Recall the scene where Jake Holman dukes it out with slovenly, big-mouthed bully Stawski? Jake Holman puts down Stawski
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — The Sand Pebbles
jeffyoung1 — 15 years ago(May 06, 2010 12:44 AM)
Recall the scene where Jake Holman dukes it out with slovenly, big-mouthed bully Stawski? Jake Holman puts down Stawski with several, well-placed, economical hammer and elbow strikes. Jake Holman exhibited some kind of hand-to-hand combat fighting that uses straightforward, economical strikes, no fancy movements. Of course this movie was filmed in the mid-1960s and it's already well-known that martial arts instructors were teaching actors and stuntmen. I wouldn't be surprised if actor Steve McQueen was taught his fighting moves by none other than the late Bruce Lee, late Kenpo expert, Ed Parker, or the late martial arts modernist, Bruce Tegner.
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Jimwhitley6 — 15 years ago(May 26, 2010 12:19 PM)
Looked more like brutal streetfighting moves. It wasn't like everybody fought by the Marquess of Queensbury Rules prior to the introduction of Asian martial arts. Boxers have long known the effectiveness of liver and kidney punches - using your elbows instead of your knuckles is just smart, less chance of breaking the tiny bones in your hands.
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jeffyoung1 — 13 years ago(April 29, 2012 07:59 PM)
Maybe, but's there's a fine line between effective street-fighting and trained, hand-to-hand combat. Watch Jake Holman's (Steve McQueen) hammer fist and elbow blows and more, his body movements. It shows way too much finesse and refinement to be simple, duke-it-out street fighting. Steve McQueen had been taught serious hand-to-hand combat moves, most probably by the late Bruce Lee, and possibly by the late Bruce Tegner.
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jeffyoung1 — 13 years ago(April 30, 2012 11:33 AM)
Yes indeed. I liked the way how Steve McQueen's Jake Holman character effectively illustrated how to fight in very close quarters. The use of his elbows to put down a bigger (if more fat) man is a good example. In real life, such use of powerful elbow blows would have cracked Navy seaman Stawski's ribs, or anyone else for that manner.
Much hand-to-hand fighting is done at medium to close to very close (grappling) range. Tae Kwon Do is an excellent example of long-range fighting using the legs backed up with medium range hand blows. Thai kick boxing is another good example. Karate is a fine example of specialized medium range combat. Western boxing specializes in medium range and close range fist fighting.
My point is, everything I've seen on the Internet about self-defense, eg, Krav Maga, Jujutusu, on the dangerous urban streets and on the battlefield seems to indicate the average person needs to be prepared for close-in (short punches, chops, elbows, knees) to very close-in (grappling) hand-to-hand fighting. Self-defense presumes most of the time that your assailant has the initiative and surprise on you. You don't have the time, ground space, and distance to engage in long-range fighting.