Right then, you’ve probably heard about Bruce Lee’s five ways of attack – PIA, SDA, and all that jazz. But it got me thinking, not many people have really got their heads around the most common ways you get jumped on the street. How do these things actually kick off, and what are the tell-tale signs that a proper kerfuffle is about to erupt?
So, I got my trusty Google Keep app out and started jotting down ideas – scenarios I’d been stuck in myself, or ones I’d watched unfold, and what kind of attack they seemed to fit into. Now, this list isn’t exhaustive, mind (for those ‘keyboard warriors’ out there, that means ‘complete’ or ‘total’), but I reckon it shoves most attacks into some pretty clear categories for self-defence from martial arts Hull.
Here are my five:
- The Ambush
- The Approach
- The Date
- The Chess Match
- The Spectator
Again, as I said, this isn’t every single type of attack you’ll ever encounter, just five handy boxes for the most common ones. It reminds me of a brilliant question Paul Vunak, a legend in Jeet Kune Do, once threw out: “How many types of fighter are there?” Not many got it right. A few mumbled ‘strikers’ or ‘grapplers’, and then the newbies started trying to list every martial art under the sun, which, frankly, made us all look a bit daft. The answer? Just two! Trained and untrained.
This list is that kind of broad-stroke view of getting attacked. I’m not bothered about what they choose to hit you with, just the category of how the whole miserable business started.
Let’s dive into each category of how you might find yourself in a spot of bother on the street, drawing on years of experience in self-defence and Rapid Assault Tactics.
- The Ambush
I remember once being at an instructor retreat down in Cornwall – a cracking part of England, that is. We’d had a few solid days of training, then we were just sat outside, chewing the fat like blokes do when left in peace. The old war stories started up about street fights and how everyone had supposedly vanquished all who dared to cross them. Someone brought up the importance of grappling, and we all nodded along. Then, ‘Jason Bourne’ piped up, bold as brass, “I don’t need to grapple, my Rapid Assault Tactics are too good, they won’t take me down!” – said with a straight face, mind.
I turned to old JB and said, “So, you’ve never seen or had someone rugby-tackle you out of the blue, just jump on you with no warning?” He doubled down, said no. Which, to me, meant he’d never had a proper scrap outside the gym.
As a doorman, I’ve seen countless fights kick off with one person not even knowing they’re in a fight until they’re on their back, getting a good punching, all because the attacker came out of nowhere and took them down.
That’s the Ambush: you’re minding your own business, perhaps walking through Hull city centre, and before you know it, BANG! You’re in a fight. It’s a prime example of why situational awareness is key in self-defence.
- The Approach
Now, while I know there’s no hocus pocus – no supernatural, no deity, no karma, and certainly no guardian angel – there is an ability to pick up on signs that a fight is brewing. It’s not some sixth sense or a biblical warning; it’s just experience and being a human animal yourself, something we teach in martial arts Hull.
The Approach is when you clock someone walking aggressively towards you, itching for a fight. And let’s be honest, they usually give it away – wide eyes, shouting, trying to make themselves look as big as possible, just like any animal about to attack.
I know not even seasoned fighters see this a mile off, but most people ignore it and end up getting hit. It’s fear, of course it is – fear of the repercussions of hitting first. However, for me, someone approaching like that means they’re getting intercepted. After all, I teach and train Jeet Kune Do, and what does that stand for? Intercepting Fist!
I’ve told all my students: if they turn up to training battered and bruised, and I ask what happened, and their reply is something like, “Well, he got right in my face, and we started going at it,” I’ll tell them it’s their own fault and they deserve it.
If someone’s approaching you, calling you a ‘cunt’, INTERCEPT! INTERCEPT! INTERCEPT! INTERCEPT!
“Firsted with the mostest is the bestest!” – Paul Vunak, a core principle in Rapid Assault Tactics for self-defence.
- The Date
‘The Date’ is the easiest one to explain, as we’ve all been kids having a scrap or watching one at school. The Date is that classic “in the park at half past three after school” scenario. As an adult, it could be a phone call from someone telling you they’re coming round to ‘fill you in’ because you said something nasty about their favourite TikToker!
The worst part about The Date is the waiting, your body and mind overthinking the anticipation. There are loads of books on how to control this, though, of course, the most obvious solution is simply not to have the fight!
Controlling your emotions is the hardest part of any fight, and this allows them to run riot. Deep breaths and relax is honestly all I can recommend. Personally, I’d be hiding in my garden to ambush them as soon as they set foot on my property, or I’d just call the police. Avoid a fight at all costs, a fundamental rule of self-defence.
- The Chess Match
The Chess Match is the one that demands the most pre-fight awareness. You know if your sworn enemy and his mates are in the same pub or bar as you in Hull.
It’s absolutely crucial to stay aware and watch that they’re not slowly positioning themselves around you, like pieces on a chessboard. Stop drinking and concentrate.
The simplest way to stop a Chess Match from escalating is to leave. No meal, no drink, no potential spouse is worth getting your head kicked in for. In fact, take them with you; wouldn’t be very chivalrous to leave them behind.
The Chess Match relies on awareness more than the others, though they all do to some extent. This strategic thinking is a vital part of Jeet Kune Do and Rapid Assault Tactics.
- The Spectator
Now, this is probably the one you can do the least about, apart from simply leaving. There are two types of spectators.
The first is as simple as this: you’re sat down, a fight that has nothing to do with you breaks out, they fall on you, and suddenly you’ve been dragged into it. You were a spectator, and now you’ve been pulled off the bench and thrown into the game without a warm-up. No idea who you’re fighting or why; you just need to stop them hitting you.
The second, and the worst of the two, is when you’re already fighting, and a spectator just joins in for no good reason. As a doorman, I’ve seen people rolling on the floor, accidentally bumping into someone who then turns around and kicks them in the head, just because. There’s a famous video doing the rounds of two blokes grappling in the street, and a friend of one of them walks up and stabs the other person several times. This is why you have to learn to grapple, but choose not to grapple. Anyone who says a grappling art (in its basic form) is all you need has either not had enough street fights or they’ve been incredibly lucky.
In Conclusion
So there it is, my very broad definition of all attacks. Each one has several variables – what if weapons are involved, what if more than one person is attacking or planning to attack you? However, in my opinion, they’d still fit into one of these five. Most, if not all, of them start and finish with awareness, a cornerstone of self-defence and any good martial arts practice in Hull. There are plenty of indicators that a fight is about to happen, and your biggest skill is picking up on them. Leave where you are; nothing is worth hanging around for, other than your close family, and potentially entering a life-or-death scenario.
Until I can be bothered to write another blog, thanks for reading.
Paul