# Special force soldier vs thug in a street fight **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 9, 2017, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/special-force-soldier-vs-thug-in-a-street-fight/784138 "2017-04-09T23:29:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2017, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/special-force-soldier-vs-thug-in-a-street-fight/784138/21 "2017-04-11T03:30:25Z")
Are we talking about a Street Fighter with Hadoken powers? I’m sorry, but I have to think skilled “street fighters” are relatively rare. I’m sure most “street fights” involve some thugs jumping someone from behind (possibly with a weapon) or a couple of drunks in a bar letting their mouth write checks their beer muscles can’t cash. > [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Yes but how often do sf soldiers find themselves in unarmed combat? That’s classified. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2017, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/special-force-soldier-vs-thug-in-a-street-fight/784138/22 "2017-04-11T05:22:59Z")
I’m pretty sure the street thug would have the upper hand. Training helps, sure, but street fights get ugly and unpredictable pretty fast. Given two combatants of equal size I’ll put my money on experience over training every time in this situation. ---
**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 11, 2017, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/special-force-soldier-vs-thug-in-a-street-fight/784138/23 "2017-04-11T05:38:49Z")
How many “street thugs” do you know who have had to go through something equivalent to the ‘Q’ course (Special Forces Qualificaiton Course), or the ‘simulated torture’ of SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape), or even have formal hand-to-hand and improvised weapon training? What would make you believe that special forces operators don’t have “experience” exceeding that of a flailing street fighter when it comes to practicing takedowns and disabling tactics? Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2017, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/special-force-soldier-vs-thug-in-a-street-fight/784138/24 "2017-04-11T06:20:06Z")
Every single news story I’ve ever read that involves street thugs fighting trained people (either MMA, boxers, soldiers etc.) is always the exact same outcome. Either the trained person wins the 1 on 1, or the thugs win because it’s 5 of them versus a single person. Street thugs who are actually really good at fighting tend to find employment that doesn’t require them to rob people on the streets (such as bouncers, amateur fighters, and enforcers) ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2017, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/special-force-soldier-vs-thug-in-a-street-fight/784138/25 "2017-04-11T09:41:43Z")
A friend who is a Royal Marine has been beaten up by street thugs. He was alone; they outnumbered him handily. A later time, though, he was with a mate and the two of them sent the thugs fleeing. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2017, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/special-force-soldier-vs-thug-in-a-street-fight/784138/26 "2017-04-11T10:23:55Z")
> [@White SIFL](#): > > I’m pretty sure the street thug would have the upper hand. Training helps, sure, but street fights get ugly and unpredictable pretty fast. Given two combatants of equal size I’ll put my money on experience over training every time in this situation. With all due respect, you’re out of your mind. It’s not like Navy SEALS and other SOCOM troops go through a few hours of self defense “training” at the local dojo to learn to punch muggers in the balls with their car keys. These guys spend years studying and training for war under the harshest conditions. The average “street fighter” is some local punk whose “experience” mostly consists of getting drunk and brawling in bars or bullying other local punks. SOCOM soldiers are trained to push themselves beyond their limits to win. The average street thug is more interested in beating someone up than actually fighting them. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2017, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/special-force-soldier-vs-thug-in-a-street-fight/784138/27 "2017-04-11T11:02:14Z")
> [@White SIFL](#): > > I’m pretty sure the street thug would have the upper hand. Training helps, sure, but street fights get ugly and unpredictable pretty fast. Given two combatants of equal size I’ll put my money on experience over training every time in this situation. Who would you bet on: street thug, or experienced MP of equal size? ---
**Author:** ![drewder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@drewder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewder)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2017, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/special-force-soldier-vs-thug-in-a-street-fight/784138/28 "2017-04-11T13:36:06Z")
The thing is an SF soldier is almost 100% muscle and has spent his entire adult life learning and thinking about how to be the one who is alive at the end of a fight. He also spends a large portion of time in war zones, surviving and destroying anyone who might get in his way. A street tough just doesn’t have the discipline, endurance, strength, or skill to stand up to him. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2017, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/special-force-soldier-vs-thug-in-a-street-fight/784138/29 "2017-04-11T20:57:58Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Who would you bet on: street thug, or experienced MP of equal size? MP. Because of the practical experience. This is all academic of course. But with respect to msmith, training for war in general or being able to sit in cold water for long by periods of time won’t make you an expert in street fighting. It’s the “street” part that really needs to be taken into account here. Your average special forces guy is not likely to throw the first punch. That’s a huge disadvantage. Nor would he be prone to sucker punching, etc. I’ve never been in the special forces but two of my good friends have. Both of their weapons of choice was a silenced automatic weapon. They prefered not to Rambo it out with the enemy. I did have a short stint as bouncer. Drunken thugs are not as easy put down as you might think. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/special-force-soldier-vs-thug-in-a-street-fight/784138/30 "2017-04-12T01:22:39Z")
A street fighter is not a drunken brawler, a drunken brawler is a drunken brawler. A good street fight has some training often informal and not in a gym. He will also have 40 or 50 fights under his belt and he is probably strong and in good shape. He won’t beat an mma fighter but anything less he will be a worthy opponent size being equal. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/special-force-soldier-vs-thug-in-a-street-fight/784138.md?page=1)