine may have hamper me as I had not practiced reloading much. My only response to unarmed conflict is talk or cheat. Six months with a busted up seal from Nam showed me many ways to cheat… mad me think.. When I was a kid I was big and stupid.. bashful..want to fight . I grabbed you and squeezed you until you almost passed out . In the water was the best. I did the basic BUDS training as a dumb ass kid at 16. There wasn’t all the psychological abuse but the physical part was real. The “Buds” instructor attacked me and was holding me …we are going to drown. NOT….. I could hold my breath almost 3 minutes. I sank to the bottom of the pool and waited for him to let go. He tapped me out and we went up. “I know what you are doing. It works but not with me , Do the defensive measures you were trained.” I really felt good about this exchange because I was pretty much a failure so far in life. He did his best to drown me.. really .. I used the techniques he had taught and drug his tired ass to the surface.. Yay me. I had learned not to panic..I was in control. I was 16. You are an old fart living on your old skills Good for you but what would you do to day with a precised threat??
    If you ever read this … Send me an email….. one gray haired old dude to another.
    PS… I carry 24/7 because as a RN I pissed off a drug dealer in Martinsville, Va a long time.
    ago. The local Police agencies warned me to be careful. ……
    Thx of your time. May your world always be safe.
    RW

  29. Always good to be proactive not reactive. My field training officer always said, Get the first shot in, and i still live that way today.