Getting away from a violent situation before it erupts should be considered a victory. If a fight becomes unavoidable, stay relaxed. When you panic, your ability to gauge your surroundings and employ effective strategies shuts down.
Don’t allow your guard to fall or get lax, even when you’re tired. Dropping your guard leaves you wide open for that one good shot which could mean the end of the fight. Make sure you assume a guard from which you can quickly and comfortably deliver punches or elbow strikes.
Evading is always preferable to blocking because it doesn’t require you to absorb force with any part of the body. Dodging a punch using only head movement is known in boxing as a “slip. ” Slipping punches is an excellent way to avoid being hit while expending minimal energy. [3] X Research source
If one of you takes the other down, or you happen to trip, get back to your feet as quickly as you can. You have a much better chance of outclassing a large opponent in a stand-up encounter. [4] X Research source
If you do have to take a hit, try to do it on the shoulder or forehead, which is a harder, less vulnerable surface than the jaw or the rest of the face. Let your body sway in the direction of the punch to lessen its impact. [6] X Research source During a physical altercation, your body will be flushed with adrenaline, which can keep you from feeling as much pain.
One method you could employ is to “dance,” or move in a circular motion around your opponent while staying outside of their striking range. When you sense a punch coming, duck, dodge make sure you’re too far away for it to connect. [8] X Research source Since the legs are longer than the arms, becoming proficient at kicking can help overcome your opponent’s reach advantage. Whatever you do, don’t let a larger opponent get their hands on you. One wrong move could end the fight in their favor.
When negotiating range with a bigger opponent, the most important thing to remember is to stay out of the “danger zone. ” This is the range at which they can hit you but you can’t hit them back due to their added reach. Move in suddenly after dodging a blow or feinting one of your own, or follow your opponent’s punching arm back as they retract it.
Working out to improve your cardiovascular conditioning can prepare you in the event that you need to be able to outlast an opponent’s onslaught during a fight. The strategy of allowing an adversary to tire themselves out before finishing them off has become known as the “rope-a-dope” principle. Muhammad Ali used this gameplan to win a championship bout with the larger George Foreman at the Rumble in the Jungle in 1974. [10] X Research source
Assess the situation as best you can before resorting to a surprise attack. In many cases, the aggressor might simply be worked up and won’t have any intention of actually getting into a physical dispute. Be certain that you’ve exhausted all other options first. Be careful when going for a sucker punch. If it misses or doesn’t do the trick, there will be no way to avoid a full-on fight.
Don’t get impatient. You’ll start making mistakes, which could end up costing you dearly. Attack the body when you don’t have a clear shot at your opponent’s head. The solar plexus is a sensitive target that when hit just right can drive all the air out of an opponent’s lungs and leave them gasping for breath. The ribs are also quite fragile, and can be broken with only a few pounds of force per square inch.
Everybody has the same anatomical weakness, despite size differences. Strikes that target an opponent’s sensory organs will leave them temporarily stunned, enabling you to get away or follow up with a hard hit. An open hand slap to the ear is just as good as a left hook for shattering an opponent’s equilibrium, if not better. Hitting the nose can blind them momentarily by causing their eyes to well up with tears, which gives you an opportunity to throw a fight-ending punch. A kick to the groin will compromise their mobility and instantly take the will to fight out of them.
Apply a rear naked choke or triangle choke, depending on your positioning. Chokes disrupt an opponent’s circulation or ability to breathe, causing unconsciousness. It only takes a firm hold and a few moments to put an opponent to sleep. [14] X Research source [15] X Research source Armbars are holds that apply pressure to the elbow joint or shoulder. They are effective against attackers who leave their arms extended momentarily after throwing a punch. As a bonus, disabling an arm means they can’t hit you anymore. [16] X Research source
Turn objects around you, such as bottles, chairs, rocks, pens or even your cell phone into improvised weapons. In the best case scenario, the sight of you holding a weapon may be enough to make your attacker back down. To avoid escalating the violence further, make a run for it as soon as you have your opponent reeling.
