Training - If you’re going to fight . . . don’t dance . . .

 

Take a look at the video first . . . then let’s talk. Please, watch it beginning to end, it’s a bit over 3 minutes.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=281210188755624&set=vb.100005999357518&type=2&theater

Things we don’t know . . . what started the fight, could the older gent have avoided it or was he simply a target of a couple of young guys that just wanted to beat someone into the ground.

If the old guy “poked the bear” that should be lesson number one for all of us. The best way to win a fight – be it by gun, knife or fist – is to not get into it in the first place. It seems that more and more, especially in larger cities where crowds are common, a pack mentality develops quickly, selects quickly and descends quickly. Keep your frickin’ head in the game every day, keep as low a profile as you can and do your best to reduce your personal risk.

Regardless of comments made about this encounter, it was much more of a “waltz” than a fight. Most of the time was spent grappling with blows being landed to the body doing little damage. And, other than seemingly enjoying pounding on each other, neither the old fellow or the two young guys seemed to be doing any real damage. Eventually, they would have tired and quit (which is pretty much what happened). But a few moments that put an entire different spin on the attack . . . when the two young guys attempted to open the train door to throw the guy out of the moving car. As the saying goes . . . at that point “shit got real”.

So what lessons can be learned from watching this encounter? My take away is “if you’re going to fight . . . don’t dance . . .”

Help is NOT COMING: You’re largely on your own out there. I this case the young woman filming it saw it a pure entertainment. So while two young men pounded on a man twice their age, she laughed, giggled, gave running commentary. As did everyone else in the car. The day of the Good Samaritan is fading fast . . . in a fight against two opponents in a public area, you – and likely only you – are all the help you’re going to get.

Can you take the punishment: It may be that when confronted by a superior force your best option for survival – and I’m talking about simply going home at the end of the day – is to curl into a ball and suck it up. As the old knight said – choose wisely, because once curled up, your decision is made. You’ve pretty much pinned your life on your attackers getting bored with kicking the crap out of you and leaving.

Once “the shit gets real” you better damn well fight: You will note the old guy visibly “picked up his game” once he realized they were willing to throw him out of a moving car, in all likely hood killing him. I want you to chew on that just a bit. These two guys were fully aware they were being filmed, that the young woman had a running commentary going the whole time . . . and they were still willing to chuck him out of the car. THAT is the state of large parts of our country.

In a fight for your life, punching a guy/gal in the gut does little. If your life is on the line – you need to physically disable one of the attackers as quickly as you can. A solid blow to the throat, an open palm thrust into their nose, a thumb jammed into an eye socket (and I mean TOTALLY DESTROY THE EYE), a knee to the crotch or a good old hand grab – all can give you a few seconds time to repeat until one attacker is down. In this case violence – true violence – is your best bet to save your life.

Repeat with the second attacker – disable them to create time and distance to escape or to gather alternative weapons. This is a spot where anything helps – a tactical pen, backup knife, gun if you have it. Create distance and then look for an escape. In a car like this, you are simply “in it” until the next stop. And if you fight to put an attacker down . . . make damn sure he/she stays down.

This is also the perfect example of the need for more training than just time on the shooting range. Some level of combatives – so you have some idea of what your options are – should be on everyone’s list. It will also allow you to keep thinking . . . to keep your head in the game. A thinking shooter, a thinking fighter is typically the winner. Surrender to panic, to simply flailing about . . . and your day may not end well at all.

Bottom line – if you are in a fight against multiple opponents . . . fight . . . don’t dance with them.