1.   Butting with the head.
2.   Eye gouging of any kind.
3.   Biting.
4.   Hair pulling.
5.   Fish hooking.
6.   Groin attacks of any kind.
7.   Putting a finger into any orifice or into any cut or laceration on an opponent.
8.   Small joint manipulation.
9.   Striking to the spine or the back of the head.
10. Striking downward using the point of the elbow.
11. Throat strikes of any kind, including, without limitation, grabbing the trachea.
12. Clawing, pinching or twisting the flesh.
13. Grabbing the clavicle.
14. Kicking the head of a grounded opponent.
15. Kneeing the head of a grounded opponent.
16. Stomping a grounded opponent.
17. Kicking to the kidney with the heel.
18. Spiking an opponent to the canvas on his head or neck.
19. Throwing an opponent out of the ring or fenced area.

Wow, it’s like a Rosetta stone for defending yourself against an MMA-trained mugger.  In actuality, the above is a list of the fouls that the UFC  prohibits because they’re too harmful to the fighters.  I’ve been thinking about self-defense (as opposed to dueling) lately.  Some of the above goes beyond what’s legally acceptable for self-defense. But turn it around — how do you defend against these things? Hair pulling, back attacks, slamming into walls, and stomping are all standard procedure for crackhead muggers, street thugs, and other predators. The fouls later in the list are also thought-provoking:

20. Holding the shorts or gloves of an opponent. (using their clothing against them; grab their sleeves, collar, pants legs.)
21. Spitting at an opponent. (as a distraction?)
23. Holding the ropes or the fence.   (using the environment as a shield or weapon)
24. Using abusive language in the ring or fenced area.  (intimidation, psychological assault)
29. Timidity, including, without limitation, avoiding contact with an opponent, intentionally or consistently dropping the mouthpiece or faking an injury.   (elusiveness, trickery, running the fuck away like a smart guy)
30. Interference by the corner. (If you’re male, you’ll never get jumped by just one person.)

It’s interesting to track the evolution of the UFC rules.

(* I swear the UFC created rule #7 especially for Forrest Griffin; in his book he recommends a technique he calls “The Asian Dart”, where you… ugh, no, it’s too nasty, I’ll spare you the details.)

Two of Randy’s co-workers had decided to settle their differences with a little fisticuffs. The morning had started poorly and by the afternoon the little verbal barbs had escalated into full-on “F-bombs” going both ways. It had become personal and the fight was on. In one part of the client’s back yard the two squared off; on one side of the small patch of lawn there was Ed, a fifty-year-old U.S. Navy veteran, and on the other side, Don, a twenty-one-year-old buck just ready to go.

Randy said they squared off fists up like boxers and Ed threw the first blow: a steel-toed construction boot kick to Don’s right shin. Don went down as Ed just stood there and let the twenty-one-year-old get back to his feet. “That’s not fair! We’re boxing!” yelled Don. “OK,” said Ed, “We’ll just box now.” They squared up again, hands held up ready to box. Pow! Ed delivered the first strike again: another steel-toed boot to Don’s same shin. Don went down and didn’t get back up to continue the fight.

Ed, the fifty-year-old U.S. Navy man could have jumped on Don when he was on the ground, but he didn’t. There was no point in doing that; Ed had made his point and order was restored on the job site.

Ed had lied to Don, and Don foolishly believed him.

Rules…yeah.

It starts out in a pretty standard Chinese mode, both opponents loitering well inside striking range, checking each other’s arms and doing block-punch one-two (in between all the showy aerial techniques). But once Jet Li gets serious, he switches to a Western-influenced style — dancing in and out of reach, sniping at Chin Siu Ho with long punches, and throwing boxing combinations. Look at the double right jab to left cross! This is Bruce Lee’s fighting method: lead with the strong side, and “use the longest weapon to strike the closest target.” There’s more textbook Jeet Kune Do technique here than there was in Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story.

The last fight in the movie is even richer:

I could practically call out page numbers from the Tao of Jeet Kune Do for every few seconds of this scene. The combat’s not realistic, but it’s full of real things: Boxers do get cut and bleed into their eyes. Chinese martial artists do use light attacks to open you up for heavier ones. Bruce Lee did like double and triple leads (page 198!) and disrupting opponents with that finger-flick to the eyes (Page 74!)

The scene is even better if you watch it after reading up on Jeet Kune Do principles. A lot of the stuff behind that link applies to the sword, as well — which is fitting, since Lee studied western fencing for principles to apply to his unarmed fighting. It’s about timing and psychology, rather than specific techniques.