How long does a fight last?

[IcemanSK]

My favorite comment on this was by a Korean Hapkido master in a tv interview years ago. The reporter asking him the questions was also his student. The question asked, "If you got into a fight on the street, would you take off your glasses?" His answer? "No, the fight wouldn't last that long." :ultracool

 

[Touch Of Death]

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:

Yes, and don't forget there is always at least one more person involved than you bargained for.
Sean

 

[Blotan Hunka]

Fitness is the ultimate "better to have it and not need it then need it and not have it" thing. People make up all kinds of rationalizations for why working out isnt necessary, ask some of the lucky few who survived an attack where fitness was a factor and Id wager they would tell you to start exercising.

As to fitness level. If you are just cruising through a workout and not pushing yourself even the slightest, dont even bother.

 

[Blotan Hunka]

Thinking about this question some more. Which is wiser, preparing for the long fight or the short one? If you are prepared for the long fight and it goes short all the better. If you are training for a short fight (ignoring fitness) and it goes long, youre screwed. So the answer is clear to me.

 

[kidswarrior]

Thinking about this question some more. Which is wiser, preparing for the long fight or the short one? If you are prepared for the long fight and it goes short all the better. If you are training for a short fight (ignoring fitness) and it goes long, youre screwed. So the answer is clear to me.

Well, I see your point, but can't totally agree. If I train for the long fight consistently, I form the mindset that it will be a long fight and may settle in for such. He, on the other hand, may have trained to put me away in 2-4 seconds (or less), and may do so while I'm settling in. So I'd just say, let's remember the mindset we're forming (consciously or not) when we train. :ultracool

 

[Blotan Hunka]

Mindset is about survival, not fight length. You really have no control over how long a fight is going to go. Either you prevail quickly or you dont. The worst case scenario is a long fight. To fail to prepare for the worst case is foolish. IMO.

 

[kidswarrior]

Mindset is about survival, not fight length. You really have no control over how long a fight is going to go. Either you prevail quickly or you dont. The worst case scenario is a long fight. To fail to prepare for the worst case is foolish. IMO.

Well, before we digress into calling each other foolish, let's just agree to each train our own ways. :wink2:

 

[Shotgun Buddha]

Well, I see your point, but can't totally agree. If I train for the long fight consistently, I form the mindset that it will be a long fight and may settle in for such. He, on the other hand, may have trained to put me away in 2-4 seconds (or less), and may do so while I'm settling in. So I'd just say, let's remember the mindset we're forming (consciously or not) when we train. :ultracool

Fitness training does not form your mindset while fighting. Your mindset is formed by the combat drills you do, so if you're drills focus on all out aggressive assault, then thats the mindset you'll take with you into combat.
What the fitness training will do is ensure that you're physically in condition to perform that initial assault, and to keep going if it goes on longer than expected.

 

[Blotan Hunka]

Fitness training does not form your mindset while fighting. Your mindset is formed by the combat drills you do, so if you're drills focus on all out aggressive assault, then thats the mindset you'll take with you into combat.
What the fitness training will do is ensure that you're physically in condition to perform that initial assault, and to keep going if it goes on longer than expected.

You said it better than I did. And I had no intention of calling any individual foolish, unless they seriously only train for a short fight and make no plan for a long one. And thats just for their own good. I dont want to see anybody but the "bad guy" loose.

 

[jks9199]

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:

Not only is there no guarantee on how long a fight will last... but there's no guarantee on what condition you'll be in when it starts. You might already have had a long day... You might have just left a workout... In other words -- the bare minimum fitness might be enough if you choose the time and place. Since you seldom have that opportunity, you can't presume that "just enough" is good enough. Imagine starting a 30 mile drive with only enough gas to drive 30 miles, and encountering a traffic jam. Will your gas be enough, then?

Fitness also assists you in recovering from or minimizing the effect injuries. And in a real fight -- you WILL be hurt. Being in shape will let you take the damage and continue, or recover more quickly from it afterwards.

 

[still learning]

Hello, From what I understand, Real street fights only last for seconds, because one guy was unprepare and got the beatings.

I once had a fight that lasted for 3 hours long, hook-up at midnight fought the thrasher shark for 3 hours long...brought him to the rock point and cut my line. (longest fight I ever being in). From the shoreline.

Ring fights,boxing,wrestling,judo and any tournment type fights have rules..they may last longer..because you cannot kill ,break bones,eye gouges,biting , throat strikes to the other guy. ( It doesn't take much to snap a neck?).

I think it does affect how long you fight? streets because you do not want to kill the other guy...just hurt them enough to stop. This will last longer most times! But in a war?..or fighting for your life? ...most likely will end faster,because of the killing points/moves. (My thoughts and guess). Unexperience fighters usually last longer sometimes,each person not really hiting each other hard enough, sometimes funny to watch them.

Most fights do not last longer than a minute, both will be exhausted and one will be hurting more than the other. Police or other people may break it up too.

NOTE: An aveage or 26,000 thousand people die each year from stupid fights. DO NOT LET YOUR EGO/PRIDE cause you to get into a fight! WALK AWAY ....Live longer that way...beats going to jail too!..........Aloha

 

[Sukerkin]

Crickey, SL!

Where did you get that fatalities statistic from? I'm assuming that's globally rather than just in the States ! However, it's a sobering thought that no matter how trained you are, the most drunken numpty can kill you with one punch you don't see coming.

That's way, to reference the thread on avoiding trouble, it's so important to increase awareness and alertness along with kicking power. That way you stand a chance of staying out of the fight in the first place.

 

[MJS]

Well, I see your point, but can't totally agree. If I train for the long fight consistently, I form the mindset that it will be a long fight and may settle in for such. He, on the other hand, may have trained to put me away in 2-4 seconds (or less), and may do so while I'm settling in. So I'd just say, let's remember the mindset we're forming (consciously or not) when we train. :ultracool

Wouldn't you just be preparing for the worst case scenario though? Just because one is training to go longer, we should still be trying to end it as quickly as possible. In the event it does go longer, I'm better prepared.

Maybe I'm just not reading this right.

Mike

 

[green meanie]

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

It's impossible to answer. Every situation is different. Might as well ask how long is a piece of string...

'Hope for the best, prepare fo the worst.' That's my motto. Besides, I've noticed I don't get as tired when I'm winning as I do when I'm losing...

 

[kidswarrior]

Besides, I've noticed I don't get as tired when I'm winning as I do when I'm losing...

This is my new motto.

MJS: Wouldn't you just be preparing for the worst case scenario though? Just because one is training to go longer, we should still be trying to end it as quickly as possible. In the event it does go longer, I'm better prepared.

Maybe so. I guess what I'm trying to say (and not communicating) is what that looks like. Years ago, when I was training to box, I was in the best shape of my life. Roadwork at 4 AM, back to bed till 7 or so, get up and eat, take care of the day's business (work/school), 7-9/10PM hit the gym with my trainer.

But all that conditioneing was preparation for 3 amateur rounds of boxing against a fairly equal opponent. Today I can only dream of that kind of conditioning (for one thing, pretty sure I'd have to have cartilage in my knees to do road work ). But am also pretty sure I'm a much better fighter--not for sport, but in real situations. How do I train for that? By doing my art as much as possible, and as I said previously, adding in some combat conditioning ala Matt Furey.

Woud I also like to have the build I had in the late 60s from boxing? Of course. But since life demands we pick and choose what we do with every 24 hours, I focus on being the best fighter I can be, with the conditioning that I can achieve. By the way, I'm not saying fitness is not important--we seem to have drawn an either/dichotomy at some point in this discussion, but I for one did not say that. Fitness is important, but must be balanced with the rest of my art within the time and energy constraints I have available.

To return to the Dick Butkus illustration, he didn't become a better football player by lifting weights, but by playing football. Not to say I'm in his league, just that I appreciate his style.

:asian:

 

[Sukerkin]

Good points, Green Meanie.

Just to give an empirical yardstick on the 'how long a street fight lasts', my single (and hopefully 'only') 'piece of string' was less than five seconds long (whoa, metaphors blending nicely here ). I had time for four techniques against three opponents followed by the second most important technique of all ... legging it! That's the bit where the stamina training pays off.

To be brutally frank, unless you get embroiled in something that erupts with no prior warning, a trained martial artist should either be nowhere around when trouble boils over or should be doing his darndest not to make things worse.

SL's point about 'ego' is very telling. If you know that you are trained and capable of unleashing hurt upon people, then you have nothing to 'prove'. Humility goes a long way in preventing violence and if all a 'strong-arm' wants to do is prove what a 'man' he is to his girl by seeming to intimidate you, then let him. You lose nothing, he doesn't get broken, everyone goes home happy.

 

[still learning]

Crickey, SL!

Where did you get that fatalities statistic from? I'm assuming that's globally rather than just in the States ! However, it's a sobering thought that no matter how trained you are, the most drunken numpty can kill you with one punch you don't see coming.

That's way, to reference the thread on avoiding trouble, it's so important to increase awareness and alertness along with kicking power. That way you stand a chance of staying out of the fight in the first place.

From the book: Gift of Fear.........Aloha

 

[K' Evans]

I agree that every situation is different, and that some fights may last longer for all sorts of reasons (e.g. more people join in, the fighters don't know their limits and continue pummelling). Even if we were to look at MMA matches, entertainment wrestling matches and etc, there are just too many variables to consider. Some fights end in a few seconds with a single KO, while some can just go on and on.

On the question of fitness, stamina and endurance, there's no doubt I have found that to be important, and people don't give it as much emphasis than I think (i.e. people prefer to have more power than stamina). When I first entered my martial arts school, I thought I would be quite alright considering I have been weight-lifting and doing cardio for a measurable period of time. Some of the students are also fatter and older than me so I thought I should, at the least, be able to last longer.

I was not only sadly mistaken but humbled very much. Guys older than me by 20 years, shorter and fatter could kick harder and longer than me. As I read up more, I realised I was narrow-minded and mistaken to think my condition in running/sprint could be translated to better stamina in martial arts conditioning. It does help, of course, but it's just not the same thing. Further, as time goes by in a fight, you will find that you can't punch and kick as well due to the loss of energy.

Anyway, back to the street situation. Most likely, a trained person should be able to end a fight relatively quickly against someone who isn't trained, but I would not guarantee that the trained martial artist would win. A swinging hit from a brawler still hurts whether trained or not, and in a fight, other variables come into place (e.g. accuracy, timing, power, mental tougness). I also think luck has a lot to do with it.

 

[kidswarrior]

When I first entered my martial arts school, I thought I would be quite alright considering I have been weight-lifting and doing cardio for a measurable period of time. Some of the students are also fatter and older than me so I thought I should, at the least, be able to last longer.

I was not only sadly mistaken but humbled very much. Guys older than me by 20 years, shorter and fatter could kick harder and longer than me. As I read up more, I realised I was narrow-minded and mistaken to think my condition in running/sprint could be translated to better stamina in martial arts conditioning. It does help, of course, but it's just not the same thing.

A good illustration. I tried earlier--but obviously failed--to say this same thing. Not that fitness is unimportant, but how we get that fitness and whether it applies to MA is the crucial question, IMHO. Good discussion, though, from all sides.

 

[Adept]

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

I've seen a lot of very unfit people 'win' a lot of barfights. Stamina very rarely seems to be an issue. Sometimes a fight will drag on for a minute or two, and sometimes as a bouncer I'll need to operate at full-steam for several minutes as multiple people need to be ejected one after the other.

I think anaerobic stamina is more important than aerobic stamina. In other words, if you can operate at 100% full speed for a couple of minutes, you'll have a powerful advantage over your opponent who might start slacking off after ten or fifteen seconds.