Self-Defense for a Disaster Scenario
Hopefully you’ve never had to take part in one, but you’ve
likely witnessed a drunken brawl outside a bar between two
males of a special breed that, when inebriated, decide to
start fights with random people.
It happens every weekend in every city and town.
Usually, these types of fights end up outside and use
aptly named street fighting techniques.
The drunker the fighters they get, the less likely they
are to deliver and land effective blows against their
opponent.
But street fighting is its own breed of martial art, often
a blend of several established fighting styles from around
the world.
Knowing how to apply certain street fighting techniques
and ideals could not only save your life outside of your
neighborhood bar, but also in a post-disaster world.
Though we’ve mentioned in previous newsletters that fights
should be avoided at all costs, getting out of harm’s way
isn’t always an option.
No one likes to fight, and anyone that tells you they do
is probably full of it. Even professional boxers and MMA
fighters like to keep it in the ring, and most avoid
street fights at all costs.
That’s because anything can happen at a street fight,
especially when survival is on the line. If you’re up
against an opponent in a post-disaster wasteland, you’re
liable to use all the moves and tactics at your disposal
to gain the upper hand.
Street fighting often gets dirty. Your opponent’s moves
are unpredictable, and getting hit is painful and
dangerous.
There are several simple street fighting “rules” (keep in
mind there aren’t really any rules) that you can apply in
a fight that could be especially useful during a disaster
situation.
1. Keep Your Distance
This is the single most important tenant of any
self-defense situation, especially a street fight.
This is also an incredibly simple concept to grasp,
instinctual even, seeing as most people tend to have
pretty good situational awareness and can identify a
suspicious person with potentially dangerous intentions.
Others can’t, but that’s easily remedied. If you’re
approached by someone and can’t tell their intentions,
simply put your arms out in front of you. If you can touch
his hands (or body), you’re too close and should back away
until you’re out of range.
This is a very smart and nonthreatening move that will
show your attacker that you don’t intend to fight. It
won’t always stop an unruly opponent, but it is far less
likely to provoke aggressive behavior and/or an attack.
Also try staying on your opponents “outside,” or
periphery, rather than directly in front of him. This way
you can use your opponent’s own body as an obstacle
against him.
Should you be faced with an attack, keeping distance
between you and your opponent will give you more time to
react and (possibly) flee.
Even just a few feet of space is enough space to see a hit
coming and react with the appropriate block or
countermove.
2. Establish Your Balance to Stay on Your Feet
Balance is another crucial component to nearly any form of
martial art or self-defense.
Many fights are determined by crushing blows to the head
while on the ground, so you must do your best to stay on
your feet.
Proper balance means spreading your feet shoulder-width
apart and bending your knees slightly, keeping a loose
posture.
Keep this stance up during a fight, and do everything in
your power to restore your balance should you be pushed,
hit or knocked down.
Your ultimate goal is to stay off the ground, which can be
incredibly dangerous to the untrained fighter.
If your opponent has a weapon or back-up of any kind,
you’ll be even more vulnerable when stuck to the floor.
Keep your arms up and remain nonthreatening as long as
possible, but take up a fighting stance with your arms up
to cover your face when an attack is unavoidable.
3. Know When (and How) to Run
You may find yourself outmatched or outnumbered, or you
may just be an exceptionally nonconfrontational person and
wish to avoid fights at all costs.
Either case, you should attempt to make your escape as
quickly as possible before your opponent has a chance to
close the distance and attack.
In a post-disaster world, there may not be many well-lit
public areas with helpful bystanders to come to your aid.
You may just have to run as fast and far away as possible
until you find safety or return to your shelter.
If you try to escape in the middle of fight, try to hinder
your opponent’s ability to continue his attack as much as
possible.
Do this by creating obstacles as you run: knocking over a
trashcan, going through the woods, running through traffic
(if there is any).
The narrower the path, the less space your opponents have
to pursue and attack. Use parked cars, stairwells, and
hallways to your advantage; just make sure you have an
exit.
Unfortunately, running isn’t always an option. You may
take one look at your opponent and know that you won’t be
able to outrun him – don’t even try.
In the event there is more than one attacker, there will
be more legs to chase and catch up with you.
Ideally though, you’ll be able to walk away from the fight
before it happens or find a strategic time to make your
getaway.
If you end up in a fight, make your escape as soon as
you’ve incapacitated your target.
To apply the concepts above, just think about the way you
face confrontations in your everyday life.
The degree of calmness and awareness at which you go about
your daily routine will likely be reflected upon the way
you face a street fight.
Don’t be the type of person that charges head-on into a
conflict with arms flailing. Instead, have keen awareness
of your surroundings and approach post-disaster scenarios
with caution.
You may ask yourself why no real physical fighting
techniques have been mentioned. Why?
If you end up in a street fight, you probably didn’t do
everything in your power to avoid being there.
Violence should always be a last resort, even after SHTF.
There are plenty of things that can go wrong in a fight,
but avoiding one in the first place is always the right
move.
However, if you do find yourself in a fight, then you’ll
need to know how to defend yourself adequately.
Go here for the ULTIMATE street fighting survival system:
==> https://survivalventure.com/go/streetdefense
Stay Alert,
Victor
https://survivalventure.com