How long does a fight last?

[silatman]

The other night at training we got into a discussion about fitnesss and diets and that led to a split in the group about the importance of being fit.
Bascially it led to two major groups of thought.
One being that fitness is everything and without good stamina and endurance all the skills in the world will not help if you are gassed after 30 seconds of combat.
The other side of the coin was that an 'average' streetfight for someone trained should only last for 30 seconds and that the ability to fight for 10 minutes or 30 minutes is only really needed for sporting applications.

So what do people think, is stamina that important? and how long does the 'average' streetfight last?

 

[pstarr]

It depends on your skill. My teacher said that a fight should last no more than 2-3 blows...your opponent's is the first one, and your instant response.

 

[silatman]

So does that put you in the fitness is unimportant group?

 

[Shuto]

If it last for just two or three blows then I would say fitness is a minor factor. If the fight evolves into grappling then I think fitness and strength are critical. I recall being amazed at how exhausting a two or three minute wrestling round was in high school gym class. Of course, there are a lot of other benefits to being fit.

 

[Shaderon]

I would imagine that the majority of fights between one skilled opponant and one unskilled opponant would last a very short amount of time, but for some arts, part of your fitness is being able to do your moves properly and with the correct amount of force needed.

Also if you can last for 30 seconds what happens if the fight goes on for 31 seconds? I know this is a bit extreme but I think you'll find in most sports people make sure their endurance goes on for longer than they expect it to have to last, like with running, you train to run slightly longer than you need to, there's no point in only being able to do what's expected, you need to be able to stand up and walk home after that too.

 

[Andy Moynihan]

It most certainly IS important.

First off there is always the possibility that the fight *may* go longer, you don't know the other guy's training/fitness level, only yours.

Secondly it may only be a very brief fight but remember that the adrenaline response is much more severe when you *know* it could be life or death than if you know its a sport, and your wind/stamina/general energy will get burned up by the second that much more quickly as a result, so pay at least some kind of attention to basic fitness even if you don't do some all out Rocky workout.

 

[Bigshadow]

I am in the middle on this. A certain level of fitness is necessary, but anything beyond that is a nice to have, but isn't absolutely critical. Oh, I don't know how long fights last. I would imagine a fight (like for your life) would be pretty quick, not like the hollywood fight scenes.

 

[stickarts]

I have heard that the average fight lasts 6 seconds, however, at the same time, most of the best fighters that I have seen and known were in extremely good condition.
I think its only to our advantage to take great care of our health and conditioning. Improving fitness is almost always one of the reasons that students join our school.

 

[LawDog]

Not trying to sound like a wise guy, a fight will last untill it is over.
A time frame cannot be placed on a street type fight, there are to many factors involved.
:boxing:

 

[stickarts]

Getting in great shape is also a great confidence builder.

 

[HKphooey]

Like everything else we train for, train like you are going to fight the best fighter. Assume the othe person is skilled and in top physical condition. Or on the other hand, they are doped up or drunk, feel now pain, and refuse to go down easily.

 

[terryl965]

Fitness is one aspect, cardio is another and fighting is yet another. We train to be ready and being ready means to be in some sort of shape but that does not mean you need to be at 1% body fat and hit thhe gym to lift wieghts 10 hours a day. Being fit mentally is the biggest problem for most that do not know how to control pain when a fight breaks out and solely relies on adrialine.

My advice would be stay in relitively shape and ecplore your mind to be ready if need be.

 

[KempoGuy06]

Fitness in important but in a street fight i dont believe it would be critical. If someone attacks you how many miles you run a day isnt going to be a factor if they try to stab you with a knife. Where that would fall into play is if you are attacked by more than one person and you have to turn and run. 15 sec burst of speed and then you are exhausted is not exactly going to put distance between you and your attackers. So train for tomorrow not for today, train for what could happen.

B

 

[MJS]

Fitness is important. However, I don't think it needs to be taken to the level of a pro fighter. The average person most likely does not have the time to devote to that kind of training.

I agree with LawDog...it will last until its over. Think about this. If it was only to last 6 seconds, then why do MMA and Boxing matches last longer? If someone states that MMA is as close to an unarmed fight as you can get, then the 6 sec, 3 sec, or any sec. rule is pretty much moot.

Mike

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

Every encounter is simply different. I have arrested people where it was simple, quick and took almost no effort at all. Then on the reverse side I have been in a tussle making an arrest and it was brutal and I was completely spent. Fighting is no different in that each individual situation will be different. The big question you have to ask yourself is are you willing to not be in good enough shape to get the job done? So in my opinion fitness is very important in conjunction with very good technical combative training. The two together will certainly give you a chance in the moment.

 

[kidswarrior]

Fitness is one aspect, cardio is another and fighting is yet another.

Words of wisdom.

We train to be ready and being ready means to be in some sort of shape but that does not mean you need to be at 1% body fat and hit thhe gym to lift wieghts 10 hours a day.

Good to remember, since this'll never happen for me. But really, I agree--some conditioning is necessary, if just to help control adrenaline and breathing (from excited state).

Being fit mentally is the biggest problem for most that do not know how to control pain when a fight breaks out and solely relies on adrialine.

And I would add, beyond pain, we have to control our fears. What am I going to do when he lands a lucky/skilled punch to my nose, and I see my own blood spraying over him and me every time I breathe? Sorry to sound gross, but been there--Ok, more than once. Was able to 'fight' my way out, but wouldn't call either a 'win,' other than I got to walk away.

My advice would be stay in relitively shape and ecplore your mind to be ready if need be.

Exactly.

 

[Sukerkin]

When I used to train in an empty-hand art, I was very fit indeed. Our teacher was of the opinion that fit people had faster reaction times, could hit harder and absorb more punishment.

These are not absolutely true, as some recent research has shown. However, being so fit did mean that I could survive the thirty minutes or so of physical training and free-sparring we did each (2 hour lesson) lesson.

Nowadays, I'm much fatter and slower and have one arm that I would be most ill advised to use in a fight if it ever came to that. Of course, now I do iai and thus have very little need for good cardio-vascular fitness ... thank god .

In the final analysis tho', Kempo's statement above is fairly on the money (assuming that combat is what you're in MA for in the first place of course, which is not necessarily the case). Terry's point about mental toughness/preparedness is possibly more important when it comes to non-sparring fighting - I know that the one time I ever had to use my MA training I didn't start shaking until after I'd beaten off the attack and safely made it to the police station {then I did a good impression of a tree in a gale :lol:}.

 

[Shotgun Buddha]

When you're going on holiday, do you bring precisely the amount of money you think you'll need for it, or do you bring extra "just in case"?

If you are going camping in the wilderness, do you bring the precise amount of supplies you'll use, or do you bring a little more "just in case"?

And if you are getting yourself into condition to fight, do you get just exactly fit enough to deal with with what you think will happen, or do you get fitter "just in case"?

So for those who feel the fitness is unimportant, it will serve you right when you're standing broke, starving and wheezing in the wilderness about to be eaten by bears

 

[Cirdan]

Fitness might not be the most important aspect here. I think the main goal of training hard in the arts and getting exhausted is learning to function under stress and reach the level where moves can be executed without a thougt. It will also teach you to fucus, tolerate pain and get rid of those extra pounds that limit your movent and speed. While fitness is more of a by-product it is VERY useful for Nike-Jutsu, And of course, there is no reason NOT to be fit.

 

[Shotgun Buddha]

Fitness might not be the most important aspect here. I think the main goal of training hard in the arts and getting exhausted is learning to function under stress and reach the level where moves can be executed without a thougt. It will also teach you to fucus, tolerate pain and get rid of those extra pounds that limit your movent and speed. While fitness is more of a by-product it is VERY useful for Nike-Jutsu, And of course, there is no reason NOT to be fit.

Thats true too. I know personally, the single thing which has though me the most discipline in training was the heavy fitness training. Having the self-control to force myself to continue, to push myself up off the ground and keep going is to my mind the most useful trait Ive gained from it, or any training. That self control is what allows me to fight or survive.