Patchwork, I do believe you just "TL;DR"' me.

In other words, thanks for summing up my words! Hahaha..

I didn't mean to offer this as gospel. I just view it as worth thinking about. There are alternatives to punching. I've said before that I'm no martial arts expert, however I do think -- just IMO here -- that if you're trading punches with someone it's more likely a game than a fight you really have to be having.

Anyway... opinions... opinions...

One of the most effective defenses against a punch to the face I learned is simply to duck and let the attacker's knuckles glance off the top/crown of your head. Often it leads to broken and/or dislocated fingers.

Punch the body, elbow/forearm the head. Fast kicks to the legs to slow them down, only kick higher when oppurtunity strikes.

Now that I've actually watched the video, I see nothing wrong with the strikes he proposes, but I do take issue with his premise that the natural reaction to a thrown punch is to just stand there and take it. I agree you shouldn't punch the skull with a closed fist, but if you tried to punch a person's face, they're going to try to move out of the way. This can still result in the injuries he described, so maybe his premise doesn't really matter.

I'm a big fan of the side of the head/ear cupped palm slap. Stings like a bitch and will often throw the target off balance and disrupt their equilibrium. I've had success with this one.

A grappling style, like Jiujitsu is generally superior in a fight. Look at how Ultimate Fighting evolved because the grapplers were routinely wiping the mat with the strikers. If you're not a trained boxer, don't bother throwing punches.

Grappling is exactly what the army teaches at the basic level -- go for a dominant position then do a finishing move, pretty much.

They also emphasize that the winner of a fight is probably going to be the guy whose friends show up first.

IRL my limited experience has included grappling and kicking once or twice. I hurt my hand punching once or twice, too -- looking back on it I can't think of any situation that was resolved by a punch. The only kick that ever really mattered was getting somebody away from me so I could get further away from them.

Grappling has usually been a "hey, calm down" type of thing.

Punching and kicking is effective if you have an affinity for fighting, but many people do not have that.


Here's another video that presents the idea that there are different types of fighters, hence why a brute can often defeat a martial artist, and vice versa. [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] src="[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] width="425" height="350" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" quality="high" scale="exactfit">

The throws can be the winner, but the punch can make the opening. Most pure soft martial arts teach atemi to make the openings needed.

Don't punch someone in the top of the head. Heel palms and hammerfist are safer punching.
Common sense.

I love boxing and sometimes hearing things like the video annoy me. I get it it is safer, but don't assume everyone punches like a fool.
Punching is good just learn how and where to punch.

Double helix that video makes me want to start challenging fool martial artists.

Im a grappler, putting someone and keeping them in a hold gets you tired tho

Grappling is important, I learn it and I teach it. However I would caution against going to the ground in a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu way in actual street combat. You never know if the guy you've so expertly pinned has a friend rushing to his aid. If you are all tangled up with somebody it's hard to get away.

Striking has it's place.

punching can knock your opponent out, it takes very little energy opposed to going to the ground. ive seen a 5'6 munchin knock out some 6'2 goliath dude in a bar fight, there would be no way in he;; the guy would have out wrestled him.

title should be called learn to punch in a fight.

most people dont know how to punch and this is why they mess up their hands. ive sprained my wrist and knuckles plenty of times playing punch for punch as a kid because i never punched alot. but a couple months with a punching bag and ive learned how to position my fists to not sprain myself when throwing a punch.

Only works if the person getting the punch is unprepeared for it, not much use for self defence (unless you want to be arrested). You should be damn sure somebody is gonna hurt you if you use ambush as self defense. Could be useful if you need to make an opening to flee throug if you are being surrounded.

Even in grappling we are taught to occasionally 'stun' the opponent with a low kick or open handed strike, even a punch. It's mostly to distract them so we can execute a joint lock and throw.

I would much prefer using elbows and knees than my fists.

There was also a notion that I learned through my training that some people who weren't thinking would take their keys in their hands, position them *through* the middle of their fingers and use them as "claws".

This was one of the DUMBEST thing for folks to do (and apparently they used to do this! --Not sure if it still happens or whatnot), primarily because it would ultimately destroy the webbing between your fingers (and once again disabling your own levels of protection).

Another thing I learned through my training was to ALWAYS come in at an angle.

If you hit folks straight on, you increase your risk of damaging yourself (much like the guy in the first vid mentions).

I would prefer to distract with fake right hook and then come up with my left palm and hit them in the chin, if I can give myself the opportunity to pull this off.



Cheers,




~HS. :>