Let’s look at # 4: Don’t get sucker punched, always be ready for a fight.

 

One of the best ways to lose a fight is to get “sucker punched”, to allow your attacker to hit you without you being aware there was going to be a “fight”.  You have very little chance of winning most fights when you are unconscious or have a broken jaw or busted nose with the blood pouring out. So I always suggest a very simple solution. Always be prepared for a fight. Never let your guard down when you are in a situation that could become hostile.

 

I have seen many bar fights when I used to be a bouncer in my brothers bar in Alex, La. Almost invariability someone would wind up getting sucker punched, either before the first fight, or during the first fight, by one of the friends of one of the guys. It just seems that when a fight starts, other people are just standing around watching, and not being prepared to actually be in a fight themselves.

 

When Riddick Bowe was fighting some guy in the heavyweight division a big fight broke out in the crowd and everyone seemed to be fighting in the stadium. George Foreman was one of the announcers along with 2 other announcers. As the fight got closer to the announcing crew, the other 2 men became very nervous and their voices reflected their concern. Big George however remained very calm and as one guy in the crowd came up from behind as if to punch at George or one of the other announcers. George turned to him and said “you don’t want to do that”. He made it very clear he was aware that something was going to happen if it did happen the consequences would be very bad for the guy trying the sucker punch. It worked and the guy backed off.

 

When I was breaking up fights as a bouncer I always was aware of the other people around and told them to back up and get away.  The police always use the same techniques. When trouble or a fight breaks out, and there is more than one policeman, one of the officers always keeps the crowd back and under control. The other one breaks up the fight. 

 

You should always be aware that you can be in a fight in any situation where there are large crowds or people around you that you don’t know and are acting strange or belligerent. You must be aware that you can be in a fight and that means that you do not let your guard down and become distracted by other things or other people. If you are always ready you will greatly increase the likelihood that you will not be a victim of a sucker punch. The motto of the Boy Scouts is “be prepared”, they learn it when they are children and stay prepared for danger or opportunity all their lives.  Prepared for any emergency and ready to take action, you must have that same be prepared attitude.

 

Another way to avoid being sucker punched is to always stand with your side to anyone approaching you with bad intentions. If you square off or stand directly in front of a possible attacker, you are giving them too much of a target and too much opportunity to hit you. When you are standing square to another person you have put your body in a position that will not allow you to back up or lean away from the punch. By standing with your side facing the opponent you have the opportunity to lean back, move away and block the punch or kick with the arm closest to the attacker and counter with the back hand. If you stand square, you can’t punch and you can’t kick.

 

 

To summarize, if you are always in a ready mode and prepared for a possible fight, and if you always keep a side stance  to a potential attacker,  you will avoid most situations where you can be sucker punched and thus win a lot more fights. You simply can’t be sucker punched if you are ready for a fight.