Can you fight?

No but I keep an axe in the house 🤣

I have 5 brothers they made it there mission to teach me how to fight to defend myself I’m 47 now and they still test me by jumping out on me ha ha

No, I don't think I can fight. I did push a couple of girls over when I was a child. Funnily enough they were both called Christine.

I grind my teeth something terrible and my dentist tells me I have over developed jaw muscles, so I think I would probably have the bite force of a pitbull and I'd bite my attacker instead of fighting them. Once my jaws are locked, there's no escape as I often feel hungry, so my brain would just take over and assume it was a food opportunity and I wouldn't let go unless I was lured away with a cream bun.

It's like a lot of things, you get good at it by doing it a lot. I punched my brother in 1992 and nothing since so I would say no I can't. It's possible to maybe win a fight with a lucky punch but in a lot of confrontations I imagine there's a lot of ego's writing cheques the body can't cash, to paraphrase the bald chap in Top Gun.

Yes and I will fight as dirty as possible when threatened, as 2 men who tried to steal my dogs from me, during lockdown discovered. I got to run away, with my dogs, those two were not going anywhere for a minute or so.
I grew up as a military brat. We could mostly fight like tigers by about age 6.

Yes, I’m a 4th Dan Black Belt in Taekwondo and we do a lot of sparring and competition training, which is meant to be semi contact, but we go harder at times.

I’ve used it to defend myself a couple of times and overpowered the other person.

I’d rather not fight and walk away, but if I had to, I would.

I have no doubt of my ability to feel pure, unadulterated rage in the right scenario, but I'm afraid I wouldn't be strong enough to do much damage in a real fight—unless I fought dirty intelligently and managed to knock them over the head before they realised I was coming (only to save my life or that of another person, of course 😇).

I’m not at all strong, but if I was mad enough, I think I could.

At 16 I’d done a self defence course at school. I thought I was pretty streetwise, lived in a busy city, had been going clubbing since I was 14, had been a waitress for a few months and knew how to get rid of lecherous men. I had it under control, or so I thought.

One morning I was walking through town to catch an early coach for a weekend away. The streets were empty, and a man approached me and asked me the time. By the time he’d finished his question he’d kicked me in the face, thumped me, thrown me to the ground, kicked me in the stomach, and told me that he was going to kill me if I didn’t do what he wanted. It happened so fast and without warning, and left me in no doubt that he was absolutely able to kill me, quite easily. So I chose survival and did what he wanted.

Afterwards I reflected on how tough we women think we are sometimes, because we don’t like to think we’d take any crap. But in my opinion, unless a woman is highly trained in some kind of combat, and practices it regularly, a man can take her by surprise and always win.

And don’t underestimate the impact of absolute terror. It caused me to freeze. I couldn’t find my anger because the fear was stronger.

I think most people have no idea how they’d react in a terrifying situation.

Yes and my advice would be always make sure you get the first punch in

I am male and grew up on a docks.... I've fought more sailors than Nelson. Also following football during the 80s and 90s. Thankfully I was trained by my father to recognise the signs of impending trouble and so these days I get my arse out of dodge

For all of you saying you couldn't fight a man, you could but only for a very short time. And you need to be deadly... remember in the UK you have the right to self defence of yourself and the right to defend others. You also have the right to a preemptive strike if you consider yourself or others at risk.

I've told every young lady and girl I've known to try to poke his eyes out. Bite him, his ears or nose are great targets. Obviously the nuts. Stab him with your keys, nail scissors anything. Someone said hit him with a handbag, why not, it'll give you room to escape. But most of all don't worry about the aftermath, just protect yourself.

The aim is to buy time to get away and make as much noise as you possibly can doing it

My cousin's daughter was grabbed by a boy at school. She punched him in the face. She had practiced punching me! So she knew she wouldn't be hurt but he would.

No. I have very little upper body strength or reach and I’m an absolute physical coward. But I do have a very strong kick.

I have just started karate classes to learn self defence though. Possibly a little late in my late 40s, but better late than never! The instructors are very much focusing on self defence.

I did a martial art for a decade; it gave me a lot of physical confidence. I’ve often imagined flipping into fight mode if I have to.

it wasn’t a very practical martial art but it taught me the art of moving fast and dodging 😆

I can, but like other poster’s have mentioned I think most women would be shocked and horrified at how much stronger than them a very average man is. So on that note I am well aware that if the man knows what he’s doing, I probably don’t stand much of a chance.

If anyone’s reading this, and ends up one day in a fight for their life, all I’d say is fight dirty, fight fast, and run. Fight really really really dirty. Eyes, groin, nose to a lesser extent. Your chances of out running some bloke go up massively if said bloke has just had a swift kick to his dick. Harsh but true.

Anyone who went to my school can fight.

I do imagine ripping the head off of some people on occasion though 😄

If you can dream it you can be it (or some such motivational phrase)

I tried sparring once. I didn't think I was going to like it. The woman holding the pads kept encouraging me by mocking my efforts. I found myself really, really wanting to punch her straight in the face. So perhaps my inner fighter is more illegal bare knuckle than organised violence. I'm now going to pop that memory back in my mental box of things I don't like to recognise in myself. 😇

I have back in school days with other girls, but not with a grown man, mind you I’d did used to play fight loads with my DH, and be pretty strong, I think we got old as I can’t recall the last time we had a play fight! I suspect we’d injure each other and end up needing physio!!

I grew up in a violent home, I can fight. I choose not to because I don’t believe in violence as a solution however I have had to defend myself (violently) on many occasions and have done some serious damage.

My introduction was fighting my abusive stepfather from about 15 years old. He has more scars from it than I do.

Yes, I see red and have kicked a man down the stairs for grabbing my bum in a club. I chased a man down the street who also grabbed my bum and battered him with my umbrella. I've punched, slapped, kicked and grabbed men for getting handsy with me or anyone I'm with. I have no fear at the time but after the adrenaline leaves I think wtf was I doing. I've also had men battered in pubs and clubs for assaulting women. The bouncers were only too happy to oblige and it was unfortunate when these men slipped and fell down the stairs. Oops 🤔

I've had fights with women but only if they've went for me first and tbh I'm scared in case I hurt them so I usually get battered 😂

I'm old now though so haven't been in a fight for decades but if I was assaulted by a man you're damn right I'd fight dirty.

I grew up in a rough estate and I was a wimp. I was really bullied and I wouldn’t fight back.

Something must have snapped in me by the time I was about 20. A guy robbed my house, cracked DH’s head open with a full whiskey bottle. Blood everywhere.

I lost my absolute shit, and lost any inhibition.I wasn’t sure who looked more injured in the end , DH or the dickhead.

I couldn’t stop myself. Part of it was fear. Part of it was protection, I didn’t want my lodger to be a victim too, but I did frighten myself.

I can’t fight or run but I can fling my handbag around like a deadly weapon!

So true. I have multiple black belts, in martial arts where sparring people and not just bags is bread and butter. In spite of this, I would have very little chance of overpowering even an untrained man in a toe to toe fight. The reality is that most women cannot match the strength of most men. I have managed to fight off two men (separate incidents) who have tried to sexually assault me, but this was more due to the element of shock as they didn’t expect me to boot/punch them.

I fought a very heavy, 6ft something bloke off who pinned me to a bed and tried putting his tongue down my throat whilst trying to pull my lower clothing off. I never would’ve said I could fight but in that moment the strength I had amazed me. I think if your real fight or flight kicks in, you’ll put up a good fight.