I went into the heart of Philadelphia (PA, U.S.A.) to discover the basics of self-defense. In particular, I met the world and Pan-Am champion of Brazilian and Gracie Jiu Jitsu, Ricardo Migliarese.
He showed us three basic street fighting moves, based on the street aspects of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
An American world champion grappler for Philadelphia inner city kids
Ricardo Migliarese teaches this discipline at his martial arts gym, called Balance Studios. He has a charity partnership with Focused Athletics, a non-profit organization which gives Philadelphia inner city students athletic and academic support.
So, he gives some useful advice and street fight techniques to these kids, with the hope they will able to face trouble if put in a tough situation.
If you want to discover how the founder of Focused Athletics trains his kids in boxing, click here to read my article about the most basic combo in boxing.
Put ‘em up!
The main objective of this lesson was teaching to never leave your hands down when somebody approaches you. You always wanna have hands up to expect the unexpected.
Hands up, close to the face, facilitate the protection of the head and, at the same time, they are ready to block eventual lower hits.
Three self-defense moves for street fighting
The first move taught by Ricardo is called the “spin to the choke”. It is needed to anticipate an imminent attack and neutralize the opponent.
You already have your hands up when approached, so what you have to do is to put one hand on the opponent’s front shoulder and the other hand on the back of the opposite shoulder.
Then, you push and spin around the opponent. In the same time you pivot aside and direct your arm against his neck. So, now you are able to stay behind him and should have clinched his neck with your arm, like a hook.
You push down his lower back with your other hand, till he loses balance. Finally, you are ready to choke the opponent with both hands.
The second move is to stop a sucker punch. It means the opponent has actually thrown a sucker punch and you have to block it before it’s too late.
In this case, you want to drop down into base, shape your hands like a spoon and grab quickly his biceps. In this position, you can control him by his arms and eventually clinch him or push him away and create distance.
The third and last move is to protect your face against a wild punch. This time, you are squared off and when you see the punch coming, your hand has to come up near your hair, with your palms facing inward.
Your arm will defend your face and the side. But remember: keep the other hand always up to avoid other retractions.
The main point of street fighting is to have the control of the distance. You want to decide whether to take a step in or retreat.
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