Fight or Flight?

Question

In all honesty what would you do !!!!

Would you face multiple opponents in a real situation
would you face a live weapon.
or would you run away if that was an option

Answer 1

This happened to me, and I ended with other problems. Fight you keep your honor, flight you keep your freedom. Easy to lose your honor while you have no freedom. No disgrace from practicing self defense and staying safe.
Fighting on the street is not the same as Sport MMA, and cannot be compared. 2 Skilled warriors competing is not like an individual fighting to stay alive. If you have a knife wielding crazed nut cake coming at you, well you will amaze yourself at how a natural instinct in alot of us called survival comes into play and how nasty and dirty a person can get to stay alive.

Answer 2

In reality I teach my students that if they have the out of running away that they should run. Any experienced teacher will tell you to only fight when and if you have no other choice. Especially when dealing with a weapon and multiple opponents. There are too many variables... anything could happen. Any teacher or martial artist that would tell you to stand and fight when you have the option of running likes attending funerals.
Also understand that in my school I make green belt and above go for 3 minute full contact rounds against multiple opponents. This helps to condition against the fear response they will feel while on the street and gives them confidence in the use of the self-defense techniques that I teach them.
But also remember... just because you can do something; like stand up to an assault by multiple opponents, does not mean that it is wise or smart to do it.

Answer 3

No matter how many times I've trained on fighting multiple opponents, no matter how many times I've practiced even with live weapons
I think that every skilled martial artist knows that if you can run by all means RUN. when facing strangers you never know who you are facing and what hidden tricks they have up their sleave.
That said of course when you got no option...
but even then try to be as humane as possible. It's not because you can break some ones arms or legs or kill them that you have to. I've faced a few fight situations and I've found that just proving your point (leave me be) by applying a bit of stress to the oponents body or puting a fist within an inch of some ones face is usually sufficient to make most hotheads think twice

Answer 4

I have handled multiple attackers on more than one occasion but not by choice per say. Two situations I handled very well and the other I took some hard shots as well as gave a few before it got broken up. As for weapons I have dealt with that situation also more than once and the distance at which that takes place is very important and when someone is shooting at you it is best to run and take cover and live to fight another day. One situation that involved a gun the distance was close and the person never was really ready to use it before I nailed him. The distance, the fact that it was dark and he was my size also were all factors in this. That's why a person should never pull a gun unless they are willing to use it and his hesitation gave me the opportunity I needed.

Answer 5

In all honesty only a person who was contantly put in that position could tell you. 90% of people would say fight to save face but would actually flight. Just for a fact during the 2nd world war brittish pilots were told never to fly away from enemy aircraft because then you're automatically on the defencive which is why you see 2 planes in black and whit screaming towards each other narrowly missing each other repeatedly

Answer 6

Run - grab a weapon - defend ... in that order! If you can make a break, do it always (sod saving face - only an idiot does that); if you have to fight your way out, try and use something as a weapon (with the intention to temporarily disable not injure, your opponent(s)); and only lastly would I recommend being 'the hero'. Even after many years of practising Aikido, I would still follow the advice above. Trust no-one, rely only on yourself!

Answer 7

First and foremost, why would you have to face mulitple opponents? People who say such things are either living in a sterilized world and are scared by what they think is reality. Or they are troublemakers.

Realistically if you try to run away from more than one person, they will run after you. Also if you try to take a weapon away, there is a chance you will fail and get maimed or killed.

Here's what you do. YOU carry a weapon. Get a permit to carry a GUN. Walk with more than ONE person.

Answer 8

Running away is good advice, usually. But what if:-

you're in an area you're not familiar with. Where do you run to?

the gang chases you into more of them. Set ups do happen.

you've got someone with you; a partner, a parent, a child.

there's simply not enough distance for you safely to get up speed to escape.

Sadly, nothing of this kind of thing is easy - apart from sitting & saying: "Oh yeah. Do this. Do that." You need a range of options, including not getting yourself into such a situation in the first place.

Answer 9

Run away....I was robbed by 2 guys with weapons once so I threw my money in the air and ran away while they scrambled for the cash. I lost about $60 dollars, so what, I made that up in less than one day at work. Those losers were caught a few weeks later. Why? cause after they spent that money they have to rob again and again...My life worth alot more than those losers so I don't street fight, I only fight in tournaments.

Answer 10

Please do not forget there is a third choice which is very common.
Fight/Flight/Freeze.
Most people with no training freeze in tough situations.

I cannot answer this question. Every situation is unique.
The environment matters greatly, it also matters who is with me. I usually choose to not enter a conflict. Escape is usually the best plan.
Why fight if you don't have to? I have nothing to prove to anyone.
I say if you have an avenue of escape, use it.
In the immortal words of Jack Sparrow " Run away today. An live to run away another day."