MixedMartialArts.com shows what really works, by looking at what happens when martial arts are used on the street. If you enjoyed it, check out more stories on:
•Martial Arts on The Street
•Bare Knuckle Boxing
•Stop Bullying
•Mutual Combat
Patrick ‘Paddy’ Doherty is an Irish Traveller and highly recognized bare-knuckle boxer. In this video, he is captured engaging in a brutal street brawl outside a PC World in Manchester, England. The opponent is his cousin, Johnny Joyce, who is about half his age. Joyce took a page from Mike Tyson when he sunk his teeth into Paddy during the altercation, tearing off a big chunk of his ear; it would later have to be reattached with surgery.
The intense brawl, which held up rush-hour traffic in the streets of Manchester, was sparked by an incident at a recent family funeral. The moment was also fueled by a deep-seated feud between two Traveller families.
Paddy has claimed that the Gypsy community shunned him over his celebrity status, after he appeared on numerous television shows and won Celebrity Big Brother 8. Joyce’s brother, Dougie Joyce, recorded the fight, and is overheard encouraging his brother to lay it on Paddy.
Come on you dirty Doherty bastard,” he yells. “Give it to him Johnny, go on Johnny, give it to him. Give it to the dirty tramp. Go on. Flatten that dirty tramp.
The Aftermath
In the aftermath of the altercation, Paddy came out bloodied and battered. Joyce was jailed for 15 months because of his extensive criminal history. Paddy received a suspended jail term of 51 weeks, and Joyce’s brother Dougie was given 150 hours of community service and a fine, for his involvement in the street spectacle.
Please note: The UnderGround at MixedMartialArts.com does not recommend participating in unsanctioned fights of any kind, unless you are forced, without alternative, to defend yourself, your family, or friends. That said, we recognize that human beings inevitably have grievances, and that sorting it out with fists is far, far, far better than stooping to weapons. Or biting. That’s just gross.
And you cannot reference Irish Traveller culture without acknowledging that they are a tough breed of true fighting men. The likes of Tyson Fury and of course the rise of Bare Knuckle Boxing would not have happened without Travellers. The culture is beginning to make an impact in MMA, too; check out the likes of Tony Giles on Instagram.
The Lesson
Biting, along with groin strikes and eye pokes, are often presented as easy-to-learn self-defense techniques that cause instant incapacitation. They’re not, as you can see.
Author Shawn Cooper is a former editor at UGO.com, and current freelance writer, author, video editor, musician, and suspected samurai Jedi knight. On top of being an avid combat sports fan, he trains as a martial artist in boxing and Muay Thai.
