SWORDDUELING.COM

So I found a list of startlingly effective streetfighting tactics on UFC.com:

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.)

Hector:”Let it be agreed between us that if Jove vouchsafes me the longer stay and I take your life, I am not to treat your dead body in any unseemly fashion, but when I have stripped you of your armour, I am to give up your body to the Achaeans. And do you likewise.”

Achilles glared at him and answered, “Fool, prate not to me about covenants. There can be no covenants between men and lions, wolves and lambs can never be of one mind, but hate each other out and out an through. Therefore there can be no understanding between you and me, nor may there be any covenants between us, till one or other shall fall and glut grim Mars with his life’s blood. Put forth all your strength; you have need now to prove yourself indeed a bold soldier and man of war. You have no more chance, and Pallas Minerva will forthwith vanquish you by my spear: you shall now pay me in full for the grief you have caused me on account of my comrades whom you have killed in battle.”

http://classics.mit.edu/Homer/iliad.22.xxii.html
An interesting note is that Achilles is helped (cheats? no such thing) by Minerva who gives him a second spear, with which he overcomes the swordbearing Hector.

from http://thestrikingpost.blogspot.com/
So one of my brown belts comes to class and says, “I have good fight story for you!” Randy is a plumber and on the job site tempers can flare as the days get long; and, well, they definitely did that day.

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.

Another interesting article on the use of the eyes, from Northstar Martial Arts:
Read this – http://northstarmartialarts.com/blog1/?p=115

Years ago, George Xu talked about developing “killer yi.“ Yi, which roughly translates as intentionality, can be partially read by looking into someones eyes. At the time I understood “killer yi” to mean your gaze should pierce your opponent very much in the literary sense of, “if looks could kill!”

He now says, “Your eyes should drawn-in the distance the way a predator’s eyes do. Mature Sharp Hawk When you move forward, you should have the feeling that objects- people, rocks, trees- are being drawn-in toward you, not that you are getting closer to them.” (I’m paraphrasing here.)

Do your job with your mind as taut as an iron bow strung with wire. This is identical to Zen meditation.

Use your mind strongly even when you walk down the street, such that you wouldn’t even blink if someone unexpectedly thrust a lance at your nose. All warriors should employ such a state of mind all the time in everyday life.

There is a practice designed to enter the Way of Buddha by means of your profession. You should apply this idea, that a man born in a house of valor, polishing a sword and sporting a bow, should always apply attention strongly, as if he were marching right into an army of ten million men.

The strongest men and the greatest masters of martial arts are born that way, so no effort can attain that; but when it comes to exerting our whole heart and disregarding our lives, to whom should we be inferior? No one should think he’ll be beat, even by the greatest warriors. Why? Because if you back down to such a person, who will back down to you?

Thus you are always on duty, required to apply your full attention firmly. If you slack off, you’re no use.
Read more…

Perfect soundtrack for a knife-vs-knife fight.

Formally trained guy in the white shirt, self-trained in the black. Pretty even match. It just goes to show that it’s not the martial art that counts, it’s the fighter performing it. Even if you practice the most bad-ass ancient tradition that was ever forged in the blood of enemies on the field of battle, in a lot of ways you’re on your own. An artist must develop his own voice.

(EDIT: Don’t get it twisted, though — I expect Mr. white to outstrip his opponent eventually. Formal training is a huge advantage if you can A) get your head right and B) find a teacher who’s the real deal. Neither one is easy. How does a beginner recognize a good teacher? When progress is slow, you have to take it on faith that you’re improving — how do you do that and keep from being a mindless follower? I don’t blame Mr. black for going it alone.

The fight between different philosophies here is so interesting that I kind of hope I’m wrong, and these two stay evenly matched, progressing at the same rate forever. I want to see Quenton get even more grounded in classical technique, and Vin get even more idiosyncratic.)

Mark Twain once almost had to fight a duel with a man who would have probably killed him dead. Fortunately he had a tutor named Gilles and when Twain’s opponent came by Gilles promptly shot the head off a small bird and told the man that Twain had done it and he was next. Everybody made up and walked away, but Twain later opined on dueling:

“I have never had anything do with duels since, I consider them unwise and I know they are dangerous. Also, sinful. If a man should challenge me now I would go to that man and take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet spot and kill him, Still, I have always taken a great interest in other people’s duels, One always feels an abiding interest in any heroic thing which has entered into his own experience.”