homeikigai shop and ebooksmartial artsinterviewsaboutcontact
«
»

A Street Thug Who Makes Trouble At the Wrong Doorstep

October 8, 2009 | Author: Matthew | Filed under: Martial Arts, karate, self defense

Martial arts offer us a conundrum. On one hand, we are taught to never seek out violence, and to avoid hurting others at all cost. On the other hand, it is commonly known that there can be no exact substitute in the dojo for the fury and adrenaline of real danger, and thus our life protection skills can never be complete without at least brushing with combat.

This catch-22 is all too familiar for most civilian martial artists, and has helped charlatans stay in business for years without ever having to prove anything.

Modern day artists have one luxury that previous generations never had – the prevalence of video. It’s true that there is no substitute for the feeling of uncontrolled violence, but at least we can see what it looks like and ask ourselves the tough questions regarding our own preparedness.

Today I found an excellent video that demonstrates an all too classic scenario – a muscley street thug causing trouble with a person he thinks might be an easy target. The cause of the confrontation is unknown, but the thug can be found confronting the man aggressively on his own doorstep. Watch as the situation escalates, and what happens when the thug finds out the hard way that he picked a martial artist for a target:

Anaylsis:

I like this video because it is very ‘real’. The martial artist wasn’t outside of a bar, or at a ruckus sporting event; he was simply at his home when trouble came his way. This is the kind of thing that could happen to anyone, even individuals who make good decisions to stay away from questionable areas.

One thing that impressed me about the martial artist was his patience. He sustained significant verbal abuse, and got screamed at right in his face. That experience causes the hair on the back of the neck to stand straight up and puts a person in a very aggressive mood instantly. Nevertheless he maintained himself and didn’t show any signs of agitation.

Secondly, when the thug went so far as to put hands on him, he didn’t react with an immediate death blow, or ground and pound pummelation. He pushed him away to try and create distance and give the thug yet another opportunity to go away. The martial artist also kept his hands in front of him in a ready-to-use position (not quite as good as Geoff Thompson’s fence, but still good and unaggressive).

Eventually, as the thug noticed he wasn’t getting anywhere, he began to escalate the situation by throwing a trash can around and pushing the martial artist persistently. It was soon after that that the martial artist made the personal decision that he no longer felt safe, and made an attack. Once he made that aggressive motion, he didn’t go back to trying to be passive. He controlled distance and kept his hands up. He waited, still patiently, until the energetic thug, bounding around with unchecked adrenaline, tried to close the gap. At that time the martial artist punched him square in the face with a well executed straight punch.

As the thug limped away the martial artist maintained distance and control, but did not follow up with further punishment. He used enough violence to eliminate the threat, and then allowed the situation to dissolve.

At no point did the martial artist try anything fancy. He kept a natural stance and hand position. He made small movements and kept control at all times.

This martial artist may not win 1,000 tournaments with style and panache, but he had ‘it’ when ‘it’ really counted.

Video and the Law

One very important take-away from this video is that the martial artist behaved well in accordance to the law. He tried his best to de-escalate the situation, and did nothing to provoke the thug. He defended himself once the thug began showing signs of  persistent physical aggression. In fact, the martial artist would probably have been justified punching the thug out the first time he went to push or grab him. (Indeed, the one thing that makes me nervous in this video is the possibility of the thug having a knife and being so close inside the martial artist’s personal space).

This video also shows the abundance of video these days. Flip cams and cam phones are all over the place, which means if trouble starts (especially in a crowded area like in the video), there is a very decent chance it will be on video. We as martial artists can use that to our advantage. We can make obvious signs of non-aggression so that later in court we can use that video as evidence of our control and focus on self defense.

Share This (Good Karma Guaranteed):
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • StumbleUpon
  • Digg
  • Technorati

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 8th, 2009 and is filed under Martial Arts, karate, self defense. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

xygoxen
  • thundergod
    I've been studying martial arts for 35 years now and disagree with the comments that say he appeared afraid.
    I was once in a similar situation with two drunks and the situation evolved into a free for all with both aggressors throwing many wild punches.
    I managed to block or avoid all of them and did not throw one punch.
    Eventually they got tired and walked away.
    Don't be too quick to judge unless you've been there.
    You'd probably surprise yourselves with how much restraint you have within.
  • Now if he had a briar axe ...
  • hahaha!
  • I liked this video and I featured on my own blog as well. I think the guy was slightly afraid but he handled the situation quite well and showed admirable restraint. I don't think I would have allowed the provocation to go on as long though and I would have done more than punch him! Idiots like that deserve all they get.
  • Great analysis of the video! Yet another reason for not separating the "martial" from the art!
  • garybobby79
    Here's a follow up story to this. If The guy had gone back into his home, this would have shown weakness to the little chav's and they would have carried on causing trouble. ...As for calling the police in England??? LOL..... two days later!!

    http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/artic...
  • Thanks for your thoughts gary - I think what you say is very realistic. In some situations it is smarter to diffuse the situation immediately rather than trying to escape or wait, thus making things worse.
  • We were just talking about this video this afternoon. That martial artist definitely showed great self control. It is a bit eerie how he had that thug in his face, screaming at him and yet did nothing. There are so many people who wouldn't have had that sort of restraint! I would have run into the house if I could have.
  • Escaping into the house would certainly have been a good choice in the right situation - unfortunately we don't know all the details of how this situation unfolded. Was this guy outside already and got cornered and didn't want to turn his back on a wild opponent? Was the thug causing problems for friends or family members outside? It's tough to say! Calling the police though would definitely be a smart play though if the possibility is there.
  • As I watched this, I kept thinking that when the attacker is jumping around like an out of control banshee, why didn't the guy simply go back inside, close and lock the door, and call the police? While I admire his patience, I don't think I could have stood there and let that guy put hands on me like that. As a woman, my perspective may be completely different though.
  • FoxyCitrus
    I couldn't do it either. Standing there so stoically and so focused is very "Eric" of him :-)

    I would have tried to make a run for it. That's probably a bad idea. I then would have tried to fight back. Also a bad idea.

    I think I should have bear spray on me, all the time.
  • Hi Matt,

    I agree with most of your points but I would like to say the defender was in danger as soon as the attacker infringed on his personal space (critical distance).

    What I would have liked to see happen is the defender backing away (not much room in this example) to keep the distance until he made the decision to counter punch.

    If the attacker knew what he was doing - he could have thrown a punch at any point and the defender could not have blocked or ducked (a punch thrown with initial movement - not telegraphing the movement).

    That being said, I think this is an excellent way for martial artist to conduct themselves before an attack, you know not adding fuel to the fire and trying to diffuse the situation.

    Without being labeled a hypocrite, I'd like to say at the bar one time a known boxer and his friend came in for a night of drinking. I knew the boxer well and marginally knew the friend.

    The friend went out to check on his tricked out Cadillac and came back yelling at me about someone keying his car. I told him it was not my job to watch the cars but rather the club.

    He came at me and started yelling in my face and I sat down on my bar stool and took it. My plan was to diffuse the situation by letting him cool himself down and not giving him an excuse to "find" a target.

    Had he attacked me I would have had to eat a few punches (not sure how that would have worked) but I think I had this guy figured out and I know my friend the boxer would have pulled him off of me before too long had a made a mistake.

    Anyway in my instance, my plan to de-escalate worked... although I almost never would endorse such a plan but if you know someone - it has a chance of working.

    Matt - A good thought provoking post!!!
  • John - thanks a lot for your input and anecdote!I actually agree about the personal space and critical distance, I mentioned as much toward the end of the post.

    Very interesting example with you and the boxer. I think that illustrates a very similar experience.
  • Fantastic! I really love his composure and control, even during his counter attack!
  • nice post, but he waited waaay to long and allowed the aggressor way too close. a knife or lucky kick and the outcome would have been very different. as this was on his own property, he could have asked the thug to leave or yell from the property line, and then simply gone inside. maybe there's more to the story. such risky behavior could be explained by a disagreement between neighbors. i would never let a thug on my property or get cornered at my front door.
  • I have to agree with much of what has already been said: I think our defender showed a tremendous amount of restraint. I am afraid it is more than I would have done. I feel certain I would have reacted after initial contact. But either way you have to admire his patience and his control once he decided to react. You never know what you will do in a situation like this because of adrenalin and the thousand things that run through your head.

    Again, I respect his control and mindful choice to do just enough to get the punk out of his yard, rather than slam CV-17 or stomach-9 and kill the poor fool.
  • For everyone who thinks the attack should have come a bit sooner - I would agree. As I mentioned I think he would have been justified in taking action after initial contact. However I still think he deserves credit for a high level of patience and control.
  • The video underscores the lesson that you shouldn't go picking a fight with someone you don't know well.
  • Yeah I've seen the cross dressing cage fighters video too, very cool :)

    I'd personally have to say that the guy waited too long, once that guy made physical contact, I probably would have kneed him in the balls.

    Much respect to him for his (inhuman) patience though.

    I'd have to say I wasn't that impressed with the 'tough' guy. I knew not to keep my hands down and out to the sides if someone was being aggressive even before I started training. As for the martial artist in the video, the way he had is arms crossed gave him the ability to use outside defenses.
  • Thanks for the great video post.
    I admire the defender's self-control for, it felt like, an eternity and he
    seemed pretty cool. He didn't go overboard with his counter-attack.
    He just did enough to get the thug off his property.
    A lot of us probably would have responded quicker and way harder.
    I also noticed like Chris here that the defender had his hands down.
    Maybe a little bit too long for my personal taste, but hey everything
    worked out and Good defeated Evil again.
    I enjoy your blog and your writing.
    TheMartialArtsReporter
  • I have seen this video three times today now :) It is great.

    I first got put onto it on a news site which also has a video of a guy picking a fight with two cross dressers.... turns out they are MMA fighters at a friends bucks night.

    Just goes to show, don't start fights and everything will be OK :)

    Here is the link,

    http://news.ninemsn.com.au/world/872983/hapless...
  • In cae you dont know, this happened two days ago in England. It is where I live and I read it in a nationwide paper. This thug is very typical of the punks that roam the streets of England and the way he moves is seen often. I have to agree with you, the pateince the martial artist has is unbelievable. He really did only strike, when there was no other option. KARATE NI SENTENASHI!
  • Ya I would have to say this guy is way more patient than I would have been. I do see the above points of just going inside & calling the Police. But thats a tough one, your home is your castle.If some ass was on my porch I would be a bit annoyed & who knows what I would do. But as pointed out, you never know if someone has a weapon or other buddies. On the worst case scenario side of the coin. Thugs are getting more cutthroat & daring these days. If I decided to go inside & locked the door with My family inside & he gained entry well...That's what Federal 230 grain Hydroshock is for.
    all in all I like the video. good display of self control & Nice punch.
    Citizen 1, Dirt bag 0!
  • Judging from his body language, the defender was initially afraid. Not relaxed, not patient--afraid. He is frozen in place with his hands down.

    This is a problem. Fortunately it all worked out in the end.
  • Good point about fear - I touched on that at the beginning in regards to fear and adrenaline always being a factor. Suggesting he was straight up frozen doesn't seem accurate though - his is a classic bodyguard/bouncer strategy.
  • Remo1366
    I'd have to agree w/Jesse,I think he let the situation go too far for safety's sake.His control of himself and the situation was quite impressive, but a simple shuto strike to the throat would have de-escalated the situation far more efficiently.The thug was there to cause trouble, give it to him and end it quickly.Or better yet, close the door in his face and call the cops,dealing w/violence is their job not mine.That was a beautiful punch he threw but it should have been sooner.
  • robbydesigns
    Interesting article and video, thanks.
    I agree this guy has an a amazing amount of control and focus (notice how he is not distracted by anything and focuses completely on the aggressor at all times); I'd say he's pretty experienced, maybe a mid-level martial artist or a doorman judging his stance.

    I have to admit that I would have personally reacted at only 27seconds into the video (uh oh!) when the aggressor was pulling the guy's hair, an obvious assault and a start to what could have been a headbutt or even a punch to the throat.

    In his defense I would add that stances in the martial arts (I've trained since 1987, Shotokan Karate Do, Bujinkan Ninpo, Koga Yamabushi Ryu Ninjutsu) are not 'set in stone', in any real life encounter you can't make the perfect stance, the whole point with stances is that you are learning how to balance and distribute your weight in order to be in the best position for your strategy be it defense or attack.

    If there were ever a video to show people who are wondering if they should learn martial arts then this is it...or maybe not. In my opinion that thug was a complete street thug, a loser hoping the other guy will always back down and run away..notice how he loses all intent for a fight after a little clip round the ear.

    Anyway, thanks for the video, I enjoyed it. If you don't mind, I'll finish up with a shameless plug for my forthcoming Samurai / Ninja fiction: http://www.YosaiBook.com

    Domo Arigato.
  • Thanks for visiting Robby, appreciate your input. Will the book be available on your website/amazon/B&N?
  • robbydesigns
    The book will be available at Amazon and I will be working to make sure that people can earn a few $ for each copy they help to sell.

    Keep an eye on the website http://www.YosaiBook.com
    where I will be releasing full details and the first chapter for free on 21st Oct 2009.
  • Great post!

    I'm amazed at the coolness that the martial artist showed and how he tried to let the whole thing blow over even under the intense pressure of the aggressor and a jeering crowd! He certainly didn't seem phased by the crowd! That sort of poise is admirable.
  • I saw this awhile back. I've got a different take on it. I don't think he dealt with it safely enough. The guy on defense puts up with way too much. The attacker becomes physically violent with him and all he does is push him away. He should've either escaped, continued making the attacker leave or restrained him.

    Also, not really sure why he came out of his house and certainly don't understand why he didn't just go back in. I don't really understand what the situation is here.. is it his house he's standing in front of? If it's not, why is he there? There's no reason to stand out there and 'be a man' and put yourself in harms way.

    Lots of worse stuff could've happened to this guy and he did little to prevent it.
  • I agree with you, Jesse. I saw several instances where there was the possibility of serious injury to the "hero" in this story. Our "villan" was allowed to get way too close to him far too many times. IF... there had been a knife or other object invloved in this story, then the hero could be dead or dying within a few seconds. Or, simply caught by suprise by a sucker punch. Anyone within arms reach with obviously violent intentions is a very serious threat. I DO however admire the hero's restraint. It proved to be a win for him in this situation. But, it could have easily gone the other way...and he had no way to know it at the time. As skilled as he was in the martial arts, in this particular story, I think he was also extremely lucky!
  • Yea we don't really know enough details to say if he should have retreated or not. There might have been other people there who he was trying to distract the thug from. It's tough to say.
  • noahl
    I love this video, thanks for posting it! That martial artist actually reminds me quite a bit of my first Sensei in the way he looks and moves. Very cool!
  • Had you seen it before noah? I'm not sure how long it's been around but I just found it today.
  • noahl
    Nope, I hadn't seen it before
blog comments powered by Disqus