Jimbo here from the FightFast central to chat about the manly art of street fighting.

For 30 years FightFast/TRS has been calling in experts (U.S. Special Forces, cage fighters, street brawlers, and other nice chaps) to teach average guys advanced but easy-to-learn fight skills that will allow them to either avoid a confrontation entirely, (which is probably preferable to knocking someone’s teeth out)…

…or dominating and winning a brawl if need be, (and perhaps knocking someone’s teeth out).

So when it’s on, and fight-time is inevitable, here is a taste of the secret mojo sauce to winning.

• Combat Awareness: What the hell’s happening?
• Fight Time: Oh, it’s on.
• Forward Pressure: It worked for the Nazis.
• Target Awareness: Focusing the nervous brain.
• Violence: Disregard for his well-being.

Combat Awarness:

OMG… What’s Happening?

A common (and BIG) rookie mistake is not knowing when you’re actually in a fight. Sounds weird, but “Combat Awareness” is when you consciously recognize that a fight is imminent.

It’s a skill that few beginners seem to possess — probably because the average guy doesn’t get into a lot of fights, (unless out drinking Yagamister with my brother-in-law).

Most simply deny (or desperately pretend) that the snarling beast staring at them from across the bar is a threat, (“I’m sorry, is this your girlfriend I’m groping?”).

They ignore one of the most powerful early warning indicators available to them — their own intuition.

This kind of denial can place you in real danger.

Of the hundreds of experienced combat instructors I’ve dealt with over the last 3 decades — all of them say there are usually plenty of clear road-signs that a confrontation is brewing.

Don’t ignore the flashing warning signals, (“please, please make the bad man go away”). Being fully aware of your situation gives you more time to flee (and fight another day) or to make a “total commitment” to the fight, (and here women thought you had commitment issues).

The key to combat awareness is to recognize (and not suppress) your own intuition telling you that a fight is imminent. The most powerful tool in your fight arsenal is your BRAIN (well, unless it’s pickled with Yagamister). Listen to it.

Keep your head up, eyes open, and always aware of what’s going on around you.

Fight Time:

Oh, it’s on baby.

Now, this may sound ungentlemanly… (“excuse me sir… cross this line and put up your dukes”), but there’s plenty of data to back me up here.

If you feel threatened, don’t hesitate — hit first.

This is HUGE because research shows that “he who hits first usually wins”, (I think that’s Old Testament stuff).

As any military commander will tell you, the element of surprise can be your most important advantage.

It has allowed small bands of fighters to wipe out entrenched armies (remember Pearl Harbor… or D-day… or the time my brother-in-law was beaten senseless by a 5th grader?).

Okay… what does this have to do with you? Well – whether you’re fighting in an army or in a back alley – one principle is the same — the human factor, (ah yes, those whacky humans).

Because fighter jets and tanks and machine guns are cool and all, but they’re only tools.

The fighting is happening between people, (unless it’s 2029 and you’re Kyle Reese battling an artificial intelligence defense network known as Skynet that became self-aware and created Terminator robots to wipe out mankind… er… but that’s another story).

Surprising your opponent (your human opponent that is) by attacking first is the great equalizer.

Remember your objective is to “strategically end the threat”. Notice I didn’t say that your goal is to “beat the crap out of your opponent”.

Tempting as that may sound, your goal is not to engage in a long battle to emerge as the victorious gladiator wiping a lone drop of blood from the corner of your mouth while hot babes swoon.

Sorry… your primary goal is much less sexy than that — to end the threat and then get the hell out of there.

Forward Pressure:

The blitz is back.

Once the fight is on and it’s rockin’ and rollin’ and you got your opponent back on his heels — it’s time for some “sustained continued attack” — aka, “forward-pressure blitz”.

Now the word “blitz” did not originate from the NFL.

No. It was made popular by the Nazis (which suddenly makes it a lot less cool) and is derived from the German word “blitzkrieg”.

Essentially the fighting style consists of concentrating your forces on a small vulnerable area (like Poland) then attacking all-out without letting up until the threat has been “removed” or you’ve had an opportunity to escape.

The Nazis used this blitz strategy to punch a hole in their enemy’s lines, then divide and defeat their forces.

Of course, it’s unlikely you’ll be fighting armies of men, (unless of course you’re Snake Plissken incarcerated on the island prison of Manhattan and POTUS crash lands in your territory and you’ve got to get him to safety before explosives planted in your arteries blow you to bits. But… well… that’s another story too).

However, the concept is the same.

Concentrate your efforts at your opponent’s weakest areas – then stay with it. Don’t let-up until the job is done.

Rookies tend to stop and see what effect their blows are having on the poor sap receiving their ass-whoopin’ — but forget about pausing to admire your handiwork.

Keep the pressure on until you END the fight or escape. Don’t stop and let him regain his composure.

Target Awareness:

Giving the brain something to do.

I’ve mentioned seeking out targets in other Man-Skills — but it’s worth repeating because it’s a vital strategy, (plus I just love hearing myself talk).

Looking for open targets not only allows you to make every blow count, (because you’re not flailing your arms like a little boy pretending to be an airplane), but it’s also a handy way to overcome your fear.

Target hunting gives you the kind of positive mental traction to constructively engage your thoughts. Bomber pilots flying through heavy flak for example talk about being able to overcome their fear of death by simply focusing on the mission and the target, (the girlie magazines helped too).

And when asked about specific courageous acts, combat soldiers often later recount that they were simply “doing their job”, and not necessarily trying to be heroic.

This “external focus” is really just seeing your opponent as a series of multiple targets (kinda like fat-cat advertisers see us all) and that can help keep your mind occupied and prevent “freezing”.

Ignore your opponent’s insults and mad doggin’ and attempts to “get into your head” and instead keep your attention squarely focused on open targets.

If you’re not skilled with an arsenal of fight techniques, then just use any means necessary to attack the most vulnerable targets (remember… the face is rarely an open target, but the family jewels are often wide open. Go figure).

In one of the “underground” fight videos I viewed in my research (although my wife insists it’s not research if I’m cheering in the background), a fighter used a simple hammer blow to the side of the neck to end the fight instantly.

His technique and skill weren’t pretty (which would be okay if you’re Jason Bourne and just exposed Operation Blackbriar and you’ve finally recovered from amnesia and isolated yourself from the world and are making a living by taking part in savage, bare-knuckle fighting bouts… but… uh… I guess that’s another story too, isn’t it?).

By clearly focusing on a target and then attacking that target by any means necessary, even the most inexperienced fighter can emerge victorious, (and the crowd cheers).

Target awareness is the key.

Do not spend your precious seconds trying to remember that awesome karate chop, or trying to manage your fear or any other “inward” focus like that.

You need to place your focus outward — on targets, (did I already mention that?).

Violence Of Action.

My goodness… you brute!

This “Internal Dialog” is a two-way street.

I don’t think I could put it any better than FightFast instructor Tom Cruse (no, not that Tom Cruise) who said: “You want to do something that demonstrates to your opponent that you have a total disregard for his well-being.”

That’s a nice way of saying that you should commit some kind of extremely cold-blooded violence on your opponent with the objective of triggering his own “internal dialogue”.

Remember that the Bully, the Predator, and the Emotionally Highjacked all have a movie-like scenario playing in their head that doesn’t include them being hurt, (no… it’s more like he sees himself as the Dark Knight operating from his awesome low-ceilinged makeshift Batcave waiting for the incorrigible Joker to reappear… but okay… enough of that).

Point is, you need to change the movie reel in his head as quickly as possible so that the ending resembles more of a “Nightmare On Elm Street”.

The more you can “disrupt” this movie and snap the idea into his head that he’s made a HUGE mistake – and that he may actually be hurt or killed by you – the more likely you are to trigger his internal dialogue.

This leads him into hesitation, doubt, distraction, and “back-peddling” – all good things for you to take advantage of with continued forward pressure.

And the more adept you are at acting decisively and demonstrating your “disregard for his well-being” by striking high-damage open targets…

…the quicker you’ll convince your opponent he’s suddenly in real trouble and probably should have never messed with you, (the fool).

Now that’s how you gain control of the fight.

Stay Manly,

Jimbo, Editor
Man Skills

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