| Mistake #1 - You Don't Have Situational | | | | Solution: You strike first and fast in a way and in |
| Awareness - Situational awareness means you | | | | an area that will devastate him and stop him cold |
| see the "orange alert" signals of suspicious and | | | | in his tracks. Best first blow? Front kick his shins |
| dangerous-looking behavior on the part of | | | | hard a couple of times, and follow up with an eye |
| suspicious and dangerous-looking individuals. | | | | rake, tiger claw, fingers curled inward from top to |
| Solution: You must trust your "gut" instinct. When | | | | bottom over the eyes or a 45 degree angle close |
| you feel that something is wrong or not right in a | | | | range foot stomp to the knee. |
| strange environment, pay attention to those | | | | Mistake #4 - Not Continuing Your Attack After |
| feelings. Don't ignore the individual with the shifty | | | | You Have Committed To Executing The First |
| eyes wearing the thick wool overcoat in the | | | | Blow - In street combat, it is a dangerous |
| middle of a hot summer August day with his hand | | | | mindset to want to just "control" the situation or |
| placed inside of his coat pocket. | | | | placate the attacker. I know of a case where a |
| Mistake #2 - You Don't Look Around For Objects | | | | brown belt in kung fu got into an altercation with |
| In Your Environment Which Can Be Used As | | | | an individual whom he swiftly and luckily managed |
| Weapons - Forget about nunchakus, shiroken | | | | to knock to the ground with a high round house |
| stars, bo staffs and kung fu swords that | | | | kick to the face (the type of kick that I would |
| ridiculously many sifus teach the use in kung fu | | | | not recommend in a street combat situation) |
| schools. This ain't ancient China folks! You are not | | | | anyway, to make a long story short, when the |
| going to walk around with any of these ancient | | | | guy hit the ground after that kick to the face, he |
| weapons. One, the law won't allow it, and Two, | | | | feigned being hurt more than he actually was. |
| most of them are too complicated to maneuver | | | | When the brown belt bent over to "talk" to the |
| and use expertly. How many times have you | | | | guy to calm him down, and as he was explaining |
| seen on America's Funniest Videos someone | | | | how unnecessary it was for them to be fighting, |
| demonstrating the use of nunchakus and then | | | | the guy on the ground quietly grabbed a brick and |
| wind up hitting himself in the "family jewels"? | | | | smashed it into the brown belt's skull, knocking |
| Solution: If you see a ketchup bottle in a fast | | | | him unconscious and giving him a brain concussion. |
| food restaurant, (or any hard and easy to grab | | | | Solution: Once your commit to hitting someone |
| object), if necessary, grab it and use it. If you | | | | with the first blow, make sure it is a blow that |
| have a cup of hot coffee (or cup of any liquid for | | | | counts and - don't stop hitting - until your attacker |
| that matter) throw it in the face of an aggressor | | | | is either completely subdued or knocked out. |
| unexpectedly, then kick hard several times to the | | | | Mistake #5 - Trying To Do High Aerial Kicks |
| shins, and follow through with other blows. | | | | Instead Of Low Line Kicks - Forget Bruce Lee. |
| Mistake #3 - Allowing An Obvious Aggressor To | | | | Forget Jackie Chan. Forget Jet Li. Forget the |
| Strike First - This is a judgment call, but there is a | | | | movies. This is real life. You are not trying to fight |
| point where the situation moves from a gray | | | | pretty, look cool or feel like an action hero. This is |
| area to jet black. If someone gets verbal with | | | | not sports fighting. This is not tournament fighting. |
| you, but is just yelling and screaming while | | | | You are, in many cases fighting for your life or |
| standing in the same place, this is usually a sign | | | | the safety of your loved ones. |
| that he is not a real threat but is just letting off | | | | Solution: Fight to survive. Fight low down and dirty. |
| steam. Now, if that same person starts to clench | | | | Kick the shins. Kick the knees. Kick the groin if |
| his fist, start moving in aggressively toward your | | | | you have a clean shot at it. But never kick higher |
| personal space even though you are stepping | | | | than waist level. Save that for the Hollywood |
| back - now it's time to use a preemptive strike. | | | | movie producers. You job is just to save your life. |