Fist Fights VS Floods

The Weekend forecast for Nashville, TN…

(about 3hrs from our headquarters here in Maryville.)

…Called for two to four inches of rain.

By Saturday Afternoon May 1 2010 some of the city had seen more than six inches of rain.

By Saturday night the Cumberland had risen 15 feet, to 35 feet, and the Army Corps of Engineers were predicting it would crest at 42.

But the rain didn’t stop Sunday.

The river didn’t crest until Monday at 52 feet.

Nashville saw more than 13 inches of rain that weekend.

Twice the previous record (6.6 set in ‘79.) And over 3 times the original forecast.

So what does this have to do with a fist fight?

We’ll they have one thing in common and one very important difference.

First, the forecast. (what they have in common)

It was too low. If it had been higher folks could have been better prepared and a lot of damage and suffering could have been avoided.

But if it had been too high, say the forecast was 13 inches and only 2 inches fell, then you’d get the ‘cry wolf effect’ and people wouldn’t prepare next time there was extreme weather on the way.

In a fist fight, there is also a forecast.

•  Is this a friendly boxing match with medium power?
•  Are we going to end up wrestling around in the mud and gravel?
•  Is this a knockdown drag out pound on each other ‘till we’re both exhausted kind of thing?
•  Or is someone going to pull a knife and start cutting off pieces?

And you’d better be right.

The first time your forecast is too low, you’ll end up cut to pieces before you even realize they drew a knife.

If your forecast is too high you’ll end up in jail.

The problem with weather is that we’re stuck with it. (at least in the short term) We just have to learn as much about it as we can and get better and better at predicting it.

Fist fights are easy though:

Just don’t engage.

For a fist fight to occur you need at least two people who are willing to fight.

If you refuse to be drawn into a fight, that leaves only 2 options:

1. Nothing happens. 

This is great! Everybody lives, No injuries, no legal consequences or paperwork.

Or 2. The other guy attacks you.

This is not ideal.

But, there are no decisions to make. You don’t have to worry about which techniques are justified and which are not.

Your life is in immediate danger. Simply do whatever it takes to stay alive.

Of course you try to make sure option #1 is the only one available.

Unfortunately you don’t always get to pick. The other guy does.

What you CAN (and should) do is this:

1. Make sure these are the only two options (no fist fights.)
2. Make the attacker choose long before he gets close to you.
3. Make the attacker announce his (or her) choice both to you and to anyone nearby.

It’s not as difficult as it sounds.

Of course you need to practice, but it can be learned in a day or two.

The tools you need are:

•  Positioning skills. (where and how you position your body)
•  A little bit of timing and a little bit of movement. (nothing refined or fancy though)
•  Communication skills. (verbal and nonverbal)

Those 3 things allow you to take charge of a situation and keep you safe.

(legally, morally and physically.)

You can learn how to use them on our Street Tactics DVD.

http://www.clearsilat.com/silat-dvd/clears-silat-phase-1/street-tactics