Andy_S wrote:In many a fight in da streetz, your opponent can get up again for a whole range or reasons, so best to decisively finish him if you want escape, or dont want to be pursued.
But what is your finisher? As these matches show again and again (hell you can try it out with a partner) it is VERY difficult to effectively stomp a person on the ground who has working arms and legs.
You could bean him with a bar stool, but if you are empty handed, getting down there and GnPing is an effective way to finish, and your proximity also gives you near-immediate entry to a submission...which is why GnP is so commonly seen in these matches than stomp outs (which are legal, IIRC - you can even hold on to the fence for balancde as you try and kick down - and we saw many stomp attempts in early UFCs). In short, these guys have a full-contact, near-as-dammit NHB fighting laboratory, and over the months and years, they have worked out what does and does not work under these no-nonsense conditions...which, incidentaly, are more realistic conditions than any other competitive combat sport in modern history.
1. Legally in the U.S., if you attack your opponent while he is down, you cannot claim self-defense (well, you can, but you'll fail).
2. Last I heard, giving someone the boot is the number two cause of death from fighting in the U.S. Number one is just hitting your head when you fall. This is why in most states the shod foot used against a downed opponent is considered a lethal force attack. The cage looks scary, but it is not made of concrete.
3. Some expert witnesses also consider gnp a lethal force attack (bouncing your head off the pavement is not good for one's health-- see #1 above)
4. Kicking a downed opponent is illegal in UFC, I believe. It was allowed in Pride, and in UFC back in the day (back when they allowed things like fish-hooks and elbows to the back of the head and neck and other fun things).
5. Going to the ground-- as much when you're winning as when you're losing-- is an invitation for receiving the aforementioned boot (see #2 above). Lots of people like to take free shots, even when they don't have a proverbial dog in the fight. If you're somewhere where you're likely to get in a fight in the first place, you most likely will find a higher than average concentration of cheap-shot artists as well.
MMA is awesome and teaches a ton of great skills, is fun to watch, and if I had the time and money available I'd be on my way to an MMA gym ASAP, but I believe it's not the same as self defense.
In closing, I know a guy who is well over 300 lbs and not fat, competes in strong-man events, and works as a bouncer in biker bars. He has at various times had a testicle ruptured and been lit on fire while fighting (just as a sample of the kind of fighting he does). I think being lit on fire got his attention, but having the testicle ruptured didn't stop him. It is for this reason and others that I do not believe in anything as a fight stopper-- it's gotta be everything you think is important, all the time.