“I DON’T WANT TO FIGHT YOU!!”
That simple phrase, screamed at a would-be opponent might be all you need to block an attack.
Stopping a fight before it starts is the best way to block. To do that requires a high level of situational awareness, which is the ability to understand all aspects of what is going on around you. Then you either remove yourself from it before it becomes an escalation, or know how to de-escalate it. Tae Kwon-Do gives us the ability to recognize when a situation is about to heat up, and the skills necessary to cool it down.
SBN Sharratt says she has never been in a fight outside of the dojang, but it’s not because no one has tried. She is confident, and has no problem standing up for herself. Most of the time, confidence is all you need to back someone down from trying to fight you.
I have not been so lucky. People that don’t know me, see a small, older guy, so they think they can take me. I know how much damage I can cause to another person, even with one punch. So, I have had to get really good at de-escalating.
But de-escalation or reasoning doesn’t always work. In those cases, I believe that the best way to block an opponent’s attack is to not let them attack in the first place. You need to move first.
This is one of the hardest decisions for good people to make. We don’t want to fight. We don’t want to put our hands on someone else. And we certainly don’t want to hurt anyone else. But the awareness that Tae Kwon-Do teaches lets us know when the fight is coming, regardless of what we do to try to avoid it. And in that instance, the best response is to make the first move.
That’s where the yelling comes in handy. You want to get into a prepared stance, then start roaring at your opponent. The idea is to create a situation where they don’t think it’s worth it to pursue the fight. But if they do, you’re in your prepared stance, your hands are up, and you’re ready for whatever comes next.
It may seem ridiculous, but if you look at how police and military handle potentially violent situations like this, they always use their voice first. Now, if you just say “I don’t want to fight” in a regular voice, you probably won’t get out of the fight. But if you scream “I DON’T WANT TO FIGHT!” at the top of your lungs, your opponent will probably quit while they’re behind.
Sometimes, though, no amount of reason or yelling is going to discourage this person from fighting you. In that case, you need to end it as quickly as possible. One punch or kick, placed well, and delivered with enough force, will do the trick. Again, you’re not looking to put anyone in the hospital. You want to inflict just enough pain that they get the message that they have bitten off more than they can chew. That first contact, whether it be physical or verbal, has to be decisive and, frankly, scary.
One of the things we teach here is what we call “one step self-defenses”. We create a fast-reaction self defense with every move we learn. This means if someone starts to come toward us with dangerous intent, we already know how to counter before they reach us.
If you can’t de-escalate the situation, you can’t reason with the person, or scare them enough to give up, and you just don’t feel like getting in a fight, then run. There is no shame in removing yourself from the situation completely.
Especially considering that fighting on the streets is a lot different than fighting in the dojang or in a tournament. Out there, it probably won’t be a fair fight. It could be you vs. multiple people, or the person picking the fight might have a weapon.
A simple rule is this. If you’re 10-15 seconds into an altercation and it’s not over yet, you’re probably not going to win. And someone is probably going to get hurt. In that case, the smartest move is to get out of there and live to fight another day.
Master Gorino’s Tae Kwon-Do offers a trial program for individuals and families in Buffalo, NY and the surrounding areas that allows you to get a feel for the different classes, meet our instructors, and experience our dojang. It’s a great way to see if Tae Kwon-Do is right for you. To learn more or to sign up, visit the Contact Us page or call (716) 836-KICK (5425) and a member of our team will follow up with you on next steps. We look forward to helping you achieve your goals. Pil-Sung!
