What actually works in a real fight?

This is maybe the most common question a martial artist will have to entertain when demonstrating a technique or a drill..."Does that work in a real fight?" (especially if you post content on the internet)

I understand the intention behind such a question and I don't really fault anyone for asking. Most people who have no training experience, and/or fighting experience (sport, street, battlefield) have a hard time distinguishing a training method from application. 

Meaning, in their minds they might think they are learning a fighting technique that is meant for them to completely absorb and be able to execute with ease in any combat situation.

I can also appreciate and understand a new student not wanting to be led down the wrong path by their "expert" instructor and getting their ass handed to them if, God forbid, they have to defend themselves.

So let's break this down and shed some light on this very important matter.

First off, we have to define what we mean by a "real fight".

Are we talking about a sanctioned combat sport event; mma, muay thai, submission wrestling, boxing, stick fighting tournament, etc.?

Well then the question of whether something works or not is easily observed under the microscope of these events.

Boom...done.

You see a fighter throw a Jab-Cross-Leg Kick, then shoot in for Double Leg Takedown, Pass the Guard, get on top and pound his opponent into submission, you can accurately say that the combination of those techniques "worked".

Now we get into the weeds of what does "it works" mean?

If the Jab-Cross didn't knock the fighter out before needing to do all that other stuff, one might argue that Jab Cross doesn't work.

Or... the leg kick didn't end the fight so that didn't really work. 

But when strung together by our imaginary fighter here, each technique "worked" in order to set up the next one and the next one, until we get to our final objective which, in the case of competitive sports, it's to "win" by scoring more points and/or by hurting your opponent so they can no longer fight or want to fight.

This concept can easily be carried over into other definitions of "real fighting" such as a "street fight" or fighting off an attacker.

A "street fight" meaning two people agreeing to fight each other for whatever reason is basically the same parameters as a cage fight, with the addition of an unpredictable environment. 

Self defense is an entirely different animal because true self defense is not about the fight, but about avoiding the fight and ending the threat.

When you consider that to be the objective, then you open way too many variable definitions of what "works".

I had a student get help up by a knife and he just punched him and ran. That worked. Does that mean it always works or that you should simply employ that technique every time?

Probably not.

I know of another knife attack where the woman blocked repeated slashes with her hands and sustained cuts even to her neck, but she lived.
That worked.

My mom worked in tough neighborhoods as a visiting nurse and had to deal with criminals and shady people all the time. When menacing looking individuals would approach her getting into her car she would just point her finger right at them and yell "NO!"
That worked.

So we see that what "works" in a real fight is difficult to truly answer without defining first what you mean by "real" and secondly "works for what?"

The bottom line in making something workable comes down to the individual, their attributes and how they train.

This is what Bruce Lee used to say and pissed off a lot of martial artists because they wanted to stick to their "style". 

Because they real question is; "Can you make something work, against who, and in what context?"