Don't pick a fight with a squaddie

[Mich the Tester]

Madness, I have trained to fight for years and have done so many times both in competition and for real but seriously taking on one of those guys? Lunacy, absolutely lunacy. If you did not personally know the people I would be tempted to think it was an old wive's tale.



Have any of the guys you know who have had this had any trouble flooring these idiots?

If anything their problem is how to NOT floor them; you can imagine the strength of guys who bench press 150kgs for laughs.

Anyway, I know it happened to Lawes from the papers and because I know some of the guys from Northampton who were in the nightclub with him; they're people I'd trust to tell the truth. The papers reported is as though Lawes was very violent, but from what I've heard he was not just provoked, but punched and then retaliated. I also know two guys from the England squad from the early 'noughties' who have experienced sad little chavs loooking for trouble. It really is stupid; I think some people just don't understand how hard someone like that can hit you with very little effort.

[MyUserName]

It really is stupid; I think some people just don't understand how hard someone like that can hit you with very little effort.

What would concern me is how on earth you would hurt someone who gets hit by trained, expert professionals for a living. It is like getting drunk and then demanding that Kasparov plays you at chess.

[Mich the Tester]

What would concern me is how on earth you would hurt someone who gets hit by trained, expert professionals for a living. It is like getting drunk and then demanding that Kasparov plays you at chess.

Yes, but you are an educated person with some level of rational thinking. A drunken chav is somehow different.

[d000hg]

Just because they're trained to take hits, surely a kick in the balls or a punch to the face will hurt them

Perhaps the have-a-goers reckon rugby types are fat and slow and they think of themselves as some combination of Ali & Lee.

[Troll]

Ah, let me guess, you're the twat that he punched?

...let me guess - you're an ex squaddie with a reading age of 11

[Mich the Tester]

Just because they're trained to take hits, surely a kick in the balls or a punch to the face will hurt them

It will indeed. The retaliation can be interesting to watch though. From a distance of course.

[d000hg]

Out of interest how do rugby players cope with getting punched/kicked/squeezed in the nuts in the scrum? Can you train yourself to deal with it or do you just wear a box, or does it not happen (seems unlikely)?

[Troll]

What would concern me is how on earth you would hurt someone who gets hit by trained, expert professionals for a living. It is like getting drunk and then demanding that Kasparov plays you at chess.

You wouldn't unless you get a very lucky shot in - Boxing and Rugby playing lift you to scary levels of fitness - Boxers seem to have some notion of the damage they can do to an ordinary person and thankfully don't go out drinking in packs the same way as Rugby teams do.
What would you / could you do if a pissed up rugby team started on you or your family

[Mich the Tester]

Out of interest how do rugby players cope with getting punched/kicked/squeezed in the nuts in the scrum? Can you train yourself to deal with it or do you just wear a box, or does it not happen (seems unlikely)?

It doesn't really happen in scrums as your balls just aren't close enough to the opposition. Unless the scrum fallls apart of course, as international scrums invariably do. But generally you don't get punched in the goolies unless you're playing against French teams, and when English teams play French teams anything can happen and neither side is likely to be sweet and innocent. Usually you'll have a couple of 'enforcers' among your own forwards who will politely and diplomatically remind the opponent that kicks to the groin area are not appreciated, and then break his ribs in a ruck. Often that's the older players in the pack who aren't so good running around any more but can still deal out the physical.

[MyUserName]

Just because they're trained to take hits, surely a kick in the balls or a punch to the face will hurt them

A lot of the damage caused by being hit is in the mind, the more and harder you get hit and keep going the more your body realises you can take without going down. I can take shots now that would have probably floored me a few years ago. A few months ago I took a steel bar in the face at training which cut me and knocked me back a step but I could easily have carried on fighting.

Unless you are hit in way which takes you off your feet or catches you awkwardly and puts you down you can keep going, even then you can get up or fight from the floor. I can only think of two times where I was hit so hard with one shot that I was unable to do anythign afterwards (both times from the European kickboxing champion on separate occaisions when he lost his rag sparring with me when I was 17 and he was in his 30s).