Something for everyone:

http://www.personalprotectionsystems.ca/multimedia.htm

Excellent vids of real fights. The things that stuck out the most to me as I watched them were:

1. The level of hate and anger people can have for one another and how this plays into the outcome of the fight.

2. How the guy who wants to win the fight the most usually comes out the victor.

3. How the fight can change so quickly, as the fighter losing can turn the tables.

4. How resilient the body is and how much abuse it can take without really effecting the fight.

"How the guy who wants to win the fight the most usually comes out the victor."

I think that's a good point and in several of the vids, the guy that just wants to get away or defend himself usually gets beat. Does being too self-defense oriented destroy your intent?

Take a look at "very mad" on that page. That guy was attacked out of nowhere and he's just trying to get away, but his attacker won't let him. Kinda kills the "just run away" myth, doesn't it?

Your point is well taken and I must agree with you. I believe that taking the initiative and not getting in a position where you must defend yourself places you in a more advantageous position against your opponent. But the question is how do you mass your efforts? Do you conserve your energy and attack at strategic points at certain points in time, or do you mass all your efforts in a glorious tirade of blazing fast hits and kicks?

As stated before, the human body can withstand a great deal of punishment, especially when the adrenaline is kicking. So if your attack does not really incapacitate your opponent, more than likely it was nothing more than a wasted effort.

On the other hand, if you "drop" your opponent or he capitulates, this massing attack can prove effective.

But again, notice how the tide turns. Johnny may end up with a broken nose, a cut lip, a shiner, and ringing in his ears, but he can somehow gain the upper-hand if he hangs on and finds a way to exploit his opponent's weakness.

An excellent fight to watch is a UFC fight of Mark Coleman versus Maurice Smith. I know, I know--rules, a ref, and an octagon. But it's still worth observing and analyzing. This fight pitted one massive muscular guy (natural, I'm sure) against a much smaller man. Notice how the smaller man hung on and figured out how to transition from his opponent's fight to his own. Through exhaustion, the one man exploited this weakness of stamina and endurance and came out the victor. Seemingly, the initiative turned.

Sun Tzu, Moltke, Jomini, and Clausewsitz would probably all agree on seizing the opportunity without hesitation and seizing the initiative from the outset of combat. But if that is not possible, your battlefield is going to have to be viewed as assymetrical and you are going to have to use guerrilla tactics.

And you are correct, sometimes you just can't run away from a fight. That's very scary. That ushers in the idea of the classic case whereby someone ends up on the ground and the attacker tries to kick your head through the uprights of your nearest football field.

Man's inhumanity to man never ceases to amaze me. I guess if you are going to claim that you are a martial artist, you need to be on top of your game at all time, or run the risk of incredible punishment; in the case of multiple opponents--good luck.