Can you defend yourself?

[brom0220]

I'm going to be testing for my brown belt in Judo soon. So I think I can defend myself reasonably well. 5 on 1 though I would run if at all possible.

I should note that I approach real fights with a completely different mentality than I approach Judo matches. In a real fight, the goal is to crush your enemy as swiftly and savagely as possible. Ruthlessness is the rule, not the exception. Break bones, joints, noses, gouge eyes, rip ears, bite if you have to, hit weak points, balls, diaphragm, solar plexus, joints, temples, kidneys, etc. Sneak attacks, surprise attacks, use the environment, grab weapons etc. Do what you have to in order to survive. Beat him until he stops twitching if you have to. Often the winner of a real fight is the one who is more willing to permanently fuck the other guy up. If you can run or talk your way out though, do so immediately. If not, see above.

Martial arts aren't a rigid set of moves for a fight, but rather a set of tools in your belt to use any way you need to. Do not limit yourself to a specific art or move set.

 

[Backlashboy]

OMG i never knew that this thread would be so popular thank you guys
And for people that are asking they can be any size big skinny fat full of muscle's etc.

 

[SquirePB]

The trick is all in the positioning. If you can manage to get hold of one of them and put them between you and the others you can reduce the number advantage considerably. Your judo would be quite helpful for this. Still with 5 guys that's a tall order. I've been doing martial arts of various style for around 14 years now but I don't much fancy my chances against 5. I'd back down if I could. But if it was to protect someone a care about then I wouldn't hesitate. If you strike hard and fast before they realise you're going to fight you can easily neutralise one of them before the others even know what's happening (I'd use my muay thai and go for a flying knee to the chin of the nearest one personally).

 

[Tiger Sora]

Against 5 guys. About my only bet is clawing out one guys eye balls. The others would probably run away if I did that.
Realistically in that situation. I'll go down swinging. I'll be sore for a few weeks...

 

[Nannernade]

Maybe if they lost control of their motor skills and they were drunk... then maybe I would stand a chance.

 

[Vausch]

One on one? Yes, with most people. 2 on one? Maybe. More? Yeah, if I can't find a makeshift weapon I'm running.

 

[demoman_chaos]

Yes, I would do quite well I think. Some training in wrestling, MMA, german longsword (which includes a lot of grappling), and rifle marksmanship training (via US Army).

Without a weapon, I could fend off 1 fellow, maybe 2 really weak fools. With a decent weapon, I could hold off several more. My experience with axes (small hand axes all the way up to 5 ft dane axes) gives me an advantage with off balance weapons while my longsword training gives me an edge with comparable items.

 

[DevilWithaHalo]

I know how to defend myself and I have defended myself.

The reason I could probably take 5 guys is the same reason I can walk away from most fights; diffusion. Even drunk people can be talked down. You just need to learn the group fast and figure out what they want.

Avoidance works wonders too; try not to put yourself in a position where you have to fight 5 guys.

But, you know, you guys keep talking smack-fu; it amuses me.

 

[bigfatcarp93]

I carry a really sturdy walking stick around with me everywhere I go, and I know how to fight with it. So yeah, I'm set.

 

[MorganL4]

Against one guy? I can manage. Two guys? Eeeeh... maybe. Three and up? Start running!

Yeah, this is my way of looking at it too. I spent a decade studying tae kwon do and I am pretty confident in my ability to defend myself.... But I think that more than a 2 on 1 situation would result in me getting pretty ruffed up.

 

[emeraldrafael]

A big knife solves all problems. thats my solution to five on ones.

 

[Asmundr]

Realistically if it was one-on-one then yeah. Though if it was a group vs me then it would really depend on the circumstances and the people I was facing. Given the option I would run, or at least run to a better ground fight on. If pressed then, I don't know. I would make them pay for every inch though.

I am confident but really realistic. One-on-one fights are rarely fair to begin with and if a group gangs up on you then its not fair from the start. I would kill the bastards if a group tried to jump me.

You know, to even things up. Nothing like some bravado to liven the mood lol

 

[Spearmaster]

what i mean by this thread is if you had to fight someone for whatever reason do you think you could stand a chance of beating them i do kickboxing and judo but i still feel if i was Surrounded by 5 guys i would get my ass handed too me so is there anything you guys do that would give you an advantage in that kind of Situation?

In a true fight there is no honor or code of conduct, it can go to the death, and to the victor another breath on this earth. In a true fight nothing is off limits but it may cost you everything.

If it is like some kinda bro/tough guy/showoff fight it is better to walk away, if you cant, grab the first guy and cause him as much pain as possible, his screams may detour the other attackers or give the police a chance to track one of them down at the hospital.

 

[Ravenbom]

No, you can't take 5 guys by yourself if they do what people do in real life: gang up on you all at once not one at a time like in movies.
I've been jumped before by 5 guys, as soon as you're on the ground you're not getting back up because you're being stomped and kicked.
It's something you learn in Krav Maga, you can't hit the ground in real life situations, you always need to keep your feet. I'm also doubtful the usefulness of Krav Maga in many situations outnumbered and alone.
You'd be a solider with back up so I think that's when it's most valuable as a martial art.


I can defend myself against one person, but I'd rather not. I just know that with my luck the person would bust their head on cement and I'd be going to prison which is the last place on earth I would want to be.
Or I'd get killed because in real life there's no such thing as a fair fight and I don't want to get stabbed with anything, coincidentally the reason I don't want to go to prison. Though I'm more worried about getting stabbed with fleshy things in prison.

 

[Denamic]

I got bullied in school a lot. In other words, I got beaten on for years. Coupled with years of goalie experience in hockey, I was eventually so used to stuff flying towards my face that I could take punches to my face without even blinking. When I eventually grew balls in 9th grade and fought back, I sent two guys to the hospital, one of them with broken teeth.

Only been in one 'fight' since then. I was in a store and window shopping while waiting for the buss, and some guy drops his smartphone on the ground, which I naturally step on, cracking its display. He flips out on me, threatening my life and what not. He eventually grabs my jacket and rips a seam, which pissed me off as I really like that jacket, and I knock him out. I don't even remember how I punched him, but he dropped like a sack of potatoes.

I don't have any martial arts training or anything like that, but I am pretty strong. I grew up doing sports, being as physically fit as a kid realistically get for a span of 10 years. I still have to work out occasionally, or I get so restless that I can't even sit still, and that drives me insane.

So yes, I'm probably capable of defending myself better than most, though I tend to avoid physical confrontations.

 

[Not G. Ivingname]

I have gun.

Let's see how those push ups deal with buck shot.

 

[Kiefer13]

I'd like to think so, but I honestly don't know. I've not been in many fights (and no really serious ones), and I'd like to keep it that way if possible.

 

[Trippy Turtle]

No and I wouldn't be willing to shoot someone unless my life was in danger.
Also I would feel like an idiot carrying a weapon around with me all the time.

 

[Korolev]

I'm only reasonably sure that I could defeat someone weaker than me or who was roughly at the same strength.

If surrounded by a large number of people, my only instinct is to flee. Do not fight multiple opponents at once - unless you are on a strong drug which makes you impervious to pain, YOU. WILL. LOSE. I have never seen or heard of a genuine fight in which 1 person managed to defeat more than 5 assailants that were of roughly the same size and strength. I know it looks really cool in the Matrix how Neo manages to defeat all those agents, or how so many martial arts films showcase an expert kicking the crap out of a room full of guys.... but that is why you only see that stuff on films. It's make believe. In reality, if you are faced with 4 or 5 opponents, who attack you all at once:

YOU.
ARE.
STUFFED.

Run from multiple opponents, or, failing that, go into the fetal position and do whatever you can to protect your brain.