What's the difference between self-defense and street fighting?

[Balrog]

Street fighter = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Street_Fighter

Personally I don't fight streets, they're maybe hard but they are quite boring when it comes to technique, they just lay there.
Calling yourself a street fighter ref your profile makes you sound like a brawler looking for trouble rather than someone serious about self defence, there really isn't such a thing as 'street fighting'. If attacked just about everyone will do 'what it takes' to come out alive, that doesn't make it a 'street fight', you know, I really hate that expression, it's something that writers of fiction use when they want something to sound hard and tough, ugh.

<Applauds>

Very well stated. Martial arts training is, bottom line, about self-defense. A true martial artist, IMNSHO, will not go out and start a fight; he has no need to do so. He will, however, be able to defend himself against the posers who do go out and start fights, thinking that makes them a man or something

 

[Aiki Lee]

Interent ate my rather long and well thought out post so now I"m irritated and will be blunt.

Many martial arts have nothing to do with self-defense.
Self-defense and street fighting are not the same thing.
Self-defense often does not involve fighting at all.
When people claim they were acting in self-defense in a fight, usually they are confused about what self-defense means and were actually considered by law to be a mutual combatant.
I dislike the use of the term "Street fighter" as it evokes the image of a thug or bully who hurts people for fun or out of anger or ego.
And did Street Ready say he trains for self-defense at an MMA gym? Or did I miss something.

That's the bare bones of what I had. Stupid internet.

 

[Kong Soo Do]

Many martial arts have nothing to do with self-defense.

Very true. Many arts may well have another focus than self-defense.

Self-defense often does not involve fighting at all.

Very good point. Self-defense starts long before an actual altercation. First would be avoidance. As they say, the best way not to get hit is not to be there in the first place. Secondly, evasion. If you see potential danger coming, seek what means is necessary to evade it as long as the act of evasion doesn't put you at further risk. Thirdly, de-escalation. Put the ego in check and use IPC skills to calm the situation if at all possible.

A good thing to consider is that fighting isn't the plan, fighting is what you do if the plan fails.

 

[seasoned]

Interent ate my rather long and well thought out post so now I"m irritated and will be blunt.

Many martial arts have nothing to do with self-defense.
Self-defense and street fighting are not the same thing.
Self-defense often does not involve fighting at all.
When people claim they were acting in self-defense in a fight, usually they are confused about what self-defense means and were actually considered by law to be a mutual combatant.
I dislike the use of the term "Street fighter" as it evokes the image of a thug or bully who hurts people for fun or out of anger or ego.
And did Street Ready say he trains for self-defense at an MMA gym? Or did I miss something.

That's the bare bones of what I had. Stupid internet.

Been there and had that happen to me. One hour in and a flicker, and gone. I swear some of my best posts got flushed. :angry:

 

[Zero]

Originally Posted by Black/Red Block I agree with everything stated above

Onylthing I can add is...Streetfighting sort of has rules, you can only do this and this but you cant do this as I believe it is open challenges etc and a different situtation than self-defence.

Yeah I've seen street fights where it was somehow mutually agreed that each party would gouge eyeballs or groin kick, so you're definitely right about it having some sort of rules.

Also agree with you that it's better to stay away from street fights because they don't have referees like combative sports. I've seen in street fight videos of people getting their head repeated stomped and kicked while unconscious. Pretty dangerous stuff...

Next time you go for one of your street fights, do yourself the favour of not thinking they won't actualy bite your nose off as promised otherwise.

 

[Gentle Fist]

Street Fighter 2 was the greatest 2D video/arcade game ever... oh wait what was the question?