How to Win a Fist-Fight

Generally speaking, it's best to avoid getting into a physical confrontation with someone because even if you win, there is a good chance you're going to get hurt in the process. Also, you may not realize that fist-fighting is illegal in most states, regardless of who starts it. You can be charged with assault or battery or both. This article is not intended for those seeking to learn how to beat up someone else. It's meant as a how-to guide for those seeking to defend themselves. With all that in mind, here are some things you can do to prepare yourself to win a fist-fight.

As with most things in life, preparation is the key. There are things you can do before finding yourself in a situation where you will need to defend yourself or someone you care about. The first is to learn how to throw a proper punch. This is true whether you are male or female. To punch someone effectively, you need to learn to put your weight behind your fist. This means not only stepping forward when throwing your punch but turning your body so as to maximize the amount of body you are using to thrust your fist forward. Also, you need to make sure you're not hiding your thumb inside your fist when you strike. Doing so will cause your thumb to be broken on impact. To best learn how to throw a good punch, watch some professional boxing.

Another thing you can do is learn about human anatomy. Specifically, which parts of the body are most vulnerable to attack. Quite often when a fight breaks out, people respond as they've learned through watching television or movies. This is actually the worst way to fight a real fight, because the object of a real fight is to end the fight as quickly and painlessly as possible, not to clobber them. Therefore, you need to attack areas of the body that will more quickly cause your opponent to stop fighting with you.

The first of these is the stomach. You've no doubt seen the sucker punch on television. This is when you sock someone in the gut, hopefully by surprise. It's a lot more useful than a blow to the side of the face, because by virtue of the element of surprise, you'll likely knock the wind out of your opponent, which is almost always incapacitating. If you've never had the wind knocked out of you, it's hard to understand the mental and physical impact on a person. Suffice it to say, having the wind knocked out of a person will cause them to stop fighting. You need to practice a sucker punch though, with a bag or even a mattress. It's not as easy as it looks.

Another area of the body that is vulnerable to attack is the throat, specifically in the area of the Adam's apple. This applies to both men and women. A quick jab with either a balled fist or the points of the fingers will cause the other person to feel intense pain and panic as they find it instantly difficult to breathe. This is usually enough to stop them from continuing the fight for at least several minutes, which should be more than enough time for you to escape.

Other vulnerable areas of the body include the eyes, the ears and the groin. Contrary to what you see in the movies, if you throw a handful of sand in someone's eyes, they won't be coming after you for quite some time. The same is true if you poke them with your fingertips. Also, if you slap someone hard enough on the ear, it causes them to lose their equilibrium and their ability to think clearly, once again giving you time to escape. Finally, if your opponent is male, the groin makes a very sensible target, but keep in mind, that most males have learned through experience to protect this area at all costs and thus the chances of a good strike are remote.

Once you've done everything you think you can do to prepare yourself should you find yourself in a situation where you need to fight, you need to think about the lengths you will go to win that fight. Are you willing to seriously injure another person? Again, this is not a trivial question. You need to know before you begin to defend yourself what you are willing to do, or to put it more correctly, what you are not willing to do. Otherwise you will be indecisive in your fighting, and that never works in your favor.

Finally, there is the fight itself. It might be you and another drunk at a wedding reception. It might be you and some of your buddies in a bar fight. Or you and your family at a ball game. Or worse, it might be you alone in a parking garage. The circumstances can vary greatly but the outcome should always be clear. You need to be clear on that. It is almost always best to consider the best outcome to be where things end as quickly as possible; both for you and your opponent. Thus, you need to think very clearly on what it is you are doing. For example, though it might be humiliating to run, sometimes that is your best option. Run away. Get out of there. Nobody gets hurt. At least not physically. If you are never going to see this other person again, it might make the best sense.

On the other hand, if it is obvious that there is going to be a fight no matter what you do, the best thing is to strike first. If you're lucky, you'll incapacitate the other person and you won't get hurt at all. If not, you'll still have the advantage because the other person will be hurting or injured before they get to throw a punch.

Once the fight begins, you need to keep your mind on your objective. Don't let anger control your actions. Keep in your mind the thought that you need to stop this other person, not hurt them. With that in mind, it's usually best to use other means of violence than simply trying to punch them in the face. As mentioned previously, there are other vulnerable areas of the body. Take advantage of that. For the most part, your opponent probably will be caught off guard. Likewise, there are other parts of your body that you can use to inflict injury or pain. Your elbows for instance can be quite effective when used against your opponent's temple, throat, ears or eyes. Same thing with your knees. Also, your feet can be used, but it's best to not go that route unless you have nothing else, because if your opponent manages to catch your foot, you'll very quickly find yourself in a very awkward position.

The most important thing is to try to remain calm. This is very difficult of course, because when a fight starts, your adrenaline starts pumping and your heart rate goes up and you either grow more angry or scared. Try to keep in mind that it's possible to control your breathing and to keep your mind clear. Try to move as little as possible so you don't tire before the other person.

When the fight starts, if you think the other person has the advantage due to size or ability, not only should you strike first, but do so in a manner that makes sense. Don't just run at them willy-nilly with your fists flailing. If you have to, ram your head into their belly. This may or may not knock the wind out of them, but it will definitely bring you too close to them to allow them to punch you. Use this proximity to aim for their vulnerable areas. Dig into or bite their eyes, ears or nose. Use your fingernails.

The point is to inflict as much damage as quickly and forcefully as possible. You want to make them hurt so badly they can't move. That should be your goal. Once you reach that point, get out of there before they have a chance to recover.

Sometimes your first move won't do it. Don't worry, even if it doesn't stop them, it should make them pause. This is when you make your next move. If you've hurt their face, the odds are good they will bend over. If they do, let them have it in the face with your knee as hard as you are capable. Right in the nose. If that's too high, hit them under the chin. That's where it will have the most impact. If they don't bend over, go for the gut or the groin. Take advantage of what is exposed. If you have to, kick them in the shin. If they fall down, kick them in the ear or their eyes. Again, as hard as you can. I can't stress this enough. You have to give it everything you have or it won't do enough to incapacitate. You have to keep your goal in mind even if it goes against everything you've learned in life about not hurting other people. In a fight, if you want to win, you have to do what it takes.

Finally, in every fight there is the possibility of you or your opponent escalating things by brandishing a weapon. In almost every case, this is a very bad idea. Not only does it greatly increase the likelihood of one or both of you getting seriously hurt or killed, but it also greatly increases the likelihood of one or both of you going to jail if you survive. If you can, avoid weapons at all costs, even if it seems that it will give you a leg up. It won't be worth it.

We all know fighting is bad. Very seldom has anything good come of it. But we all also know that sometimes it just can't be avoided. The point of this article has been to describe how to defend yourself if you find yourself in a situation that leaves you no other alternative. It would be in your best interest to think very seriously about how you would respond if provoked. It might mean the difference between wining or losing that fight.

Good luck.