Assumptions about a criminal's attentions

Okay folks, I have a good one for you. It is about the nature of a street confrontation. I dont mean the physical nature of one, that has been studied exhaustively. What I am asking about is the thing that goes through your mind, the second a physical confrontation becomes a possibility. I was taught one thing very simply by my father: Be prepared to kill your opponent. That may sound a little harsh, but in fact it is not.

See, here is how it works. When you get to the point that you may not be able to avoid a fight, know one thing for sure: Your job is to survive with as little damage as possible. The best way to do that is to be prepared to go all the way. I feel obligated to say this first though: If a person pulls a gun on you and wants your wallet, GIVE IT TO THEM. I have been there, it is NOT a good time. But there was nothing in my wallet worth getting shot for. He got my money, I got to continue living. I got the better deal on that one. Anyhow, back to what I was saying. You never know what a person really wants from you. You must be prepared at all times to take a life in a physical confrontation if need be. That goes DOUBLE for you ladies out there. Just because a person pulls a knife and demands your wallet/purse, that is no assurance that they will stop once they have your money. Don't make that assumption.

Here are the simple facts, if someone larger, and stronger than yourself, you have no time to hesitate. You must be prepared to defend your life at all costs. I hear a lot of martial artists talk about "not wanting to hurt their opponent." Or sometimes they try to "do just enough to stop them." That is fine and dandy in a sportive situation. It can be fatal in the streets. If a person larger, smaller or the same size as me forces me into a confrontation, it is serious business. My first strike planned for a fight is always to the throat. ALWAYS. I practice my jab as much as anyone. But I only do that because that means in a non-sportive situation my half fist (panther fist) will land better.

I do NOT let size determine how hard I fight. The late great heavyweight boxer Jack Johnson once said that the hardest he had EVER been hit was by Sam Langford. Sam was 160#. I am fond of telling folks that the hardest I have ever been hit in my life was by 110 pound world champ Michael Carbajal. I was 6 inches taller and 70 pounds heavier. Do NOT judge a book by its cover.

But I digress. Here it is in black and white folks. When you are assaulted, go for the kill. Especially you ladies. If during the course of the you-to-them hind-kicking you learn that the person is NOT a lethal threat, THEN you can tone it down. Not one moment before. The reason unskilled criminals, thugs and street-fighters can defeat trained fighters sometimes is simple. They are totally willing to do grievous harm to you. As civilized folks, we often lose a bit of the killer instinct that criminal have spent so much time honing. As a result, they often have a mental advantage over "regular folks."

See, with the kill mentality you are already commited to doing everything and anything that you need to do to end a fight. End it quickly, and end it as violently as you need to. I once saw a fight go on for a considerable amount of time only to see the "loser" pull out a gun and shoot the other. You never know what the other person is going to do. Once the person wilts and folds under your vicious assault, THEN you can stop attacking and get the heck out of dodge. Not before. See, the civilized part of our brain says" Okay, this guy/girl is done. Now I can stop whooping hiney and the person will not be able to hurt me any more."

It is a lot easier to make that distinction while you are winning a fight, as opposed to losing one. The reason that comeback stories in sports are so popular, is because they are highly unlikely. If you go into a fight with the mindset of " I am just going to control them", or " I will just hurt him enough to stop", you could be in for a rude suprise. If the person is more ferocious than you planned, it is not easier to go UP a level in violence. Ask any policeman or law enforcement that you know. Trying to fight back while on the defensive is usually a recipe for disaster. Statistically, the person throwing the punches will win the fight. That is because the other person is on the defensive most of the time. So dont think that you will be the magical exception if that time comes.

If you have no idea what viciousness feels like, practice. I am not talking about that crap that sells questionable martial arts skills to the public. If you want to see what down and dirty can look like, check out the movie "Taken." The premise is simple, an ex govt. agent's daughter is kidnapped while in Europe. He then goes about doing whatever is needed to find her and bring her back safely. Needless to say, I was impressed with the man's resolve.

Let me paint a scenario for you. Have your partner put on a motorcycle helmet, cup, body protection, and gloves. When you square of with him/her, throw a front kick square to the groin. Follow with a elbow to the face. Try an osoto gari takedown and then practice kicking that person in the face and body. No, not kicking, stomping. After 20-25 good stomps mount your opponent and throw 15-20 full power elbows to the face, whether vertically or horizontally........ That is what fighting for your life looks like. For you grapplers out there, feel free to include arm locks and chokes. Choke as hard as you can with the idea of rendering your opponent unconscious as quickly as possible. Respect the tap out, but keep the proper mindset.

Get it? Your life is no joke. Neither is the health of your loved ones. If you have to fight, be prepared to take a life, so that you can go home to your family. Like Alan Goes from Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu fame says," Better his mother cry than yours." Well spoken sir!