# How effective are martial arts in the real world? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 17, 2024, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-effective-are-martial-arts-in-the-real-world/1000424 "2024-04-17T19:37:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2024, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-effective-are-martial-arts-in-the-real-world/1000424/61 "2024-04-18T20:54:54Z")
Martial artist Harry Thomas Cameron can knock people out just by waving his hands and sending an (invisible) ball of energy at them. He’s demonstrated it for many years. Sort of like the way Benny Hinn can wave his hand and send a whole congregation slain in the spirit. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2024, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-effective-are-martial-arts-in-the-real-world/1000424/62 "2024-04-18T21:05:47Z")
> [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#): > > Martial artist Harry Thomas Cameron can knock people out just by waving his hands and sending an (invisible) ball of energy at them. He’s demonstrated it for many years. I prefer using _Clutch of Nyogtha_ (a.k.a. “_The Insideous Wrath of the Dark Wizard_“) myself but the SAN loss can be a real bitch on the emotional stability, and I don’t regeneate POW the way I used to. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2024, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-effective-are-martial-arts-in-the-real-world/1000424/63 "2024-04-18T21:13:43Z")
> [@xtenkfarpl](#): > > But how realistic is this? I am sure there are some techniques which might work sometimes. > Perhaps knowing where a vulnerable nerve plexus can be hit, or how to grab and twist a limb to immobilise it? A few years ago I was watching a series on Netflix (I think) about extreme sports with each episode focusing on a few sports. One episode featured a foot race across the Sahara Desert and another episode focused on Sumo in Japan and Kung-Fu in China. In China, they followed the routine of some young students who were basically sent to a Kung-Fu boarding school. The Sumo wrestlers actually wrestled one another but I was surprised to see exactly zero fighting at the Kung-Fu school. It was more like acrobatics and choreography rather than a school for fighting. As to how realistic those fights are you see in movies. They’re entertaining, but more akin to a choreographed dance than they are to a fight. Odds are good that if you get into a fight you’re going to get hit. That’s just how it works. I used to wrestle in high school and I was in excellent physical shape. I was walking back home from someplace after dark one night when three guys jumped me for reasons I never quite understood. My main strategy during the fight was to keep moving. When one of them grabbed me I’d punch them until they let go or I knocked them on the ground and just kept moving. I got hit in the head a few times, they tried kicking me in the balls, and I took some blows to the front and back of my torso but none of that slowed me down. I ended up walking away because they got tuckered out and couldn’t continue fighting. I’m guessing they were surprised I fought back and just didn’t stop until they did. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2024, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-effective-are-martial-arts-in-the-real-world/1000424/64 "2024-04-18T21:31:01Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Learning to break holds seems like a good idea. Screaming and running strike me as the strategies most likely to actually protect me Good points. My Dad was a Golden gloves champion and taught me to box- but the issue with training is that in order to be useful in an emergency, it has to be drilled into you. If someone shoots at you- what should you do? Duck for cover -yes? But new raw recruits in combat just stand there or panic. That is what happened to me when some dude shot at me with a .22- first shot I just stood there going- is someone really shooting at me? duh. Next i panicked, and it wasnt until the third shot I went for cover. My Dad said that was normal first time in combat. It has to be second nature. I guarantee you all that if you find yourself in a firefight you wont act rationally for a bit. All those people claiming that a “good man with a gun” would be great in a mass shooting - maybe if he is either a combat veteran or he has time to get over his panic- and during the panic he might well do something stupid with his gun. So martial arts training is great exercise and builds up your self respect. Dont expect to act rationally if you are attacked. You might use your martial arts if they are so drilled in you they become second nature- but then you might be like Tank Mcnamara and seeing something that looks like a fumbled football. Now, learning how to break duct tape bindings can be useful, because after the initial panic, you can then think. > [@xtenkfarpl](#): > > There again, perhaps that is an oxymoron: is there really any such thing as a defensive weapon? Shield? I got some knife fighting training- which I would likely forget in an emergency. > [@xtenkfarpl](#): > > You are probably right. Training muscle memory and reflexes… most civilians don’t have those habits ingrained… Yep. and even so it doesnt always work. My buddy was training with a martial arts master, and he was asked- how about if your foe has a gun? He replied- use this maneuver “raises hands”. Yeah, I had a CCW for a while after a death threat. I never had to use it in a panic. Twice i did pull it as a threat and I think that both times it ended a very real threat. > [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > My training assumed an armed opponent, and one of the first things we learned was that it is nearly impossible to engage with someone armed with a knife without getting cut yourself in some way. > [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > If you have experience with kali or eskrima, you know how effective fighting with batons can be, and I would honestly rather have a a 16 inch stick (or two) than a little 3” flipper knife. Right. I had no issue using a baton vs a knife. A trained man with a long nightstick will beat an amatuer with a knife every time. > [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#): > > Martial artist Harry Thomas Cameron can knock people out just by waving his hands and sending an (invisible) ball of energy at them. He’s demonstrated it for many years. > **[Touchless knockout](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touchless_knockout)** > > Touchless knockout or no-touch knockout is a fraudulent practice by con artists who claim knowledge of techniques by which an enemy combatant can be rendered unconscious solely by application of qi, kiai or similar methods, without making physical contact. This differs from pressure point techniques which involve light or slight contact to specific areas of the body causing unconsciousness. Skeptics believe apparent demonstrations of touchless knockout techniques to be hypnotism of, or acting (co... **Touchless knockout** or **no-touch knockout** i_s a fraudulent practice by con artists who claim knowledge of techniques by which an enemy combatant can be [rendered unconscious](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knockout) solely by application of [qi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qi), [kiai](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiai) or similar methods, without making physical contact. This differs from [pressure point](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pressure_point) techniques which involve light or slight contact to specific areas of the body causing unconsciousness. [Skeptics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skepticism) believe apparent demonstrations of touchless knockout techniques to be [hypnotism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypnotism) of, or acting ([collusion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collusion)) on the part of, the apparent victims of the technique._ _…([Touchless knockout - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touchless_knockout#cite_note-mma.com-1)) Another martial artist who claimed but was unable to prove an ability to knock out without contact is Harry Thomas “Tom” Cameron, who was featured in episode eight of season one of [Stan Lee’s Superhumans](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stan_Lee%27s_Superhumans) and, unusually for that program, judged not to have any superhuman ability whatsoever. Cameron was also debunked in a [Fox](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox_Network) news investigation.[[2]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touchless_knockout#cite_note-fightland-2)[[3]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touchless_knockout#cite_note-skeptoid-3)_ ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2024, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-effective-are-martial-arts-in-the-real-world/1000424/65 "2024-04-18T21:54:10Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > I ended up walking away because they got tuckered out and couldn’t continue fighting. I’m guessing they were surprised I fought back and just didn’t stop until they did. Most realistic movie fight ever: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/11dZSPIe9UU/maxresdefault.jpg "They Live (1988) Fight Scene - HD 1080p") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11dZSPIe9UU) Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2024, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-effective-are-martial-arts-in-the-real-world/1000424/66 "2024-04-18T21:57:20Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > I don’t know how you would explain that you used a knife against an unarmed opponent but from a legal standpoint you’d be on shaky ground. Now you are going off into legal defense of your actions. Kinda a different topic. I have no desire to put myself up as some master martial arts or weapons expert. But my considerable experience and strong opinion is that you underestimate the effectiveness of “a little 3” flipper knife." You are very welcome to your opinion. > [@DrDeth](#): > > I had no issue using a baton vs a knife. A trained man with a long nightstick will beat an amatuer with a knife every time. I agree. Were we discussing someone who attacks you with a baton? Even if that were the case, I’d prefer a knife over nothing. I’ll bow out, folk. I expressed my opinions/experiences. Take them for what little you may feel it worth. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2024, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-effective-are-martial-arts-in-the-real-world/1000424/67 "2024-04-18T22:08:08Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > If you feel the need to carry a weapon and a firearm is not a legal or realistic option (and carrying a firearm at all times is a real pain in the ass, sometimes literally) the best thing to carry and train with is a cane or walking stick; legal everywhere, can be carried openly, can keep an attacker at some distance (at least, initially), and surprisingly effective in defense even with a moderate amount of training. But really, the best defense is to be aware of a sketchy situation or potential attack and make haste elsewhere Way back in the Dark Ages, when dinosaurs roamed the earth and I was a young college student, I took a class in self-defense, to fulfill a graduation requirement. The instructor taught unarmed combat at (the then) Fort Benning, and the class was almost exclusively female; I was the only guy. The instructor had the same ideas you mentioned; he disdained organized martial arts techniques, and stressed being aware of your surroundings and noticing escape routes; he always stressed that the best self-defense weapon was a good pair of running shoes. Having read one of the posts upthread, I realize now he was also trying to teach the women that they were allowed to _act_, to scream, to run, to fight back if need be. But he didn’t have much use for weapons. One of his stories was about a former student who woke up in her apartment to a man atop her in her bed. She reached down, grabbed a heavy phone (I did say this was back in the olden days, when people still used handsets and landlines), and clocked the assailant in the head; he used this to illustrate the need to use anything at hand to defend yourself. He reluctantly taught the class to use one weapon - a three-foot stick of bamboo, grasped at either end, allowing the woman to flick it at eyes or throats or testicles. He liked it because it was light, inexpensive, stung rather than damaged - the idea being to stun the attacker long enough for the woman to run - and would probably not kill the victim if the assailant got it away and tried to use it against her. > [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > a knife is a terrible weapon for defense, the potential for dropping it or injuring yourself is significant, and a knife small enough to be routinely carried isn’t especially effective at stopping an attack promptly. The instructor did teach one knife technique, at the end of the class; hold your non-dominant arm parallel to your chest, and hold the knife a few inches behind that. Anyone reaching inside your arm, slash and pull back, never letting the knife get outside your blocking arm. But he still preferred the bamboo stick as a weapon, and a clean pair of heels as a better one than that. > [@Odesio](#): > > One episode featured a foot race across the Sahara Desert The [Marathon des Sables?](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marathon_des_Sables) It’s going on right now. One of the toughest and coolest ultras in the world. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e47774/32.png) [@epbrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2024, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-effective-are-martial-arts-in-the-real-world/1000424/68 "2024-04-19T02:53:19Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > I’m told that the IDF is taught Krav Maga. I’ve also been told that being focused on real outcomes, half of KM is strikes to the testicles. I have always **hated** the whole “this martial art is better” discussion. Given how few people have _any_ fight training, you’re never going to be in a situation where you have to defend yourself, see the other person strike a pose and think “Damn, he knows Jeet Kun Do, the perfect counter to my Wing Chun style.” If both are trained fighters that have put in the hours in the dojo, it’s basically a reset: who’s fitter, faster, stronger or brought more friends. KM is just another martial art that claims to strip out all the navel-gazing and focus in hitting people. The Cobra-Kai/Miyagi-Do debate all over again. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2024, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-effective-are-martial-arts-in-the-real-world/1000424/69 "2024-04-19T03:38:47Z")
> [@epbrown](#): > > I have always **hated** the whole “this martial art is better” discussion. Given how few people have _any_ fight training, you’re never going to be in a situation where you have to defend yourself, see the other person strike a pose and think “Damn, he knows Jeet Kun Do, the perfect counter to my Wing Chun style. Frankly, if there is a ‘style’ that counters your preferred ‘style’, that means that your training has a significant weakness. Having trained in a number of different Asian unarmed martial arts styles and forms, as well as some BJJ, wrestling, capoeira, baton and Kali training, and a variety of weapons, I think your particular style matters less than how well you’ve mastered the fundamentals of what you’ve trained in and your ability to both deliver and take a strike. Fighting stories are replete with a TKD Nth degree black belt who dropped at the first sucker punch because they weren’t prepared and weren’t able to recover, and frankly no matter what your experience is, if someone gets in a stunning blow first they will have the advantage. A lot of BJJ/MMA guys will talk at length about their ability to take a fight to ground and getting their opponent in an arm-bar which I’m sure it great in the Octagon but if your opponent has three friends ready to start kicking you in the head the last thing you want to do is end up wrestling on the ground. In a real world situation where you do not have plot armor, you want to do enough to break contact and then get away, or at least to a more defensible position. Not even a professional fighter can expect to take on three or more opponents with the expectation of being able to get out unscathed, and of course even a small caliber firearm beats whatever color of belt or your five years of Krav Maga if the shooter manages to put a few slugs in you first. I’d done a lot of Wing Chun training and with some caveats I think it trains in pretty practical ways but I’m not under any illusion that it would allow me to go up against a heavyweight boxer in a ring or a barfight, or against three guys with crowbars, or a single large dog. Regardless of all the time you’ve spent in the dojo practicing techniques, what is really important is awareness of your surrounding and any threats, your willingness and aggressiveness in a fight, and mostly your ability to retreat if you are outclassed or overwhelmed. And frankly, most of what dictates the winner in the real world is the willingness to strike first and with conviction, instead of posturing and dramatically flailing. Technique that isn’t instilled by hundreds of hours of repetition basically goes out the window at the first burst of adrenaline. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2024, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-effective-are-martial-arts-in-the-real-world/1000424/70 "2024-04-19T06:48:31Z")
> [@xtenkfarpl](#): > > Of course a proper cane has a secret catch which releases the rapier within. A more pacifist option would be to sit down and share a drink with you. > **[Brandy Smuggler Walking Cane Flask (a.k.a. quick kick me in the shins)](https://www.bourbonbanter.com/brandy-smuggler-walking-cane-flask-a-k-a-quick-kick-me-in-the-shins/)** > > I'm not going to go out and run a marathon tomorrow but then again I'm not quite ready to spend the rest of my days in a rocker on the front porch of "the ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2024, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-effective-are-martial-arts-in-the-real-world/1000424/71 "2024-04-19T09:07:37Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > My training assumed an armed opponent, and one of the first things we learned was that it is nearly impossible to engage with someone armed with a knife without getting cut yourself in some way. Back when I taught self defense, we always had someone ask about training with knives. We had one exercise for that, which was to wear a white T-shirt, and then “fight” using a black marker as the “knife”. No one, and I mean, _no one_, in several years of teaching, ever walked out without at least one good mark on their shirt. Most looked like they’d just attended a graffiti party. The funniest one was a buddy of mine who occasionally helped us teach. He was a trained martial artist, and a reasonable good one at that. He got almost all the way through the class untouched, until one woman got him with a stab that likely would have gone straight into his solar plexus, which would be quite likely to have killed him in real life. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2024, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-effective-are-martial-arts-in-the-real-world/1000424/72 "2024-04-19T09:13:36Z")
> [@xtenkfarpl](#): > > Of course a proper cane has a secret catch which releases the rapier within. > [@xtenkfarpl](#): > > Anecdotally, I have heard that the most effective hand to hand weapon is supposed to be a quarterstaff? > [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > He reluctantly taught the class to use one weapon - a three-foot stick of bamboo Wait, when did this turn into the _Chitty Chitty Bang Bang_ singalong thread? ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2024, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-effective-are-martial-arts-in-the-real-world/1000424/73 "2024-04-19T09:20:13Z")
> [@epbrown](#): > > If both are trained fighters that have put in the hours in the dojo, it’s basically a reset: who’s fitter, faster, stronger or brought more friends. And then there’s this point: as has been mentioned in this thread, the people who have actually trained in fighting are quite often the least likely to want to fight in the real world. They’re the ones telling you to avoid situations as much as possible. Anyone who has done any kind of sparring, even “point karate” kind of stuff, knows that weird shit happens when things start happening quickly. We’ve all seen a really good martial artist get hit because of something completely random that opens them up to an attack at just the wrong time, or they lose focus for just a second and get hit, or the opponent just gets a lucky shot in that they don’t see coming. In the dojo, this is all just fun and games, you laugh about it, knowing that 99 times out of hundred, that weird stuff wouldn’t matter. But in real life, that one time could get you killed. ---
**Author:** ![Adeptus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4af34b/32.png) [@Adeptus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Adeptus)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2024, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-effective-are-martial-arts-in-the-real-world/1000424/74 "2024-04-19T09:21:46Z")
I think that if You are searching for something effective, You should rather look for self-defense systems (like Krav Maga), rather than martial arts. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2024, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-effective-are-martial-arts-in-the-real-world/1000424/75 "2024-04-19T09:24:01Z")
My many years of martial arts training in many different styles, while very fun, has taught me that getting in an actual fight is fucking stupid. Take martial arts because you like the workout, the movement, and the chess match. Dont take it thinking you’re gonna be a hero on the street. Or maybe DO take if you think that. You’ll quickly learn how fucking stupid that mindset is. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2024, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-effective-are-martial-arts-in-the-real-world/1000424/76 "2024-04-19T09:25:04Z")
> [@Adeptus](#): > > I think that if You are searching for something effective, You should rather look for self-defense systems (like Krav Maga), rather than martial arts This is good advice if you’re in an area with lots of options for different classes. But if your options are more limited, the best advice I’ve ever heard is, “Train with the best teacher you can find, and do what they teach you.” Particular techniques are less important than just training. Training with the best is the best training. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2024, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-effective-are-martial-arts-in-the-real-world/1000424/77 "2024-04-19T09:44:06Z")
I remember a girlfriend who had taken a women’s self-defense class. She said the most important thing was to ram your opponent’s nose back into his head. You could do it with the heel of your hand. Then, kick him in the nuts. A friend who taught self-defense in the Canadian Forces (and who was a martial-arts expert): “Get him on the ground, then just smash his head into the pavement.” I’d be interested in posters’ opinions on these techniques. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2024, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-effective-are-martial-arts-in-the-real-world/1000424/78 "2024-04-19T09:57:23Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > Get him on the ground If this a street fight/mugging, then you’ve won. Now run. Bashing someone’s skull open like a melon on the pavement will incur lots of questionable things you’ll have to deal with for a long time. Legally, financially, and psychologically. ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2024, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-effective-are-martial-arts-in-the-real-world/1000424/79 "2024-04-19T10:38:03Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > A friend who taught self-defense in the Canadian Forces (and who was a martial-arts expert): “Get him on the ground, then just smash his head into the pavement.” I’ve read that most street fights go to the ground in about 30 seconds, which is why size is such an advantage. So, that makes a lot of sense. I do think that people who have no hesitation about smashing heads into concrete, throwing an elbow through someone’s teeth, etc., have a distinct advantage over the rest of us. They’re the “I don’t blink” people, like in that John Wayne movie. “Just smash his head into the pavement” is effective advice, I guess, but only to the extent that the listener would actually do so in the heat of the moment. ETA: “Friend, there’s nobody up there shooting back at you. It isn’t always being fast or even accurate that counts. It’s being willing. I found out early that most men, regardless of cause or need, aren’t willing. They blink an eye or draw a breath before they pull the trigger. I won’t.” ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2024, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-effective-are-martial-arts-in-the-real-world/1000424/80 "2024-04-19T11:02:30Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > The problem is that even in extreme self defense, I’d be reluctant to seriously injure or kill my assailant. One can’t overstate the importance of this, and people have died because they didn’t realize this until too late. Never carry a weapon unless you will use it quickly and without hesitation. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-effective-are-martial-arts-in-the-real-world/1000424.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-effective-are-martial-arts-in-the-real-world/1000424.md?page=5)