How to Fight

X

wikiHow is a “wiki” site, which means that many of the articles here are written by multiple authors. To create this article, 226 people, some of whom are anonymous, have edited and improved the article over time.

This article has been viewed 28,342 times.

Fighting is a confrontation between two or more people for dominance or respect. Avoiding fights is usually the best option, but if you have to fight, you need to know how to simultaneously defend yourself and attack your opponent. Whether fighting on the road or in a controlled space, you can save your life if you know the right posture and how to target the opponent’s weak points. If you want to know how to fight then follow these steps.

Table of Contents

Strike in an active position

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/5/56/Fight-Step-1-Version-9.jpg/v4-728px-Fight-Step-1-Version-9. jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/5/56/Fight-Step-1-Version-9.jpg/v4-728px-Fight-Step-1-Version- 9.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div> “}

Prepare to fight. If you want to fight, you have to get into a ready-to-fight position. You just need to extend your legs at shoulder height and bend your knees slightly so that you are not in a fully upright position. You need to keep your balance so you don’t fall to the ground. Relax and bounce slightly with small steps as you adjust your position, and bring your hands up to cover your face.

Bite two teeth will limit the risk of jaw fracture when you are punched.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/7/77/Fight-Step-2-Version-9.jpg/v4-728px-Fight-Step-2-Version-9. jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/7/77/Fight-Step-2-Version-9.jpg/v4-728px-Fight-Step-2-Version- 9.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div> “}

Punch your opponent. The first thing you have to do is know how to hold hands. The correct way to make a fist is to fold four fingers into the palm of your hand and place your thumb on the outside of those fingers – not inward if you don’t want to break your thumb. Punch them in the nose or stomach to cause serious injury. A simple straight punch is best suited for amateur boxers. Here’s how to do it:

Keeping elbows in front of you, bend at a 30-45 degree angle, and keep your hands at eye level at all times.
Toss the fist forward along with the elbows and shoulders by straightening the arms.
Push your body weight over your shoulders into your arms so that when your arms are fully extended, the punch is most powerful.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/3/34/Fight-Step-3-Version-8.jpg/v4-728px-Fight-Step-3-Version-8. jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/3/34/Fight-Step-3-Version-8.jpg/v4-728px-Fight-Step-3-Version- 8.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div> “}

Attack first. After standing firm, you should not hesitate. The person who throws the first punch will be more likely to knock the opponent down, and so you will prevail in the fight. Don’t spend too much time running around your opponent or trying to find the perfect position. You should punch him as soon as you aim correctly.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/2/2f/Fight-Step-4-Version-4.jpg/v4-728px-Fight-Step-4-Version-4. jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/2/2f/Fight-Step-4-Version-4.jpg/v4-728px-Fight-Step-4-Version- 4.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div> “}

Take advantage of your strengths in the match. From the very beginning you have to be aware of how your opponent will fight. Determine how to play based on your strengths and their weaknesses:

If you are taller, try to keep your distance from your opponent. Longer limbs allow you to attack at a distance where your opponent can’t reach.
If you’re shorter, hurry up and get close. They will try to keep their distance from you to take advantage of the height.
If you are faster then fast forward, fast attack and fast backward. Hit in waves at a fast speed.
If you are slower, you should use a simple approach. Let your opponent approach you instead of actively running after.
Know your strengths and use them at the right time. A calculated hit is much more effective than dozens of random shots.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/0/00/Fight-Step-5-Version-5.jpg/v4-728px-Fight-Step-5-Version-5. jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/0/00/Fight-Step-5-Version-5.jpg/v4-728px-Fight-Step-5-Version- 5.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div> “}

Attack pushes the opponent away if he hugs you from behind. This is a situation where you have to get out as quickly as possible, before they knock you down and prevail. There are several moves for you to disable him and turn your body in the right direction:

Stamp their feet hard. Stamp your heel as hard as you can on the instep of their foot and wait for him to scream in pain.
Tilt your head back. Tilt your head back to hit your opponent’s nose. He will let go of you after you hurt him.
Squeeze his fingers. Instead of holding his wrist, you should squeeze all of his fingers until they surrender.

Save energy. Concentrate on the shots and don’t throw too many hits to avoid fatigue when the fight is not over. Some guys will try to get you to “dance” so they can attack when you’re tired. Mentally prepare to practice ‘Aikido’. Throwing a few punches and at the same time knowing how to defend will make the opponent tired and demoralized.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/e/e8/Fight-Step-7-Version-5.jpg/v4-728px-Fight-Step-7-Version-5. jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/e/e8/Fight-Step-7-Version-5.jpg/v4-728px-Fight-Step-7-Version- 5.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div> “}

Never take your eyes off your opponent. Sometimes they do nothing if you look the other way, but with experienced fighters they will take advantage of that situation to take you down.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/7/72/Fight-Step-8-Version-5.jpg/v4-728px-Fight-Step-8-Version-5. jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/7/72/Fight-Step-8-Version-5.jpg/v4-728px-Fight-Step-8-Version- 5.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div> “}

Fake attack. You are vulnerable to attack. For example, if you punch, that arm is no longer used for defense, and your opponent can block the punch and target your weak spot with the other hand. If you fake an attack, your opponent will counterattack and thus reveal a weakness. It is important that you make them believe that you will strike, and predict how they will respond.

You can both fake attack and real attack so that they can’t guess when you’re going to do a real attack.

Fighting in self-defense

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/e/e7/Fight-Step-9-Version-5.jpg/v4-728px-Fight-Step-9-Version-5. jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/e/e7/Fight-Step-9-Version-5.jpg/v4-728px-Fight-Step-9-Version- 5.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div> “}

Get punched in the head. Of course you don’t want to get punched, but when you get into a fight, you’ll get punched at some point, so it’s best to avoid it. To receive a punch to the head you must move towards the punch, keep your neck stiff and bite your teeth to minimize impact. Bring your forehead to the punch so that your opponent’s hands hurt instead of hurting your nose, cheeks, or jawbone. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Leaning into the punch instead of away from it will reduce the force of the impact, as the opponent doesn’t have much time to gain momentum.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/d/d5/Fight-Step-10-Version-5.jpg/v4-728px-Fight-Step-10-Version-5. jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/d/d5/Fight-Step-10-Version-5.jpg/v4-728px-Fight-Step-10-Version- 5.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div> “}

Get punched in the stomach. If they punch you in the stomach, you have to tighten your abs but not pull in. If possible, you should move to receive the punch to the side instead of the center of the abdomen to avoid internal damage and cause you to collapse with pain. ^{[2] X Research Source}

Avoid holding your breath, or you will literally get punched out of breath. Instead, you should exhale slightly before being punched, so your belly will naturally tighten.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/4/48/Fight-Step-11-Version-5.jpg/v4-728px-Fight-Step-11-Version-5. jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/4/48/Fight-Step-11-Version-5.jpg/v4-728px-Fight-Step-11-Version- 5.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div> “}

Avoid letting your opponent grab you. If they want to grab you, they’ll lower themselves to the ground and wrap their arms around your waist or hips before attempting to wrestle you down. Don’t try to grab his head even if you’re inclined to do so. Instead you have to move your hand to grab their hips or upper body, trying to push them away. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

You should then step back far enough for your balance and be able to kick them in the groin or stomp their feet.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/7/79/Fight-Step-12-Version-5.jpg/v4-728px-Fight-Step-12-Version-5. jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/7/79/Fight-Step-12-Version-5.jpg/v4-728px-Fight-Step-12-Version- 5.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div> “}

Avoid letting your opponent choke your neck. If the other person is behind you and is holding you by the neck, don’t try to bend your knees to throw him over your back. This move actually makes his grip stronger and can hurt you, especially if you’re not strong enough to hold their weight. You should rotate the neck clamp by grabbing your opponent’s arm around your neck, leaning to one side to create some space between you two until he slides to the side of your back.

Your opponent can even fall if you lean to the side enough. Once you have the initiative, you can keep him on his back on the ground.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/1/14/Fight-Step-13-Version-5.jpg/v4-728px-Fight-Step-13-Version-5. jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/1/14/Fight-Step-13-Version-5.jpg/v4-728px-Fight-Step-13-Version- 5.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div> “}

Know what to do when knocked to the ground. When your opponent knocks you to the ground, you should not turn away and get up. Take your eyes off him and you’ll be hit again for sure. Instead you have to keep looking at your opponent and raise your leg, trying to kick his shin, knee or groin hard. If they are crouching, aim for their face. After damaging the enemy you can bounce up. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

After kicking and hurting your opponent, causing him to fall back, you roll to the side and use your hands to lift your body up, returning to a steady standing position.
Continue to look at your partner even when you are standing up. You might assume he’s in pain, but they can still move quickly while you’re on your feet.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/a/a2/Fight-Step-14-Version-5.jpg/v4-728px-Fight-Step-14-Version-5. jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/a/a2/Fight-Step-14-Version-5.jpg/v4-728px-Fight-Step-14-Version- 5.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div> “}

Don’t let him pin you to the ground. If you are lying on the ground with your opponent, by all means do not let them climb on you. Turn over on one side or lie on your stomach – your chances of getting out are higher than if you were held on your back on the ground. Once you get into this position, you can crawl away quickly.

If you lie on your back, he will easily pin you down and punch you in the face. At all costs you must avoid falling into this position.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/a/a1/Fight-Step-15-Version-5.jpg/v4-728px-Fight-Step-15-Version-5. jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/a/a1/Fight-Step-15-Version-5.jpg/v4-728px-Fight-Step-15-Version- 5.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div> “}

Scream. If you want to get out of the fight as quickly as possible then just shout loudly during the fight. That way it’s more likely that someone else will come and scare your opponent, so you’re safe. Even if you are in a very deserted place, shout out loud in the hope that someone will come to your aid. Yelling also frightens your opponent because he doesn’t expect you to scream in the middle of a fight.

Even if no one comes to help, screaming can cause them to lose their way and panic at the thought that someone will come.

Beating without rules

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/e/e6/Fight-Step-16-Version-4.jpg/v4-728px-Fight-Step-16-Version-4. jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/e/e6/Fight-Step-16-Version-4.jpg/v4-728px-Fight-Step-16-Version- 4.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div> “}

Attack the opponent’s face. The face is also a very vulnerable position to attack. Hitting the eyes, nose and other places on the face is a great way to cause pain and greatly reduce the attack speed of the opponent. Here are some methods: ^{[5] X Research Sources}

Hit your opponent’s face with your head. Use your forehead to hit their nose, if you do it right they can break their nose.
Use your finger to poke your eye. This causes intense pain, blinding and stunning your opponent for long enough for you to escape or inflict more damage on them.
Punch in the nose. This is a position where you can cause serious injury.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/6/6f/Fight-Step-17-Version-4.jpg/v4-728px-Fight-Step-17-Version-4. jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/6/6f/Fight-Step-17-Version-4.jpg/v4-728px-Fight-Step-17-Version- 4.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div> “}

Aim at the neck and throat. Hitting his opponent in the neck and face is guaranteed to stop him, at least for a short time. If you really want to hurt, try these rough moves: ^{[6] X Research Source}

Punch your opponent in the back of the head to temporarily knock him out.
Punch in the middle of the throat to damage the airway.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/a/ac/Fight-Step-18-Version-3.jpg/v4-728px-Fight-Step-18-Version-3. jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/a/ac/Fight-Step-18-Version-3.jpg/v4-728px-Fight-Step-18-Version- 3.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div> “}

Kick in the enemy’s dangerous place. If the battle has no rules, your only goal is to win. If you want to win, you don’t need to follow the Law of Combat 101 – just hurt your opponent, break a limb or fall to the ground, giving you time to leave. Here are some ways to fight: ^{[7] X Research Source}

Getting on the pillow will make sure to stop him when he’s charging.
Low kick to the groin, knee, or stomach. You use the instep of your foot to kick, as long as you strike quickly and keep your balance – you can easily be out of the game during the kick.

Advice

Avoid looking at your opponent’s feet or hands. To guess when they’re kicking or punching, you have to look at their knees and shoulders. If they look at your feet, you wobble and punch them in the head.
Try to see how they hit before attacking back. You’ll have a tactical advantage, even if it’s not always possible.
Cheat is a very useful technique but difficult to apply against experienced opponents.
Punch your opponent but make sure you do it properly to avoid injury.
Try to aim at your opponent’s back when they turn away. They will be significantly hurt.
Always strike first: this will benefit you greatly. Aim directly at the jawline or punch slightly to the side. Such a punch can stun them or knock them down if you do it right.
Learning martial arts is a good idea for you to have more skills.
When the opponent tries to approach you, he will keep his head low to defend, so you should punch him in the head to knock him down.
Do not lower the defensive arm. If you don’t put your hands on defense, they can punch you, stun or knock you down.
Looking at your opponent’s eyes, you will guess what they are going to do.
Aim at the chest. A punch to the chest will make them lose their breath.

Warning

Do not hesitate, or in other words to act as soon as the opportunity comes. Otherwise you will be attacked and no longer have the element of surprise.
If the fight is irregular, you can use the surrounding furniture to prevail. Sticks, bricks, sand/earth all work. Be careful not to break anything that isn’t yours or expensive, unless you’re defending yourself.
Hit only when necessary or within enough range for you to escape. Throwing too many kicks and punches will exhaust you and waste energy. You may accidentally hurt others and be dealt with by the police.
Remember that your opponent can carry a knife or a gun and will do serious damage to you.
Fighting back isn’t always necessary and can put you at a disadvantage if your opponent returns with a weapon.
Never attack first in school, because usually you will get in trouble.

Steps

Strike in an active position

Fighting in self-defense

Beating without rules

Advice

Warning

Related Posts