My first question is how many fights have you won where there were no rules or points?
Not 'true', but 'True', meaning the safest defence.
It's a reference to George Silver's style of fighting, which he wrote about in 1598.
At the time, the Italian style of fighting was the 'big thing'. It was full of so many complex steps and manoeuvres that it would take a lifetime to learn and to miss one would put a man in danger of death.
By comparison "Silver's" style, which is pretty much what most of the English used anyway, was very simple - Hack his arm off so he can't hold a sword, hack his head off so he can't fight.
Same thing here - Loads of complexity when a simple move is far safer.
Do you teach someone the Ultimate Touch Of Extreme Death before you teach them the first few basic stances?
Like the Samurai Sword being the 'ultimate weapon', this 'nose through the brain' thing is one of those Urban Myths that gets bandied about the internet by so many armchair warriors. To do it, you need to get in very close to your opponent and be extremely precise with your manoeuvre. Suggesting that random people, most of whom are untrained and will have been woken up by their bike alarm going off, try it against potentially armed thieves is tantamount to asking them to step in front of a bus.
Better to play it Silver's way - Attack from a safe distance and make every move a killing one.
Since said people are unlikely to know how to wield a bit of wood or pipe effectively, shooting is easier.
This is not a 'Look How Hard I Am' thread - I'd win that anyway, because I've just been looking at Goff's photos
This is about dealing with bike thieves and our opinions on the subject. Mine is a simple, effective deterrant.