Street Fight 101
by
Sammy Franco

The objective of this Street Fight article is help you avoid or possibly defuse a street fight or confrontation using many of my proven Contemporary Fighting Arts tactics and techniques. If you would like to learn more about defusing the Street Fight, you might want to look into my In Your Face DVD as well as my book When Seconds Count: Everyone's Guide to Self Defense , available for sale on my website.

For those who are not aware, Contemporary Fighting Arts is a reality based combat system specifically designed to teach you how to prevail in a street fight. Before we begin, its very important to give you my definition of a STREET FIGHT. Essentially, a Street Fight is defined as "a spontaneous and violent confrontation between two or more individuals wherein no rules apply." Its that plain and simple! By the way, if you would like to learn more about the real characteristics of street fighting, you might want to read my other Street Fighting article.

Street Fight Assessment

One of the best ways to avoid a street fight is to use tactical assessment. Basically, tactical assessment is the process of rapidly gathering, analyzing, and accurately evaluating information in terms of threat and danger, including people, places, actions, and objects.  There are two broad factors to assess in any street fight situation: (1) Environment and; (2) Individual(s). Accurate assessment is critical in a street fight for two reasons.  First, it allows you to choose the most appropriate tactical response (i.e., comply, escape, de-escalate, assert and, fight back).   Second, it allows you to respond with the appropriate level of force. Accurate street fight assessment skills will allow you to describe your assailant to the authorities.  If you do decide to report a criminal assault, notify the police while your recollections are still fresh.  Jotting down a few notes immediately after the street fight altercation is also a good idea. 

If time permits, assess the assailant's outward behavior.  Be on the lookout for both verbal and nonverbal clues.  For example, is he shaking, or is he calm and collected?  Are his shoulders hunched or relaxed?  Are his hands clenched? Is his neck taut? Is he clenching his teeth? Is he breathing hard? Does he seem angry of frustrated, or confused?  Does he seem high on drugs? Is he mentally ill or simply intoxicated?  What is he saying? How is he saying it? Is he making sense? Is his speech slurred?  What is his tone of voice? Is he talking rapidly or methodically?  Is he cursing and angry? Remember that all of these verbal and nonverbal cues are essential in accurately assessing the assailant's overall demeanor and thus adjusting your tactical response accordingly in the street fight.

While street fight assessment skills are a vital component of self-defense, there are times when you must forget about assessment.   For example, a street punk lunges from behind a car, grabs you, and throws you to the ground.  It’s obviously too late for assessment skills. In such a street fight situation, you must act intuitively and immediately to neutralize him, or you’re going to be hurt.  Time is of the essence, and your instinctive reaction and reflex must take the place of assessment.

Street Fight De Escalation Skills

You must possess street fight de-escalation skills.  De-escalation is the art and science of strategically diffusing a hostile individual.  Not every street fight confrontation legally warrants fighting.  Often you will be required to use de-escalation skills to talk someone out of a possible violent street fight.  An intoxicated loudmouth may be just the type of person you can settle down and lead away from a problem with effective street fight de-escalation skills. By the way don't forget to look at my book, When Seconds Count: Everyone's Guide to Self Defense for more de escalation information.

Street Fight De-escalation is the strategic process of diffusing a potentially violent confrontation.  Its goal is to eliminate the possibility of an agitated individual resorting to physical violence.  Effective stret fight de-escalation is a delicate mixture of science and art, psychology and warfare. You must use both verbal and nonverbal techniques to calm the hostile person, while employing tactically deceptive physical safeguards to create the appearance that you are completely non aggressive. De-escalation is the art of “tactically calming” the hostile person.  You must be in total control of yourself, both physically and emotionally, in order to deal effectively with someone on the verge of losing complete control. 

It behooves you to always try to de-escalate a hostile situation for the following five reasons:  (1) Violence can often be avoided; (2) You have a moral imperative to prevent violence;  (3) De-escalation polices or controls your destructive abilities; (4) Courtroom defensibility; (5)  It help reduce the possibility of spectator intervention during a street fight.  

However, keep in mind that there is no real guarantee that de-escalation skills will work in every street fight or on every person.  There are people who are going to attack you no matter  how skillful and sincere you are in your efforts to avoid the street fight.  Always keep in mind that when you’re dealing with human behavior, anything can happen.  So be alert and be prepared for the worst possible scenario.

One of the best ways to develop and refine you street fight de-escalation skills is to practice in front of a mirror.  To begin, stand in front of full-length mirror and picture a street fight confrontation in your mind. Envision a very angry and hostile person screaming at you. Once this scenario is crystal clear, assume the proper de-escalation stance and look into the mirror. Now, assess your stance while being cognizant of your physiology and hand positioning.  Next, speak out loud and verbally diffuse this imaginary person.  Remember to always use selective semantics (choice words) for your street fight scenario.  To evaluate your performance you may want to tape record or video tape your performance. 

Effective street fight de-escalation can only be achieved when you harmoniously orchestrate your verbal and non-verbal skills.  This is known as "congruency." Significantly neglecting any one of the street fight de-escalation principles will result in incongruence which can lead to disaster.  For example, if you’re pointing your finger in someone's face in a street fight encounter, your selective semantics really won't matter.  If your body language is perfect and your voice exact, but your choice of words is poor, you won't be congruent.  Remember, for effective de-escalation, your entire body, mind, voice, choice of words, and emotions must be unified into a congruent whole. De escalation congruency is discussed in great length in my In Your Face DVD. Check it out when you get the chance!

Words are powerful.  In fact, great nations have gone to war over mere words.  Likewise, in a street fight encounter, a poorly chosen word can provoke an immediate attack by a hostile individual.  It behooves you to possess Selective Semantics.  In Contemporary Fighting Arts, Selective Semantics is the strategic manipulation of choice words to effectively de-escalate a hostile individual.   Your objective is to convince a hostile person that you are willing to compromise in the street fight confrontation.  Avoid commands like "relax, " "calm down," "shut up," "stay back," "keep your distance," or "chill out." Such statements will likely provoke hostility and anger.  Instead get into the habit of saying "hey, I'm really sorry," "please, let's talk this out," or "I can understand your anger."   Also use phrases like "pardon me," "OOPS, my fault," or "excuse me" when someone accidentally bumps into you on the street or in a bar.

Street Fight Survival Tips

Try to keep your hair short, especially in the back of your head.  Long hair or trendy pony tails can be dangerous and risky for the following reasons:  (1) Vision - it can temporarily impair your vision during the course of a stret fight compound attack or during a ground fight;  (2) Manipulation - in a ground fight your assailant can pull your hair and manipulate your balance.  Moreover, you can easily be controlled and thrown by the hair;  (3) Immobilization - your assailant can immobilize you by grabbing your hair.    Many more street fighting tatics can be found in my book 1001 Street Fighting Secrets

When engaged with an assailant in the street fight, avoid direct and steady eye contact.  A quick glance is fine, but avoid becoming transfixed.  Looking into the assailant's eyes is dangerous for several  reasons:  (1) It provides no vital data about your assailant's attack;  (2) It draws your attention away from the immediate threat; (3) You can easily be "psyched-out" in the street fight ; (4) You can fall victim to a variety of visual feints; (5) You cannot effectively assess the assailant's weapon capability; (6) It limits your target recognition; (7) It inhibits accurate assessment.

Also during a street fight, always be cognizant and suspicious of all spectators.  Onlooker intervention is a common occurrence during a street fight.  Ironically enough, Americans are inveterate supporters of the underdog.  They hate to see anyone lose a fight.  REMEMBER: Never trust anyone in a street fight.  

In many street fight situations, the "closest weapon/closest target principle" should be applied.  This principle states that when physical danger is imminent, launch your closest weapon to the assailant's closest target. This is strategically viable for the following reasons:  (1) It creates the most direct and efficient route of travel; (2) It accelerates your offensive reaction time; (3) It reduces telegraphing;  (4) It reduces your assailant's defensive reaction time; (5) It improves the overall accuracy of your strike and;  (6) It promotes practitioner safety. 

Every street fight confrontation must end quickly.  Remember the longer a  street fight lasts, the greater your chances of serious injury.  A stret fight should be over as quickly as it begins.  Your tools, techniques and tactics must be quick and decisive.  There is no time to design a battle plan or test the assailant's ability with probing techniques. 

Here is a brief list of elements that can creep in as time passes during the course of your street fight.  (1) Spectators can intervene; (2) Your assailant's friends can jump into the stret fight;  (3) You can make a tactical error that can cost you your life;  (4) Your immediate physical condition worsens; (5) The level of force between you and the assailant will progressively escalate.

Keep in mind that a street fight can occur anywhere.  In any self defense situation you must quickly evaluate the strategic implications of your environment.  Your environment can be anywhere.  It can be a bar, street, alley, bedroom, movie theater, airport, grocery store, an elevator, your office, a gas station, in your car or on the beach.  There are six essential factors to consider when assessing your environment. They are Escape Routes, Barriers, Makeshift Weapons, Terrain, Positions of Cover, and Positions of Concealment.

(1) Escape Routes - These are the various avenues or exits that allow you to safely flee from the street fight.  Some escape routes are windows, fire escapes, doors, gates, escalators, fences, walls, bridges, and staircases.  WARNING:  Be careful that your version of a safe escape route doesn’t lead you into a worse situation.

(2) Barriers - A barrier is any object that obstructs the assailant’s path of attack during the streetfight.  At the very least, barriers give you some distance and some time, and they may give you some safety - at least temporarily.  A barrier, however, must have the structural integrity to perform the particular function you have assigned it.  Barriers are everywhere and include such things as large desks, doors, automobiles, dumpsters, large trees, fences, walls, heavy machinery, and large vending machines. CAUTION: Barriers should not be confused with Position of Cover or Concealment.

(3)  Makeshift Weapons - These are common, everyday objects that can be converted into offensive and defensive weapons during a street fight.  Like a barrier, a makeshift weapon must be appropriate to the function you have assigned to it.  You won’t be able to knock your assailant out with a car antennae, but you could whip it across his eyes and temporarily blind him.  Whereas you could knock your assailant unconscious with a good heavy flashlight, you could not use it to shield yourself from a knife attack.  Makeshift Weapons can be broken down into four types: (a) Striking; (b) Distracting; (c) Shielding; (d) Cutting.

(4)  Terrain - This is a critical environmental factor.  What are the strategic implications of the terrain you are standing on?  Will the surface area interfere with your ability to fight your adversary? Terrain falls into one of two possible categories:  (1) Stable Terrain - principally characterized as stationary, compact, dense, hard, flat, dry, or solid ground; (2) Unstable Terrain - principally characterized as mobile, uneven, flexible, slippery, wet, or rocky ground.

(5) Positions of Cover - A Position of Cover is any object or location that temporarily protects you from the assailant’s gun fire.  Some Positions of Cover include: large concrete utility poles, large rocks, thick trees, an engine block, corner of a building, concrete steps, etc.  Positions of Cover are important because it protects you from gun fire, buys you some time, and allows you to assess the situation from a position of safety.  When choosing a Position of Cover, avoid selecting these objects: (a) internal doors; (b) small trees; (c) car doors; (d) all glass windows; (e) behind dry wall; (f) tall grass; (g) trunk of your car; (h) overturned tables; (i) trash cans; (j) shrubbery; (k) fences.

(6) Positions of Concealment - These are various locations or objects that allow you to temporarily hide from your adversary in a street fight.  Positions of Concealment are most commonly used to evade engagement with your assailant(s) and they permit you to attack with the element of surprise.   Positions of Concealment include: trees, shrubbery, behind doors, the dark, walls, stairwells, under cars, large and tall objects. WARNING: Don’t forget that Positions of Concealment do not protect you from the assailant’s gun fire.

Strike First in a Street Fight
Whenever you are squared off with your assailant in a sreet fight and there is no way to safely escape, you must strike first, strike fast, strike with authority and keep the pressure on. This offensive strategy is called the first strike principle (FSP), and it is essential to the process of neutralizing a formidable adversary.  Allowing the assailant the opportunity to deliver the first strike is tactical suicide.  Its like allowing a gun slinger to draw his weapon first.  In a street fight, if you allow the assailant to strike you first, he might injure or possibly kill you, and he will most certainly force you into an irreversible defensive flow that will inhibit you from issuing a counter attack.  WARNING: When employing CFA's First Strike Principle you must also concern yourself with the law.  Be certain that your initial strike is warranted and justified in the eyes of the law.  For more information, see my First Strike DVD and my First Strike Book.

Train Hard and be Safe!

- Sammy Franco (CFA Founder)

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