Who's got real experiences in street fights

[ZAGA-BONGO]

I see too many discussions about "what is better than what", too many assumptions and too many arguments, most of the time just for the sake of arguing!
I invite those who practice anything to tell about their real experiences in street fights defending themselves and how useful what they practice have been!
And please, just tell your experiences, avoid comparing how better is what you practice to others. We are just tired of "this is better than that"
Thank you guys for your contributions Z-B

[Nick]

...

Haven't actually had a street ifght before (I practice avoiding fights more than I do any other self defense) but I know people who have and the fact is, anything could work under certain circumstances: a guy tried to stab a friend of mine in the gut, but he caught in his palms like some kind of samurai movie and knocked the assailant down. Quite lucky on his part.

But obviously, the fancier the move, the less chance it has of working.

Later...

[CKD]

i have had some streetfights. I found BJJ really helped me a lot even if for a while I was learning through books. Other arts also helped. Ussually fights empty handed would begin with a few punches, clinch and then the ground. If a dude was bigger than me then I sought to take him to the ground and mount him, punch, rear mount, and choke.

[Boxiados]

As a kid I have had many street fights, I was very good in grappeling, sometimes I kicked ass sometimes I got mine kicked, which pushed me to practice Martial Arts, I started with my Father who was practicing Karate then. My first fight as a Martial Artist was when I was 13/14 years old, I've taken a lot of punches but responded as well, it turned to my advantage even though I have spent days with a black eye and a very sore jaw.
I had friends who used to practice Kung Fu so we used to train together and exchange tips and techniques.
Then I fell in love with boxing when I have seen Marvin Hagler fighting and started boxing leaving Karate practice, from there I moved to kickboxing, Savate and Muay Thai in the years to follow, and I did a bit of wing tsun with a friend. Then came some Kali Filippino/Arnis De Mano and Pancrase.
The only four times I had to fight was just to defend myself, in one, after I've been hit to my arm by a guy who I think was high on something or drunk, I just countered with the best low kick I could ever, next fraction of a second the guy was horizontal, he just got up and took 5 meters distance from me and kept shouting he was gonna beat the shit out of me, I jumped in my car and I left.
Don't want to be too long, Iwill tell about my other stories later. By the way I have been a Kickboxing and MT instructor for 4 years(1994/19998) in Milan Italy!
So Zaga-Bongo, what are your experiences in street fights?

[Boxiados]

What Martial arts did you study Zaga-Bongo?

[MTHayden]

I have been in a few fight's and to be honest it has never lasted long enough for any BJJ to have been helpful(not that I train BJJ or have anything against it, I train MT only right now).

Unless you are alone in a street with just the two of you, chance's are after the first couple blow's 5 things happen: 1) He get's KO 2) You get KO 3) Someone breaks it up 4) His friends jump(in which case no amount of BJJ, JKD or anything will help) or 5) Your friends jump

So in my experiance's MT has helped abit and i would imagine any style which has alot of focus on punching would help in a street fight. The problem with a streetfight is anyone can knock anyone else out with a lucky punch.

Now I'm not saying streetfights don't go to the ground cause i know they do but by the time your on the ground one of the five previously mentioned things has usually happened, that is just my opinion.

[ZAGA-BONGO]

What Martial arts did you study Zaga-Bongo?

I only did boxing for twelve years, nothing else! I had many stret fights and knocked down many, I don't wait I always hit first I don't like to waste time in argument. I want to start something like Muay Thai or BJJ. I want to see what's best for me.

[CKD]

Well I ought to

mention my experiences. Most of my fights if not broken up went to the ground. I am very good at talking so I can make a multiple opponent a one on one situation. One situation was when I was alone and a group started harrassing me I just ignored it until they surronded me and asked for my wallet. I didn't have any money so they said they were going to beat me up and many other things. When it looked like they were about to move in I started talking. Saying they couldn't beat me one on one and that they were pansies that needed to have there friends help them. This angered them enouph as I hoped to have one person fight me. The fight started and I got a few good punches. He was hurt so he ran forward and tackled me and got mount. I hadn't trained in grappling but a friend he knew bjj taught me the upa and I got him off me. I then proceded to punch him from the top. I then immediatly got up and pushed a person that was in the circle watching and ran off before they would get mad and beat me. Other fights ussually went to the ground if they were one on one. The antagonist most of the time has a grip on you before the fight procedes and forces the person to the ground while hitting him. Other ways was he simply tackled me and got me down, few punches then a clinch, I got the better of the exchange and he tries to clinch, or he runs forward with punches and the momentum sends both of us to the ground. I have had a lot of streetfights over the years from simply living in a touph neighborhood and from security jobs.