Self Defense when drinking.

[ChrisWTK]

Ok, last night I was with friends and we were drinking. I hadn't had much to drink because I'm female and I know I can't handle nearly as much as my male friends. But at one point my friend just pushed me slightly and over I went. Now I was in friendly company at that time, but what if it was otherwise? When I drink I become off blance and other senses go like depth perception and motor control. I would feel more comfortable knowing that I can still be able to protect myself even when I'm out and enjoying myself.

Is there any way to really practice a simulated version of this situation? Such as working yourself really hard and then practicing moves while tired and out of breathe. I'm not looking to avoid the situation, because I know it's easy to just say, well don't drink, but rather a way to feel like I could still be capable of protecting myself when I'm under those conditions.

 

[still learning]

Hello, Drinking is one thing....Have you experience the "Adrenline response"..the fear factor...actully face a real scary confrontations...attemped rape....face a real bully who is readly to fight you? Can you handle being punch/kick when it is not expected?

This is what you need to train for....real life attacks...will you freeze and become a victim....or can you actully focus and fight back?

Many of us have not face a real life dangerous challenge.....Try walking down in the worst part of town....can you handle that by yourself? knowing fear...and learning to forcu above it...training for this is more important....than drinking state of mind.

Most of us will not ever face a real confrontations......as a part-time Security guard....it gives you some experience...but Verbal training/avoidance is the KEY....think smart...be aware...know when to back up/out and stand your ground. ..........Aloha

 

[Dark]

Is there any way to really practice a simulated version of this situation? Such as working yourself really hard and then practicing moves while tired and out of breathe. I'm not looking to avoid the situation, because I know it's easy to just say, well don't drink, but rather a way to feel like I could still be capable of protecting myself when I'm under those conditions.

What I am about to say is gonna nuts but it works, when I was training some bouncers for my buddies bar I knew more then a few who would drink on duty, infact they were allowed free drinks all night upto a certain limited.

Anyway, get some stobe lights, some buddies, a sober guy who can handle the bull ring and a few cases of beer or a bottle of something as you prefer. Get alittle buzzed and turn on the loud music and spar with the strobes lights one. Totally different feeling and what you are looking at in a club. Believe me it works...

 

[ChrisWTK]

Hello, Drinking is one thing....Have you experience the "Adrenline response"..the fear factor...actully face a real scary confrontations...attemped rape....face a real bully who is readly to fight you? Can you handle being punch/kick when it is not expected?

This is what you need to train for....real life attacks...will you freeze and become a victim....or can you actully focus and fight back?

Many of us have not face a real life dangerous challenge.....Try walking down in the worst part of town....can you handle that by yourself? knowing fear...and learning to forcu above it...training for this is more important....than drinking state of mind.

Most of us will not ever face a real confrontations......as a part-time Security guard....it gives you some experience...but Verbal training/avoidance is the KEY....think smart...be aware...know when to back up/out and stand your ground. ..........Aloha

Hello to you too. I like what you said, cause I know I've had that problem durring our 'no mind' drills. I'll freeze up for a second before thinking of what to do. Which is where the problem lies, I think too much. I've been getting better at this with practice durring class. But in class you don't really practice when you're dizzy or tired and such. And under those conditions I'm not worried about freezing up, but rather not being able to do what I know I need to do in that situation.

 

[MA-Caver]

How about this... don't drink.

OR if you must drink.. buy one and nurse it through-out the evening. Maybe you won't get laughingly drunk but at least you won't be AS vunerable as you could be if you were inebriated.

 

[Robert Lee]

Best not to drink but if a person does its better not to over drink as it can cause any person problems in a selfdefence point. Balance is that and if drinking reduces it its a problem. Sure you may beable to defend some waht. But how well and will it be enough Its just better to drink only to a certion point then stop.

 

[swiftpete]

Nursing a drink all night on a night out isn't much fun though is it? I got chucked out of a bar for doing this once when I was a skint student. Thankfully now I can afford to get myself completely falling over drunk whenever I want. Hooray!

 

[ChrisWTK]

How about this... don't drink.

OR if you must drink.. buy one and nurse it through-out the evening. Maybe you won't get laughingly drunk but at least you won't be AS vunerable as you could be if you were inebriated.

It's rare that I go out drinking and I'm a small female which is why after one to two beers I get dizzy quick, even when I drink it slow and make sure I eat. I'm not a big drinker or anything, I'm not out getting wasted, and I make sure to be with good company if I do go out. It's just that I was actually very surprised that my balance was that off that a light push could knock me over. So it made me consider that fact that it could have been an attacker and if it's that easy to get me to the ground than I'm in trouble. Rather than stopping living my life, I'd rather find general self defense techniques or training that I could count on if I was in a situation that I couldn't rely on being balanced.

 

[Carol]

Personally I think it is a matter of choices. Alchohol does affect the mind, the body, judgement, and reaction time...period.

What is more important? It's a decision, and an important one.

Drink, and one's driving/SD will be impaired, period. Being more awake or trying to compensate the effects of alcohol will not lower one's BAC.

Best case scenario: nothing happens and everyone has a good time letting having fun. Nothing wrong with that.

Worst case scenario: Probabaly a tie between trying to explain to the cops that one is not just another drunk flexing their beer muscles, or being in a preventibly bad scnenario.

And there is a whole bunch of stuff in between. Choose wisely.

 

[Adept]

Drink in a venue with competent security staff.

 

[lhommedieu]

Since it's "self defense" when drinking try the following: (1) Drink at least four 8 oz. glasses of water (or seltzer) for every drink that you have. That way you'll (a) slow down the absorption rate since you'll be drinkiing less alcohol per hour (b) flush the alcohol out of your system faster due to the fact that you'll be perspiring and urinating more. (2) Go to venues where dancing is the norm; this will also help you to perspire more.

Basically you're protecting yourself from yourself...

I know it sounds silly but when I was in Italy two summers ago I was drinking at least two bottles of wine a day but also drinking about 8 bottles of water as well. This plus the fact that I was walking, in summer weather, about 10 miles a day, meant that the wine never really had a chance to affect me that much - and I was never hung over. Now if I can only find a way to protect myself from Pasta ala Carbonara...

Best,

Steve Lamade

 

[Xue Sheng]

Probably not what you want to read again, but I vote for the don't drink option.

 

[Kacey]

I have to agree - the best option is to not drink, especially if it affects you so easily.

 

[Cryozombie]

Problem I have with the don't drink option is that, if you don't drink, thats a good option for you, but if you enjoy drinking, is it worth it to give up somthing you do for fun out of paranoia that somthing may happen?

Personally, I think the solution, for ME at least, is #1, drink in moderation and #2 drink with people you trust to take care of you if stuff goes badly.

As to the original questrion, Can you TRAIN that? I dunno. I honestly cannot say that I have never partaken in a session of "Drunk - Fu" but I wouldn't reccomend it.
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[shesulsa]

I vaguely remember attempting a spin kick while obliteratingly inebriated. I'm told it sucked.

 

[Toby]

Interestly enough, I was in a situation myself the other weekend. It was at a mates party, everyone was drinking and having a good time (including me)

So, it started off with this guy and my brother mucking around. Then this guy pushed my brother over and had him on the griound, not letting him up, so I got involved...

Then yeah, the guy focused on me, threatining to kill me (second time, he's done it before in a different situation). I just shoved him back, then my brother got up and grabbed this guy and wouldn't let him go, I tried breaking it up (to an extent, but was still mad at this guy).

It ended when one of our mates came up and smacked the guy in the face... gave him a nice black eye.

When we told Dad about it, he asked why I tried getting my brother off this guy, as if I should of let them go at it... I'm wondering whether or not I should of now?

I felt like giving the guy a good smack in the teeth myself. If it happens again, I'm going to. Third time lucky. There's only so much threats a person can take.

So my advice would be just to train yourself for the unexpected, real life situations, train with friends, push your body even when it feels it can't go on any longer, as other people have mentioned...

Trust me, adrenaline helps a lot here. It did for me.

 

[Dark]

It's rare that I go out drinking and I'm a small female which is why after one to two beers I get dizzy quick, even when I drink it slow and make sure I eat. I'm not a big drinker or anything, I'm not out getting wasted, and I make sure to be with good company if I do go out. It's just that I was actually very surprised that my balance was that off that a light push could knock me over. So it made me consider that fact that it could have been an attacker and if it's that easy to get me to the ground than I'm in trouble. Rather than stopping living my life, I'd rather find general self defense techniques or training that I could count on if I was in a situation that I couldn't rely on being balanced.

The problem here is simple, you need your beer-legs, and like I said eariler the only way to to that is of course to train drunk, or at least tipsy. Not getting buzzed in publis is a good and realistic senario but like you said you don't want to "stop living your life."

Bars are designed to help the alcohol alter your preception, hence the dim lighting and the effects lighting in clubs. It all depends on the clubs you go to. Alcohol does two things in particular it slows the nervious system and causes the muscles to relax. Being drunk actually makes you weaker, sloppy drunk makes you useless.

If you going to be fighting drunk or buzzed get used to fighting in three stages, a clinch, grappling range and on the ground. You need experience at fighting while intoxicated, simple as that. Any time you start drinking get up and move around takes conscious notes on how your body feels and wants to move dispite your controlling it to move. You'll see what I mean...

 

[Sam]

I don't think its realistic or fair to tell someone they shouldn't drink, ever.

 

[MA-Caver]

I don't think its realistic or fair to tell someone they shouldn't drink, ever.

Well yes that may be true... it probably isn't fair or realistic... but it's sensible advice Sam, because by NOT drinking you won't have to worry about several things... i.e.
1. Waking up in the morning in bed saying to yourself... "What the HELL happened?"
2. Waking up in jail saying the same thing (called... Alcoholic Black-outs)
3. Waking up next to someone that you never met (nekkid even).
4. Waking up with your co-worker who may or may not be already married.
5. Waking up in the hospital and your lawyer and/or insurance agent want to know how the accident happend... you don't remember.
6. Waking up on the floor. A strange smelly bathroom floor. Or even your own... with dried vomit and urine on the side of your face.
7. Waking up in the hospital period.

The list goes on.
Maybe I'm biased... but having been clean and sober for the last 17+ years... I can say I'm damned glad I don't have those worries at all. And... IMO anyone who chuckles and says "heh, I don't either and I haven't quit drinking..." is a damned fool.

But ... that's just me.

oh and a couple of pics that help illustrate my point... can you really trust the people you're with?

http://www.funny-games.biz/pictures/drunk-pictures.html

 

[ChrisWTK]

If you going to be fighting drunk or buzzed get used to fighting in three stages, a clinch, grappling range and on the ground. You need experience at fighting while intoxicated, simple as that. Any time you start drinking get up and move around takes conscious notes on how your body feels and wants to move dispite your controlling it to move. You'll see what I mean...

Hehe, you make it sound like I fight drunk often. I guess I need training in both drinking and just general self defense. I like your suggestion, I figure at home is safest to do that, I can't see it being respectable to walk into the dojo drunk, even if there are two bars next to it. Although we've had incidents where drunk people have stupidly come into the dojo. Friday nights are always interesting.