RPing Feats of Skill: Hand-to-Hand Combat

(Some highlights reposted from the past)

Subject: Re: RPing Feats of Skill
From: edxarcher@aol.com (EdxArcher)
Date: 24 Feb 2002 18:14:21 EST

Hm...how to drop a guy in 10 seconds when he's not expecting you.

These are the basic guidelines I used for my character in hand-to-hand combat. This does not use martial arts maneuvers, it does not rely upon form and function, it is basically how to hurt somebody a lot with little effort.

Head, vitals, back. Three points of impact that are devastatingly quick when focused upon properly. I'll divide them into sub-categories.

Head

Nose: If you want to quickly stun a person and put him out of the fight for several minutes, you will want to go for the nose. I suggest a balled fist or the base of your palm. If you use your fist, you will probably draw blood, which is often enough to shock an opponent. A broken nose also inhibits breathing.

If you use the base of your palm, come up from the bottom of the nose, make contact with the tip and drive it into the brain. Unless you are Mr. Universe, your opponent will not die, he will most likely go cross-eyed and be unable to form coherent thoughts for a while. The way the arm is developed, the fist is made for precision, quick strikes, which makes it inappropriate for subdual hits to small areas, such as the nose. (Do not try this at home.)

Ears: Earboxing works in two ways. First, is the concussive strike of two fists from the side of the head. Not very impressive, but where the jaw meets the skull is ample opportunity for loosened mandibles. (Do not try this at home).

The second way is much more effective. Take your hands flattening them out. Create an extremely shallow cup with the fingers, then move the thumb up to the side. This cup should be able to hold water. Clap these cups together and you should get an exceedingly loud popping sound (I actually learned the technique in 1st grade). Now, if you actually use this on someone's ears, what you get is a surprisingly stunning attack. A surprisingly stunning attack that can permanently deafen them...or kill them with enough force. (Do not try this at home.)

Base of the Skull: What you are aiming for is a spot beneath the occipital lobes, where the neck meats the head in the back of the skull. A sharp strike there will usually knock someone unconscious, or paralyze them. Or kill them. With a little bit of force, pressure is applied ot the cerebellum, which controls balance and coordination among other things, thus putting your opponent out.

Eyes: Attacking the eyes, of course, blinds your opponent. Humans are also one of the few creatures with a brain that extends over the eyes, meaning you can also create a "critical ending" to any fight.

Tongue: Mouths bleed a lot. Tongues bleed a lot more.

Subject: Re: RPing Feats of Skill
From: johanusmorgan@aol.com (Johanus Morgan)
Date: 25 Feb 2002 13:29:45 EST

Then of course, there is the psychological effect on most people when they see/feel/taste their own blood. Unless you're up against a trained fighter, a bloody nose or lip will do a lot to even the score as some might panic, or at the least be more wary of you. Something to keep in mind when writing a fight scene involving common thugs, or uncommon thugs.

Subject: Re: RPing Feats of Skill
From: jasonramire@aol.com (Jason Ramire)
Date: 25 Feb 2002 20:07:35 EST

Sixteen pounds of pressure to the groin area over the femoral artery...

I don't mean to sound rude or "know-it-all" but I'd chalk this strike up in the realm of completely hypothetical. To me it seems something like a doctor's guide to combat. Lots of medical kills simply don't. Air in the bloodstream should cause a heart attack in between 60 to 90 seconds, but I've seen people live through an IV line of it. It happens routinely. The Army trains people as Combat Life Savers (CLS) which basically turns your average Joe Snuffy into a pre-medic. CLS qual'ed Joes end up stickin' people with IVs all the time, its a quick fix for dehydration and hangovers. On a quick stick sometimes there's a good bit of air in the tube. Yet, these people just get queasy feeling. I personally wouldn't let someone get a hand near my groin in a fight nor would I let them maintain sixteen pounds of pressure for a sustained period. I'd buck, I'd grab, I'd knee, I'd elbow, I'd shrimp. A quick reflex test here in the hall showed that the average individual wouldn't let it happen either.

As far as surviving a real fight it generally comes down to pure unadulterated agression. Just watch a UFC. Watch Vitor Belfor in a Pride Fight. He's a punching machine. Even if you're not a machine there are still some strategies to win a fight. First and foremost: close in on the guy.

If you end up taking him to the ground chances are you'll land in mount and then just keep punching. If you don't the guy will more than likely keep backing away which puts him continually in punching range. If he comes at you while you're advancing, knees and elbows are very effective.
Think breadbasket and charlie horses with knees, elbows to top of the brow, temples.
Stiff arm the throat, punch at the heart, jab your thumb in his armpit (that really f#$%in' hurts).
Quick hooks to the floating ribs, kidneys, spine.
Bash your shin against his legs about half a hand up and to the outside of his knee (its a very open nerve cluster that numbs the leg up for a good 10 seconds, I've dropped guys just by kickin' them there.)
Attack limbs. If you punch or kick or palm-heel strike a spot two, three, four times it's going to slow or stop working. You nail some guy with three left hooks and he takes 'em on the shoulder every time his arm is going to have a hell of a time catching that fourth, but his head won't.
And always remember rule one. Don't stop moving. Keep moving forward. You're not in a ring, there is no bell, there are no refs.