Eskrima Kombat

 

In a road rage incident captured on film above (language warning) a man approaches what I assume is an SUV or van and accuses the teens of trying to run him off the road. He then throws the first punch at the driver. Two teenage males immediately leap out of the vehicle and begin beating him, getting in a flurry of punches to the face and head and a few knees to the face. One of the teens throws him backward and into the side of his truck. The bully’s wife emerges from the truck and hands him a gun which he points at the teens. He follows them home, at which point the youths call the cops.

There is so much that goes wrong here, but I must begin by saying:

If You Have a Gun, You CANNOT Start Fights

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If the bearded guy with anger management issues, who I will refer to as “Tubby,” really thought the teens tried to run him off the road, he should have called the cops. I’ve read some comments that Tubby has a concealed carry permit, but I think it’s just as likely he had a gun in the glovebox. After all, if he did have a concealed carry permit, why wasn’t he carrying his gun?

I wouldn’t go so far as to say that you can’t throw the first punch if you have a gun. If the teen is about to come out of the SUV with a weapon, then you’re justified in striking first. But clearly there’s nothing here warranting him throwing the first punch. Remember, you can’t seek out trouble, start a fight, and then claim you drew your gun in “self-defense.”

What follows is my breakdown of the conflict.

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1) Don’t Start Fights

As it is, Tubby got a black eye as part of his beatdown. He’s lucky that neither of the teens can throw a punch well and that neither had a weapon. Had the two young guys jumped out with knives, bats, or beer bottles, the hothead would have been in serious trouble. Furthermore, if Tubby sees there are two teens in the car, why does he start something? It doesn’t take a genius to see he’s headed toward a 2-on-1.

And there’s at least a third passenger filming the incident. Even if that third person in the vehicle is a 12 year old girl or an old lady, it’s easy for her to stick a knife in your ribs or club your skull with a tire iron while you’re tied up with the two teens. What if the third person comes out of the SUV with a gun?

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2) Don’t Take the Bait

It’s easy to see the conflict as a morality tale: Bully starts fight and gets well-deserved comeuppance. But that is just one possible outcome. What if the guy’s wife leaps out of the truck, bullets blazing? You could just as easily have had a headline reading “2 Teens Shot to Death in Road Rage Incident.” The two teens are fortunate that Tubby has no weapon, no fighting skills, and no tactical plan. While it might not feel as satisfying as delivering roadside justice in the form of a fist to the face, if the bully punches you, close the door, drive off, and call the cops. You’re not obligated to stay at the scene if you’re being assaulted. Because the third person is filming the confrontation, you have video evidence to back up your case.

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3) Where Is your Weapon?

Let us say you must approach a vehicle and can see there are 3 occupants, at least 2 of which are teen males. This is a good time to have a grip on an undercover weapon, such as a pen, a flashlight, or a drink in a glass bottle.

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4) Where Is Your Tactical Plan and Tactical Awareness?

Even if you have a concealed carry permit, it may be a good idea to leave the gun with the wife, assuming she has shooting skills and training. At close range, it’s too easy for for someone to get right on top of you before you can draw a gun, especially drawing from concealment. The plan is that if there is trouble you will dash back to the truck, but if weapons are drawn or you are in serious danger (e.g. lying on the road unconscious as two teens continue to kick you in the head), she is to come out with the gun, issue a warning to back off, and fire if necessary from behind the cover of the truck’s engine block.

The second teen, who I’ll call “Stripes” for his striped pants and shirt, is obviously prepared to emerge from the vehicle, but Tubby doesn’t see it, perhaps because his anger gives him tunnel vision on the driver. After that first punch, Stripes bounds out of the vehicle in an instant.

To exit the vehicle, the driver, who I’ll call “White Cap” for his backwards white hat, must move to his left, to the rear of the vehicle. One option is for Tubby to move to the front of the vehicle, putting the door between him and the driver, and moving away from the second teen. Instead, Tubby moves to the rear of the vehicle, right where Stripes is waiting to bound out.

Anybody emerging from a vehicle is in a weakened position. Most people will exit a vehicle leaning the head forward, which makes a good target. The transition from the vehicle to the ground means that anyone leaving the vehicle is vulnerable to a sweep or takedown and punches aren’t likely to have much force behind them, particularly in view of the cramped doorway restricting movement. Tubby could move back and engage Stripes immediately, dealing with him decisively, and use him as a barrier to the driver as he exits the vehicle. Instead, he bumbles backward, right into position for both teens to engage him.

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My Breakdown of the Fight

After Tubby throws the first punch, the driver pushes him with both hands in the chest. Tubby sweeps the driver’s hands upward, which not only does not prevent the driver from exiting the vehicle, but adds to his momentum, because White Cap is moving up and out of the driver’s seat. What if Tubby had countered the two-handed push by grabbing and pulling, going with White Cap’s movement and yanking him forward?

Stripes is immediately on top of Tubby, grabbing his right arm with both of his in a crude 2-on-1 Russian tie. For a moment, Stripes is between

Counter to 2-on-1

Tubby and White Cap. The move here is to immediately counter the 2-on-1 with a left handed palm blow to the face, driving Stripes back and freeing the right arm. A follow up with the left knee would come in handy at this point.

Somehow during the melee Stripes moves to Tubby’s left, and White Cap is at Tubby’s right. Now both teens are throwing punches non-stop. This is why blocking is a bad idea –Are you realistically planning on blocking a flurry of punches thrown by two opponents at the same time?

Tubby stays in the worst possible place, sandwiched between the 2 teens. Tubby bends forward to protect his head and pushes his arms straight out in a futile attempt to keep the two youths away. This bent over posture means he can’t throw any punches of his own, and leaves him open to several knees to the face thrown by Stripes.

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Where In the Hell Is Your Offense?

As far as I can tell, after that first punch, Tubby never throws another blow! Yes, he does appear to do some sort of rowing, flailing pseudo-backfist, but neither of the two teens is ever threatened with any sort of strike. If I am either of those two guys, I can and will throw punches and knees all day against an opponent who is bent forward at the waist and never even attempts to strike me. As safe as I’d be, I might as well be bombing him from a B-52 at 35,000 feet.

Finally Stripes takes him down by yanking the back of Tubby’s collar and pulling him backward over an extended right leg. This throw is made easier by the fact that White Cap is punching Tubby in the face. Tubby’s head makes solid contact with the side of his truck. Grappling is much more dangerous on the street, where going to the ground can mean hitting the edge of the table, a fender, or a concrete planter.

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