In my video, How to Take A Punch, I talked about how calling “time out” every time you get hurt during training can build a bad habit that might get you killed in a real fight.
Well, there’s a flip side to that. You might be building the same bad habit even when you’re winning!
In this video, I talk about fixing one of the biggest mistakes you can make on the mats, so you never make it on the street! If the video won’t play, there’s a summary below. Stay safe!
One of the worst habits you’ll find in martial arts training is stopping when you’re winning.
You see this happen in sparring and Karate tournaments all the time…
A guy scores with a big reverse punch–KIAI!–then turns around, walks off, and fixes his belt like it was no big deal.
Hey, Hot Shot! The fight isn’t over!
As a matter of fact, it just got started. If you hit me with a lunge punch in the street, unless you stick a knife in my heart—no, even if you stick a knife in my heart!—I still have a couple of seconds where the only thought in my dying brain will be, “I’m going to kill that guy.”
I’m not trying to sound tough. You would say the same thing, right?
That’s why, whether you’re practicing martial arts for fun, fitness, sport, or self-defense, you should never turn your back or let your guard down! And that includes when you’re winning!
You may get away with letting your guard down in a tournament, but do that in real life, instead of getting a shiny trophy for your shelf, you may get a shiny knife in your back.
Now, don’t think I’m just making fun of Karate here… you see the same bad habit all over the martial arts world.
Back when I took Aikido, there was a guy who finished every move by looking off into the distance. Takedown… pin… pose for a picture. Crazy!
I’m sure you don’t do that. But let me ask you this—the last time you scored a point or got someone to tap, what did you do right after?
Did you relax your grip, turn away, or fix your belt? Of course you did! Everybody does! I do, too!
But we shouldn’t!
Imagine if you did that in a real fight. You take down a bad guy and break his arm. Your friends cheer and high-five. But now what, hero?
Best case scenario—the bad guy cries, apologizes, and hands you $200 in cash so you can take your girlfriend out for a nice steak dinner. Cool!
But it’s also possible that the guy freaks out. Maybe he bites your leg and starts thrashing like a shark.
Or maybe he pulls a knife out of his sock and stabs you.
Or maybe his girlfriend drives a high heel into your temple. Not cool!
Keep it real, my friend. There are a million and one ways that your fantasy fight can suddenly turn into a horror show. That’s why you should train yourself to exit every fight safely.
Finish the Fight
Consider someone like Renzo Gracie.
Mr. Gracie is a tough guy. (That’s why I refer to him as “Mr. Gracie”.) Well, Mr. Gracie has proven that he’d rather let you break his arm than tap out.
Think about that!
That kind of warrior spirit, that never-say-die attitude, proves that arm bars, kimuras, and all those ugly moves you practice are NOT the be-all, end-all answers for self-defense. I mean, if the guy who teaches arm bars admits that arm bars won’t stop him from trying to kill you, well, you better learn a few more moves.
And the first move you should learn? Keep your guard up even when you think you’re winning. Here’s why…
The fight ain’t over till it’s over.
Okay, so how will you know when the fight is over? How about when you’re back at home, sitting on the couch, eating a bowl of ice cream.
WRONG! The bad guy still might find out where you live, drive by, and shoot up your place. That’s why smart people don’t want to fight. Ever.
The sad truth is that a fight isn’t over when you say it’s over… it’s over when the bad guy says it’s over!
So, here’s my tip…
Train yourself to manage the end of a fight as carefully as you manage the beginning and middle of a fight.
I don’t care if you’re sparring, rolling, or just hitting a bag, you should always imagine that you’re in a real-life self-defense situation. If you score a point or get a tap, good for you! But that doesn’t mean the fight is over.
Don’t relax. Don’t pose. Don’t celebrate. Stay on guard!
And do your training partners a favor. If they turn their back or let their guard down too soon, give them a tap on the shoulder and say, “Careful.”
You could also kick them in the back of the head, that’s up to you! Just make that you and everyone you care about keep training to finish the fight and get away safely.
If you don’t, the next fight you win, might be the last fight you lose.
Seems like common sense, but as my grandfather used to say, “The masses are asses.”
Ha! Your grandfather was a wise man! 🙂
Ossu! I hadn’t thought about this bad habit applying to a fight for my life – thanks for pointing this out! It didn’t take me long to figure out in tournaments, sometimes the judges don’t see things or, more likely, what I just did wasn’t good enough to merit a point or three. So I don’t stop until I’m told to. It’s good to know this will carry over to fights in real life!
OSU, Jo!
Yep. Staying on guard is a good habit in every area, sport or not. You can always do less in a fight, but we should always train to do more. Thanks for commenting! 🙂
Excellent point, and one that is often overlooked.
Every time we do pad kicking practice and a student walks away after landing a decent kick, my master reminds us that turning your back to the opponent after executing a technique is a dangerous habit that will die hard. He would make us take a proper stance and face the opponent again before the drill is considered complete.
Hi Raman! Sounds like your master is very wise! Thanks for commenting!
The best way in fact the only way to prepare yourself to fight off an attacker is to take a self-defense class. We’d love to give you all the right moves in an article, but some things you just have to learn in person.
Knowledge and practice should go together for sure!