How do you win a fist fight?

Question

OK, I am not a very experienced boxer, and I, pretty much, am not too good at it. However, I am pretty strong (stronger than most guys). Now, I need to win a fist fight and not get hurt. Where can I punch to INSTANTLY win a fist fight? And how can I prevent personal injuries? (Bruises are OK; bloody/broken noses, black eyes, lost teeth, broken bones, sprained bones are NOT OK). The WORST injury it to be a bruise. How do I do it?

Answer 1

1. Although perhaps obvious, the best way to 'win' in a street fight is to avoid one altogether. In the vast majority of cases, there will be some sort of 'warning' before actual physical aggression occurs.
2. If you can resolve a dispute without having to trade blows, do so. Don't let your ego get in the way of your safety.
3. In a verbal dispute that has the potential to become violent, stay calm and take a firm but apologetic approach. Your best approach is to be neutral and unconfrontational. For instance, if a guy accuses you of looking at his girlfriend, you can just apologise and say that she looked like someone you used to know. He now has only two options:
1. Accept your apology, and maybe even apologize back. If this happens, all is well. Is it THAT hard to apologize to some jerk (even if you don't mean it) to avoid a fight?
2. Continue the threatening behavior.
4. If he continues to threaten:
1. Repeat the apology. Look sincere, but not weak!
2. If he continues to threaten and close the distance on you, say that you do not want any trouble. Be firm verbally. Use terms like "back off" or "keep away". Get louder as he gets closer.
5. Keep your guard up. Even if it's only by extending your hands in a 'stay-back' type of pose, it places something between you and your opponent.
6. The attacker needs to close distance to strike you. Stay at a distance from your opponent, allowing the distance to shorten only to strike. Staying just out of their reach means they cannot hit you. Once an attacker attempts to enter this area, you should either strike or move away. Do not wait for them to hit you. However, also recognize that staying close can limit your opponent's ability to land powerful punches.
* Try to stay on an opponent's 'outside' (i.e. towards the side, rather than directly in front). Remember that they can be an obstacle to themselves.
* If fighting more than one opponent, move in such a way as to keep them in each other's way. Don't stay between them, and try to limit the directions they can attack from.
7. Err on the side of caution, by assuming the following:
* Your opponent is a better fighter, and has backup.
* They have a blunt or edged weapon, such as brass knuckles or a knife.
* You will be hit. This is less of an assumption than a certainty. If you keep fighting after being hurt, you are less likely to submit.
8. Prepare to strike with your hands. Options include:
* Slam your outstretched open hand into his face. This will more than likely stop any punches he may be throwing. A simple hand in the face will disorient most people a great deal. Try it (gently) on a willing training partner.
* Punches. For punches, keep your hand, wrist, and two largest knuckles in a straight line, and punch with those two knuckles. Hit as hard and fast as you can without leaving your guard open. Hit numerous times quickly. Intersperse with kicks to the knees, groin, or just under the ribs. However, unless you have lots of training and are sure you can land clean blows, punches are not recommended. It requires leverage, distance, and timing to deliver effective strikes that won't damage your own hand.
* Non-punch hand strikes include palm strikes, slaps, and hammer fists (using the bottom, fleshy part of the clenched fist). Palm strikes can be used like punches. Slaps are very effective against the side of the head and neck. Hammer fists can be thrown in multiple directions (up, across, and down) without any fear of self-inflicted damage.
9. Consider using low kicks if you are at arm's reach. Low kicks should be aimed towards shins, ankles, the insides of calves. Do not aim higher than knee or waist height.
10. If you are close to your opponent, you can also use knees and elbows, although this may require some training. These are harder to deliver, since leverage and balance is needed on your part to be effective. You can also use hooks and uppercuts while holding with the other arm.
11. Scratching, biting, clawing, spitting, pulling hair and attacking eyes can also be used. You are defending yourself from a violent aggressor, not fighting in a ring with rules. Use anything you can to ensure your safety. Poke the eyes, and if there are others ganging up on you, hit with outstretched fingers into the front of the throat. Don't do this unless several are ganging up on you, as it is potentially lethal.
12. Know when and how to run:
* If you are outmatched or outnumbered, or just not willing to fight, then run at the first opportunity.
* Try to run towards public, well-lit areas where there will be others.
* If you know you won't outrun them, don't even try. If you are caught (especially with multiple attackers), you will lose the fight due to a simple lack of energy. The one or two opponents that sprint with you may be just as tired, but those jogging behind will be fresh for the fight.
13. Attempt to evade an attack completely. Simply standing and blocking an attack with your arms or legs can leave you exposed.
14. Stay on your feet. Going to the ground is very dangerous to the untrained fighter, especially if the opponent has weapons, back-up, or ground-fighting experience. If you find yourself tangled up with them, break away any way you can.
15. Keep your balance, and attack your opponent's balance when you can. Limit the opponent's movement of the feet and/or legs.
16. Attack any open, vulnerable spot without exposing too much of yourself. Damage to "soft spots" (face, temples, throat, kidneys, solar plexus, etc.) may eventually incapacitate your opponent. Do not be afraid to bite, scratch, pull hair, etc. Hitting the nose blurs the eyes and causes pain, and it just might leave your opponent dazed long enough for you to run.
17. When escaping in the middle of a confrontation, try to impede your opponents as much as possible:
* Attack the eyes with sand, dirt, mace, or other sprays. It is hard to fight or pursue without vision.
* Block them with obstacles. If you can put a trashcan, car, bus, or policeman between you and the attacker, all the better.
18. Phone the police or alert some other authority, even if you do escape. If you're in a club and someone is up for a fight, find a bouncer. The 'fighter' may not be looking at just you for a fight. Such authorities are here to protect people, and will be better trained in dealing with this sort of thing.
19. Remember in order of priority: walk, talk, fight. Fighting is an absolute last resort.


Tips

* Fighting isn't cool or fun. No one is going to think you're awesome when you're serving ten years in prison because you paralyzed a guy who was pushing you. Always use fighting as an absolute last resort. Retreat at the very first opportunity available. Would you rather be labeled a coward or be labeled with a prison serial number?
* Understand the law where you live regarding what is and is not acceptable for use in self-defense, and in which situations. It is your responsibility to know when you do and do not have the right to defend yourself, and to what extent. No jury cares what kind of names the other guy was calling you, but they do care that he spent a week in the hospital healing while you had one stitch done. Do just what it takes to run away, and notify the authorities as soon as possible.
* Adrenaline is your best friend in a fight for your life, but only if you keep your mind calm. Adrenaline is a natural chemical that is secreted from your adrenal gland in times of great stress. The effects include increased speed and strength (due to a higher pulse and more blood in your muscles), distorted time perception (because you are thinking more quickly), and the dulling of pain. Most people panic when they feel large amounts of adrenaline, but try to keep your mind focused and use it to you advantage.
* Keep calm. If you need to, breathe deeply. If you know how to clear your head, do so. Unwanted distractions will only make you more likely to get hurt.
* Relax and move naturally. Tensing your body can just end up slowing you down.
* If someone else is better trained at dealing with this situation, leave it to them. Don't try to interfere, as you may end up causing more trouble. Follow any reasonable commands they give you.
* If attempting to escape in the 'middle' of a confrontation, you should ideally kick, trip, push, or send opponents off balance before running.
* Keep things simple. Fights in films are choreographed. Real ones aren't.
* Attacks from behind are difficult to see and avoid, and in a real fight, it is not 'cowardly' to strike from behind. Watch your back, and attack that of your opponent(s).
* Hit from your body, not from your shoulder or arm alone. Use your legs to push of the ground, and turn your waist with the punch in order to coordinate your whole body with the strike, not just one limb.
* Hit with your palm, too. Making a fist may give a bit of a cushion to your foe, as well as break your hand if you can't make a proper fist. Watch your fingers, though.
* Be aware of the 'zones' of fighting (from the most distant); weapons, feet, hands, knees, elbows, head, grappling.
* Think before you act. Only employ an attack, grab, or other offensive technique when you are almost certain it will work the way you want it to.
* As soon as you see any motion, hit them. Most people will draw back the limb they are about to strike with to make more distance for power generation, but in this second, you have a chance to hit them.
* When you are being attacked, ignore the pain. When your opponent sees their attack has not affected you, it may unnerve them. Also, acting like you are enjoying the fight or are just messing around helps to unnerve someone.
* If you are fighting more than one opponent, attack the one closest to you first. If you get one or more opponents down, run.
* Count how many opponents are after you, and commit this to memory. This will prevent surprise attacks on you when they split up.
* If you are being chased by multiple opponents and you absolutely have to fight them off, run between narrow paths, such as between cars on a parking lot, run up a narrow stairwell and fight downward (make sure you have an exit), or run (and fight) through a narrow hallway. This will prevent the opponents from ganging up on you.
* If it is not possible to run, hit your opponent in the eye or groin before the fight starts. This is dirty, but it could give you enough of an advantage to save your life.
* If you are attacked by multiple enemies, taking out just one can scare the others off.
* When you punch, keep your fist going through the attacker, rather than stopping when you make contact.


Warnings

* Fighting can cause injury or death, and land you in jail.
* Research and be aware of the law in your state or country regarding self-defense. Most states/provinces clarify that you have a duty to retreat if possible (which is a better idea anyway) unless you absolutely must fight, and even then you may only use just as much force as it takes to be able to retreat. The use of excessive force is illegal and 'will' land you in jail, so be very careful. Never use a weapon (from a stick to a gun) unless your aggressor is actively using a dangerous or deadly weapon on you, and even then only when it is absolutely necessary. Remember, courts value the safety and life of the person attacking you just as much as they do yours.
* Be aware that this (or any) fighting method may get you injured. No advice about fighting will apply to all possible situations. If you must defend yourself, do so, but be sure to understand that reading fighting instructions does not make you invincible.
* Also note that even if you have studied martial arts for a long time, you still aren't necessarily safe on the streets. Thinking that your black belt will stand up to street fighting is very risky.
* When hitting your opponent's face, be very careful. You can wind up with broken fingers or severe cuts if you hit the forehead, teeth, or nose.
* If you are not trained in the use of a weapon, don't pull one, especially if there is more than one attacker. It is a tactically bad idea, as the weapon can get taken away from and used against you. In addition, even if you win, your attacker(s) could decide to go to the police if they can identify you. If you had a weapon on you, it is no longer simply "assault" (which is a relatively low grade charge). It is now, at best, "aggravated assault," or in the case of knives and such, "assault with a deadly weapon."
* This article is presented as a basic guide to dealing with difficult situations, and is not intended as a substitute for actual martial arts training. If you are concerned with learning to defend yourself against physical violence, find a reputable self-defense class in your area. If you do not know where to begin, consider asking at your local police station.
* If you are under a specific threat of violence, talk to the police. Taking the law into your own hands is not a good idea, and may do you more harm than good.
* If a potential attacker has a contact weapon (knife, fists, any sort of club, etc), always try to put both distance, obstacles (like cars, or hastily upended trash cans), and witnesses, in between you and the potential attacker
* If the hostile party has a gun, comply with what they say, and try to look submissive- most people who brandish guns have little intention of using them, but fear can lead them to recklessness. Plus, if they really aren't afraid, they probably have little reason to unduly harm you, and attract the attention of the law.

So these are just some of the many options you have.

Answer 2

Sorry, but a real brawl and a boxing match are only the same thing in the movies. In real life they are usually pretty different. Every fist fight I've been in and/or seen involves punching, kicking, elbows, knees, grappling, wrestling, grabbing by the hair, slamming into furniture, biting, gouging, etc. It usually ends up more like a wrestling match with a few punches and kicks thrown in for good measure. If you want two guys just standing there, circling each other, and sparring...then join a gym or watch a Hollywood movie.

For instance, last fight I was in, some guy came up behind me and cheap-shot punched me back of the head, so I turned around and hammered him in the mouth and split his lip open. He then gave me a black eye and tackled me and it was a straight wrestling match on the ground after that, until we were pulled apart. So if you want to fight for sport, take a boxing or karate class. If you want to fight for real, simply think about what would hurt like hell and do that to the other guy. You're gonna get some too though, so be ready for that.

The person who posted above me is right though, the best way to "win" is to avoid the fight altogether. I mean, I've had my fair share of fights, but only when it absolutely comes to that. Usually, you can just be like, "Yeah whatever, dude. F_ck off." and just walk away (WITHOUT letting down your guard). Just, let it go and move on. Usually the idiot who is trying to start something isn't really worth the time or effort anyway.

Answer 3

If you don't have the energy to read that well thought out post from the Top Contributer than let me boil it down to you.

Nobody wins a physical fight on the street. You will get injured, you may end up in jail, hospital or morgue.

Even if you "win" what do you "win"; nothing. So to summarize the movie "War Games" the best move is not to play.

Please give the 10 points to the other guy because he seems so bloody desperate to get the 10 points.

Answer 4

Well this is hard to answer because it's a real fight. Keep in mind the worst thing that can happen is DEATH! So if you are aiming as his jaw and he lifts his head a little or something like that and you end up punching him in the neck he could die. There are consequences for fighting, do you want to be responsible for his death? It could happen you know. Being stronger than most guys means nothing. Knowledge is power. Know your audience, is he a boxer, wrestler martial artist etc. He will resort to what he is comfortable with. Try to defuse it the best you can this way others will see this and that looks good for you. and lastly keep your chin down, good luck I hope it never happens.

Answer 5

You cannot guarantee a win. If you train and devote yourself to the martial arts for years you can possibly beat most. If you think you could fight me and get away with nothing more than a bruise you are a fool. If you are planning to meet this guy to fight or are picking fights, you should stop. I am not going to give you any advice except this. Go to a martial arts gym, whether kung fu, karate, boxing or whatever. Go everyday for five years. Then challenge your local champion. If you beat him move on until your the best. Until then, in the words of Bruce Lee, "hire a bodygaurd or lead a less aggressive life".

Answer 6

There are no guarentees, period. Nothing is absolute when fighting, you have to develop tools that you can rely on working and they might have to be modified during the encounter. If you get in a REAL fight, you will get hurt in some way, even if you hurt you own hands. Some little tricks on surviving are to keep moving, hit them anywhere they are open (and I mean ANYWHERE, punch the knee, stomp the foot, jam a thumb into their throat whatever will help you win) and keep calm, getting all jacked up on adrenalin will ruin you because then you loose the ability to think.

Answer 7

Keep those hands up and protect your face. Keep your feet moving and in a balanced postion. Aim for the lower head and face, but don't punch the forehead! It hurts you more than him!

You still might get hurt , but you should do your best to minimize any strikes directed at your face/throat area as these have some your most fragile targets.

Don't put a lot of faith in the gut punch. It has never worked for me. Keep those fists closed with your thumbs out of them and keep punching till it's over. And even if you get hit hard, keep on fighting.

Answer 8

Hit im with a straight hook to the chin. That will make his head turn faster than the brain causing bleading in the meninge. Thats how technicaly a knockout is produced. Straight forward punches doesnt produce any imediate damage. Go for the knockout. Then while flat in his back, give him a few more punches in the face to make sure he doesnt want to fight again. Be a bully to a bully, give him a taste of his own medicine. Earn your respect. Youre a big guy, act like it.
Good luck!

Answer 9

just deck em on the side between the jaw and the chin

itl knock them out for sure if u are as strong as u say

the worst u can do is brake their jaw

just dont miss and hit them in the temple, when in a fist fight just stay calm. adranalim will make u freeze for a second and make u hasitate. just stay calm and watch their hand movements when ur adranalin is running if they punch u then trust me ull duck if u are watching their hands ur adranalins the s hit!!!!

Answer 10

Well when i get into fist fights at school the easy thing to do for me is to take at punch at them either in the side of the head because the makes them kind of lose the vision for a few minutes or i will take a punch at them in the stumic and usually that will make them lose their breath.

Answer 11

I don't know about an instant win, but one good way to get a good punch in would be to fake your opponent out and pretend to be punching high, but very quickly pull your arm back, or use your other hand and punch as hard as you can into your opponent's gut or ribs. It will hurt like hell. But I think kicks are much more effective.