How to Win a Fist Fight

Co-authored by Adrian Tandez

Last Updated: November 22, 2021 References Approved

As important as avoiding a physical fight is, sometimes it’s unavoidable. There are some people out there who refuse to resolve conflicts with verbal communication. However, if you don’t know what you’re doing, you might end up hurting yourself more than your opponent does. Whether you’re fending off a bully, defending a friend, or protecting yourself from a criminal, follow these simple rules to win a fist fight.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Fighting with Technique

1
Adopt a solid, well-balanced fighting stance. Your non-dominant foot should be in front. Raise your hands up at neck level, and angle your body away from the aggressor. This controls the distance between you and your opponent, and covers your head and vital organs.^{[1]
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- Protect your face with your hands, and keep your mouth closed and chin down. This protects the more delicate bones in your face like your nose.
- Keep your legs spread apart and your knees slightly bent. This will give you more balance. You don't want your assailant to be able to knock you over.
- Don’t stand flat-footed. Make sure you can easily move in any direction, but avoid backpedaling whenever possible.
2
Make proper fists that won’t result in broken wrists or fingers. Curl your four fingers tightly into your palm, keeping your thumb loose at the side of your hand. Your nails should partially disappear and your finger joints should be tucked in. Then, fold your thumb over the first and second finger joints.^{[2]
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- Keep your fingers and thumbs tucked tightly together.
- Keep your wrist firm and straight. Don’t bend it down, up, in, or out.
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3
Punch by leading with the knuckles of your index and middle fingers. These are the two strongest knuckles of your hand. Squeeze your fists together right before making contact with each strike, and keep your wrist firm, straight, and steady.^{[3]
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- Your wrist should be rotated so that your thumb and palm are towards the ground.
- Relax your fist after the moment of impact and between strikes to preserve your muscles. If your little finger comes loose, your fist is too relaxed.
- You’ll likely be able to hit harder with your dominant hand, but don’t forget to use your non-dominant hand when you can as well, so your opponent has a harder time predicting your moves.
4
Lessen damage from hits to your face and body by moving. For face strikes, keep your mouth closed, clench your neck and jaw muscles, and duck your head to the side. It’s best for your opponent to hit your hard forehead if they aren’t going to miss your face. To take a body punch, tighten your stomach muscles and try to twist so the punch hits you on the sides rather than the stomach or other major organs.^{[4]
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- No matter how natural a fighter you are, your opponent will likely be able to land a few blows.
- Don’t allow yourself to be distracted by shock, fear, or anger when you’re struck.^{[5]
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5
Keep your hands high and watch your opponent. When you lower your hands, you expose your face to your opponent. This is more likely to happen when you start getting tired or if you get distracted focusing only on attacking. Always keep your guard up, loose but not tight.^{[6]
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- By watching your opponent’s chest or chin, you can sometimes see their shoulders move before they throw a punch.
- Don’t forget to tuck your elbows close to your body to protect your kidneys.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Strategizing During a Fight

1
Grunt and exhale noisily while fighting, if it comes naturally. As strange as it sounds, studies show that grunting can increase the amount of power your body can put forth in short bursts. It takes effort and concentration to fight effectively. Trying to stay quiet at the same time will distract you.^{[7]
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- These noises serve to intimidate or distract your opponent as well.
- If you need outside intervention, more noise can draw the attention of potentially helpful bystanders.
2
Control the distance between you and your opponent. If your opponent is stronger, taller, and more aggressive, you want to put more distance between the two of you to negate the advantages of their reach. However, if they’re slower or shorter, getting up close means you can tire them out more easily.^{[8]
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- The more skilled your opponent is, the less likely it is that you want to be fighting them close up. Stay on your toes to dodge around them.
- The better your footwork, the more you can compensate for your own weaknesses and capitalize on your opponent’s. If your assailant doesn't know in what direction you'll be going, they'll have a harder time punching you or getting you down on the ground.
3
Aim strikes at weak spots like the jaw and chin. Soft spots like the nose, face, kidneys, stomach, and temples are also great places to land punches for temporarily incapacitating an opponent. Throat punches are highly effective but should be used only in life or death situations, as they can collapse somebody’s windpipe.^{[9]
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- After dodging a punch, people often lower their guard for a split second that you can capitalize on.
- If your opponent is leaving their stomach unguarded, punch slightly upward to hit their solar plexus, which can knock them out.
4
Get up fast if you’re knocked to the ground. To do this, keep your attacker away from you by lashing out with your legs at their ankles and knees, then pop upright by pushing yourself up with your hands. If you’re on the floor your mobility is severely handicapped and you will have difficulties defending yourself, unless you happen to be an expert grappler. Your opponent’s attacks will also be stronger coming from above.
- Take special care to protect your head if you’re brought to the floor.
- Do not let your guard down as you get back up, as you will still be particularly vulnerable.
- When you’re on the ground, you’re in greater danger not only from your opponent, but also from any of their surrounding allies.
5
Supplement punches with “dirty” moves as necessary. Depending on the severity of your situation, don’t hesitate to protect yourself through any means necessary. Kicks to the groin, gouging out eyes, yanking hair or ears, and elbows to the face can give you the chance to escape to somewhere safer. However, moves like this can severely injure your opponent. Be absolutely sure fighting “dirty” is an appropriate use of force.
- Kicks to the head can easily be fatal.
- If somebody is choking you, try bending and breaking their fingers to free yourself.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Preventing Dangerous Conflicts

1
Maintain an awareness of your surroundings at all times. Know who is behaving abnormally, like those repeatedly invading others personal space, since they could be potential assailants. Take a mental note of all the ways you can exit an area quickly, in case a situation suddenly escalates. Keep your periphery active by moving your eyes around, which will help you anticipate obstacles in advance.^{[10]
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- Your periphery is the outer boundary of your vision, what you indirectly see when staring at things.
- Practicing these behaviors will help you see violence before it happens, and give you time to prepare a response should you need one.
2
Watch for aggressive body language from potential aggressors. Indications of this can include nostril flaring, excessive swearing, an out-thrust jaw, dilated pupils, or a whitening face. Once adrenaline begins pumping through potential assailants, their behavior becomes more difficult to predict. Be prepared to defend yourself no matter what they seem to be doing.^{[11]
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3
Try to defuse situations with passifying dialogue. Talk to your potential assailant and try to get him to step down or see the value of making truce. If you've got the gift of gab, here's where you can use it. Keep your guard up while you negotiate.^{[12]
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- Say something like: “I don’t want either of us to get hurt. Can we try to just talk this out?'”
- You can also try saying: “What’s the problem? Is there any way I can help?”
- Avoid saying things like “Calm down buddy” and “Take it easy,” which can increase tension.
4
Leave at the earliest opportunity. The primary objective of a fight should be to protect yourself, not harm the other person. If you believe you are in serious danger, try to exit without causing the other person alarm. Whether or not you actually end up in a physical altercation, your opponent can no longer damage you once you’re gone.
- There are a select few times when fighting will prevent future problems, but on the whole, you win 100% of the fights you defuse or avert entirely.
- Know your limitations. Going to the hospital with a broken nose might not be worth the "cred" that you get for staying in a losing battle.

Expert Q&A
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Question

How can I keep from hurting my hands when throwing punches?

Adrian Tandez
Self Defense Trainer
Adrian Tandez is the founder and head instructor of the Tandez Academy, a world-renowned self-defense training center in Mountain View, California. Trained under the renowned martial artist Dan Inosanto, Adrian is a certified instructor in Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do, Filipino Martial Arts, and Silat, among other things. Adrian has over 27 years of self defense training experience.

Adrian Tandez

Self Defense Trainer

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

Making a proper fist is the best way to keep your hands safe! Curl your fingers into your palm, position your thumb outside of your fingers, and hit with the knuckles of your pointer and middle fingers. This will minimize the chances of you breaking or hurting and fingers or injuring your hand.

Warnings

Any fight you get yourself in can have serious, even life-changing consequences. Fight only if it's absolutely vital.

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