Growing up, I was a punching bag. I managed to pick up a lot of that.
One time, Monster 104 punched me in the head and he broke his finger. From that, I learned a special lesson… don’t punch people in the head.
I was on the receiving end of a punch that wasn’t supposed to have made contact. It happened when I was goofing around with my friend David. He misjudged the distance between us, and his uppercut landed right on my jawline. It was a pretty solid blow. The force of it chipped part of my left molar off, but there were no cuts, no blood, and hardly any pain. He felt guilty as hell, and got ragged on for hitting a girl. I realized much later how lucky I was that I didn’t get my jaw dislocated.
I used to get in a lot of fights when I was growing up. At least 20 or so. But it’s been a few years now since I’ve been in a fight. I would always use a combination of punches mostly hitting the face and gut worked quite effectively for me.
The last fight I was in was at least 3 years ago. It was in school, a guy pushed me into a wall so punched him square in the face and broke his nose. Felt a lil bad about it afterwards.
I took Karate, Tae kwon doe and Judo when I was younger. But never have used it on anyone. Forgotten a lot of it anyway.
I’m not really a BIG guy, 210 lbs with little fat, but in the past few years I’ve put put on at least 70-80 lbs. of muscle doing construction work. I’ve almost gotten in a few fights this past year or so but the other side backed down. :shrug:
MikeG is glad he doesn’t work with Mr.Cynical. 
MikeG can think of a few co-workers he’d like to do that to though…
Been in attendance at many football, basketball, and baseball games and have never been in a fistfight…maybe I’m not attending the right kind of sporting events…
Oh yeah, Dude!
I don’t go for that Karate crap and all but the last fight I got sucked into, I just hammered away with fists and elbows. Pretty effective, I might say. We hammered at each other. In the end I knocked him down, and since I was getting tired and had things to do, I ended the bout by kicking his balls up around his eyes. That pretty much took him out of action for the night.
Scores: Me: busted lip, loose tooth, assorted lumps on my face, head and chest, sore stomach and almost a black eye.
Him: About the same, but with a really cool busted nose that I kept hitting, which kind of smeared it all over his face and a set of probably really swollen and tender nuts.
Since I walked away on my own, I figure I won. Not that I exactly felt like it the next day.
Add me to the list of guys who are confident in their ability to handle themselves should the need arise, but who have not been in a fight since high school.
Among my best weapons long range weapons are my jab and lead leg, probably a little better in a right lead than left. So if I am aware of an impending unavoidable situation, I anticipate I would counter/intercept with one of those. Hope I would use a finger strike to the eyes or throat, but not sure that would happen under stress. In any event, tho I box and kickbox quite a bit, I have no desire to box someone. My desired range is in close, with headbutts, knees, and elbows.
Being a martial artist, I’ve been in way too many fights (my school believes in hard knocks - fights with no padding against guys who know what they are doing - groin, nose, teeth, eye and bone injuries are very usual)
The main survival points I’ve picked up are DON’T hit them in the head. No one wants to get hit in the head. So everyone protects it or moves it out the way. The fist is not a particularly effective hitting tool anyway. As several of you have mentioned, the heel of the palm is a good powerful strike, but my favourite devastating and effective blow is with the elbow. Dash in close and smash them under the chin, or into the solar plexus. One of the all time easiest one hit ways to end a fight (if you get it right).
Since I’m a taekwondo guy, all my anecdotes are about kicks. Once K.O.ed a guy with a roundhouse that spun him on his own axis before he hit the floor. Satisfying.
Sparky, in my humble opinion, if your school encourages “fights with no padding against guys who know what they are doing” where “groin, nose, teeth, eye and bone injuries are very usual”, that is one fucked up school.
Wow, this is all over the place. Mostly off topic.
I have to disagree with the OP’s premise: I think anybody is capable of delivering enough force to hurt themselves. True, training makes you able to deliver greater force, but the main benefit of training is that learn to deliver that force SAFELY, without damaging yourself.
(we all know the value of avoiding a fight, but that’s not the question. he asked WHEN you DO fight, HOW do you do it?)
When I fight I tend to do a fair amount of punching, but I try to mix it up as much as possible to avoid being predictable. I’m definitely with Glitch though, it’s easy to hurt yourself striking a skull. Bone is hard stuff. Sure, it’s intimidating and spectacular to see a gout of blood when you break somebody’s nose, but that’s a small (usually well-defended, as joeyblades pointed out) target on a large mass of bone.
Glitch–
I thought you had quit the board. Nice to see you again, it’s been a while.
Joe Cool, nope, I’ve simply been away training. Thanks for the re-welcome.
Sparky, I won’t say you’re in a bad school, not my place and I don’t know enough to make that kind of judgement call (I would need a lot more information). I run a strictly self protection based school, and all I have to say is this. There is a difference between hitting hard to build up and hitting hard to break. Sustaining serious or even moderate injury (something more than a welt or bruise) is usually an indication of hitting to break, and ultimately results in a worse level of skill. I say this only in the good spirit, please be careful.
I’ve been in a few fistfights, the last when I was about 17. That was over 14 years ago. The only thing about those fights that anyone here will find remotely interesting is that one of them was with pldennison when we were both about 13.
Water far, far, under the bridge.
I have been a bouncer and a hockey player in the past so I will throw my experience into the fray.
99% of the fights you will probably get into are with a guy who does not know what he is doing. He will flail like a madman and come in tight, trying crap he saw in movies. You best solution to this are his weak points and a calm exterior. Nothing throws off someone who measures a opponent. Ok, going back to flailer, keep the distance, measure your opponent. If he is going high to the face, you go options but mostly you want to swing for the honker. A short straight can stop a man cold. Some will say hit for the throat, but I suggest ONLY with open hand and thumb. You can kill a man with a fist to his throat. But I have brought a drunk to his knees right quick with a well placed thumb in the windpipe.
Also, and only if you are good, a ‘bouncer block’ or ‘soccer fan greeting’ of letting him wack top of your melon or forehead will stop a fight right quick. I have stopped a fight by never throwing a punch with letting the fool crack his hand on my forehead.
A kicker is meaner because what he will be doing is mostly trying to smack you in the crotch, so a doge then a punch is imperative. I prefer sidestepping to the lead of the kick, trapping the leg, then dealing a elbow or punch to the side of the knee. Imagine a serious dead leg and you get the idea about hitting there. Also, a kidney shot is brutally effective and about as painful as getting hit in the nads. I have laid a right into a couple of people and turned them to jelly with a shot like that. It feels that way too, like someone shot the air out from under your legs. And the blood piss will scare the shit out of them later on.
I have fractured my fingers a few times, bloodied myself a few more but generally have come oput clean of …oh…I would say 100+ fights. I have had a few knock down drag outs but you always always want to keep your cool. Study your opponent, and never start it. Working off his mistakes is easier.
But the best way to win is fight is thus…don’t get into one.
Because after reading these posts, I’m starting to feel a wee bit like Ed Norton.
Unfortunately, these days I am something of a pacifist. But, there are times when the peaceful solutions will get you hurt. As I don’t overly enjoy receiving pain, I’ve learned a few things that keep me out of / help me win pugilistic encounters:
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Never throw punches - throw large objects (like dumpsters.)
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Always (even in the Confesssional) wear a deeply menacing scowl - A look that says, “I will eat you and crap you and not even get gas.”
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Through the use of modern chemical advances, develop your arms and pectorals to godzilla-like proportions.
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Hire a sidekick to follow you around for moral support (and to sneak you brass knuckles, should the situation require it.)
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In the midst of battle, alternate between recitations of the Gettysburg Address and whistled renditions of the Moonlight Sonata - You might just lose this fight, but who said it can’t be an enriching experience for all concerned?
If you follow these tips, you will be all right.
Trust me.
Don’t keep us in suspense, Gent. Who won?
I’m not very interested in violence, I just don’t like it, but having been very punk rock in my early youth, and then having gone into the infantry, I’ve seen and taken part in my fair share.
I don’t recall really punching much, I usually got hurt that way. I was mostly a grappler. I always found a way in close, and wrestled my way down, usually came out fine, no scratches, just some dust. But anytime I ended up in a fight with someone with a good reach on me, I ended up smacked up good. I was banned, along with several of my friends at the age of 16 from ever going to Point Pleasant Beach, NJ again because of a big brawl we got into with some skinheads at one time. Not a fun fight, first punch that landed as I recall was my face, and that’s all I recall. The next thing I remember from that was handcuffs and the back seat of a cop car. I learned a great lesson from that, Never block a punch with your face.
Aside from all that, after my time in the infantry, and some interest in peace, I’ve vowed to never engage in violence unless absolutely positively necessary.
Harming others in any way, shape or form just doesn’t fly.
Dinsdale, when people fight nobody wins. I sentence you to watch Afterschool Specials until your Nestle Quik loses its chocolaty goodness.