is martial arts realy that effedtive in a street fight?

Question

as there is alot of grabing the person will probably grab you and start punching you, i have done shuai jiao for a month but i got owned when i was play fighting with my mates, we were just grappaling but i think it was because i tried to throw them every oppurtunity instead of getting thier legs

how would you deal with someone who grabs you and wont let go and starts punching you

thanks
ps im from Great brtian so yes my english is quite good =)

Answer 1

There is no one way to respond, and it depends on how and where they grab you. You've only been practicing for a month and you don't know alot yet, but it is definitely effective when you become proficient.

More effective for the grabbing is ju jutsu - there are many ways to counter an opponent once they put a hand on you.

Answer 2

Dont get discouraged. I did not get the hang of Tang Soo Do till 6 years into the art. Now the only close competitor I have when sparring in class is a 270 lbs guy and the master. Everyone else who used to own me is a breeze.

Answer 3

YES, if it wasn't it would not have survived as a defensive art in its myriad forms and disciplines for thousands of years. What is not always effective is the person trying to implement the marital art.

You are being rather quick to jump to the conclusion that your wealth of one month of training in Shuai Jiao allows you to determine whether or not it, or any other discipline, is going to be effective in a "street fight." While martial arts disciplines certainly practice controlled and structured sparring and self-defense to allow newbie students to figure out what is going on in a safe enviornment - martial arts are designed specifically to help you defend youself against all types of physical attack, whether on the street, in the movie theatre, walking across a muddy field, or in a pristine gymnasium.

As to the particulars of what your mates are doing and your ability to defend agains them, and defeat them - thank them for showing you your deficiencies in a safe and fun way - and start workin on those deficiencies to mitigate them. There is a reason it takes many, many years of practice in any art to finally reach the master level, and even at that level, there is much learning, refinement, and new concept to work on.

As for myself, if someone grabs me and starts to try to punch me I have a number of options. As a HapKi-Do Grand Master, I can deflect their attempted grab before it takes hold, apply a control technique to multiple points from their wrist to their shoulder and force them to the ground to think over what they just attempted to do. If they manage to get their grab onto me, I can do much the same thing but may add the joy of a pressure point release on the hand and back of their elbow to "encourage" them to let go.

As a TaeKwon-Do Grand Master, we tend to be meaner and meet force with force - but if I have not been struck with a blow yet, then I don't necessecarily want to break something on them. I would meet their threat with something like a suprasternal notch press (it will make them projectile vomit and back off me coughing, but it won't do any permanent damage) or a tricep pinch (which will force anyone who is not high on crack to let go and jump around in pain.) All simple, non-destructive, defensive techniques.

It takes time, years of training, and confidence to approach and defuse such situations in effective ways. Don't judge your current discipline too harshly with only one month under your belt. Give it time, and ask you instructor/s next time you are in class the same question you asked here to see how they respond.

Ken C
9th Dan HapMoosaKi-Do
8th Dan TaeKwon-Do
7th Dan YongChul-Do

Answer 4

Grappling only good at certain times. If one has conditioned their hands, and body. Karate should always when in street fight confrontation. Reason again is the years some put into their practice. Anther key, how much time you put into your art form, as well what type of body conditioning that your do as well. Conditioning of arms and legs to become like steal. Takes years, not one month. My arms are just like steal, and same with legs.

If someone grabs you, you should stike them back. Typically you can strike the grapple, and this will stop their advance. Since at ones wrist areas there are some great striking points that loosen fist, and this opens other areas to strike. Don't grapple, the late Hohan Soken Hanshii from Okinawa; expressed just that. When I grabed him, he struck me hard and fast. It takes longer to grabe then it does to strike. So strike grappling arm, at wrist, or just below elbow area. Let alone nigi te to arm pit. Ouch.

Answer 5

No, it's not. The winner in a street fight is usually the stongest and most aggressive. However, martial arts are useful in learning striking techniques. It is good to know throws, but you should only use them when the opportunity arises, rather than actively trying to throw your opponent.
Some martial arts are more useful than others. Muay Thai and Brazillian Ju Jiutsu are more useful in fights than most of the Chinese arts or Tae Kwon Do.

If someone grabs you, use whatever part of your body you can to hurt him. Knee to the stomach or balls. Dig your fingers into his neck or eyes.

Answer 6

It is effective...but you will need to know how to handle the different situations. The grabbing that you're concerned about can easily be countered by either twisting their grip or by flat out ignoring it and attacking them anyway. (i.e. if you were to grab my shirt, fine, I'll still punch you in the face -- eventually, you'll let go.)

Keep in mind that you've only been training for a month. It takes time to develop skill and natural reflexes.

Answer 7

Gee a whole month .The masters knew before they started this is a lifetime thing and to be proficient would take endless practice over years.
I think if more mcdojos stressed this truth in their hype they would soon dissapear.

Answer 8

YOUR A RED COAT a$$WIPE! GIVE IT UP, U CANT FIGHT AND YOU'LL NEVER FIGURE IT OUT! HOWEVER, SINCE IM IN A CHARITABLE STATE OF MIND ILL GIVE YOU A LITTLE ADVICE. GRABBING AND PUNCHING IN MMA IS COMMONLY REFERED TO AS DIRTY BOXING! THE BEST WAY TO COUNTER A DIRTY BOXER IS TO OUT WRESTLE HIM, EITHER ON YOUR FEET IN A CLINCH, OR ON THE GROUND. WORK ON YOUR GRECO, UNLESS YOUR A RELENTLESS WRESTLER WHO LIKES TO OVERPOWER THEIR OPPONETS, GOING FOR THE LEGS IS USUALLY A BONEHEAD MOVE. IF YOU DO DECIDE TO GO LOW BE SURE TO KEEP YOUR HEAD UP, IF YOU KEEP IT DOWN YOU BECOME VULNERABLE TO CHOKES, FACE LOCKS, AND KNEES! THEN AGAIN YOU COULD ALWAYS GRAB HIM BACK AND GO BLOW FOR BLOW LIKE KEN SHAMROCK AND DON FRYE!

Answer 9

Man some of you answerers are hilarious. The only reason I get sleep is because I realize that it is rare that any of you will ever be in a position where you have to defend yourself..

ben: my friend, you need to take a serious look into your local laws, or get some education on use of force. Someone grabbing you may not yield a fear of life or limb situation, you could very well be the one going to jail for that type of thing. Especially when you don't know who you are talking to. This could be some 15 year old kid who gets into something at school, a person grabs him, he knees to the balls and scratches out eyes and throats, and suddenly his parents and him are in a world of trouble for the damage he has done. (That is not self defense, that is assault) Self Defense is doing what you need to do to get a way from the situation. (In that case, simply breaking a grip and running away) pounding someone to the point of permanent injury for grabbing you... well, that isn't self defense anymore.

You got to keep that kind of thing in mind when you answer on a public forum.

First off, any Martial Art can be effective in a street fight period. It is HOW THEY ARE TRAINED that matters.

Meaning full on alive training will make you entirely more effective.

http://www.straightblastgym.com/aliveness101.html

Without active resistance, just doing forms and punching bags will not prepare you for shite!

This is especially true with joint locks, throws, and the like. Without actually going against someone looking to do the same things to do as hard as they can, you will be ineffective when it comes to the real deal.

Also keep in mind any style on it's own has holes and flaws. You can train in other styles to fill them, or figure them out on your own.

Get a buddy to wear some gloves and bang at you for real while you attempt to take him down. Learn how to defend strikes, and how to close the gap while protecting yourself. As you get more experienced, you will get better as well.

Wrestling around with your buddies even with a month of training you should have some advantage unless you are not sparring. Hard sparring (rolling) is the real way to understand Shuai Jiao, Judo, Sambo, etc. Without it, you are dead in the water because you don't really learn how to apply the techniques against a resisting opponent.


To the second part of your question, you will learn easily with time. The second someone is in grappling range, I take them down and deliver punishment. My take downs aren't limited to using clothing, etc. I tie someone up, slam them, and then punish them. It is very hard to grab someone, not let go, and still punch. (By nature, a hand that is grabbing you is not punching you) so they would only have one hand on you at a time, and one hand to punch with.

You can grab them and slam em, you can wrap up the other hand control them in a clinch, deliver knees, or yes if he is just grabbing on your shirt, punch him as well.

Grabbing without controlling someone is worthless. Once you get the time and experience in, you can blend things so that your closing the gap and take down blends seamlessly into one movement.

I spar with 155, and 135lbs guys on a constant basis, very fast guys. I myself fight at 205, but walk around 220lbs. I can close the gap on very fast strikers and have them on their back with them maybe getting one strike off. One strike that is already defended.

I don't know it comes with time and training, but make sure first and fore most that you are doing alive, fully resistant, training. Anything else and you are just kidding yourself.

Only way to get better at fighting is to fight. Only way to get better at wrestling is to wrestle, etc.

Everything else is just conditioning/exercise.

Feel free to message me if you need any elaboration.

Answer 10

hehe well well well, in Tang Soo Do your trained in reall ife situations and uses for those moves, they actualy work, i cant say i have been in a REAL street fight situation, but you do learn the basics of how to debilitate your opponant, like a your strongest possible punch to the neck will most likely kill them ^^ easy as pie lol

have fun