Today i'm going to talk about multiple opponents and what to do if you get in such a situation.
As they say there's strength in numbers, well that is completely true when it comes to fighting multiple opponents.
See there are many people who claim to teach you to "fight" multiple opponents and along with those promises you'll see them in their demos doing the same. Then of course there's always the movies that make you think it's possible.
If i haven't already said it, i'll say it again, movie fights, demos and even most of the instructional videos you see are not real fights, they're choreographed movements and that's completely different than being in an actual fight.
Now, there is an exception to fighting multiple opponents, here, size matters, the bigger you are the more difficult it will be for them to put you down, but again, if the number of opponents is high enough, then the biggest of guys can go down.
The thing about multiple opponents is you never know how many there are, where they are and when they'll show up and that's why you never fight multiple opponents, you escape a multiple threats scenario.
Many people that i've come across till now have asked me the same set of questions and this one was always included in that set: How can i take on 3-4 opponents at the same time?" -The answer is, YOU CAN'T! no one can, not unless the individual has a gun, even then it's going to be extremely difficult in that panicky situation to pull out the gun, aim, and shoot all 3-4 people, at least 2 of the 4 will reach you, try to take the gun from you and will succeed too, then you're a dead man.
You can never know exactly what will happen in a situation like this and how it will play out, you cannot play out every possible and probable scenario there is in your training, you just can't do that, there's a million things that can happen and a billion things to take into account for each scenario, anyone would go crazy thinking all of that.
What you can do is follow a set of principles and a short but realistic set of techniques about 5-6 not more, maybe even less, that can be applied to just about anything.
Remember, the more choices you have the more time it'll take for you to choose and execute your choice, and you can't afford to lose precious time in those situations.
I'll say it again, never try to fight multiple opponents, if you do, you'll fail miserably and it'll be the last, fatal mistake of your life, you escape multiple opponents.
So next time you train, try some strategies out on how to escape multiple opponents, rather than fight them, try hurting them enough to clear your way and get out. Also, get your cardio up fast. If you tire out after escaping, your attackers can catch up to you and this time there won't be any escape and you'll have enraged attackers who want your head on a platter. Why? Because you just hit them dude! Remember?
That's why physical fitness is necessary to include in your training.
That's it for today.
Thanks for reading.
As they say there's strength in numbers, well that is completely true when it comes to fighting multiple opponents.
See there are many people who claim to teach you to "fight" multiple opponents and along with those promises you'll see them in their demos doing the same. Then of course there's always the movies that make you think it's possible.
If i haven't already said it, i'll say it again, movie fights, demos and even most of the instructional videos you see are not real fights, they're choreographed movements and that's completely different than being in an actual fight.
Now, there is an exception to fighting multiple opponents, here, size matters, the bigger you are the more difficult it will be for them to put you down, but again, if the number of opponents is high enough, then the biggest of guys can go down.
The thing about multiple opponents is you never know how many there are, where they are and when they'll show up and that's why you never fight multiple opponents, you escape a multiple threats scenario.
Many people that i've come across till now have asked me the same set of questions and this one was always included in that set: How can i take on 3-4 opponents at the same time?" -The answer is, YOU CAN'T! no one can, not unless the individual has a gun, even then it's going to be extremely difficult in that panicky situation to pull out the gun, aim, and shoot all 3-4 people, at least 2 of the 4 will reach you, try to take the gun from you and will succeed too, then you're a dead man.
You can never know exactly what will happen in a situation like this and how it will play out, you cannot play out every possible and probable scenario there is in your training, you just can't do that, there's a million things that can happen and a billion things to take into account for each scenario, anyone would go crazy thinking all of that.
What you can do is follow a set of principles and a short but realistic set of techniques about 5-6 not more, maybe even less, that can be applied to just about anything.
Remember, the more choices you have the more time it'll take for you to choose and execute your choice, and you can't afford to lose precious time in those situations.
I'll say it again, never try to fight multiple opponents, if you do, you'll fail miserably and it'll be the last, fatal mistake of your life, you escape multiple opponents.
So next time you train, try some strategies out on how to escape multiple opponents, rather than fight them, try hurting them enough to clear your way and get out. Also, get your cardio up fast. If you tire out after escaping, your attackers can catch up to you and this time there won't be any escape and you'll have enraged attackers who want your head on a platter. Why? Because you just hit them dude! Remember?
That's why physical fitness is necessary to include in your training.
That's it for today.
Thanks for reading.
I've been reading all of your articles and you present good information for the public at large my friend. If I may share some well intentioned advice to help make you blogs more reader friendly, which is what I had to do myself after a friend gave me the same advice, try to indent all paragraphs, capitalize each beginning of a new sentence, and focus a bit more on sentence structure so that your good information will be more reader friendly...I struggled some to follow along but the information is good information.
ReplyDeleteAgain, this was good advice that was given to me early on in my blogs and I feel it's helped me greatly. So I share with you as well, in hopes to help you better get your good information out there to public. (To encourage you, not to discourage you.:)
I would like to make one honest comment from my own personal experience about one thing you said in your blog my friend..."No one can fight three attackers."
If you meant three armed attackers I'd agree with you whole heartedly. You can only escape them.
If you mean three or more unarmed attackers, I would have to disagree completely because I've done so on many occasions, in order to survive, and witnessed many others do so successfully.
Anyone whose ever survived prison has had to fight multiple attackers and their is no where to escape to in a prison scenario. The guards often will not come to the rescue because they want to watch how it unfolds or perhaps they helped the gangs set you up to be attacked. There is no place to run and escape in a prison so unless you join a prison gang, with your back up immediately available, you have no choice but to fight multiples and either defeat them or become a victim of rape, severe beating, or murder. There is no escape, only fight for your life.
And often you will be facing multiples armed with knives, saps, ice picks, and wet cloth to entrap you. They will often use ambush tactics like having the floor where they plan to attack you covered in oil, baby powder, soap, oatmeal, etc. to make the floor slippery and rob you of your footing as they attack in numbers.
The best way to learn to fight multiple attackers is to pressure test it in your training. Do it full contact, holding back on the face punches w/bare knuckles, using open hand slaps full contact, full contact kicks, full contact body punches, no pads, no gloves, and full contact grappling (no eye gouges) until you become confident in that situation. You will get bruises and cuts but like you said, this isn't a sport, it's training for survival.
Youtube has some actual film footage of individual men defeating multiple attackers in a street attack. Most are boxers.
I'd also like to add that when I was in the U.S. Army Airborne-Airassault Infantry we often had to go up against three attackers in the bull-pen and there were men who could defeat all three attackers. Let me add the attackers all attacked at once full force, not one at a time like in martial arts' demos. We train for each soldier in my unit to defeat three attackers in hand to hand combat because militaries the world over often teach their troops to have three to one odds, so the enemy will attack an individual soldier in no less than three to one odds to either capture or kill him in hand to hand (CQC) situations.
If I had the funds to visit your school I'd demonstrate if you remain dubious to my claims. Please continue sharing your good knowledge with others with the intent to save lives and properly prepare people to avoid and possibly overcome whatever evil lurks in this world.
Keep blogging! Peace be with you Ash!
Oh And btw, Thank you for your advice on the blog, believe me i don't get discouraged that easily :)
DeleteI believe, 'Criticism is grounds for improvement'.
I really am not experienced to blog, it's just someone told me in 2012 that i should share some of the things i teach in blogs, so i started it, but never really knew how i would write it, so i just started writing it like i was talking to someone casually on this subject, even though this isn't a causal subject... Like i said, i have zero experience in blogging.
Reading some of my English, it's hard to believe I have a Masters in English Lit haha
Let me add, that personally I do not find fist fighting or striking to be prudent when fighting multiple 'unarmed' attackers. Although I've mentioned Youtube having boxers successfully defeat multiple unskilled attackers, due to having broken my hands numerous occasions against multiple attackers in my younger years trying to punch my way out. And because unless you knock out each one with the first couple strikes they will simply close upon you and grapple you to the ground.
ReplyDeleteThis is why we use mostly grappling with some strikes meant to facilitate a take down, neck lock, neck crank, structure attacks to unbalance attackers, and what martial arts would call 'dirty tactics/fighting dirty'. And one must focus on going to the outside of the nearest attacker, taking him hostage (so to speak) and using him as a temporary human shield, while you neutralize him quickly, then move on to another in a similar fashion.
If you'd like some schools of combat which would facilitate this training my friend, while must be modified somewhat for multiple attackers, I'd suggest 'Catch Wrestling/Scientific Wrestling', Israeli Kapap, Takagi Shin Ryu Aiki-Jujutsu (Aiki Myoden methods) and Moni Aizik's Commando Krav Maga Boot Camp.
Peace be with you!
Thank you so much for your feedback.
DeleteMost of my posts are written with the assumptions that the attacker is well-prepared and armed, along with a perfect intent to kill me.
That has always been my mindset, i.e. never underestimating anyone.
I follow two simple laws, Hick's and Murphy's.
I don't have any doubts as to one can take on 3 unarmed attackers given that he's trained enough to do so, not just physically, but psychologically, i have faced such situations before, but i honestly have to say, i didn't have to fight all three of them, just taking down one gave me enough time to run and i'm a fast runner so the rest couldn't keep up.
But since, i always prefer to be cautious, i always assume, the attacker will be stronger, bigger, heavier, faster, more skilled and more superior to me in every way imaginable. That helps me fight even harder.
I always pay attention two three main factors in combat;
-Physical.
-Psychological.
-Biological.
I mostly avoid grappling, unless i absolutely am pushed into it by my attacker and it has happened too. The thing is, i'm not a very big guy, i'm 5'10 with 154lbs and i've faced many bigger than me that scared the hell out of me, all that saved me were those "dirty fighting" methods.
I don't punch, even though my knuckles are conditioned, i still think a missed shot landing on a hard surface, like a wall, will still hurt and i'll basically be signing my death warrant. I use edge of hand, palm heel, the part between the index finger and the thumb for throat strikes, gouging, biting, clawing, elbow, knee, headbutt, the only fist i use are hammer fists.
As for my training, i don't ever compete, i never have and i never will, i have trained in MMA for a year in my early teens and KokushinKaikan Karate when i was 8, but never used them, never competed in their tournaments, it's like Bruce Lee said once, "Tournaments are like dry land swimming". Right now, i'm more focused in training in WW2 Combatives, i started at around 15, i'm 22 now, and i'm really comfortable with it too, doesn't mean i don't train in others, like Krav Maga, KAPAP, Muay Boran and Krabi Krabong, Eskrima, JKD Concepts and Fucntional, Japanese Jiu-Jitsu, Irish Stick Fighting, WW2 Combatives, Bare-Knuckle Boxing and many more, i've spent my whole life since the age of 8, just gathering information on real word violence, speaking to people, victims and perpetrators, and have been training and nothing else really. I never had a particular teacher, because i was born in india, where most are just more interested in taking my money instead of actually teaching me anything effective, so i traveled and did what i could to train and understand violence as it is today saw many things, but still many things surprise me.
I do train in the manner you mentioned, i've always trained like that, i never owned nor do i now own any pads or protection for myself, i'm used to the punishment from my earlier training days in Muay Boran, we never used pads or anything, i trained under a simple Kru with a lot of skill, knowledge and experience.
I really would be honored if someone like you would arrive to share your knowledge, but i don't have a school, i don't want to commercialize the reality based training i provide too much.
But i'll be honest, The only thing i do commercialize is MMA classes that i conduct in a local studio. This is the only thing i know how to do well, so i have to make it my career.
I'd also like to add, that the reason i said that fighting multiple attackers is not possible in the original blog post, because many people don't train enough, they train for 1-2 hrs, 2-3 days a week, not to mention their quality of training is just not realistic, they think just because they "brought down" a bigger (compliant) attacker in their A.C. studio with a groin kick, they can do it in a hot, moist, muddy and infected alley with an enraged psycho with a blade or a broken piece of glass or a needle. The groin kick isn't always effective enough to stop an enraged attacker cold in it's tracks, on the other hand, grabbing, crushing, twisting and pulling it is more effective than that, i say say that with full surety based on my experience of doing that in a desperate situation.
ReplyDeleteThis was more directed towards those with not enough experience in realistic training methods, those who think they can do it, not because they're trained and prepared, but because they saw Arnold or Tom Cruise or whoever do it in some action movie.