laceration on an opponent
• Small-joint manipulation
• Striking to the spine
• Striking the back of the head
• Striking downward with the point of your elbow
• Clawing, pinching, or twisting the opponent’s flesh
• Grabbing the clavicle
• Kicking the head of a grounded opponent
• Kneeing the head of a grounded opponent
• Stomping a grounded opponent
• Kicking the other guy’s kidney with your heel
• Spiking an opponent to the canvas so that he lands on his head or neck
• Throwing an opponent out of the ring
• Holding the shorts or gloves of an opponent
• Spitting at an opponent
• Engaging in an “unsportsmanlike” conduct that causes an injury to an opponent
• Holding the ropes or the fence
• Using abusive language in the ring or fenced area
• Attacking an opponent during a break period
• Attacking an opponent who is under the care of the referee
• Attacking an opponent after the bell has sounded the end of a period
• Disregarding the referee’s instructions
• Interference by someone in the competitor’s corner
Recognize anything that might be useful in a street fight on that list? If you’re assaulted by a larger, stronger adversary, then eye gouges, throat strikes, and the like may be exactly the right techniques to use in order to save your life. But they are too dangerous for the ring. These rules are designed not only to prevent serious injuries but also to give competitors a sporting chance to succeed. In order to keep things moving (and more interesting for the audience), the UFC takes points away from a competitor for “timidity,” including avoiding contact with an opponent, intentionally or consistently dropping the mouthpiece, or faking an injury. Unlike the bar fight during the Seahawks game, they also require that competitors challenge each other one at a time.
Then there is protective gear. UFC competitors are required to use padded gloves, mouth-guards, and groin protection. In some sports, chest-guards, headgear, and other equipment is required as well.
Sporting competitions have weight classes too. Under UFC rules, competitors are grouped into lightweight (over 145 pounds to 155 pounds), welterweight (over 155 to 170 pounds), middleweight (over 170 to 185 pounds), light heavyweight (over 185 to 205 pounds), and heavyweight (over 205 to 265 pounds) divisions. Because bad guys rarely pick fights they don’t expect to win, you are likely to be attacked by someone much larger or stronger on the street than you would be in the ring.
On the street, fights rarely last more than a few seconds, but when they do, there is no stopping until it’s done, someone intercedes, or the authorities arrive to break things up. This is very different from sporting competitions where there are set time periods. UFC non-championship bouts run three, five-minute rounds, for example, whereas championship matches last five rounds. There is a one-minute rest period between rounds. If combatants take a break during a street fight, there’s something very strange going on.
In the ring, you can win by submission (tap or verbal), knockout, technical knockout, decision, disqualification, or forfeiture. On the street, you “win” by surviving. That is quite a difference. Don’t confuse sports with combat or misconstrue entertainment with reality. Fighting is ugly. It has few, if any, rules beyond the laws of physics and many serious repercussions. Sport is entertainment.
“You want to take it out on the ice kid? We can go right now. I’ll fuck you up!” This was a 40-something- year-old guy snarling at a couple of 13-year-olds at a hockey game. The Thunderbirds had just scored a goal and the kids were celebrating along with the rest of the home crowd. This guy, a Winterhawks fan, looked like he was about to take a swing at them.
“What’s going on,” I asked.
“You’ve got to control your fucking kids. He does that again I’m gonna fucking take him out!”
“What, you’re threatening a little kid. Really?” That was aimed more at his wife than him. She pretended not to notice. Others seated nearby got the message though.
“Damn right I am!”
“What did he do to piss you off man?”
“He was screaming, clapping in my fucking face.”
“Did he touch you?”
“Huh?”
“Did he touch you?” I de-cloaked a little: weight shift, deadeye stare, slight edge to my voice.
“No.” He quickly turned away, pretending to be engrossed in the game.
Sure, the “oh shit I killed him” thing can occur, so all violence needs to be taken seriously, but the intent in a social violence situation is to affect your environment. In other words, you want to establish dominance, to “educate” somebody, or to get him out of your territory. Sometimes that goal can be accomplished verbally, or whereas other times physical actions are necessary. Either way, social violence usually comes with instructions on how to avoid it. For example, if the other guy says, “get the fuck out of my face,” he has told you exactly what will prevent escalation to violence…
One key to social violence is the presence of witnesses, people who the adversary is playing to. He may be trying to establish status, deliver an educational beat-down, or even gang together with his friends to stake out territory. In most cases, however, there is an audience of his same social class to observe his actions. If he is going to win, he will want someone around to see it. Conversely, if he is at risk to lose, the presence of others may give him a way out that won’t adversely impact his reputation.
Social violence can be roughly broken into the following categories:
• The Monkey Dance
• The Group Monkey Dance
• The Educational Beat-Down
• The Status-Seeking Show
• The Territorial Defense
