10 Things you need to know win any fight #8


If you are taking Martial Arts or thinking about taking a Martial Arts class one of the reasons you probably are taking the class is “to learn how to win a fight”. I have been teaching and training in Martial Arts for 46 years and I have found that there are 10 basic ways to “win a fight”. During the next few days I will be discussing each in detail. Here’s the list and let’s begin the discussion.


  1. Block the initial attack and make your response overwhelming

  2. Don’t fight their fight. Fight to win.

  3. Take them down and pound them

  4. Don’t get sucker punched, always be ready for a fight

  5. Relax and breath

  6. Stay low in your stance and with your kicks

  7. Use a weapon if you have one

  8. Be aware of where you are at all times during the fight

  9. Do everything with Bad Intentions

  10. Don’t believe them when they “give up”, unless they are hurt


Let’s look at #8: Be aware of where you are at all times during the fight.


One of the most important things you can do in a street fight, or even a cage fight is to be aware of where you are at all times during the fight. You don’t want to find yourself backed into a corner or surrounded by other would be attackers. You want to control your position and the conditions of the fight as much as possible. Let’s look at some scenarios where positional awareness would be utilized to your advantage.


If you are fighting in a night club or bar, you want to keep your back towards the wall to avoid being hit from behind by another would be attacker. You want to be aware of chairs and tables around you that you could trip over or fall over or be pushed over. You want to keep your attacker in front of you, not to the side or your back. By keeping him directly in front of you, you will be able to push him into a corner or over a chair or a table, and put yourself in the most advantageous position to win the fight. Now this may sound like something that you simply can’t do in a bar room fight, but this is not true. If you are paying attention you will definitely know a fight is getting ready to start and be ready for the possible fight and to keep your positioning to your advantage during the fight.


Most people will not just be attacked straight out of the blue with no idea that something bad was going to happen. I have already covered that you should never be sucker punched in lesson 4. So if you are paying attention to the lessons you should never find yourself in a position of being sucker punched or attacked without you having the slightest idea that something was about to happen. If you feel something is going to go down, then get yourself in the best position to win the fight, or best yet to leave the club or bar. Don’t get caught in the back of the bar, surrounded by friends of your attacker. Always be aware of where the exits are and when you can escape.


If you are being attacked in the street, your position is very important there as well. You don’t want to be pushed off a cliff (literally), or into the traffic, or into a ditch, etc. You should know where you are and what is around you that you can use to you advantage or to the other guys disadvantage. If you are fighting in an actual street, you don’t want to go to the ground unless you know ground fighting and unless you can get on top and control the fight. You get cut up every easy on the ground and not only tear your clothes but tear your body. There is a good reason why jiu jitsu classes are taught on nice soft mats, and you will find that out very quickly in a street fight where you end up on your back or worse on your stomach, with your face being smashed against the ground and cut to pieces.


Being aware where you are in the street might also help you find a weapon, such a pole, branch, even a bottle, and just as importantly to stop him find getting the same weapon. You need to understand that I am not talking about a “staged fight” where you have agreed to meet some guy at a certain time and certain place for a fight after school, etc. I don’t condone these types of fights and will not teach you how to win one. I am talking about an unprovoked street fight.


One of the best tips on being aware where you are at all times during the fight, is to be aware of where you are before the fight. The first time I went to New York City I was absolutely unaware of where I was and what was around me. I was like a kid in a candy shop, looking around in wonder at all the tall buildings and people. I soon walked directly into the street at a light, and found out the hard way that traffic does no stop in NY for pedestrians. I came within 2 inches of being hit by a taxi who was going 40 MPH. In a few more minutes I was caught even more unaware as I continued walking and looking and not paying attention and soon found myself literally surrounded by 3 big black gentlemen who had no good intentions and began to verbally assault me with the full intention of taking something of value from me, perhaps my life. I quickly recovered and made it very clear that I was not going to be screwed with or pushed. When the first guy reached out to touch me, I slapped his arm away and squared off in a position for a fight. When they realized that I wasn’t going to be an easy target, and that they were outside in public with other people around. They backed down and I learned a good lesson. Always be aware of where you are in a fight, and before a fight. You will be well advised to learn this lesson too.


For more info: Grandmaster Ted Gambordella is the author of 42 books and 24 DVD’s. For more info see his website www.blackbeltinabox.com