Has anyone used Karate in a real street fight?

Question

How did it go??? Just wondering.

Answer 1

No because I never studied karate.

I have however used the martial arts I've studied (with the exception of swordsmanship and knife fighting) in a fight.

I have used a jutte to defend myself in a questionable situation that in retrospect I probably shouldn't have.

I have used boxing in a fight with success.

I have used wrestling in a fight with success to avoid being tackled and to slap on a lock to control my opponent. Grappling was the more diplomatic option.

I have also used a good elbow strike from my more recent CMA training to hit someone who while "playing peacock" got threateningly too close that ultimately avoided a fight and took the bravado off this guy who probably just had one too many (well avoided punches being thrown at me).

EDIT:
I'm disappointed at the people who gave sloar, a thumbs down. I think he and his answer is probably very accurate and it is an accurate statement about the reality of the low quality of training and rampant appearance of mcdojos and black belt factories that hand these awards out to anyone who does a few dance moves and breaks some plywood.

I've heard "old timers" say that back in the day they didn't award a black belt to someone unless not only have they mastered the techniques, but in the opinion of the teacher, that they could handle themselves in a real fight.

If someone were to tell me they were a black belt quite honestly I would probably go easy on them because I wouldnt' take him as seriously. Anyone who is going to really be one that deserves the rank and can fight- is not going to give away valuable tactical information like that regarding his ability. in short- unless you know them personally (that they are a black belt) then they are lying or they are a "fake" black belt.

Answer 2

There's a lot of "what if" questions. It's the natural thing beginners ask. From my observation, the more advanced techniques in karate attempt to combine a block and an attack into one movement. This requires a lot of fine motor control and memory. That's why it is said MA takes decades to become really good at. Even someone with 10 years in karate is often described by masters as simply starting on the advanced path. An attack that is the same as a block, isn't a "technique". It's a principle, backed by body knowledge and reaction speed. A person that can use the principle, can duplicate a number of different techniques. While a person that knows a technique is limited to only that technique. You are quite correct to note that victory is not apparent when you continue to block attacks. It's because the attacker usually has the advantage in a fight and the person on the defensive is the one losing momentum. Karate, as a system, has many different solution sets to the issue you described. I can't list them all, for two reasons. I don't know them all and the ones I do know are too numerous to describe in the space allotted. Several really fast punches to the face is like having a bag of rocks, taking a rock out, and throwing it at someone. Striking in martial arts, like karate, is geared more towards (at the advanced stage) taking the entire bag of rocks and slamming it on someone's head. So the person using several really fast punches is actually SLOWER than the more powerful H2H practitioner because the expert uses one strike and makes it effective, while an amateur makes numerous ineffective strikes that lack power and accuracy. This is a matter of timing and rhythm, mentioned in The Book of Five things and WuShu sources.

Answer 3

I love these questions because everyone says something like...
"Yeah! I single handedly defeated 10 guys who were twice as big as me!"
I personally don't practice Karate, but I saw these awesome videos where Karate guy fights and wins with one strike.

Let me explain in words how some of them went...
For the first one, there was this pimp beating his "girl" up and black belt Karate master came up and told him to stop. The pimp didn't know he was a karate master so he just lunged at him. Druing to process, the karate master uses a quick strike to the pressure point and the pimp falls to the ground and is unable to get up...

Man... I loved that video!

Answer 4

Not me personally, but I knew this guy nicknamed "Bulldog" back in college. He was a weightlifter, was 5' 10" weighed 0ver 200lbs and had a blackbelt in Karate(Shotokan I think). He was one bad cat. One day during a birthday party at the beach, our group got into a rumble with a group of skinny street punks who had too much to drink and were rowdy as hell. Bulldog jumped into the fray and started kicking their a$ses and was doing a pretty good job until one of the punks picked up a rock the size of a shoe and hurled it straight into his face, it goes without saying it stopped him d3ad in his tracks. After major surgery to repair his nose, jaw and cheekbone, Bulldog now looks exactly like his namesake. Moral of the story: Why throw punches when you can hurl rocks?

Answer 5

Not a street fight, but an attacker who broke into my house. It worked, he fled, or tried to, when he got my bedroom door open he was met by my dog. Wasn't pretty.

The skills you learn in Martial Arts are less important than the mind set it gives you. I can't tell you what moves I used on that guy, but I can remember thinking fairly clearly for being under attack at 2 am. The cops were amazed that I fought him off, and later told me that I broke 4 fingers and had hit, but not broken his nose. Made sense to me, I love to target the nose and finger locks are my most feared move at the dojo!

Answer 6

I used some of the blocks,gave the guy a roundhouse kick in the head and an axe kick to the nads. Didn't kill him, knock him out, or anything but it made him realize continuing the fight would not be a good idea. And that's what self defense is all about. It's about ending the fight quickly and with minimal personal injury to you.

Answer 7

Many times, work as a bouncer every now and then to keep techniques sharp. Have used them on the street about 7 times when couldn't avoid confrontation.

Answer 8

I had some fool go down to break a beer bottle so he could stab me with it, but I hit him about 5 times before he came back up, he couldnt run away fast enough the little coward.

Answer 9

Ya a dude tried to choke me.I droped him with a side kick and beat the snot out of him.That sissy couldnt stop puken. Haha it was great.

Answer 10

Yes I have, and I'm still alive and practing martial arts. Remember that with the martial arts, you will only get out of it what you put into it.