What exactly is dirty fighting? More importantly, how do you make dirty fighting moves work in a real-life self-defense situation?
I answer both of those questions in the video below. If it doesn’t play, you can check out the written summary below. Stay safe, my friend!
Dirty Fighting for Self-Defense
First question: What is dirty fighting?
Answer: There is no such thing as dirty fighting. There’s just fighting.
If we’re talking about self-defense, and you’re protecting your life, the life of someone you love, or the life of an innocent soul who needs your help, then there are no rules. You do whatever it takes to keep the good guy alive.
I can’t believe how many times I’ve run into some macho idiot who claims that kicking in the groin or pulling the hair is cheap. It’s dirty. It’s fighting “like a girl”.
Hey—if pulling hair and kneeing in the groin is fighting like a girl, then you can call me Andrea. Because if you attack me, I will definitely kick you in the groin and pull your hair!
Here’s the truth—if you take out dirty fighting moves from a fight, you know what you get? Sports.
MMA. Boxing. Muay Thai. Wrestling. They all have rules against dirty fighting. Do you know what else they have? Weight classes!
Do you know why combat sports separate the big guys from the little guys? Even when the difference is only 10 pounds? Because without dirty fighting moves, the bigger, stronger guy will almost always have an advantage over the smaller, weaker guy.
Of course, in self-defense, there are no weight classes. The bad guy might weigh 100 pounds or more than the good guy. So, if the smaller, weaker guy doesn’t fight dirty, then there won’t be much of a fight.
To be clear…. my mother is in her 60’s. Now, if some evil motherfucker kicks in her door and attacks her, and she bites him, knees him in the groin, and gouges his eyes to get out of there and to safety, I’m not going to call her and say—
“Aww, Mom—did you have to bite him? That’s so cheap. Why didn’t you just round kick him on the leg a couple times? Or hey— ever hear of a leg triangle?”
Self-defense is not a sport. It’s a war. A war between the good guys and the bad guys. And all is fair in love and war.
Especially war!
Second question: How do you make so-called “dirty fighting” moves work in a real-life self-defense situation?
Answer: Keep fighting. Don’t stop.
Some people have this crazy idea that if they fight dirty, then self-defense is easy. I’ll bet you have friends and family who say things like, “I don’t need martial arts. If someone messes with me, I’ll just kick him in the balls.”
Or maybe they say, “Hey—if someone gets me on the ground, now way. I’ll just bite and gouge his eyes out.”
That’s crazy talk!
You know that feeling where you almost WANT your friends and family to get attacked just so they realize how wrong they are? Okay, forget I said that.
Look, dirty fighting techniques are not magic tricks. Bad guys don’t disappear in a puff of smoke just because you were able to touch their eyeball!
Instead, think about a fight like being locked in a closet. To get out, first you have to find a key to open the lock. Then you have to open the door. Then you have to move through the door. Same idea with fighting.
For example, let’s say you get caught in a choke and you think, “I’m gonna bite this guy.” So, you bite.
Guess what? Because this is a real fight and not a magic show, he’s still there! You opened the lock, but you didn’t open the door. So, here’s the rule:
Think of dirty fighting as the beginning of your fight, not the end.
Maybe your biting made the bad guy flinch or pull back an inch or two… that’s a reasonable expectation. The lock is open! Now you have a second or two to figure out your next move. And you better have one!
Train yourself to bite AND THEN work the arm… AND THEN change your position… AND THEN find another vulnerable target to attack… AND THEN escape.
When it comes to dirty fighting, always train “AND THEN”.
I bite AND THEN I do this. I gouge the eye AND THEN I do that.
Same idea applies on the ground. Let’s say you’re pinned down and getting your face punched into the ground. You reach up for the bad guy’s eye… and you get it!
But guess what? He’s still there! Maybe he rolls out of it. Maybe he swats your hand away.
Maybe he’s so drunk, so high, or so crazy that he doesn’t even feel it. Or maybe he doesn’t care about wearing an eye patch for the rest of his life.
None of that should make a difference to you. If your expectations are realistic, and you’ve been training to keep fighting until you’re safe, then you’re already moved on from the eye to your next move. So, here’s my advice—
Don’t be a “one-hit wonder”!
Always train yourself to keep going beyond your dirty fighting move. Open the lock, open the door, and get through the door.
For more talk about the importance of finishing a fight, check out my video, Finish the Fight!
Don’t forget—if you’re a good guy fighting to protect your life, or the life of someone you love, or an innocent soul who needs your help, don’t think about fighting clean or fighting dirty… just fight.
And keep fighting until you’re safe. Team Good Guys needs you alive.
“…then you can call me Andrea”, ha!
Good post as always, Ando.
Guess I fight like a girl!
Hi Amy!
Correction: I fight like a girl… you fight like a WOMAN! Keep fighting, Sista! 🙂
Clever, cogent and correct! The trifecta of MA comments!!!
HA! The three C’s… these are now my goals for everything I do! Thank you, oh, mighty wordsmith! 🙂
Interesting and timely once again, Sensei (although I’m shocked at your NSFW language, you dirty %$#%^&*#@!!!!)…
I went to a multi-MA workshop this past weekend after Taekwondo class, and we had a session with a Kempo shihan. A lot of what he taught us in a series of moves that formed a complete “technique” could easily be considered “overkill,” but the same idea applies– do it until you don’t have to anymore…
GJ
Hey GJ!
Always good to hear from you, sir. Sorry to offend your delicate ears! 🙂
Exactly right– you practice “overkill” to build a habit of flowing on to the next move. It’s a lot easier to STOP a technique, then to start up again. That short pause can get you killed!
Keep rockin’!
Speaking of “that short pause”… I can’t stand when I see a fight scene on TV, and the good guy whips the bad guy to the ground, just barely, then turns his back and walks away. I’m like, “Nooooooo!” Sure enough, the bad guy gets up and clocks the good guy, as I’m squeezing and shaking two fists in the air.
I’m with you, Amy. Don’t turn your back on anyone! Especially kids! 🙂
… and especially the people who appear dead in movies…
Ha! No one is really dead in a horror film!
Hi Amy,
I get your comment (of the 27th at 1:23 pm)
…. or in knight or musketeer movies when the good guy gives the bad guy his sword back because he accidentally dropped it… 🙂
Greetings from Brussels/Belgium
Great post Ando, something to keep in mind.
“I don’t need martial arts. If someone messes with me, I’ll just kick him in the balls.” That may be, but you will need martial arts to kick him so badly that his balls are stuck in his throat and that you can walk away safely …after doing another dirty move, to be sure that he doesn’t come after you, as they do in the movies… 🙂
I have never been in a life threatening situation where I had to fight my way out, I hope I never will be. But at the age of 49, “dirty fighting” will be the best thing for me to do, to survive such a situation.
Hi Francis!
It’s true that many people do defend themselves without training, but to walk around thinking you can’t lose is straight up crazy talk! Martial arts gives you a safe way to get a better picture of reality. It’s the delusion killer!
Here’s hoping your good fortune continues and you never have to fight anybody! Stay safe, sir!
Although…
There is the legal aspect. Master Gorino was saying the other night (and I’ve heard it and read it before as well) that once your assailant is down on the ground, if you continue attacking, then _you_ become the aggressor (legally). But I’ve also heard every self-defense instructor ever say– “Keep fighting until your attacker is no longer a threat” (which speaks to Amy’s “short pause” comment). I guess there is always running away! But it’s tough to figure-out what to do when and where, as far as scaling force is concerned. Hope I never have to deal with it, and I’m glad I’m not an officer of the law!
GJ
GJ! You’re right– it’s tricky. It’s up to each of us to determine what amount of force is appropriate without becoming excessive. And different people may see the same situation differently. Including judges and juries!
That’s why we should always seek to escape at the earliest possible moment, having done the least amount of damage necessary to ensure our safety. But there’s no one-size-fits-all strategy to say what that moment looks like, so you just have to trust your heart and instincts. Stay safe!
Good point, GJ.
Once a year, we get an attorney to come speak to us about the legalities of using martial arts. We’ve been doing this for abut 5 years now, and besides learning specifics, I’ve learned how interpretive the law is. They all say that once the guy is down, you can’t keep pummeling, despite those monster movies. However, soooooooo much depends on the jury you get (as one attorney pointed out).
Sensei Ando’s correct — there’s no “one size fits all”
I think I have never had this much fun reading a martial arts blog. Very practical and straight to the point. I will keep coming back! Keep posting, Ando!
Hi James! Thanks so much for taking the time to say hello. If you keep reading, I’ll keep posting! Happy training, sir!
Hows it going ando I was wondering whether in a fight someone attacks me ill go for the gron but I dont knw which to go for I can go for the soccer kick with kicking them with my toes and can knee them or I was planning to kick them in the groin with my heel which one? but if they hands is down I just got a funny feeling that they will be able to catch my foot?
Hi Michael!
All of those techniques are great. It all depends on the situation. Of course, nothing works if you don’t set it up right, so practice live drills with partners to get better at hitting without being caught. There’s no magic here, just practice and experience! Keep training!
Michael here Thanks for the response I cant seem to get a straight answer on google straight punch to the nose straight punch to the mouth (lips) ? Which from those two is easier breaking the nose busting the lips also which is more painful?
Hi Michael! You probably can’t get a straight answer because there is no answer! Pain is relative.
Hi Michael,
Good question. Maybe you can ask your sparring partners to try both punches on you, so you can experience the difference yourself – humour 😉
My humble opinion: it doesn’t matter that much where a good punch lands: on the nose, the lips or the chin. Better is try to avoid that you have to throw such a punch. Check also the wise comments of GJ and Amy above about the legal aspects.
Stay safe!
Maybe ill stop when they hit the ground 🙂 Francis I always thought if you see a impending attack you legally can hit your opponent very hard even if you strike frist when you knw he is going to hit you its defending yourself you dont have to receive a hit to defend yourself its your legal right Il read this somewhere ando you must have hit a lot of people 🙂 am I right here
Hi Michael!
I’m not a lawyer, but I also believe if you feel you are in imminent danger of being harmed, you have the right to take action to stop the attacker with reasonable force. Of course, I always hope to escape first! 🙂
Thanks for the comment!
Hi Ando Hi Michael,
“Imminent danger”: I agree.
But there are thousands of possible scenarios: was your first strike justified or not (and was the level of force reasonable)?Try to avoid that a judge has to give his opinion on that 😉
You are right on the money, Francis. There are SO MANY variables to consider. Just train to do what you need to do to get away safely and NOTHING MORE!
Thanks for the comment!
So “Kicking the groin” and “biting” is something we would do if necessary. What about euhhh… “biting the groin”? Would that be too much? Maybe this technique is even taught by Master Ken in Ameri-do-te? 🙂
Bite away if it will save the day! That’s what I say! 😉
Ando its me again I have been reading online and a page says never attack the groin frist in 4 mistakes with the groin shot in woman, self defense institution one of them is not to attack the groin frist its say every guy expects you to attack the groin frist they suggested the frist two hits to the neck and face but I read somewhere else that they expect you to hit the face its says 95% they will attempt a strike to the head usually a right hook another page says the frist two shots should be anywhere but near the face most people defend they faces in a fight and do not attack it chances of success is silm and to attack the groin frist u can see my problem which with be more effective?
Were from Philippines and we are a Wild Cat fighter.
Greetings from the USA, Wild Cat!
I Am not sure what I said there in an earlier post but I meant to say that people say you should not go for a groin shot Frist instead go for the face but other people say that 95 percent of people go for the face frist and bad guys know how to block it what do you think sensei ando? The situation I need to hit the bad guy In a place that guys dont expect you to hit? or whats better between the top 2
It’s all about the situation and how you set up your shots. Maybe you can go for the head and the groin at the same time! 🙂
Hey Ando , I like what you said about fighting in a closet is it ok if I use that in a class of mine ?
Of course! Use it good health, sir! 🙂