Was just thinking about the fights I’ve been in today.

I’m not a big guy. I don’t have the luxury of waiting for someone to beat on me before I lay into them. Especially if there is two of them. Then I stand no real chance if I don’t act first.

One opponent, I might give them a free punch. Unless I can’t see them, I’m usually able to duck it or dodge it as my one true (and sometimes, only) advantage is speed.

There’s been two times in my life where I’ve fought against more than one opponent. One time I got beat up fairly badly, but I still guess I technically won. Though my face didn’t feel like I’d won. Luckily, I don’t bruise easily so what on most people would have been an enormous black eye was barely noticeable.

The other time was pretty successful. The only real strategy I can use against two opponents given my size is to hurt the first guy so badly quickly that he won’t get up again for a while. In the case I am talking about, it was a really hard throat punch combined with stepping on the guy’s foot and pushing him backwards as hard as I could. He fell and didn’t get up again for thirty seconds or so, enough time for me to deal with his friend.

The advantage of this is that it intimidates the second guy, too.

The disadvantage is that to the police, you will appear to be the aggressor even if it’s clear these guys were going to tear your head off.

In the last fight, the one with the throat punch, the second guy rushed me and tried to get me on the ground, but I kneed him in the stomach a few times, did a short elbow to the side of his face and also put a finger in his eye shortly thereafter – all really dirty techniques, but as I said I am not big and every opponent I’ve ever fought has outweighed me by at least 40 pounds, and some by as much as 80. Not odds in my favor.

The fight ended when it got broken up, but it was pretty much over by then, anyway. He didn’t want any more of that.