Street fighting is hand-to-hand fighting in public places, between individuals or groups of people.
Unlike sport fighting, a street fight might involve weapons, multiple opponents or revenge and has no rules. The venue is usually a public place (e.g. a street) and the fight often results in a serious injury or even death.
The main difference between street fighting and a self-defense situation is that a street fight is avoidable, whereas a self-defense situation is not. The other characteristic being that the fight is consensual between both parties. A typical situation might involve two men arguing in a bar, then one suggests stepping outside, where the fight commences. Thus, it is often possible to avoid the fight by backing off, while in self-defense, a person is actively trying to escape the situation, using force if necessary to assure his or her own safety.
In some martial arts communities, street fighting and self-defense are often considered synonymous.
Famous quotes containing the words street and/or fighting:
“Sports are positively essential. It is healthy to engage in sports, they are beautiful and liberal, liberal in the sense that nothing serves quite as well to integrate social classes, etc., than street or public games.”
—Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1860–1904)
“In a toddler’s mind, agreeing with you means that he is indistinguishable from you.... The adamant little tot is fighting hard to solidify a personal sense of Self. Selfhood sometimes requires great sacrifice and often precludes cooperation.”
—Lawrence Balter (20th century)