It should go without saying that avoiding fights is the best way to stay alive. We don’t want to fight with anyone. We shouldn’t place ourselves in situations where we could be hurt. We can stay out of trouble by being aware of our surroundings, using “de-escalation,” and getting out of there. Sometimes we don’t have a choice. Sometimes there’s nowhere to go, so we have to stand our ground and defend ourselves. Let’s look at three rules that will help you win a fight on the street.
Strike First
Baguazhang has a rule that says, “When your opponent strikes, you strike first.” At first, this might seem like a mess or a contradiction. The idea is that you should shoot as soon as you see a threat. In many martial arts, we are taught to wait for our opponent to act before we do anything. This is stupid and rude.
It assumes that we can act quickly enough. We can’t afford to guess that. A strike before we’re attacked can save our lives and give us a huge advantage. How can we get the first strike? How do we decide when to attack? Let me give one example. Suppose you are strolling along the street when someone bumps your shoulder.
This is a tried-and-true way to start a fight at school. You don’t know what the person wants at this point. You take a step back, putting yourself in a position that lets you defend but looks neutral. You raise your hands to look like you’re begging and giving in, but you’re getting ready to defend yourself. The attacker decides to make things worse. He moves toward you with the plan to push you.
You could wait until he touches your arms or shoulders, then fight back. But you’re guessing what he’ll do. Does he have a knife? Will he pretend to push you and then pull you, knee you in the groin, stomp your foot, etc.? Is he just a distraction so his partner can hit you from behind? Why not find out now? Why take the risk?
As soon as you know, he’s going to move toward you, strike! To stop him, hit him quickly, hit him hard, and hit him in a key spot. Also, it would help if you didn’t stop hitting him until he couldn’t move. Most people, even martial artists, can’t knock someone out with one punch. You should attack him as long as he is standing. He should only get away if he runs away.
Move
Situational awareness training teaches people that moving can save their lives. When you sense danger, you should move! Impact zone is a term utilized by the army. The area where the bombs will land is called the impact zone.
It could be bullets, artillery, or an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). The idea is still the same. The only way to stay alive during these attacks is to move out of the area where they hit. In training government agents to be aware of their surroundings, they are told, “Get off the x.” The “x” shows where the danger is.
When two people fight hand-to-hand, there is no “impact zone.” There is another dangerous area like this one. Most of the time, being in front of your opponent is the worst place. We don’t want to fight our attacker head-on, like in movies or on the street.
It would help if you moved as soon as you or your opponent started an attack. Don’t just stand still and wait for the blows. This idea is shown very well by the sport of boxing. You’ll see the boxers going around and around each other. They usually move to the opposite side of the body of the opponent’s back-punching hand.
We can move by going in a circle or taking a diagonal step away from the line of attack. You can do two things simultaneously by moving 45 degrees away from your opponent. You step out of the way of the enemy’s fire, leaving them open to attack.
Move on once you’ve started. You keep moving until the other person can no longer fight. This will stop anyone from sneaking up on you from behind while you’re busy killing the bad guy. Staying on your feet is what it means to move. “Go to the ground” never. If you fall, get up and keep going as soon as possible.
Leave There is no winner or loser here. If you stay alive, you won’t get any trophies. When the fight is over, you should leave the area. I’m not an attorney. I don’t advise about the law. I’m only writing because I worry about your safety. If you stay there, the person who attacked you might get back up. I’m sure he won’t be happy. If he is on the ground but still awake, he may pull a gun and shoot you. He might have friends in town who desire to finish what he begins. Just leave.