Jimbo here with some ultra-manly tips on the realities of street fighting, (because I gotta get off the subject of a certain virus before I lose my s**t).

I’ve broken-up this subject matter into two parts, (because I’ve got so much awesome material to share).

Today’s Man-Skills newsletter is Part 1.

Next week’s will be Part 2, (assuming the world is still around next week).

So let’s explore some misconceptions about street fighting — stuff that’s been floating around out there like droplets sneezed out of the face of a sick-sick person who doesn’t wear a mask or cover their damn mouth…

…and some deep insights that will clear the air better than a stack of N95 respirators. (Wait… I’m doing it again).

Okay… now before I jump into this headfirst, I had a certain someone ask if I were “making up” the research in these Man-Skills newsletters.

Well, I gave him my answer, (just after snapping his collar bone, which takes surprisingly little force). No. I’m not just making this stuff up. The research here is a culmination of being balls-deep in this industry for over 33 years…

…digging through FBI reports… CIA white papers… grisly police crime stats… real street-fights caught on video…

…and hanging out with some of the most freakishly dangerous dudes (and dudettes) on the planet. Badasses dropped into combat zones to train up Special Ops…

…or protect presidents and dignitaries… or who hunt down and kill terrorists… who put their asses on the line to make sure Americans like me and you and your family can sleep comfortably at night.

I’m just glad they’re on our side.

So the facts and research are real… although I must admit it would be sooo much easier (and probably a lot more fun) just to make it all up.

Anyway, here’s some insight that you may not have known:

• He’s so big: Why does he pick on the little guy?
• Ground Fighting: Takin’ it to the dirt.
• The Trigger: Starts with a little shove.
• Blocking: The strategy of blockheads.

Here’s my first disturbing factoid: Stats show your adversary will most likely be bigger than you.

Why? Well, much of it has to do with the cheesy action movie playing on the big-screen inside your opponent’s head. (We talked a little about this in a previous Man-Skills).

Your opponent is the star of his very own B-movie, (where he looks like Dwayne Johnson aka “The Rock”), with a plot that has him easily dominating you with little or no injury to himself, (plus the script’s got a nice little character arc too. A real page-turner).

He’s So Big:

Why pick on the little guy?

Your opponent does not engage in a confrontation because he imagines he’ll be hurt (unless of course, he’s “into it”, which is another kind of movie altogether). So he targets someone smaller than himself.

But remember we’re talking about what’s probable.

For example, Dwayne Johnson is probably not going to be confronted by someone bigger and stronger than him as there are maybe 3 other people on the planet who fit that description, (that guy in the above photo is one of them).

But statistically-speaking, it is possible. There ARE insane people out there. And they’re not wearing a mask and definitely not washing their hands correctly. (Okay, that just slipped out).

But for us regular dudes who aren’t 6′ 5″ and 250 pounds of lean muscle, statistics show that you’re most likely to be attacked by someone bigger than you.

There is one exception to this rule – it’s something called “Small Man’s Syndrome” or the “Napoleon Complex”.

(Picture your scrappy little friend who peaked in the third-grade and was still waiting to “sprout” in his 30s).

This smaller man attempts to enhance or maintain his self-image by continually challenging larger men for the most minor of reasons or even NO reason. (Think Joe Pesci).

His small stature makes him a highly sensitive person — a hybrid of a bully and an emotionally highjacked individual — who reacts with violence to the smallest of real or imagined slights. (“I’m funny how? I mean funny like I’m a clown?”)

And here’s a bonus zinger: Over half of the time, your adversary will also be flying high on drugs and/or alcohol. Which might not be all that bad considering his reflexes and coordination are probably shot.

The Ground Fight:

Takin’ it to the dirt.

Believe it or not, most street fights do NOT go to the ground, (a bit of info that surprises most guys who recall wrasslin’-it-out in their grade-school glory days).

But in the adult world of fighting, it’s true… most fights end with one guy standing, the other on the ground (gurgling weird sounds from his nose).

There’s one huge exception: On average, any fight lasting longer than 12 seconds WILL go to the ground. And if you remember from previous Man-Skills fun-facts, most fights last only 3-8 seconds (it’s kinda like wham… bam-bam-bam, lights out).

But at about 13 seconds into the brawl, there’s a high probability the fight will end up on the ground.

So if you think there’s a chance you could ever be involved in a fight lasting longer than it just took you to read this sentence, it’s probably a smart thing to have a few “ground-n-pound” tricks up your sleeve.

I gotta warn you though, on the asphalt, using standard MMA ground-fighting tactics will get you scraped-up like road-kill.

There’s an excellent “STREET Ground-Fighting” DVD HERE. Your instructor is the great Walt Lysak and he shows you ground-n-pound tricks that work on the street, (literally).

With any fight, speed is of the essence.

Because the longer it takes you to end a fight, the better chance that you’ll get hurt or killed and the higher the odds that it’ll go to the ground, (and street ground-fighting is also known as “ground-hamburger fighting”).

Which is why burning-up precious seconds “displaying” any martial arts prowess is not a good idea. (“Hello? People, people. Could everyone just gather around and watch my cool reverse roundhouse air-kicks?”).

An adversary could simply move-in during this little show and land a couple of simple well-placed shots that end the fight.

His technique may not require a lot of skill, and they may not be very “pretty”, (so he gets zero points for aesthetics), but it doesn’t really matter if he knocks you out cold.

And that might not be the end of the attack.

You can’t count on your opponent’s sense of mercy just because you’re pinned or knocked out, (c’mon man, I said ‘uncle’) as this thug may prove to be no gentleman.

So you don’t want is to be on the ground unconscious (reminds me of my college days) or pinned down with someone on top of you while his buddies stomp on your head.

End the fight as quickly as possible on your feet, for your own good. Get nasty. Throw dirt in his face. Hammer his sciatic nerve with a wicked Thai kick. Move-in and grab him around the head and headbutt him. Thrust a knee up into his groin. Throw vicious elbow strikes across his temple.

Fight as if your life depends on it, (it does), and do not let up until you have chance to escape or the threat is removed (again, in technical terms it’s wham bam-bam-bam).

The Block Head:

Geez… you’re so defensive.

Another bit of valuable insight has to do with the strategy of “blocking” incoming blows, (and hopefully it’s not with your face).

Many martial styles devote lots of training time to this subject — but that may not be such a great idea, (which is a nicer but longer way to say “dumb idea”).

Because if your training teaches you to be focused on blocking incoming blows, you’ve just purposely placed yourself into a continual defensive position.

That’s the exact opposite position you want to be in. You want your opponent to be on the defensive – not yourself.

You want him back on his heels… reacting rather than acting… pedaling backward… off balance… and not able to effectively counter-attack, (you know, kinda like an argument with the wife).

Combat experts, on the other hand, rarely concentrate their efforts on “blocks and parries” but instead defend their soft targets with space or the proper execution of an offensive attack.

It’s like back in my younger days of dirt-biking, (I’m talking decades ago when I had nothing to live for). I was a rookie, but one lesson I took to heart was “when in trouble, gun it”.

Because panicking and backing off the throttle almost inevitably meant dumping the bike, (and flying over the handlebars and eating dirt was no fun at all).

Same here. “Gunning it” and moving forward with aggression, confidence, and boldness is the most effective way to gain control of the fight.

On the flip side, “backing off the throttle” and parrying incoming shots puts you in an undesirable defensive position.

Now, I’m not suggesting you make zero effort to block, because there IS value in it.

But, you can’t save your way to riches, and you won’t win a fight with blocking and parrying alone, (notice how I so deftly combined entrepreneurship with combat training? Nice, huh?).

If you find yourself blocking punches and kicks in combat, it usually indicates you’re in big trouble.

And there’s enough trouble out there already.

Keep your eyes peeled… more “Man Skills” to come, (if you’re man enough to take it).

Stay Manly,

Jimbo, Editor
Man Skills

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