Where did Indy Learn To Fight?

Johan

Active member
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

New member
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

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

Johan

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

kellpatton

New member
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

Member
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 ;)
 

Deadlock

New member
blur said:
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

Member
Deadlock said:
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

New member
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
 

QueZTone

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

vaxer

Moderator Emeritus
QueZTone said:
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

Moderator Emeritus
Aussie Jones said:
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.
 

Deadlock

New member
blur said:
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

New member
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?).
 
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