The Rules of Fight Club

This is not about the movie Fight Club which I actually don't remember much about except for the first rule of Fight Club -- This is no fight club!

The internet and social media has brought out a lot of viral videos about street fighting and road rage. It does seem that with all the exposure on both traditional and social media the streets aren't as safe as they are used to and you have to be able to protect yourself. But in general perception isn't the reality and it's actually much safer than you think.  Having said that though, I believe it's best to be prepared in case you are placed in a potential situation where you need to act decisively because of some sort of threat.

Here are my rules for Fight Club:
1. There is no fight club. Do not place yourself or create a situation where you need to fight someone. Try to avoid it at all cost.

2. There is no fight club. I'm not being redundant if you can't avoid the situation walk away. Sometimes after walking away your adrenaline tells your brain you made the wrong decision and you could take that person down. Just walk away.

3. There is no fight club. Ok, I'm probably being redundant but if the fight doesn't walk away run away from it. Sometimes there's no stopping the other person so just run away.

Side note, if you must, hit back hit hard and run away. Point is run away.

These first three rules are probably no brainers. There will be more regret in fighting than avoiding. One of you will get hurt and the possibility of getting hurt really bad is not out of the question. 

4. Take self defense classes. Take enough of these classes, whether it's KavMaga of Kali, our local Filipino martial arts to give you the confidence. I take Kali and in my opinion it's very easy to learn and very practical.

While there's Karate or Taekwondo these are more commercialized and sport type disciplines unlike Kali and KravMaga which as I was told as more of a fighting system. The teaching style is also quite different especially for Kali where you apply it almost immediately with a partner to get used to the movement.

5. Always be aware of threats. Sometimes just being aware and cognizant of your surroundings are deterrents. Predators are always looking for the most vulnerable. Simply by taking Kali on a regular basis made me be a little more conscious of my surroundings.

The next rule is if you only absolutely must. 

6. Always have a weapon. This is where the influence of Kali comes in. In Kali you're trained with stick (arnis) and knives but everything easily applies when the weapons are taken out. In fact, in Kali everything can be used as a weapon such as your mobile phone or a pen. To me the logic is simple, when you go and fight get all the advantage you can get. This is not a sport. In some cases it's life or death.

I do not condone using a gun as a weapon but use things that are already on hand like a pen or an umbrella. Always refer back to the first rule of fight club and use the weapon to deter or walk away from a fight. Mace or pepper spray is also a good defensive weapon to have to help you step away from a fight.

The probability of encountering these types if situations is probably pretty small but when it does happen it's good to be prepared. This is similar to the airline safety procedures we have to listen to before flying out. It may be unlikely to happen but it's best to be prepared.