As I’ve confessed before, I have a slight addiction to CCTV footage. It’s a little morbid, but not without its benefits. A lot can be learned from watching attacks and attempted robberies. You don’t have to wonder about what works in the real world (on the street instead of in the gym), you can watch a few assaults and see what works, and what doesn’t. Here are a few of the more common mistakes made during street fights that change the outcome.
Ego Show
Perhaps the most common mistake that results in a quick and violent end is when one person involved chooses to spread their hands out as far as they can while yelling at their opponent. Both exposing themselves to an attack they are no longer able to block, and removing the reinforcement your jaw needs if struck by opening their mouth.
Looking Down
I see it all the time, sometimes from both parties, they look at each other as they bounce around, but when they decide to strike they look down and swing blind. Not only are they not able to see what they are swinging at, but they can’t see what’s coming their way. While it’s always a good idea to tuck the chin in a fight, your eyes should be on your opponent’s shoulders so that you can read their movement to predict what strikes they are about to throw.
Turning Around
Often times when someone how is not used to being hit is taking strikes to the head and face their reaction is to turn away. This is probably the worst reaction possible. After turning, you will have no ability to defend, the back of your head will be exposed to strikes, and if on the ground your opponent can choke you unconscious or kill you. If you are in trouble, move laterally, and if you need to wrap your opponent up in order to buy yourself some time to recover.
There are some things in fights that carry risks and offer a potential benefit, these actions on the other hand have no potential benefit what so ever, and they often result in disaster for those that choose them. A little regular training will keep you from making these mistakes. For those that have the time and resources, I highly recommend training regularly in some sort of combative sport, MMA, jujitsu, wrestling, boxing, or a contact martial art. The health and fitness benefits will come quickly, and if you find yourself in an unavoidable altercation on the street, the training will pay off big. But even if you can’t train, if you don’t make these mistakes, you will be doing alright compared to so many of those that have made the fail list of CCTV.
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