Who taught you to fight?

[Permalost]

So it seems fairly common, in America at least, for boys to learn to fight from their dads, or uncles or older siblings. Its even become a trope in movies and TV shows: a kid is bullied, and his dad teaches him to stand up for himself, using whatever hard-won knowledge the dad has learned over the years, culminating in a fight with the bully.


The thing I find interesting is what, exactly, an adult passes onto a non-training kid as fight advice. My dad was in prison so I didn't get that experience, but we sorta cobbled together our fight notions from wrasslin' on the neighbor's lawn, watching pro wrestling, and Jackie Chan movies (somehow boxing wasn't much of an interest, probably due to lack of spin kicks).

Friends of mine had dads that show them the basics of how to box, some wrestling, some "dirty tricks", whatever they can cobble together.



The thing about it that amuses me the most is that most of these teachers have no idea how to fight. Maybe they've seen a few brawls and fought a few times twenty years ago, but the dad doesn't want to tell their teary-eyed kid that they don't know as much as it seems. So, they sorta make stuff up as they go along, often assuming that if its not legal in boxing, its good in a fight.

I've heard of dads teaching to throw dirt in their eyes if you're stooped over, act like you're not fighting then suckerpunch them, wind up for a haymaker then kick them in the balls, and fake with your left/hit with the right. A friend of mine said his dad taught him to karate chop the liver and side of the neck at the same time- a trick learned from a Navy SEAL, allegedly. Its interesting how common t3h d34dly is among childhood fight instruction. I figure its partly for wanting their kid to fight back as violently as possible in case they are in real danger (something that scares the hell out of parents), and not having any real background in fighting so just thinking of what would hurt and confuse the most. Plus it usually assumes that the bully is a bigger, stronger kid, so going toe to toe without extensive training is probably futile. But hey, mud in the eye!

I remember my uncle showed me an especially deadly way of hitting someone- you extend your middle finger halfway out and hit with the protruding knuckle! Looking back, I kinda wonder how much of this stuff was adults bullshitting for amusement or or appeasing annoying requests for fighting secrets.



Its a pretty interesting institution- the blind leading the blind, but with the assumption that the guy knows what he's talking about. Its very much Bullshido, but it comes from a position of wanting to empower and help their children (usually). Its kind of an endearing thing to see, misguided as the teaching may be.

So does anyone have any tales of learning to fight from their dad/uncles/siblings? The less grounded in reality the better.

[goodlun]

My Older brother is ~12 years my Sr.
We rough housed a lot when he was around. He was in honduras right around the time period that one Oliver North got himself into trouble.
He Taught me basic boxing and wrestling as well as whatever was the Army h2h stuff at the time. He also taught me how to shoot and some other cool stuff.

[Fuzzy]

Funny, my dad (and my grandmother) taught me to shoot, and taught me to carry a knopkierrie: http://www.popmech.ru/images/upload/1_1297273290.jpg or knife when hiking but he never really taught me any hand-to-hand stuff.

I don't know if it was pacifism as a holdover from his time in the army, or because he was a High School Principal, but I always got into a lot of trouble if it even looked like I'd been fighting at school.

My Grandfather was an amateur boxer in his youth, and I wish now that I'd gotten him to teach me to box as a kid, sadly I was young, stupid and hated exercise, and by the time I realised what I had he was too old.

[Holy Moment]

wind up for a haymaker then kick them in the balls

That would've been Sugar Ray Leonard's magnum opus.

[Rivington]

My father taught me what he learned in the Greek Navy. Hit people with a wrench.

[Kin Kong]

Awesome topic!

I'm really interested in seeing what some people have to say. Unfortunately (or fortunately) for me, I can't contribute to this thread with tales of the bullshido I inherited from my father, since he did a pretty good job of teaching me how to fight.

My Father grew up in a rough neighborhood in Boston at the height of its racial tension, and because of this, found himself getting into fist fights and riots all too frequently throughout his teenage years. And being a rather hard-nosed guy, he's had a few times where he's utilized primitive problem solving methods that were familiar to his adolescence.

In order to better equip himself to deal his environment, my father avidly practiced Karate. From what he tells me, back in the day, Karate was very different from what it is now. Though they sparred for points, it was bare knuckle and full contact -- in both dojo and tournament sparring.

In his college years, my father discovered a boxing gym not far off campus. Because kickboxing was growing more popular at this time, and because competition now featured continuous face punching (as opposed to one hit, and stop), he decided to shift his focus.

After college, he trained in Aikido, Escrima, and grappling under Joe Pomfred (Joe Lauzon's coach) in addition to continuing his striking training.

Anyways, he taught me how to fight when I was 14. Took him a while to ween me off of the TKD habits, but god bless him he tried. I still kicked like a sissy when I stopped training with him to focus on MMA, but my hands weren't too shabby!

[Chili Pepper]

I had two older brothers, so rough-housing was my initial training.

Dad is fairly mild-mannered, so while he's theoretically willing to fight (was in the airforce, and pistol team in college), I doubt he's actually been in a tussle since the 1950's.

[BKR]

Nobody. My father hadn't been in a fight since he was in grade school. I know because we talked about it a few times, in context of me studying Judo.

[Mr. Machette]

DA STREETS, FOO!

[Ignoscant]

Interesting topic; it leads me on quite the journey.

As a youngster I was interested in two things. Traveling and staying out of trouble. My Father; much like many others; subscribed to the advise that I should simply 'punch any bully in the nose'. That's about all the advice I ever got - but my obsession for martial arts and their concepts runs deep. Unfortunately this would eventually be my downfall.

Around the age of 15 I met a Brown Belt in the art 'Si-Lum-Gar'. It should be noted now that I had no experience in fighting and to this day I would not be a good judge of the form nor the trainer who's name I do not remember. However I do recall the 80's mustache and mullet making me uncomfortable. Multiple training sessions on 'how to redirect a punch aimed at your face' and 'how to do a "spinning death kick"' (alas I recall the name for awesomeness but not the move, I think it was a jumping reverse heel kick of sorts) left me feeling somewhat retarded. I never felt I'd be able to redirect a punch directly to my face on a whim. So my search continued.

At the age of 18 I found myself amongst a group of local trouble makers at a community college who all took 'kickboxing' or 'tkd' of some sort and had regular bouts with one another to test their '1337' skills. Getting in on the mix with no real training is where I really started to learn how to fight. It was all bare knuckle and we often came home bruised and battered but never truly had the technique or strength to truly hurt one another. While I never really learned technique or movement I learned a valuable lesson. That I was not made of glass.

It was actually around this time that I was told the only fighting technique my father ever used. Shockingly I had to learn it first hand via road rage. While traveling an accident occurred in which our cars collided and the driver of the offending car got out and attempted to punch my father. Taking the punch that would have no doubt rocked someone of my stature; my father a burly man who did heavy labor all his life grabbed the man by the shirt and headbutted him square in the nose.

Thinking 'that's brilliant!' I was to learn later in life that when using your head offensively the results may not be what you expect. Less than a year later at a local pub I attempted to use the same move to dispatch an opponent outside of a bar where fights were common. (it should be noted drinking age where I am is 18 legally) Our heads collided and while he was cold my friends dragged me to the safety of our vehicle and attempted to get my wits about me again. This was to be the last time I attempted the fabled headbutt one hit finisher.

It was at the ripe age of 20 that I attempted kickboxing at various no name schools; took what I learned and began to teach myself. I did not feel that I belonged and felt more of an outcast moving from school to school and taking what little I learned to the bag hanging in the garage. While this was not the prime option; it did allow me to avoid or dispatch what few fights I had later in life. Though none could be considered a decisive 'win'.

I am now over 30 and am regularly training at a local gym with an instructor. While I have much to learn and many many years of training before I feel truly comfortable. I do get the odd unorthodox surprise attack on the odd trained fighter and their bewildered look often reminds me of the days of throwing haymakers and praying to god out the back of an old school gym.

Good times.

[Permalost]

My dad eventually taught me that when someone threatens to kick your ass, you should respond with "You'd better pack a lunch!".

Its still my go-to comeback.

[frenchie88]

My older brother showed me. Of course, my father showed him. My father had the crappy Vietnam era self-defense skills from the USMC, but his father was a boxer in the Navy in WWII, so he showed my father basic boxing skills, so at the least I knew how to throw a basic combination. And due to my other older brother routinely kicking my ass, I learned to take a kick or punch.

[Ramonesfreak566]

Unfortunately my father also taught me the feint a left/throw a right and send a swift kick to their junk, but he also taught me what I feel is a useful tip and that was to always attack first. Luckily that didn't satisfy me enough and after some traveling through some crap krotty schools I found an awesome mma gym.

[jdempsey]

My mum taught me to always walk away... Doesn't always work.

[goodlun]

My mum taught me to always walk away... Doesn't always work.

Oddly enough my Mom taught me if your going to be in a fight throw the first punch

I should note that I was always really small for my age. Heck I was still only 5ft 2 and 107 lbs when I got my drivers liscense. So I am extremely thankful for the confidence I had gained from learning what my brother taught me. The fact I was willing to fight kept me from being bullied no doubt.