Street Fighting Basics For Beginners - Self Defense Basics

In general street fights are complicated and messy. It's one sure-fire way to get beaten up stupidly by macho men and self-proclaimed thugs hungry for blood, but these things don't just exclusively occur on their side of the town. Everyone gets into brawls - men, women, gays, lesbians, etc - and even if you are a strong man you might not win all the time. The worst thing is that in most cases these street fights end up in hospital. Either for one or for both parties.

If not equipped with the right street fighting moves, and the right attitude, the chances of making it out of a street fight alive would be as slim as a needle. It's always easy to threaten someone with words, but punching someone in the face would take more than just cattiness to really hurt.

Whether you're a man or a woman, or somewhere in between, there are three essential things one should keep in mind when trapped in a street fight:

1) Be Realistic
Face it, movies are way different from reality. Jackie Chan impersonations aren't enough to scare opponents away. Most people aren't even physically capable of charging high kicks let alone, dodge a bullet or anything theatrical like that. The best thing you can do is to aim your opponent where it really hurts; You should always target weak points of the body e.g. the privates, face, and the shins. This is what really helps.

2) Strike until your opponent strikes out.
It is a good idea to keep a distance from your opponent. And it is also the best thing to do to be the first to strike. Being the offensive one is better than being the defensive. Keep this in mind. This will make the opponent lose focus, giving more opportunities to charge until he hits the ground. Don't give your attacker openings. You never know how hard he may hit you. The best areas to strike first are the eyes, the nose, or the groin.

3) Be Resourceful
Try to check the area for anything that could be used to throw or hit the attackers - glass bottles, chairs, plates, etc. - the goal is to distract and eventually slow them down. Distractions are fantastic prospects for surprise attacks, plus throwing something at someone could be a great stress buster too.

In street fighting, there is no such thing as being unfair. Playing dirty will most definitely save your butt rather than retreating. You should also keep in mind that in every street fight the most powerful weapons are a clear mind and common sense.

After all, brains are still more important over brawn. If you know good street fighting moves, you have a good chance knocking out your opponent, even if he is bigger and faster than you. Whatever happens, just think fast, be smart, move quick, and when all else fails, RUN!