# the fighting skills of the average man **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 23, 2014, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fighting-skills-of-the-average-man/708056 "2014-12-23T20:42:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![rogerbox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/76d3ee/32.png) [@rogerbox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rogerbox)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2015, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fighting-skills-of-the-average-man/708056/181 "2015-01-06T01:17:50Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > No one has said anything about an American “in a video of a fight” any more than that anyone has claimed SEALs are supermen. The only video comment has been your making a judgement of the average Russian based on what you have seen on YouTube videos … > [@DSeid](#): > > BTW, do you have any basis for your elevation of typical Russian street fights to MMA levels? Cause I gotta tell you [these](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbFEGhE2hbk) [videos](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlJh5QYdiIA) don’t seem to look like mad fighting skillz to me. Yeah, I think you and I are done. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2015, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fighting-skills-of-the-average-man/708056/182 "2015-01-06T17:01:22Z")
What are we considering the “average man” anyway? There’s a lot of arguing about Navy SEALS, MMA fighters and experienced bar brawlers, but none of these guys are “average”. The average American man is about 5’10" and 180 lbs (about my size). How far can he run before tiring? How often does he work out and to what intensity? How much can he bench? Squat? Deadlift? How frequently does he play organized sports? Particularly contact sports? How much formal fighting training has he had? Military experience? How physically intensive is his job? How many fights has he been in during his lifetime? You know who doesn’t have a lot of fighting skills? A chimpanzee. I still wouldn’t want to fight one. Don’t underestimate raw size, strength, speed and stamina. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2015, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fighting-skills-of-the-average-man/708056/183 "2015-01-06T17:59:52Z")
Fighting skill? Pffff. **Ms Smith** , I always figured your user name was a numerical acronym anyhow. Anyone attacking you gets their choice of 14 from the Sig in your Right hand vs 14 from the Sig in your Left… Kate Beckinsale - Style. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2015, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fighting-skills-of-the-average-man/708056/184 "2015-01-06T18:12:47Z")
I’m nearly 54 and haven’t been in a fight of any kind since I was in… I dunno, 5th or 6th grade? I’m a big guy and live in a pretty safe neighborhood, so I’m not worried that anyone will try to pick a fight. But if someone did, I imagine my fighting skills would be pretty feeble. I can’t even remember the last time I tried to throw a real punch at ANYONE. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2015, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fighting-skills-of-the-average-man/708056/185 "2015-01-07T00:18:04Z")
> [@rogerbox](#): > > This forum is quite possibly the worst place to get information about fighting I have found. It’s almost all people talking out of their ass, or using 30 years out of date thinking. **Roger** , what do you want to accomplish in this thread? This is your first post in the thread, well into the third page, and it seems like you come in with a chip on your shoulder, looking for a fight, to use the theme of this thread. It looks like a lot of shouting past each other, not only with me, but also **DSeid** and others. If you are interested in a discussion, cool, we can do it, and see where we agree and disagree. I just don’t do pointless bar fights anymore. ---
**Author:** ![rogerbox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/76d3ee/32.png) [@rogerbox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rogerbox)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2015, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fighting-skills-of-the-average-man/708056/186 "2015-01-07T02:49:14Z")
> [@TokyoBayer](#): > > **Roger** , what do you want to accomplish in this thread? This is your first post in the thread, well into the third page, and it seems like you come in with a chip on your shoulder, looking for a fight, to use the theme of this thread. > > It looks like a lot of shouting past each other, not only with me, but also **DSeid** and others. > > If you are interested in a discussion, cool, we can do it, and see where we agree and disagree. I just don’t do pointless bar fights anymore. Other than the line you quoted, all I have given is my .02 and disagreed with a few posters, and then repeatedly corrected a thoroughly dishonest poster who mischaracterized what I said and repeatedly moved the goal posts. This isn’t a complex discussion, and I find it hard to believe he cannot process what I have said and digested it after multiple simple explainations. I have argued in good faith and not remotely lost my cool, and I’ve said my piece. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2015, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fighting-skills-of-the-average-man/708056/187 "2015-01-07T16:00:13Z")
> [@Count\_Blucher](#): > > Fighting skill? Pffff. > > **Ms Smith** , I always figured your user name was a numerical acronym anyhow. Anyone attacking you gets their choice of 14 from the Sig in your Right hand vs 14 from the Sig in your Left… Kate Beckinsale - Style. 🆒 msmith is a dude ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2015, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fighting-skills-of-the-average-man/708056/188 "2015-01-07T17:31:10Z")
> [@August\_West](#): > > msmith is a dude Well, that’d make the catsuit fit funny, huh? 😃 ---
**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:** [January 7, 2015, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fighting-skills-of-the-average-man/708056/189 "2015-01-07T17:39:05Z")
I think MsSmith has about the best grip on this topic so far. The fighting skills of the average man are horrible. We all agree on this. But horrible fighting skills can be offset by, size, strength and conditioning. At best you could call this a fun topic but no way to really have any kind of factual conclusions. I have probably been involved in a lot more fistfights than the average man and the only advantages that I think I gained for experience would be more presence of mind and less panic. I worked as a doorman for several years when I was in my forties, I got invloved in quite a few tussels but in most cases I could resolve it without myself or the client being seriously injured. If someone was really big or strong and appeared in really good shape I would try to enlist some back up. If no back up was available I would try to give myself any advantage I could come up with, the more dangerous or big a guy is the more danger he has of being hurt himeself because of the risk he poses. I really don’t have anything good to say about fighting period. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2015, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fighting-skills-of-the-average-man/708056/190 "2015-01-07T20:20:35Z")
> [@Count\_Blucher](#): > > Well, that’d make the catsuit fit funny, huh? 😃 Considering that at my size, it would look more like Melissa McCarthy than Kate Beckinsale, I think it would be very funny. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2015, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fighting-skills-of-the-average-man/708056/191 "2015-01-07T22:57:54Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > Considering that at my size, it would look more like Melissa McCarthy than Kate Beckinsale, I think it would be very funny. Dude, any chance that we could we lower you from the ceiling in a “Sela Ward” wig, but with Suspension Bridge Cables? You could promote “FIOs” while the the subtitles offer a deals for Comcast. Hey, Super-Bowl be A-comin’…! ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fighting-skills-of-the-average-man/708056/192 "2015-01-08T00:01:51Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > What are we considering the “average man” anyway? There’s a lot of arguing about Navy SEALS, MMA fighters and experienced bar brawlers, but none of these guys are “average”. Finally, getting back on track. The whole hijack came about because of Astro’s reply to **Tronopus** ’ post. First, > [@Trinopus](#): > > To be a bit circular, the average man would be “average” at it. > > The trouble is that it isn’t really a bell curve, but an asymptotic curve, with Navy SEALs **way out toward one extreme** , and J. Wellington Wimpy some distance the other way. The problem is that Astro jumps all over this with a silly argument. > [@astro](#): > > While Seals would be in good shape and have some rudimentary hand to hand skills I’m not sure they (or any Armed Forces personnel) really train intensively for real world hand to hand combat. I would think **most experienced bar fighters in decent shape would have a better than even chance of beating up a Navy Seal one on one in a street or bar confrontation.** My emphasis. **Astro** argument that “most experienced bar fighters” could take on a Navy Seal seems to be silly in that, as he was challenged numerous times in this thread, what is an experienced bar fighter? Your questions would be good for this claimed person as well. How many fights has he had? How big is he? Despite their use in strawman I don’t see anyone really claiming that Seals are supermen. **Tronopus** didn’t even make that claim, only that they would be toward the extreme on one side. Which they are, simply by being young, tough and able to take a physical punishment. NFL players should be toward the extreme as well. MMA fighters may be the end point, but when it gets that far out, it doesn’t matter anymore _to the average guy_. To use your basketball analogy, I’m sure that Michael Jordon could have whipped John Stockton (this dates me, of course) on a one-on-one but pick any guy on a college team and they would kick the average guy’s sorry ass on the court. You could spot me a 98-point advantage and the ball and pretty much any of these could beat me to 100. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2015, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fighting-skills-of-the-average-man/708056/193 "2015-01-09T00:23:17Z")
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > The fighting skills of the average man are horrible. We all agree on this. But horrible fighting skills can be offset by, size, strength and conditioning. At best you could call this a fun topic but no way to really have any kind of factual conclusions. Horrible fighting skill may be able to compensate somewhat by those factors, unless you are fighting someone who is far more skilled and experienced. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fighting-skills-of-the-average-man/708056.md?page=9)