Multiple Defenders?

[Arath]

right, a very important point - however, in the situation above my friend and I didn't really outnumber our attackers, we just happened to be two against 8.

But Fearless Freep has a very valid point here - if you outnumber your attacker I'd say keep your attacks down to the minimum needed for you to get away, don't get carried away. Oh, and to be honest, I rarely expect such a situation to arise - humans are pack animals, they tend to attack when the numbers are on THEIR side, and not the other way around.

 

[Skip Cooper]

...so I hit him upside the head ...

I love this line.

 

[Last Fearner]

It's an important question. But does any training that anyone know of address the idea of multiple defenders? Meaning, if you're out with a group, and you're attacked, how to move to maximize the effectiveness of the group, rather than just resorting to melee combat?
...Systema is the only art I can think of that might have this training, and I don't even know for sure about this

Actually, this kind of situational response has always been a part of my training in Taekwondo. I'm sure not all TKD schools, or instructors address this, particularly if they were never taught the concept. Anyhow, we were doing this kind of training back in the 70's, and I still teach it.

I know it is unlikely that you would be traveling in a group where several people are trained in the same martial art. But it's an interesting idea nonetheless.

I wouldn't agree that it as "unlikely" to be in a group with friends of the same Martial Art. Perhaps this varies for each person's experience, but when I was a young instructor, I got several of my friends to join Taekwondo, so naturally we would hang out together. Also, I made many new friends in class. Fellow students or groups of Black Belts would often go to movies together, bowling, bars, and especially tournaments and demonstrations.

Currently, my wife is a 3rd Dan and I am 6th, so if we are out together and are attacked, we would apply group defense strategy rather than "every man (or woman) for himself (or herself)." My sons are training, so when they are older, the odds of bullies attacking them while they are together is very likely. In the future, when my three sons are all Black Belts, I would feel a bit sorry for the poor fool who attacked my family while we were out together - - naaah - - on second thought, I wouldn't!
:btg: :whip: :matrix: :boxing: :lol2:

CM D.J. Eisenhart

 

[Rich Parsons]

I love this line.

Shhhh, I was much younger than

 

[jks9199]

right, a very important point - however, in the situation above my friend and I didn't really outnumber our attackers, we just happened to be two against 8.

But Fearless Freep has a very valid point here - if you outnumber your attacker I'd say keep your attacks down to the minimum needed for you to get away, don't get carried away. Oh, and to be honest, I rarely expect such a situation to arise - humans are pack animals, they tend to attack when the numbers are on THEIR side, and not the other way around.

ANY time you're forced to defend yourself -- keep the force you use to the minimm necessary to do the job. Self defense is a JUSTIFICATION for using force against someone, and that justification ends when you are no longer in danger. While a civilian wouldn't ordinarily be held to the same standard as a police officer, a trained martial artist may be held to a higher standard than a "normal" civilian. Especially in a civil trial...

Note well -- I'm providing neither specific nor general legal guidance; just a very broad take on the issue. You want a lawyer's take on something, hire one.