| at Constitutes an Attack | | | | street-wise and taught me as much about street |
| In the Martial Arts you hear and read about | | | | fighting as he did about the arts. Part of his |
| people who have used their Martial Art to | | | | training included the idea of getting out of there |
| physically defend themselves in a real situation. | | | | and using any unfair advantage you could get to |
| Often the defender could very easily have | | | | win a serious physical confrontation. I also found |
| avoided the entire situation but instead due to any | | | | that when I was threatened with a fist fight that |
| number of circumstances they ended up in a fight | | | | I did not just jump in there swinging away like a |
| instead. I recently read an article by Nev Sagiba | | | | mad man but that instead I had a tendency to |
| related to this topic and decided to add my 2 | | | | utilize positioning and verbal skills to try to deter |
| cents worth. | | | | my would be attacker. Due to attacks, that I |
| First of all, a physical attack is actually | | | | personally experienced, I also found that when I |
| implemented when someone is actually closing the | | | | needed to defend myself that techniques that |
| distance towards you or those you care about | | | | would allow me to quickly end a physical |
| (or are in some way responsible for) and they | | | | confrontation and get out of there were much |
| are on their way to strike, stab, grab, beat or | | | | more important to me than being able to |
| otherwise immediately hurt them or you Right | | | | exchange a lot of punches and kicks. This was |
| NOW! For this to actually be a physical attack | | | | partially due to the fact that even in school yard |
| they also must be close enough that within | | | | fist fights the average fight involved multiple |
| seconds they can actually begin contact and the | | | | attackers and if I got tangled up with someone |
| physical aspect of the attack is imminent. | | | | the next thing I knew their buddies were also all |
| A person who throws their fists up and threatens | | | | over me. My findings and understanding of what |
| to beat you up is verbally attacking and physically | | | | happens in real situations eventually led me to |
| posturing but not yet physically attacking. A | | | | Pentjak Silat, Kun Tao and Kun Tao Silat as the |
| person who is upset and yelling is upset or/and | | | | arts that I needed to deal with the harsh realities |
| threatening and posturing is verbally attacking but | | | | of surviving street encounters. |
| not yet physically attacking. A person swearing at | | | | When a person attacks you verbally (yelling and |
| you is verbally attacking and posturing but not yet | | | | threatening) or non-verbally (such as waving their |
| physically attacking. A person who is busting things | | | | fists) then a response of some kind is still called |
| in the room or kicking your car is posturing and | | | | for. Generally speaking the response is fairly |
| attacking things but is not yet physically attacking | | | | simple. Either work to help end and bring an |
| you. You get the idea. | | | | acceptable solution/conclusion to the problem or |
| When I began learning martial arts a lot of what I | | | | simply remove yourself from the situation by |
| learned taught a person how to engage in a fight. | | | | running or driving away. |
| Fortunately for me my instructor was also very | | | | |