Talking Your Way Out of a Fight

[Ras-Tanu]

If you know you are out-numbered in a situation and the best thing to do is run, how would you talk your way out of it (so you can get a chance to jet)?

I've heard different things like:

1) Smile : Try to act like it's all an accident.

2) Turn Your Body Slightly Sideways : Gives less of a target.

3) Avoid Their Personal Space: Try to get them to stay out of yours.

4) Keep Your Hands and Arms Open: It's less threatening.

5) Never Turn Your Back: Don't give a coward a chance.

Personally, I don't agree with #2 & 4 cuz it seems to leave a person too vulnerable. What are your thoughts/tips??

[Suntzu]

"Personally, I don't agree with #2 & 4 cuz it seems to leave a person too vulnerable. What are your thoughts/tips??"

4) Keep Your Hands and Arms Open: It's less threatening.

I tell people to put your hands up palms out like your sayin "hold up, calm down…" arms a lil bent hands head high almost like a boxer's stance… but that's just what I recommend…

[umgong]

Don't knock it until you get in your fight(s),leave your options open, it may save your life.

When you are surrounded, and you figure serious injury at the least and probably hospitilization, if not death, you better figure on using anything and everything to save yourself. Why limit yourself? If you figure they are going to cripple you for the rest of your life do you want to play by the rules?

There is no guarantees in a mob fight. Once they smell blood, it can get out of control in a heartbeat. If you go down and you have a bunch of guys kicking at you...there are serious injuries that can occur. In one fight that I witnessed, I saw a guy knocked out with the first kick...the mob kicked him at least 7 times more, gave him a concussion, two broken ribs, broken fingers, cracked skull....sick.

For example,Open hands can look non-aggressive, but can be quickly employed for an eye jab, grappling maneuver to move an attacker into other attackers, or a trapping maneuver to stop the initial attack.

I would learn to get nervous so you don't settle your weight on the flats of your feet. Keep your weight on the balls of your feet so that you can move quickly.

Definitely look around quickly for objects that you can use as weapons to even out the balance of power in this uneven fight.

Most of all, distract the buggers, then run....gives you a seconds headstart.

[Former castleva]

Knowing how to act is probably just as important as to know how to claw and poke.

If they threaten you,trying to start a fight,don´t immediately wear a fighting stance on you,it is like calling them to beat you up (I think this is very true especially when it comes to troubled teens or such people that are trying to prove themselves and their circumstances)
Your face shall be like a mask,calm,not giving any signals of fear or agression (forget about Jim Carrey one...even though it rocks)
Your voice shall be low,calm and just like your face,no signals.
When you talk,try to choose the way of least or minimal resist,don´t meet force with force.Talk as if you are trying to understand him (he is possibly very nervous)
Keep your personal space-look if you can see his hands (which might be holding weapons like knives) Don´t let him get near you (would be easy for him to cut you down)
Try to stay aware of your surroundings-look for possible paths for escape.
Don´t let him force you against a wall-it would be easier for him to control you both physically and mentally (and creates more limits)
Try to attract people´s attention-This is what your attacker would really dislike.
These are my notes on what to do when you could not AVOID the conflict.

[Ras-Tanu]

Some really good points have been made on how one should conduct themselves. Especially about keeping the hands open in a non-threatening (yet potentially dangerous) way and about being keeping a calm face/verbal tone.
I myself lack experience in the area of multiple-opponent beat-downs, and you never know when this info can come in handy. Good stuff.

[MA fanatic]

I'd keep one arm folded across your chest and with an elbow of the other arm on it. So your hand is resting against your chin. Looks like you're contemplating something, yet still have the arm there to cover incase he throws a wild strike. In most fights its better to hit first. If there are multiple assailants, you have exactly 3-5 seconds to hit them after you hit their friend (before their adrenaline kicks in). If you're dealing with a psychotic mental patient, you may want to seem small and unthreatening. If you're dealing with someone who is determined to pick a fight, any attempt to disengage may appear as a sign of weakness to him and he will attack first. I suggest open your eyes very wide and then bring your eye brows together. You emediately present as someone will to be agressive. But, keep the tone of voice soft at first. If he raises his voice, you have to raise yours (its a trick hypnotherapists have been using for years), but keep the content of what you're saying soothing. "LOOK, IF WE FIGHT, WE WILL BOTH BE HURT AND ARRESTED!!!"
MA fanatic

[JerryLove]

If you know you are out-numbered in a situation and the best thing to do is run

I would argue that running is preference to fighting weather you are outnumbered or not. Besides, how did you decide you were not outnumbered in teh first place?

Personally, I don't agree with #2 & 4 cuz it seems to leave a person too vulnerable. What are your thoughts/tips??

#2 (turning sideways) is common fighting stance in many arts, #4 (open arms and hands) is a fighting tactic of my own, and one well endorced by expereiced fighters (Geoff Thompson would be a great example).

Why limit yourself? If you figure they are going to cripple you for the rest of your life do you want to play by the rules?

There are rules? Did I miss a meeting? If you loose, the guy that wins can kill you if that is his desire, it makes no difference weather he is armed, or has friends in what the winner can choose to do. Why so many assume that a one-on-one unarmed fight is *not* a deadly situation is beyond my ability to reason.

There is no guarantees in a mob fight.

What guarentees are there in other fights?

[tnwingtsun]

Know how...........

[DelicateSound]

Originally posted by JerryLove
What guarentees are there in other fights?

Firstly it's "guarantee."

Secondly there are a few. One-on-one is "do-able". A mob fight is luck. Just luck.

You go down against a gang, and you probably won;t get back up till the paramedics lift you into the ambulance.

[guohuen]

He knows of what he speaks! And if your lucky and your blood pressure is not too low you might get something for the pain. Otherwise your SOL! Plan on 6-8 weeks of recovery if ever.