The Dangers of Hollywood Fighting

We all want to be able to defeat the "bad guys" while looking cool enough in order to get the girl. And what is cooler than throwing complicated high kicks and outlandish combinations? This scenario is the basis of every modern action movie. I, like almost anyone, am entertained and slightly awed when I see a movie star defeat an opponent with the use of grandiose moves. However, entertainment is the only manner in which these moves should be used. The use of these entertaining techniques in a true fight could very well have devastating effects for the executor.

When I began training in 1994 under the instruction of my father's cousin, I started hearing stories about the countless altercations in which he had fought, all of which he had won. One story that has stuck in my mind throughout the years involves a match in the late 1960s between my cousin and a popular actor of the time. The match was advertised and televised, and it was indeed a good show. The actor began by throwing a high roundhouse kick to the head, which my cousin avoided. This was followed by a second high roundhouse kick, which was also avoided. My cousin ducked beneath the third consecutive roundhouse kick, grabbed the opponent's leg as it was circling above him, and delivered a vertical punch to the actor's groin. He then proceeded to throw the disillusioned actor into a wall, which he slid down as his eyes rolled around in his head. The actor learned an important lesson that day: Hollywood fighting (that is, a thrice-thrown high roundhouse kick) is onl! y effective in Hollywood.

In a true altercation, simplicity is the most effective and safest plan of attack. First, you want to end a fight as soon as possible, with the least amount of varied strikes as possible. Second, you want to maximize your power and accuracy with each blow. Third, you want to be the victor of the fight. Let us look more closely at each of these truisms.

The longer a fight lasts, the more opportunity the opponent will have to rebound and ultimately win the fight. This point is wrongly negated in many movies. A movie star's fight scene can last up to five minutes or more, exchanging blows with the opponent(s). Those readers who have been in serious altercations should know that a few seconds can make all the difference in the world, let alone five minutes! Never should a true fight last anywhere near that long; you will be tired out and you have a very good chance of being beaten in that long period of time. Additionally, the more punches and kicks you throw, the more chances your opponent has to grab your arm or leg and counterattack, causing some serious damage. Therefore, you should keep the time and the number of blows to a minimum. Still, you want to be sure to throw some variation into your attack. As is expressed in the story above, a person can very quickly adapt to a repetitive blow, especially if the init! ial blow is ineffective. In the example, the opponent threw three identical outlandish kicks, and he was then defeated by the use of a simple, effective, well-targeted punch. This example should speak for itself.

In order to minimize your number of blows and decrease the time in which it takes you to execute a winning combination of strikes, you must make every strike count; each blow must execute its full potential for pain and effectiveness. In order to do this, you must maximize the accuracy and power of each blow. For example, in many movies the star will take repeated hits to the face and head without even flinching and will then incapacitate the opponent with a single kick to the stomach. If it were only that easy! This is simply ridiculous. Not only is the star receiving blows that would be devastating in a real fight, but what is even more unbelievable is that he is defeating an opponent with a single blow that is of much less intensity than any of the ones by which he himself was hit.

When in a true fight, you should remember that the most effective parts of the body to strike run right down the center of the body: the nose, chin, throat, solar plexus, and groin. Forget about the stomach; it is nowhere near as devastating a spot to attack as the solar plexus or groin. A front kick to the groin will severely, yet temporarily, incapacitate an opponent; a punch to the solar plexus, though difficult to deliver with complete accuracy, will send the opponent's nervous system into temporary shock; a punch to the throat or chin has the potential to knock the opponent unconscious or at least cause him or her severe pain; a palm strike to the nose is extremely dangerous and should only to be used in the most severe of cases, as it can shove the nose into the brain and cause death. Never mind concentrating on kicking the opponent's upper arms or stomach (as I recently saw in an action movie), but focus your attention on the spots mentioned above. A truly accu! rate and moderately powerful blow to any of these spots will render an opponent temporarily useless and you can then finish him or her off.

Obviously, when you are in a fight, the objective is to win. By following the "rules" outlined in this article, you can maximize your chances of being the victor. After all, it is better to win by using basic, subtle techniques than to end up unconscious on the pavement because you tried to emulate a movie star.

John A. Musacchio began formal martial arts training in 1994 at the Central New York Karate Academy, focusing on Goju-Ryu karate. He has since attended seminars based on throwing techniques featuring Shihon John Roseberry, as well as a seminar featuring Shihon Frank Van Lenten, who has been credited with being the founder of Goshin-do karate. His training has centered around fast, effective, traditional techniques, as is decipherable from his article. He can be contacted with questions and comments at jmusacc1@binghamton.edu.

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