11/17/2015
My girlfriend/unofficial-editor told me that Bone China’s pose in panel 1 looks like she’s using “the force” to summon her weapon. She’s not, but I decided to leave the art intact to amuse you (especially you kids already waiting in line for that next Star Wars movie).
I like that neither of them has pupils in this strip, it makes them look much more inhuman, like two beasts fighting.
What was that line in Jaws about the eyes rolling back over white and so on? Well, in any rate, animals are pretty scary when they get worked up. Piss off your dog or cat to find out the hard way!
Ouch!
Are you typing comments with your eyeballs again?
When in these situations, several key locations require protecting, as displayed in panel 2. The throat (and neck in general), groin, armpits, and knees are particularly vulnerable to harm and the pain can be debilitating. Wen striking these points it’s advisable to use fingertips, elbows, or knees as a penetrating strike rather than a solid hit. Only do this during a desperate situation! You can seriously harm, cripple, or even kill someone aiming for these locations! If you’re not aiming to kill someone or leave them seriously harmed in the long run, better to land solid punches to the hip, shoulder joint, and along the arms and legs, causing continued fighting to be a painful and undesirable affair. If you’re in a situation where you aren’t sure of the other person’s level of hostile intent, punch for the face if necessary. Needless to say the best way to deal with any aggressive situation is either to get away, or to get help.
Also note that unless you have trained yourself to deliver a certain kind of strike, hitting something as solidly built as a human body can and will hurt you in return. Boxers routinely break their knuckles and fingers striking human bodies even through protective gloves, and any martial artist employing finger strikes or elbow strikes without pain probably has battered those points until they’re barely able to move.
Of further note, one on one grappling is a stronger method of fighting. HOWEVER it requires you to REMAIN with your opponent, can be readily reversed depending on the hold, and is very dangerous. Leave that stuff to the UFC showoffs. A swift unbalancing kick to the knees or chest can topple your foe so you can clear the hell out, and in any situation with more than one enemy DO NOT GRAPPLE. There’s a reason most militaries only teach grappling techniques specifically for capture and arrest situations: it’s a weak form of fighting that is only usable in a situation where you can afford one body to eliminate one body while trying to limit harm (IE why police specialize in grapples). Just look at poor Scap here….
I think the only time I ever see grappling is when child siblings fight (not fun to watch…or experience, for that matter) and catfights (which can start out fun to watch but get sick/sad rather quickly). It seems like the fighting choice used by the desperate or impatient, kind of like button-mashing on a fighting game…yeah, lame analogy, but I’m a lazy Gen Xer. I’ve seen more hardcore fights between Ryu and Ken than in a bar or alleyway.
I will also add that getting hit in the sternum hurts like hell. When I was young some asshole kid punched me square in the chest and it pretty much knocked the wind right out of me (I’m tempted to type his name here in case if anyone wants to find out where he lives and go punch him back for me).
There is another very vulnerable area on Scapula, as we’ll find out in the next comic…
Good observations. It really is for the inexperienced and desperate. Alternately it’s for meatheads who go to one-on-one matches like UFC and WWE.
A blow to the chest can seriously wreak havoc. Being winded is certainly one of the side effects of having your lungs violently compressed. Mother’s ribcage was so damaged she actually had the cartilage in front replaced with a metal lattice to hold her ribs together! Protect your chest. Better to batter your arms than your ribs.
Yikes! This is what happens when people who typically use gun get caught fighting close. Nasty business that! I prefer a machete and a 12. gauge myself! Not that I get into a lot of fights, but that’s what I end up carrying on me whenever I’m anywhere expecting violence. Typically hunting. I didn’t specify HUMAN violence!
Good loadout.