From: hogue@cs.arizona.edu (Justin C. Hogue)
Newsgroups: rec.martial-arts
Subject: Re: How do real fights start? (was Women's self-defense success stories!)
Date: 22 Jan 93 17:56:23 GMT
Organization: U of Arizona CS Dept, Tucson

In article <memo.881091@cix.compulink.co.uk> bburgar@cix.compulink.co.uk writes:
>I'd be interested to know (from a wide sample of people) how fights start.
>
  This oughta make you think....
 At an arcade, two guys my size hog the game from me and some kids.  After 
being told "forget it, we have lots of money in the game", i told them
that wasn't fair, and instantly BOTH guys turned around.  One pushed/punched
me but I caught his arm, the other spun me around and threw me back
(lesson one, if you say ANYTHING that may offend a person, get your stance
ready.  I had leaned forward between the two to see who he was, and was on 
 the tips of my toes.  I went over real well) into an arcade game.  They both
started hitting my back and head.  I wedged my arm between my head and the
game to avoid injury at the last second.  I tried to turn around and got
a glimpse of a face, and took a backhand at him, but I don't know
what I got.  Whatever, it moved him enough for me to spin around and knock
his arms off but WAIT--the other guy still has me.  He threw me down 
and they both started kicking me.  I grabbed a leg but that person retreated.
The other kicked me and I rolled to avoid.  Looking down I saw another
leg and kicked it, and this guy went back too.  I got on my feet and assumed
a stance I learned only 4 months prior (Not in Karate long).  Well, I did better
when they were on top of me.  My face was warm in places that had hit the 
game before I put my arm infront of it, and it looked like I got hit ALOT
more than I knew.  One guy had disappeared, at least to me.  The other was
infront of me.  I started trying to think what to do, the only one was walk 
forward, play it from there.  He walked back, I walked forward.  Finally, 
with room running out, he got out his keys between his fingers, made a fist,
and his courage was back.  Well, damage as it was, I wasn't looking forward
to being keyed, and a surprise showing of his friend again would not be 
pleasant, so I started to make the best of walking away.  (RULE 2:NEVER EVER
do things half ass.  Fight or run.  Don't defend, don't walk.  I walked and
although mister courage had put up his keys, he punched me reall good on the
nose that left me a nice scar I still have.  I fared exceptionally well 
against two guys (same size, outa my weight class though) after only
4 months of twice-a-week training, so it works.  The error I made was
not wrapping up the encounter the right way--fight or fun don' walk.
--Jowfus

BTW YES it was that simple.  I was not rude to them, nor did I know them.
I was on a game called street fighter two, and the place had no security,
and the people working there simply asked us to leave, they had no idea that
it wasn't a fight, but an assault.  I hope this gives many of you a good
idea of what to do.  If you see it hit it, and don't give up until you
find a way out, then get out fast.  Well, enough of my oration.  I have 
a pre-karate being attacked story I can tell sometime if you'd like.
 



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