How to Win a Street Fight

Video Transcript

"Hi my name is Michael Quebec. I'm here at the Heritage Gym and today's subject matter is how to win a street fight. Keep in mind that my personal philosophy if you get into a street fight it's kind of a lose-lose situation potentially. If it goes to court and you've won they could use your ability against you, your martial arts ability against you legally. Now I should say this, a lot of the high-kicking techniques that we use in sport competition, I wouldn't necessarily use those if I had to in a self-defense situation. Any kicks that you would throw in a self-defense situation, as a rule of thumb, should be low kicks. There's a leg kick. There's a leg kick. There's a leg kick. Aiming for legs, why? One it's harder to defend against the low kick than a high kick. A high kick leaves your groin exposed. Your balance is always going to be a little bit off. And of course there's more chance of the guy grabbing your leg. Whereas a low leg kick, most people don't really know how to defend against the leg kick, most "street fights" situations because it's very unlikely that you're going to be attacked by a Thai boxer in a street fight type of situation. Also keep in mind that a lot of real life self-defense situations happen at this range. You're at a dance club per se and you're talking with your friend and all of a sudden some guy comes up to you and he's right there alright? There's no time to get into a stance, there's no time obviously I've got no room to kick, but I do have lots of room to throw an elbow. Because an elbow's a perfect short range weapon. It really cuts in deep. If you throw your whole hip into it you could knock the guy out. You'll certainly cut him up. Even if you don't throw full power in it, I know from personal experience having been hit with an elbow I think it was accidental I hope in sparring, but it doesn't take a lot of power for it to hurt. Because I know what it feels like to get hit with that thing, and I tell you it hurt me a lot. So an elbow is a good short range weapon. So keeping yourself psychologically calm, keeping calm under pressure, is probably the most important factor even above skill, being calm so that way you can think clearly or even not have to think but just react, having a calm mind is probably the most important factor in winning a street fight, or a self-defense situation. And my name is Michael Quebec. Thank you."