[jmf552]

I ran into an interesting study by a guy who is both a martial artist and a data analyst. He analyzed 200 real life H2H fights caught on video. The average length of the fights was 47 seconds. And that only varied slightly between one-on-one and multiple opponent fights. Also, most fights studied did not have a clear winner. If a knockout or TKO occurred, it was generally in the first 10 seconds. If it went longer than that, the fights tended to go to the ground.

As someone who studied martial arts for over 25 years, I'm surprised the fights lasted that long.

How Long Do Street Fights Actually Last? We Watched 200 of Them to Find Out. — High Percentage Martial Arts

We watched 200 actual street fights to separate myth from fact about how long fights last, and when they are the most dangerous.

www.highpercentagemartialarts.com

.

 

[PEF]

My takeaway: If I make it past 30 seconds with a female opponent, I'm Golden!


Seriously, very interesting study. Had no idea about this.

 

[DetroitMike]

I have always thought if it past 10- 15 seconds one combatent is out of gas, lack H2H skills, or defensive skills, it is pretty clear whom is walking away a winner And it is over. if it goes to the ground, many times to superior talent is simply controlling, not looking it put the other person to sleep, or break a bone, joint lock etc… That may add time

 

[wdbailey]

I have always thought if it past 10- 15 seconds one combatent is out of gas, lack H2H skills, or defensive skills, it is pretty clear whom is walking away a winner And it is over. if it goes to the ground, many times to superior talent is simply controlling, not looking it put the other person to sleep, or break a bone, joint lock etc… That may add time

The thing about going to ground is that all the other factors that apply to grappling come into play in spades. I had a coach tell me that 20 pounds grappling on the ground is equivalent to 50 pounds weight in standup striking and I may not totally agree it’s with that opinion it’s not far off. A skillfully applied arm bar is not that great if the opponent stands up and bounces your head off the pavement.

 

[GRCarry]

I have always thought if it past 10- 15 seconds one combatent is out of gas, lack H2H skills, or defensive skills, it is pretty clear whom is walking away a winner And it is over. if it goes to the ground, many times to superior talent is simply controlling, not looking it put the other person to sleep, or break a bone, joint lock etc… That may add time

I'm too old to go more than 10-15 seconds. If I haven't won in 5 seconds, I'll spend the next 5-10 seconds demonstrating just how much I'm going to get hurt.

 

[dangerranger]

What that says is make that first contact count! Very much like a gunfight.
If you are going to be violent ... Be violent soon enough! DR

 

[Hoganbeg]

Good points. Especially as I have reached my 'fighting" age. I can no longer sustain the dance for long periods of time so I will be looking to end it within the first seconds.
A point about the arm bar: it is a control technique. It is not really a fighting move except as a momentary set-up to putting the opponent down with violence.

 

[jmf552]

The thing about going to ground is that all the other factors that apply to grappling come into play in spades. I had a coach tell me that 20 pounds grappling on the ground is equivalent to 50 pounds weight in standup striking and I may not totally agree it’s with that opinion it’s not far off. A skillfully applied arm bar is not that great if the opponent stands up and bounces your head off the pavement.

Rener Gracie came up with the concept of "Boyd Belts," named after a well known BJJ black belt who suggested it to him. The idea is that for every 20 pounds someone has over you, they are assumed to be one belt higher. For instance, if you are a 160-pound blue belt and grapple with a 200-pound blue belt, the weight advantage they will have over you will be the same as having a brown belt over you. Similarly, for every ten years, a person is younger than you, it indicates another belt level over you.

My experience bears that out. I stared BJJ at 68 and I had a hard time, because of my age. But I was able to find an advantage ironically, in that I was overweight. If I was on my back, I just kept my arms in and my feet planted and there was not a lot the lower belts could do to get me in a better position. Of course, the upper belts had a lot of tricks that could submit me. If I wound up on top, I would get chest to chest and put all my weight on them and not let them roll me. They would wear themselves out trying to do anything. Again the upper belts had tricks that would get me.

As far as the arm bars, I agree also. There are some people who are hyper-flexible and if you don't get the lock perfectly, it won't work. Instead of resisting an opponent's entry into an arm bar, I found that I could do something to distract them for a split second, like feint trying some move, but all I was really trying to do was get my hand turned so the thumb side was not in the vertical. Then they would crank on my arm and it wouldn't lock.

But weight and age are definitely factors.

 

[LimaCharlie]

I only lost one fight in my entire life. I slipped running around the corner and he caught me.

 

[OldVet]

Isn't this where the sub-second draw wins?

 

[G-man*]

Isn't this where the sub-second draw wins?

No. The price of a can of OC spray is worth more than all the years and money I spent for 27 years of Kenpo.

 

[ctr]

I'm too old, too tired, and too ornery. Will walk away given the chance. Will spray or shoot if cornered.

 

[flh]

Isn't this where the sub-second draw wins?

Sir !

 

[wdbailey]

No. The price of a can of OC spray is worth more than all the years and money I spent for 27 years of Kenpo.

I know a woman who carries POM spray and an inexpensive SCUBA tool and has acquitted herself well in a couple of nasty incidents.

 

[Arejay]

an inexpensive SCUBA tool

??????? Bang stick ? Speargun ? Abalone iron ? Snorkel ?

 

[wdbailey]

??????? Bang stick ? Speargun ? Abalone iron ? Snorkel ?

Hah! A $15 dive knife with a line cutting hook. Not very big at all and doesn't look a lot like a knife in it's sheath

 

[oneshot]

Thats me on the R about to go hands on.

On a more serious note, the older I get the more firmly I believe that OC spray and a very well thought out escape plan is the best plan.

 

[Bad Bob]

No. The price of a can of OC spray is worth more than all the years and money I spent for 27 years of Kenpo.

Everyone I trained with OC had to fight for 1 minute after being sprayed. It was part of the training, everyone could do it. OC is nothing more than pain compliance, albeit sometimes blind pain. The biggest problem I have always had was catching them and getting my hands on them. When I was a city cop I was regularly thought to weigh 40lbs less than I did, those were the guys that got in trouble.....

 

[G-man*]

Everyone I trained with OC had to fight for 1 minute after being sprayed. It was part of the training, everyone could do it. OC is nothing more than pain compliance, albeit sometimes blind pain. The biggest problem I have always had was catching them and getting my hands on them. When I was a city cop I was regularly thought to weigh 40lbs less than I did, those were the guys that got in trouble.....

Same here. We trained the same way, but the training was to teach we, the officers, that we could continue to function in an environment where there was a secondary contamination that affected us so that we could bring the subject in to custody. We were required to perform certain tasks after being sprayed ourselves.
Over the course of a career with literally hundreds of OC uses, I got pretty good at it.

For self defense applications, I’m a huge fan. Especially for the goals I have for that situation.

Even if I still had to go hands on, I’m doing so against an opponent with degraded capabilities.

 

[DetroitMike]

Some interesting comments about what the objective is in H2H
Every situation is different, also if you are LEO, Security or just a joker on the street trying to get home safely plays a different role of how we behave. LEO are held to a higher, and more difficult standard, always a Karen looking to sue and play politics.
A lifetime ago as Military Life and What our crew did, stealth was critical if contact was ever involved, it was over bearing dominance and over quickly violently. As a occasionAl Private Advisor ( Security) it is SA and move on, anything not to engage, move our assignment on to safety, contain the issue, and visuals. The large event, commercial sporting events are really just presence, visible or not nothing ever happens that University police staff does not handle quite well, Drunk guys, and students, a couple idiots drunk slapping each other, separate them move them out, if possible send them home without having to call their mommies and give them MIP etc…
Personal life, is avoidance of not being in stupid places, if something arises if at all possible show a little restraint as you will be in court, and backgrounds will come up. As someone with something to lose and family to care for that is priority, swallow your pride and move on.