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Reading Time: 7 minutesLast Updated on June 11, 2025 by Paul Clayton
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4 Ways To Break Up a Fight
When two people get into a brawl, it can be challenging to separate them. However, there are several steps you can take to calm their aggression, but you must consider your safety while doing so.
In this article, I’ll explain what you need to do to break up a fight and the circumstances in which you can intervene.
Key Takeaways:
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- Prioritize Your Safety: The most crucial rule is to evaluate the situation and prioritize your safety before attempting to break up a fight. Non-intervention is often the safest and most logical choice, especially when dealing with strangers.
- When to Intervene (Exceptions): Intervention may be warranted if one party is unwilling to fight, visibly trying to escape, or being unprovokedly assaulted. It’s also applicable if you have an obligation (e.g., a bouncer, an authority figure) or are already directly involved.
- Methods of Intervention (with caution):
- Physical Separation: Getting directly between combatants, maintaining indifference.
- Physical Shoving: Shoving them apart to create distance (be prepared for retaliation).
- Restraint: Grabbing one combatant by the waist and moving them away, without pinning their arms or making them defenseless.
- Distraction: Yelling or making sarcastic remarks from a distance to shift their focus (works best with known individuals).
- Call Authorities: In most situations, the best and safest course of action is to call the police or other appropriate authorities, as they are trained to handle such conflicts.
- Legal and Personal Risks: Intervening in a fight can carry legal consequences (e.g., misdemeanor charges) and pose significant personal risks, including injury to yourself or unintentionally escalating the violence.
Should I Break up a Fight?
Whether to break up a fight is a highly subjective decision that depends on the individual situation. Before breaking up a fight, you need to evaluate the fighting situation. Consider the number of people involved, their physical stature, the presence of weapons, and anyone nearby who can assist.
I’ve had extensive experience in self-defense and managed a dozen bar fights while working as a bouncer. In most cases, I advise against interfering in a fight. Don’t do anything.
If two random strangers are determined to fight, they will, regardless of your intervention. There’s nothing you can do about it, so let them beat themselves senselessly. Therefore, the most logical course of action is to step back and avoid getting into a fighting situation whenever possible.
After all, the parties seem intent on stupidity, so let them deal with the consequences.
Of course, I understand why a cop, teacher, or bouncer would want to intervene. I have nothing against them, but you should let people fight if you’re not an authority figure.
The unfortunate thing about fights is that you usually don’t know how far both parties are willing to go, and I’ve seen one person get knocked out trying to intervene in a brawl in several cases. Trying to stop a fight puts you directly in harm’s way, and you run the risk of hurting yourself or one of the two getting more hurt than the other because you tried to “help.”
Furthermore, in some municipalities, like NC, even breaking up a fight can result in the police charging you with a simple affray (misdemeanor).
Deciding whether to intervene in a physical fight is a complex decision that hinges on multiple factors, including the potential risks to your safety.
So, I advise you to step back and let their problems be theirs. It’s better to call an authority figure, as they are trained to handle such situations. You might also stick around to state the cops, but don’t get involved unless you have to. It’s too dangerous.
In many cases, the best course of action may be to call the police or inform someone with more authority, rather than risking your safety. It’s crucial to remember that breaking up a fight can be hazardous, and unless you are trained to handle such situations, it’s often better to seek professional help.
When to Step In
Of course, there are exceptions, and depending on the situation, you might need to step in and break up a fight. However, as always, I recommend that you prioritize your safety.
I might consider breaking up a fight if one person doesn’t want to be 
in a fight. For example, if they’re asking for help or being pummeled without being given a chance to reiterate, it would only be humane to stop the fight.
Secondly, if you witnessed the genesis of the fight and are sure that one person attacked the other without provocation, it makes sense to break up the fight.
Also, I would intervene if one of the combatants doesn’t want to fight or is already in a state where they cannot express the desire not to fight. It also makes sense to break a fight if one of the parties is visibly trying to escape. Finally, step in if you’re already involved in the situation or are obligated to stop the fight.
Otherwise, two adults should be allowed to square off against each other. You only need to sit there and enjoy the show.
How to Break Up a Fight
There are several ways to break up a fight, and the choice usually depends on the circumstances and current situation.
Get in Between Them
Sandwiching yourself between the warring parties is probably one of the most effective ways to break up a fight. In most cases, getting between the fighting guys will diffuse the situation.
While doing so, you must always remain indifferent. Don’t side with any parties, even if your friends are involved.
Get Physical
If that doesn’t work, you need to get physical. Start by shoving them apart, and let the distance do the work. If that doesn’t seem to work, take it higher and knock the shit out of them both.
This is a risk; you must be well-prepared for a retaliatory attack. Also, apply this technique only if you understand the basic principles of self-defense and martial arts.
Restrain Them
This is not the best way to stop a fight, but you can intervene by grabbing one of the parties. Only physically intervene if one of the combatants is your friend. And you know their limits. Friends are less likely to attack you when you do it.
Ideally, the best approach is to grab one of the combatants by the waist while moving them away.
Please don’t make the mistake of pinning their arms or shoulders down as you drag them away. You might think holding their hands stops the fight, but it makes them defenseless. So, while you’ve stopped one person from throwing punches, you’ve provided the other party with an opportunity for a clean shot, which is generally counterproductive to your goal of ending the violence.
Distract Them
In other fighting situations, it’s easy to break up the fights by yelling insulting or sarcastic remarks from a distance.
Say something like, “Get a room,” or “What would your kids think?” And once they acknowledge you and draw their attention, make a few more jabs at them. The more a**hole you sound like, the better the job of separating them.
After successfully shifting their attention and anger towards you, walk away. Hopefully, the distraction will cool their nerves and frustrations, and they might even be too confused to resume fighting.
*This usually works for people you know and understand how they react to certain jabs.*
Why You Should Never Fight
Fighting should never be a way to resolve conflict. There are far better ways.
The problem with fighting is the risk of injury or death. You never know when a punch will send you sprawling into the edge of a desk or traffic. And most of the time, when two people want to fight, it’s usually over something stupid or petty.
Even when you’re willing to accept the risk of injury or death when you get into a fight, the consequences are usually more far-reaching. It disturbs the peace, leads to a more violent society, and may injure those nearby.
Final Thoughts
There are valid reasons why you might want to stop a fight, but you must also prioritize your safety. If you think the conditions aren’t favorable, step back and call the relevant authorities. There is no need to get harmed by other people’s stupidity.
Breaking up a fight can be dangerous, but sometimes, it’s necessary to prevent harm to the individuals involved. Here are some steps to consider if you find yourself in such a situation:
Assess the Situation: Not all fights are the same. If participants are using weapons or the fight involves multiple people, it is best to call the authorities immediately.
Stay Calm: It’s essential to remain calm to think clearly and make informed decisions.
Call for Help: Do not attempt to break up a fight alone. Call for backup, whether it’s friends, family, or the authorities. In many cases, it’s best to call the police.
Use Your Voice: Avoid the situation by speaking loudly and clearly. State that the fight is not necessary and remind everyone involved about the potential consequences.
Avoid Getting Involved: Physically separating fighting people can escalate the situation and lead to injury.
Create a Distraction: Sometimes, distraction can break the tension and stop a fight. This could be something like yelling, “Fire,” or “Police are here.”
Wait for the Right Moment: If it’s safe and you decide to intervene, wait until the combatants have somewhat exhausted themselves. This will reduce the risk of them lashing out at you.
Speak to the Aggressors Separately: If the fight breaks up, don’t allow the individuals to remain near each other. Try to separate them and speak to them individually to calm them down.
Report the Incident: After the situation has been resolved, report the incident to the necessary authorities if necessary.
Remember, your safety should always be a priority. If you are not confident that you can break up a fight safely, your best option is to call for professional help. Always use your best judgment.
