Strategies for Handling Yourself in a Bar Fight

So Much for Diplomacy

Sometimes, a physical altercation is unavoidable. Luckily, drunks tend to be fairly predictable in fights. I would estimate that over ninety percent of the time, they throw the “haymaker.” This is a very slow and telegraphed strike. It resembles a hook with a very long windup. Knowing what to look for helps you react more quickly in self defense.

Act Against Intuition

Now that you see the punch coming, what do you think you should do? Avoid it, right? No. Your best action is to slide your entire body towards your attacker. Given the slow nature of this specific punch, you should be able to make this move before impact. Tuck your chin down against your chest. Put both of your hands on the same shoulder as his attacking arm. Make sure that you move close enough that your elbows bend ninety degrees and come in contact with your attacker. This position serves two purposes: it allows your outside arm to deflect the striking arm (or at least absorb some of the impact) and your inside arm can either attack or control (which will be addressed in the next point). The blow should either miss (behind your head) or lose enough momentum to cause minimal damage.

Counter

From this position, you have a number of options. Just remember that you want to end the confrontation as quickly as possible. Your inside elbow is available to strike or push. A quick compact movement, used to strike your attacker’s chest or nose, should stun him long enough to separate and reevaluate. Also remember that you have feet to use for defense. A shin drag is a very effective technique. Lift your inside foot about a foot off the ground. Strike the opponent with your instep, about halfway up his shin, and drag your foot down to the top of his foot.

Control

Additionally, either hand can be used to grab and control. The inside hand can hook behind the neck and pull the head down. The outside hand can slide down the attacker’s arm to pull down and towards you, effectively pulling him off balance. Either of these actions provides a tactical advantage, which you can use to either attack or retreat.

Reevaluate

If your strike was effective and it bought you time, make your escape. You don’t want to fight and you don’t want to injure this person. The same goes for controlling the subject. If you pull them off-balance and they fall, you now have a window to leave. However, if the attacker continues to be aggressive, you may need to follow-up. If you have pulled their head down, you can follow up with a knee to the chest. DO NOT strike his head! This type of blow could potentially be lethal. You are protecting yourself, not trying to kill this individual. If you pulled him by the attacking arm, try to step across with your inside foot to trip the attacker. The idea is to buy time to escape.

When Things Go Wrong

Hopefully, you will be able to escape without further incident. The reality is that nothing ever goes perfectly. So, here are a few pointers. First, if you end up on the ground, never turn onto your stomach. You always want to face your opponent. Second, if his friends participate in the fight, never allow them to flank your position. When grabbing the attacker, make sure to move him in between you and his friends. Finally, don’t be embarrassed to run like hell! Drunks are terrible sprinters, and you should lose them fairly quickly.

Report the incident. Be sure to contact the proper authorities. The attacker may end up harassing another person. Additionally, this action assures that your side of the story is documented, in case the incident results in future litigation.