Where did Indy Learn To Fight?

[Johan]

Where do you guy's think Indy learned to fight? I mean he out fought some large men (we know him to be the same man playing different charachters) and won, he has to have some experience behind that. But HJ Sr. never seemed like a fighting man so he didn't learn it from his dad...did it come natural?

[Rick5150]

This is an interesting question since he has a unique style. Keeping in mind Raider's was filmed before any books, comic, TV series were made about the character, what was his background as implied by that film only?

I like the way he waits for the other person to make a move and then capitalizes on it with an appropriate reaction. It does not look as if it is a 'taught" style to me but one has has picked up through experience. Throwing sand in people's faces and crotch-kicking imply skills learned on the street.

[Webley]

Id have to go with Rick5150 and say Indy learned to fight on the street. Doc Jones is no boxer hes a brawler.

[Johan]

Well, where ever he learned to fight, he can do it well as he has beat quite large men.

[kellpatton]

well i do agree on the learning on the street thing but lets not forget indy was in worldwar 1 and you cant be in the army and not know how to fight.

[blur]

If we examine the ways in which he beat the bigger guys, does it really show a lot of skill?

The german mechanic was kicking his butt until accidentally caught by the rotor blades, for example.

The Thugee dude was going great until he got sucked into the rock crusher.

These aren't examples of some spectacular fighting style on Indy's part, people ;)

[kellpatton]

well you gotta do what ya gotta do to win but still indy fights pretty good

[Deadlock]

Originally posted by blur
If we examine the ways in which he beat the bigger guys, does it really show a lot of skill?

The german mechanic was kicking his butt until accidentally caught by the rotor blades, for example.

The Thugee dude was going great until he got sucked into the rock crusher.

These aren't examples of some spectacular fighting style on Indy's part, people ;)

Indy's fighting skills are superior to these larger, stronger opponents because Indy has TACTICS. Using your environment to your advantage is a hallmark of military strategy. Maybe he couldn't stand up to these guys in a "fair" fight; but unless Indy were to become a prizefighter, he'd never have to.

[blur]

Originally posted by Deadlock
Indy's fighting skills are superior to these larger, stronger opponents because Indy has TACTICS. Using your environment to your advantage is a hallmark of military strategy. Maybe he couldn't stand up to these guys in a "fair" fight; but unless Indy were to become a prizefighter, he'd never have to.

Thanks for that, Sun Tzu ;) I would put forward the idea, however, that a lot of Indy's wins come through luck - pure and simple. It's written into the character that he gets into situations he cannot control and barely scrapes through. It creates the sense of drama that we enjoy in these films. We do not watch these films expecting Indy to be the ultimate fighting machine or the ultimate tactician... we watch them to see what accidental occurance will get him out of his next scrape. And that is why I disagree with your POV. I don't rate Indy as a tactician at all. He's far too impetuous. Just look at his big plan for blowing up the Ark in Raiders for starters.

[kellpatton]

Ya so thats whats indy is about:a rough tough rugged man that gets the job done.plus its good that stuff happens like that man getting chopped in the airplane blades otherwise it would lose its indy way

[theinfiniteweird]

Indy is very good at thinking on his feet. I don't think he has a taught fighting style.

[Aussie Jones]

He fought pretty well during the truck scene.

[QueZTone]

i taught indy how to fight in the boxing ring of indiana jones and the last crusade (graphic adventure) :D

[vaxer]

Originally posted by QueZTone
i taught indy how to fight in the boxing ring of indiana jones and the last crusade (graphic adventure) :D

LOL, yeah I remember that. I never finished the game though.

[Ayrun]

Originally posted by Aussie Jones
This is stupid logic from Blur. Consider this, the German mechanic had not just escaped with his life from the Well of Souls. He was relaxing before he fought Indy. Also, Indy had just fought a mechanic with the spanner.

Unlike Indy the Thugee dude was not getting the voodoo doll treatment during the fight. If you watch that fight clearly Blur you'll see that Indy was doing very well when he wasn't getting a phantom knife in his back.

Stupid logic, huh?
I think Blur makes a good point.
Indy isn't a really great fighter and to survive he needs a lot of luck at times.

[Finn]

Let's say <i>dumb</i> luck.

[Deadlock]

Originally posted by blur
Thanks for that, Sun Tzu ;) I would put forward the idea, however, that a lot of Indy's wins come through luck - pure and simple. It's written into the character that he gets into situations he cannot control and barely scrapes through. It creates the sense of drama that we enjoy in these films. We do not watch these films expecting Indy to be the ultimate fighting machine or the ultimate tactician... we watch them to see what accidental occurance will get him out of his next scrape. And that is why I disagree with your POV. I don't rate Indy as a tactician at all. He's far too impetuous. Just look at his big plan for blowing up the Ark in Raiders for starters.

Yes, I agree I wouldn’t rate Indy with the greatest generals of all time, and he relies on luck fairly often. So, while I would call Indy “ the ultimate fighting machine or the ultimate tactician”, I would call him a master of thinking on his feet or desperation tactics. He has a very good way of thinking about cause and effect, in ways that are usually “outside the box.” Since, you brought up the rocket launcher incident, here are some example of what I mean outside strict combat situations.

1. Toppling the statues in the Well of Souls to bust through the wall.
2. Letting the Flying Wing take care of the German Mechanic.
3. Using his feet to stop the mine car.
4. Chopping the rope bridge to even the odds.
5. Flipping over Sir Richard’s coffin to escape the conflagration in the catacombs.
6. Going outside and swinging into his Dad’s alarmed room.
7. Using the bust of Hitler to stop the secret fireplace door.
8. Taking a flagpole to joust with the Nazi biker.
9. Using a rock to knock out one of the tank's cannons.

I’m sure other people could come up with other examples. Even if he’s not always sure how it’s going to turn out, Indy’s mind is a central part to his fighting style. It is this factor that makes him a superior fighter. Everything he does doesn't always work out, and Indy needs to be saved by luck (the spike chamber, hanging off the tank gun). BUT.....

Luck - pure and simple??? I think not, Herr Donovan. :)

[Indy Benson]

Yes, he does a decent job of thinking on his feet, but he still has ridiculous luck (what are the odds that that statue could be moved by him, and fall just right enough to knock a hole in the wall, all without killing Indy?).

[Deadlock]

It's called "Hollywood." Just go with it. :D

[Johan]

He has quick wits!

[Indyologist]

Oops.

[Indyologist]

From my fictional diary, "Living With Indy"--

I asked Indy how he learned to fight.
"Well, kid," he said, "if you want to learn how to fight, there's one thing you have to do first."
"What's that?"
"You have to get beat up first. Maybe a couple of times. THEN, you're ready to learn how to fight. It's a good idea to be on the receiving end before you slug someone. Uh, not that I'd recommend you go out and pick a fight."

It makes sense, really. I think. Indy's got an interesting mind. I can't imagine anyone getting one over on Indy and beating him up, though. But I'll bet it's happened...

Indy went on to say that he learned a lot about fighting when he was in the Great War, but he said life as a man in general will teach you pretty quick. He told me his first big fight was at a Navajo reservation he lived near when he was a kid. Indy used to hang out with quite a few Navajo kids and he was picked on about that in school. Anyways, I guess one of the Navajo boys was a bully. He accused Indy of something, I can't remember what, and the kid gave Indy a good pounding. That happened a couple of times until Indy got sick of it and just pulled back and smashed him in the mouth without even thinking. I guess the kid lost a tooth and ran away crying! Indy said that that was when he learned the truth about all bullies: whether they're the kid down the block or Adolf Hitler, they're cowards at their core who are fooled by their own power, and that power usually backfires on them one day. That really made me smile when he said that. Indy has learned his life lessons well and I like to hear what he has to say.

I asked him what he thought about women who fight. He surprized me by saying that the women he knew who were caught in a fight were some of the toughest people he's met. But they're few and far between, he said, because men are usually expected to be more aggressive. He said some of the best women fighters he'd seen were Asian. Then he told me something amazing (nothing new about THAT!), he said, "did you know that in feudal Japan, WOMEN could be samuris too? They lived by Bushido just like the men did," he said, "except when they commited suicide-- you know, seppuku-- they stabbed themselves in the throat." Geez!

By the way, Indy said that "seppuku" literally means "belly cutting." Indy also said to never call it "hari-kari" if you're in Japan. It's considered insulting.

[Aussie Jones]

I can't stand boxing, mabye it's because I'm a girl.

[whipem]

I've been taking karate for a little over a month, so I've been hoping for a fight, naive as it is!

[Raffey]

The best way to learn how to fight is to fight.

You can theorize, read, train, take lessons for years.

Once your opponent pops you on the nose for the every first time making your eyes water with tears all of that seems to go out the door. :D And survival instincts tend to kick in.

The funny thing is if you watch the Ultimate Fighting championships almost all of the fights turn into wrestling matches just like most fights on campus.

[Johan]

Don't you think Indy fought people who are better seasoned in fighting though>?

[blur]

Originally posted by whipem816
I've been taking karate for a little over a month, so I've been hoping for a fight, naive as it is!

Sounds like you're being taught by the wrong people.

[Johan]

I agree, that's beyond being naive

[Deadlock]

Originally posted by whipem816
I've been taking karate for a little over a month, so I've been hoping for a fight, naive as it is!

Here's a little piece of advice: watch out for the people who've been taking Karate for TWO months.

[Johan]

I take Indy Fightology 101

[Indyologist]

Originally posted by IndyJohan
I take Indy Fightology 101

LOL!

Subjects covered in "Indy Fightology 101":

* Effective blocking
* Improvisation with furniture (and anything else that's handy)
* Grunts, growls, and battle cries
* Taking hits with grace
* How to eat dirt and like it
* Effective crotch kicking
* How to break a nose

[Johan]

you forgot one more thing...
How to look good even after being beaten half to death.

[Finn]

And as a final test, "How to make believable winces when there's a pretty lass patching you up."

[Johan]

Ha...I like that one!

[Indyologist]

Originally posted by whipem816
I've been taking karate for a little over a month, so I've been hoping for a fight, naive as it is!

Sorry to burst your bubble of testosterone, but good martial arts students don't roam the streets looking to pick a fight. That's not a martial artist-- that's a common street thug. Don't reduce yourself to that kind of crap. Keep that kind of junk in the "'hood." Remember that when a person masters a martial art, their hands are REGISTERED WEAPONS, and all weapons should be treated with respect and used only when absolutely necessary.

Keep working on your skills in martial arts, but have some maturity and respect for what you are learning, okay?

[Canyon]

Originally posted by Indyologist
From my fictional diary, "Living With Indy"--

I asked Indy how he learned to fight.
"Well, kid," he said, "if you want to learn how to fight, there's one thing you have to do first."
"What's that?"
"You have to get beat up first. Maybe a couple of times. THEN, you're ready to learn how to fight. It's a good idea to be on the receiving end before you slug someone. Uh, not that I'd recommend you go out and pick a fight."

It makes sense, really. I think. Indy's got an interesting mind. I can't imagine anyone getting one over on Indy and beating him up, though. But I'll bet it's happened...

Indy went on to say that he learned a lot about fighting when he was in the Great War, but he said life as a man in general will teach you pretty quick. He told me his first big fight was at a Navajo reservation he lived near when he was a kid. Indy used to hang out with quite a few Navajo kids and he was picked on about that in school. Anyways, I guess one of the Navajo boys was a bully. He accused Indy of something, I can't remember what, and the kid gave Indy a good pounding. That happened a couple of times until Indy got sick of it and just pulled back and smashed him in the mouth without even thinking. I guess the kid lost a tooth and ran away crying! Indy said that that was when he learned the truth about all bullies: whether they're the kid down the block or Adolf Hitler, they're cowards at their core who are fooled by their own power, and that power usually backfires on them one day. That really made me smile when he said that. Indy has learned his life lessons well and I like to hear what he has to say.

I asked him what he thought about women who fight. He surprized me by saying that the women he knew who were caught in a fight were some of the toughest people he's met. But they're few and far between, he said, because men are usually expected to be more aggressive. He said some of the best women fighters he'd seen were Asian. Then he told me something amazing (nothing new about THAT!), he said, "did you know that in feudal Japan, WOMEN could be samuris too? They lived by Bushido just like the men did," he said, "except when they commited suicide-- you know, seppuku-- they stabbed themselves in the throat." Geez!

By the way, Indy said that "seppuku" literally means "belly cutting." Indy also said to never call it "hari-kari" if you're in Japan. It's considered insulting.


Wow, Indyologist! That has to be one of the coolest posts I've read in a long time! It's awesome!

Have you ever thought of putting this 'diary' online or is it personal?

[Finn]

feudal - <i>feodal</i>

samuri - <i>samurai</i>

hari-kari - <i>harakiri</i> (I had the most laughs on this one.)

[Deadlock]

The Finnish Spelling Police strike again! :rolleyes:

[Finn]

<small>You have the right to remain silent. Everything you mispell can be used against you before your fellow raveners. You have the right to hire a nitpicker who will follow your actions. If you can't afford a nitpicker, one will appointed to you...</small>

[Deadlock]

<small>Those public nitpickers... They're totally worthless! I did 5 years once just for misspelling "connoisseur." I was clearly provoked into trying to use a French word...</small>

[Johan]

U shood hav gautten tenn

[Deadlock]

Ah ha! A Germanic Canadian Hillybilly! Finns, seize him!

[Johan]

Haha for you...I'm only half German and 3/4 Hillybilly

[Indyologist]

Originally posted by Finn
feudal - <i>feodal</i>

samuri - <i>samurai</i>

hari-kari - <i>harakiri</i> (I had the most laughs on this one.)

My spell for "feudal" is correct.

From the American Heritage Dictionary:

SYLLABICATION: feu·dal
ADJECTIVE: 1. Of, relating to, or characteristic of feudalism. 2. Of or relating to lands held in fee or to the holding of such lands.
OTHER FORMS: feudal·ly —ADVERB

"samuri" and "hari-kari" I apologize for. Shall I personally hack off my digits with a rusty butter knife or would you like to do the honors yourself?

Originally posted by Canyon
Wow, Indyologist! That has to be one of the coolest posts I've read in a long time! It's awesome!

Have you ever thought of putting this 'diary' online or is it personal?

It's not really an entire diary, but something I've done ever since I began to love Indy in high school. I pretended I was Indy's cousin who had to come and live with him for a spell, and I wrote little "snippets" of the things I learned from him. This particular one for this thread I wrote "on the spot."

[Finn]

Hey, I'm only doing the dirty work when no one else is willing to. So you can do it all yourself.

[Indyologist]

Originally posted by Finn
Hey, I'm only doing the dirty work when no one else is willing to. So you can do it all yourself.

Okay, Finn, I'll send you some "lady fingers" through the mail! ;)

[Finn]

And I'll make a necklace out of them and send it back to you.

[Indyologist]

Originally posted by Finn
And I'll make a necklace out of them and send it back to you.

But they won't be fresh anymore! :( There's nothing worse than rotting lady fingers.

[whipem]

Originally posted by blur
Sounds like you're being taught by the wrong people.
What I meant is, my sensei told me before I joined that "you should never fight, but you can't let people push you around." In other words, I'm being taught that I shouldn't fight, but I should know what to do if someone attacks me (just about all the techiques I've learned start with someone attacking me).

Originally posted by Indiologist
Sorry to burst your bubble of testosterone, but good martial arts students don't roam the streets looking to pick a fight. That's not a martial artist-- that's a common street thug. Don't reduce yourself to that kind of crap. Keep that kind of junk in the "'hood." Remember that when a person masters a martial art, their hands are REGISTERED WEAPONS, and all weapons should be treated with respect and used only when absolutely necessary.

Keep working on your skills in martial arts, but have some maturity and respect for what you are learning, okay?


I now realize that I shouldn't hope for a fight, but just know what do to if someone starts fighting me (I meant in my last post that I was hoping for someone to pick a fight with me, not vice versa). Forgive my immaturity.

[VP]

Just FYI, feudal is correct. Play AoE2:AoK more.

[Finn]

<i>Both</i> are correct. It's just what you've used to use...

[Indyologist]

Originally posted by whipem816
What I meant is, my sensei told me before I joined that "you should never fight, but you can't let people push you around." In other words, I'm being taught that I shouldn't fight, but I should know what to do if someone attacks me (just about all the techiques I've learned start with someone attacking me).



I now realize that I shouldn't hope for a fight, but just know what do to if someone starts fighting me (I meant in my last post that I was hoping for someone to pick a fight with me, not vice versa). Forgive my immaturity.

Hey, no problem Whipem. Every once in a while, immaturity breaks its bonds, rips off its clothes and runs amuk. If you ever see it, just bash it in the gonads with the 2x4 of rationality. Not very subtle, but it works.

[whipem]

Thanks, good advice! I'll remember that next time it happens.

[blur]

Originally posted by whipem816
What I meant is, my sensei told me before I joined that "you should never fight, but you can't let people push you around." In other words, I'm being taught that I shouldn't fight, but I should know what to do if someone attacks me (just about all the techiques I've learned start with someone attacking me).

Only if they attack and you have no other means of escape. I'm almost 30 and I still can't get my head around the concept in every situation, however, sometimes it's better to just walk away.

Even if you want to think of practical considerations. Like, for example, say a homeless person with every disease under the sun attacks you. You decide to fight back, and split your knuckles open. Next thing, his nose or mouth is bleeding... that potential blood to blood transfer of fluids could prove deadly if that person has hepatitus or HIV or whatever else.

So you might win the fight and feel like a big man, but your troubles have only just started. Just keep scenarios like that in mind, too.

If you have to fight - fight. If there's a way not to - take it.

[Johan]

Well, all I have to say is " I'm glad one of Indy's fight tactics involve running away, or he would have been gone at the beginning of Raiders with Hovitos darts protruding from his body"

[Indyologist]

Yes, running away is an option. A good, fine option.

Cue the battle cry from Monty Python and the Holy Grail:

"Run away! Run away!" :D

[whipem]

Great movie! I loved it and laughed hysterically at most parts.

[Indyologist]

Originally posted by Indyologist
LOL!

Subjects covered in "Indy Fightology 101":

* Effective blocking
* Improvisation with furniture (and anything else that's handy)
* Grunts, growls, and battle cries
* Taking hits with grace
* How to eat dirt and like it
* Effective crotch kicking
* How to break a nose

Gotta add one more:

* How to remove bloodstains...

[Indy's_main_man]

or even more importantly: Grass stains! (tense music)

[whipem]

Another addition: keeping your hat on, even when you're thrown around (except in ET)!

[Indy_Jones88]

Here is another addition:

How to outrun obstacles such as big boulders, Hovitos, Nazis, etc.