I was out over the past weekend with some friends. Had gone over to a pub, some 6 of us. And we were havin' a pretty good time when, as it happens so often (or is it only with us?!), some random guy at the bar ticked off a friend of mine who got annoyed et al. Anyways, I was standing right next to my friend and figured it wasn't worth ruining a perfectly nice evening so I went in and broke them up. We went on partying till about 1 in the night and decided to head back.

So we exit the pub and we see the same guy hanging out near (I think) his car with a couple of his friends. It looked like he was pretty high and was looking for trouble. We start walking towards our cars when he comes up behind us mouthing some 'maa-behen" stuff. I walk up to him to try and calm him down and get some sense into him but apparently, my friend had ruined his game with some girl at the pub and he wasn't too happy about it. Blah blah...comin' down to it, I sent the girls and the rest home and stayed back with my friend for what was about to become a fight.......

Now, unfortunately or otherwise, I have witnessed some number of these brawls and thinking about last week’s incident, saw some basics that could be put to very good use:

a. Relax: I know it's easier said than done but no point tensing up and losing all that energy even before the fight begins. Clench when required only.

b. Use your head: Most of the brawls I have been witness to were decided right when the first blow landed from either side. That first blow makes it very evident as to who in the fight is using his head. The limbs are only for execution. Head prepares strategy (some tips below!).

c. Retain strong footing: I can't begin to count the number of times one of the guys in the brawl loses his balance and falls over and then it denigrates into just a lot of hands and legs being thrown around. It is absolutely vital to remain evenly balanced on both legs when in base mode (right before an attack). If you are gonna be tripping, that's all you are gonna be focussed on while the other guy beats the daylights outta you!

d. Keep moving: A stationary target is ripe for the pickin'. Keep moving. This not only forces the opponent to dedicate an amount of his brain power to tracking your physical location and alignment leaving him with that much less for planning an attack but also forces him to modify his attack pattern based on your changing location.

e. Going in for the kill: A lot of guys I have seen do all of the above but right when the opponent is close to being knocked out - back off! Don't know if it is an involuntary human instinct or something else but it only gives the opponent time to gain a second wind and actually come back harder (‘cause this time, he’s fightin’ with only his heart!). When you see the opponent about to go down, make sure he does.

Some tips:i. Taller opponent: Make him come to you. Move inside and take away reach. Hit and move and repeat.

ii. Bulkier opponent: Make him punch as much air as you can. Tire him out.

iii. Rusher: Never step back. Step in his direction quickly and side-step. Bring home the lower jab.


Ok, before you start whispering, I do not encourage violence in any form or getting into pub-brawls et al. I am sure many of you know me as the nice, funny guy (which I am!...I think). But I also believe that when the other person is looking for a fight and a) there's no way of getting out of it, or b) there's a strong enough reason to settle it; then you do what you gotta do.

But only to make a point. Not to injure seriously.