6 WORST Things Martial Artist Shouldn't DO in Street Fights 

Like John Steinbach once said, "If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck."

"A man surprised is half beaten." Excellent advice.

Great point, " Don't underestimate the other guys resilience to punishment" Don't bring the fight to the ground unless your trained in wrestling, grappling, etc because basically we are all the same size on the ground

In all the years I trained and worked in security. I never once went into a stance or made a claim "I do this" What I would do is be in a half stance, hands open. The introduction to what I did was short, sharp and continuous. My opponent is a threat as long as they're able to move. I taught my daughters that to never assume you're better than the person in front of you. And keep on them until they are no longer a threat. But most importantly, use your brain first.

I saw a fairly proficient martial artist take a bad beating from a guy who had no fight training but who had evidently been in some street fights. It's a different world.

Despite my black belts in karate and kick boxing and thai boxing experience, I definitely would never risk a kick. Fists and elbows have always been enough.

You're so right about beginners... I got injured sparring with beginners because they didn't move or react as expected... I learned that the hard way

I think people need to take the "no rules" aspect to heart. Too many damn fight vids I see always has some clown chiming in like "no grappling" or "no kicking!" In a real fight, there is no referee. If the other guy is going to end up pulling a knife or hitting you below the belt, he will. You'd be a fool to fight fair when you know damn well the other guy probably isn't.

never do anything that you think looks pretty or cinematic. keep it simple and effective as your two goals

Dr. Phillips is such a wealth of great knowledge even to anyone who has just started training all the way to seasoned fighters. Thanks for all you do!

Well I had some fights and I underestimated the effect of adrenaline. It is insane what a body can take :)) Avoid fights at any costs guys, mostly an ego issue and never worth it!

Excellent advice !!! Love this guy's Eastend accent.

If you're gonna get in a fight, you're gonna get hit. I learned that early.

Absolutely love this channel! As someone who has spent a little over 13 years in prison and has been involved in my fair share of altercations, I can vouch for the advice being given here. Particularly the “hiding your capabilities”, “there are no fair fights outside of competition” and “don’t throw singles”. Playing possum is far more effective than most people realize. It can be a tremendous advantage to have your assailant(s) view you as a nonfactor, as they will often peacock even more than they originally were which creates openings and with proper timing, you can land real nice before they even realize you hit them the first time. A single punch is only effective in the movies or in rare situations, more of the exception than the rule. If you land one, you better land 3 more and however many more it takes to stop your assailant. That also incorporates the “no fair fight” principle. You can’t have humanity for someone that just moments ago was intent on hurting you or worse. If they’re still moving/functioning, you are potentially still in danger and should work quickly to remedy that issue by making sure they can’t harm you. Machiavelli said: “If an injury is to be inflicted upon an enemy, it is to be so severe, that retaliation need not be feared”. This is a beautiful encapsulation of the required mindset to survive in less than ideal circumstances…

Good advice but it's the missing the two golden rules. Never let anyone get too close & always try to hit first. Sticking to those two rules will greatly protect you.

They say that 70% of fights end up on the ground. That maybe true but 100% of fights start standing up.

Situational awareness or presense of mind, quick physical reactions or reflexes, mental strength or toughness, composure or self-confidence, resourcefulness, the instinct or the will to fight back and defend yourself, knowing when to fight back or when to just run away as fast as you can, avoiding people places and situations that potentially lead to heated altercations or violent encounters, and your martial arts/fighting/self-defense skills and techniques (if you have any or some) which you have spent long periods of time practicing and training, can drastically increase your chances of successfully defending yourself and surviving potentially violent self-defense encounters. Speaking based on my personal experience as a self-defense practitioner.

Dr Mark Phillips AS ALWAYS knowledge and facts! I enjoyed this video. Do you have a book or have a book coming out soon?

Excellent info Dr. Phillips. Getting to train with your class was amazing back in October. Always enjoy the wealth of knowledge you have to share.

Well said!

never knew I needed this channel. but I'm glad it's here. thanks for these videos

Good stuff!

The law will make you pay if you win. Avoid fighting if you can. Remember people will lie for the friends. So you might be inocent but it's what they say that can put you away.

I always appreciate the practically of your advice. Economy of motion works for speaking as well. I think you're a great example of that.

Nice advice bro. 👍

Dr. P: Excellent insights. Fight dirty, don't advertise, don't assume anything. Keep up the good work sir.

❤what an excellent video

Always excellent

4:24 This is handy advice for life generally, whenever the stakes are high. Including dating. 😉

This is one of the last conversations me and my dad had before we stopped talking a few years back. His logic was, draw your opponent in by acting meek and unsure of yourself. Allowing him to have a false sense of confidence. Yes. That will probably work, esoecially with a background in boxing (Myself and my father have). My only caveat to that is, what do animals do when they believe they stumbled upon an injured prey. They attack, thinking easy work. Why would i wanna fight, if i dont have to? Even the dumb ass street fights i got into and won, i shattered my wrist got a front tooth dislodged, and jammed my toe from booting his ribs so he would stay down etc... Sure blading your stance may give your hand away, but your also showing your teeth and growling letting the animal across from you know. Im not gonna go down easy, and you're gonna have to work for this win. As i explained to my father, most young guys in the US are weak mentally, out of shape physically, and have little to no heart when the going gets tough. Im no Jon Jones, but im not letting anyone punk me. If you wanna to stop people from trying you? Get in good shape, get some lessons in either boxing or a mixed martial art, stand tall, keep your head on swivel, have situational awareness, and something all men should work on. Keeping a level head and a sense of calmness during an altercation. This was severe weakness i had that needed fixed. It will blow right through your energy levels. So if your opponent can take a few shots without going out, your ass may be in trouble if the fight goes past 20 or 30 seconds.

Good stuff as always guys never underestimate your opponent cause one punch doesn’t always work in a brawl focus on the fight 😎

I really hate what's become of RU-vid. There was a time when content creators were allowed to show fights. Now, they're forced to cut it short or blur it out beyond recognition. All love here, FS. It just sucks that your hands are tied.

Good advice. Although I was just a kid, I watched & got into a lot of fights before I even started training. Fighting dirty still came naturally despite sparring. Not advertising your knowledge as a fighter is a good 1. I used to be very open about being a martial artist. 1 time, 3 guys that knew ganged up on me. Fortunately, I was able to scare them into backing off. Had we been adults though & they were tougher, that could have went badly for me.

What I love about this channel is that even people like me who are too old to train can learn some things. This is a very unique channel!!!

totally agree!

Yep. Dude I'm going to have to start carrying my Freestyle Karate Blackbelt around with me, as I walk through the city. If a guy starts on me I'll say "Hang on a second mate, let me just wrap my Blackbelt around my waist." Then start making cat like noises like Bruce Lee did in the iconic film (Way of the Dragon). Ha ha ha ha ha ha, imagine that, lol. Great common sense advice. Thanks dude.

Great advice. However, I would caution about #2. Depending on where someone's at, that could send a trained person to jail.

First rule of martial arts is, make every effort to avoid the confrontation. But remember that situational awareness is always important. And as s a man I know our biggest weak spot all too well.

I do think "one move" but it's always the *next* move lol

Its why I always taught my students in situations similar to the street :)

Jesus, did they just smack that guy with a Skateboard at 02:02 ? That's gonna be a headache for sure.

Wisdom!!

How can i protect myself if I am in a job where i am not allowed to hit first ie scurity guard in uk where I can only act in self defence >

Excellent real-world advice. I'd add that not infrequently the assailant(s) may have consumed narcotics which further reduce their capacity to feel pain. The only reliable way to stop a street fight is to ensure the assailant(s) can never, under any circumstance, make any further effort to inconvenience you. And then leave the scene rapidly before the note-takers in blue show up.

pro-active vs reactive, how to not commit when it was not needed in the end (and pass for the aggressor), example the guy constantly enters your safe perimeter, you back a bit, one, twice, and then?

Thank you Mr Kid Bengala

I'm pretty sure it was right here on this channel where you said instead of a stance you should be able to hit from wherever you hands and feet are at the time. I like the example you used here for "looking good" with master Tu vids. They are fun to watch, effective or no.

My best friend wigged out on an ambian psychotic trip. I stopped by his house to pickup my bicycle. He wouldnt let me leave and was holding onto the bike. Yelling and freaking out at me. Physically preventing me from leaving his house is felony false imprisonment, but I can't call the cops on my best friend for that. So i submitted him with a guillotine, this is where i messed up. And never again will. When he tapped. I didn't let go but gave him air to remain conscious, saying "when I let go and let you up, go inside your house" He got up and grabbed me by my throat shoving me into my RV. I had to strike him and finally resorted to kicks to get him out of my reaction space so i could load the bike and close my truck door to leave. He never went in his house until after i was driving off. Other times I have submitted people on the street and talked them down. This was the first time I let someone up and they attacked me. Lesson learned, anyone next in a choke hold by me is going to sleep no ands, ifs, tapping out, or buts. Wont be the first.

100% agree.

Doesn't seem to me those people are giving any indication that they know what they're doing

There's one more thing: going all in. I've been guilty of this on multiple occasions in my past. I was a small kid when a scary bully attacked me and I instantly went for his throat -literally! I didn't stab him, but I did punch him and if I had been any stronger back then, this could have been a life-altering event... It didn't though, but it did instantly end the fight, so that's that... On another occasion, I simply snapped after a bully had harassed me for over a year. He punched me once, and I frigging lost it. It was like I was possessed. It took multiple others to pull me off him (despite me not being the strongest nor the heaviest, quite far from it) and even then it took me some time to regain clarity. I had tunnel vision felt no pain and didn't really think at all, all I did was pommel him as hard and often as I could. I didn't even realize that a teacher was shouting at me or was trying to pull me away. Unlike the first event, which was arguably more dangerous, the second earned me a reputation as a _psycho_ and allowed me to finish school without getting picked on by bullies for the most part. The problem is that while I do my best to avoid unnecessary fights, the moment I'm forced into one, my survival instinct kicks in and in my unconsciousness, it's always a fight for life and death. When I started practicing martial arts, it was a huge pain in the butt to deal with, as I got uncontrollable when the sparring went beyond my comfort level (not as bad as with the bullies, as the sparring was stopped and I knew that it was a friendly environment, but it's hard to explain, let's just say that went too hard and also gassed out way too fast). Similarly, when someone sneaks up on me, I really need to stop myself from striking without confirming the target... and his intentions.. and that's a huge dilemma in self-defense in general: YOU DON'T KNOW how far the other person is willing to go. This applies to the chosen victim just as much as to the aggressor. However, trying to resolve a problem with minimal violence is pretty much fighting with blindfold and tied-up arms... I find it quite infuriating that most martial arts don't pay any attention to levels of violence, as many focus on the most effective way of dealing with a threat, which would be a total overkill for most scenarios and is about the worst thing you could teach a damaged individual (like me) who freaks out under pressure. Also, training at various levels of pressure and non-compliance is really important to stay calm when you really need it... Lastly, I want to leave with a funny anecdote of a self-defense case that involved my aunt when she was young (seems like she had the same tendencies): A purse snatcher targeted her and it instantly became a tug-of-war over her handbag, which happened to be made of sturdy leather... She was smaller and weaker and when he pulled hard she fell on him, which caused this guy to fall over as well and she landed on top of him. He instantly rolled over, which made her panic and she resorted to biting him... This freaked him out and he instantly tried to stand up, but she was still biting him, thus it ended in her pulling a piece of meat out of him... She was in shock (and so was her attacker, if I wagered a guess) and then went to the hospital for a check-up (she was paranoid about STDs, and her teeth hurt from biting so hard).

I anticipate going for a weapon. Soon as that happens ... Oh well

Taking on new people at the gym, 💯 Nothing like a newbie to remind you of just how little you know

I took on a former Golden Gloves boxer and during our first sparring session when we tied up , he relaxed and bent over . So I kneed him(lightly) in the face . He was shocked and asked why did I do that. I realized he had trained to get loo low to uppercut and wait for the ref to separate him when in a clinch .

how effective imagination training if i want to use new techniques? of course there is the unpredictable, but should i not try even if i imagine the scenario countless times? (even when i was full of adrenaline) unfortunately i don't have partners to train with...

I grew up in a bad place, lots of street fights, won more than I lost, no rules at all, then Judo, after that Karate, took on a karate guy with a higher belt than I had in a real fight, way too easy.

One punch may not finish a fight but one drop knee seoi nagi probably will 🥋

An inteligent street fighter will bring the opponent to destroying himself at her own . Remember people like to start to make a movie from the moment when the fight becomes fancy ( in order to get many likes ) . Beside that nowadays cameras are basically everywhere so the best option is when everything looking like an accident. I mean after the fight often self defence turns to another level but in the Court where you need to explain why you did this and not that .

Bruce Wayne never told nobody he's batman

Haven't been hit in the face yet.I'm doing bjj for about 1.4 years. Not much striking, though.

The number 1 rule against surprise attacks is, do not be surprised. If you have an adversary you have never met before, always assume that anything you can do to him, he can do to you too. Always be careful. There are no fair fights in the street, it's not MMA, so if you have early access to the groin or the eyes, go for it. If you are able to kick his knee and hyper extend it leading to permanent damage, it's his fault for trying to attack you.

💪

'You rupture my testicles.' Bruce Lee

Giving the impression that I have consumed a few 🍻 can lull a potential opponent into a false sense of security. If they decide to escalate...... Great advice here; as expected.

People will use greater force to deal with a greater threat. A 90 lb man will have less force used against him than a 250 lb man likewise a person will use more force if they know their opponent is trained

I'm an average fighter, at best, but have seen plenty of other people get themselves into fights that don't work out well for them. From them, I learned: If you have a black belt in TKD and are drunk, it is best not to try to kick someone in the head. It is really a bad idea if you are trying to do this on a slanted, wet street. It is funny for everyone else to watch but it ends badly for the drunk kicker. Never spin - not spinning kicks, spinning back fists or any variation of something you saw Bruce Lee or JCVD do in a movie. You are not them and this is not a movie. You are going to spin, miss then fall down. Best case - you get laughed at. Worst case - you get a bad beating. Don't go around talking shit with your hands down or (worse) in your pockets. Bonus stupid points if you do this while drunk and going up to obviously bigger, meaner, more athletic guys.

This girl i had Hooked up with before called me saying her bf broke up with her and she wanted to come over. Did. And next morning i Answered the door with no situational awareness thinking it was a salesman or something. I was up all night til sunrise with her, so ive maybe been sleep for an hour. I open the security screen door and step down onto the porch its about a 4'x6' slab. Rosebed to my right, walkway center, and lawn to my left. The next thing I know a guy more than twice my size (weight), is throwing a haymaker right hook. While yelling "you fucked my bitch" I stepped back/ducked in the direction of his punch so it was ineffective at contact. I'm right at the open doorway. I put my feet against the door jam and used my legs to spear him off of my porch. And he surprised me with skills I didn't expect. He instantly reversed it into a suplex landing in side control on top of me. Me on ny back. I remember while I was upside down mid-air thinking FML he must of been wrestling team in HS. His fitness was probably work, and all free time was spent building his beer belly drinking. He went for a full control but I got him in full guard hooks not locked because his size. Hes trying to mount for ground and pound and I'm tiring fast because all of my endurance was wasted the night before on his GF. And I also had the flu. For her lying to me I hope she caught it. And for him punching me I hope he got it from her. I was able to talk him down. After I commanded my dog not to attack him when she was at his leg. Had my dog not been barking at him and taking his mental anger away for a moment, i might not been able to. If I'm ever in a situation like that, I'm going to stir their brain with my thumb through their eye socket. Because its either them or me.

If newbies are hard to fight, that’s a clear sign your martial art doesn’t work.

Respond to real time information, don't have a plan, and don't react? Responding and reacting are the same thing.

Although it was a pain when Police got involved, but still I prefer to pay fine or legal action instead of being killed by someone else or getting seriously injured

mike tyson followed no. 2 personally lol

The best thing is not to fight. I try to convince the other person that they don’t want to fight. Doesn’t matter how good you are, there’s always someone better. Neither you nor them really want to find out what massive pain is.

Of course chillies prepared to fight this to the Supreme Court, he's not spending his own money to do it.

Is fighting really formless?

Even if you dont know what to do dont do silly things out of ego.

I prefer to be misunderestimated.

Best thing to do is be nice to people, be polite and respectful then stupid street fights won't happen in the first place, unless you're an egomaniac and arrogant and can't keep your ego and temper in check.

I have said this over the last 45yrs....thanks for saying it again Phil!!....love how you have grown.....can't wait to see you hit 1m

😂😂Saya lihat vidio kamu bagus sayang❤

Cuz i can beat anyone and anything. Im so good i can brag all day and itll be to my advantage. I disagree with your 1st entire minute, haus!

Be alert 👊👊or you will be hurt 🤕 and their are no rules in a street fight 👍🇦🇺👍

Situational awareness or presense of mind, quick physical reactions or reflexes, mental strength or toughness, composure or self-confidence, resourcefulness, the instinct or the will to fight back and defend yourself, knowing when to fight back or when to just run away as fast as you can, avoiding people places and situations that potentially lead to heated altercations or violent encounters, and your martial arts/fighting/self-defense skills and techniques (if you have any or some) which you have spent long periods of time practicing and training, can drastically increase your chances of successfully defending yourself and surviving potentially violent self-defense encounters. Speaking based on my personal experience as a self-defense practitioner.