Season 1, Spacefall "The First Fight"
Description:
This first fight occurs aboard the London. Avon has agreed to help in the escape by performing the key task of gaining control of the London's computer system by crawling through the access tunnels to the computer room. Unfortunately, when he gets there, a computer technician is already present.
This fight is analyzed in three parts.
The First Fight, Part 1
Offence vs Defence
Avon's first instinct when he discovers the technician in the room is to hide and wait until the man leaves. This is a prudent measure and shows Avon does not like to take risks he doesn't have to and he is a man who will not to fight if he had a choice. (01-02)
When it becomes apparent that the technician is not going to leave, Avon checks his watch and realizes that he can't wait any longer. His choice is to risk a fight or to let the others down. Avon will always do what is needed when he has to and when he does, he doesn't hesitate. His face now becomes hard as he prepares to fight. He launches himself into the fight, literally. (03-05)
Once he does, Avon decks the man with a single punch to the mid-section. The man is knocked unconscious. This shows the power of Avon's punch. He may be a thinker first, but he is no weakling. When he punches, he positions himself for maximum power and puts his whole body into the punch.
After the man goes down, Avon, with his hand still in a fist, looks down to see if the man really is out cold before he attempts to gain control of the ship's computers.
Part One
Part Two
The First Fight, Part 2
Adaptability
After he knocked the technician down with a single punch to the mid-section, Avon shows his inexperience. He does not keep an eye on the man and thus does not realize the man has regained consciousness and is a threat again. (01-02)
The technician gets up when Avon has his back to him and proceeds to choke him from behind while holding his other hand imobilized. Avon's first instinct is to try to free himself. He does this by attempting to free the hand which is being held and also relieving some of the pressure from the choke by grabbing and pulling down on the technician's hand. Unfortunately, this does not work. The technician has a very firm hold on him. (03-07)
Avon changes tactics. He bends forward, thus giving himself some leverage and pulling the technician off his feet a bit. This breaks the technician's hold on Avon's wrist. (08-09) Then using this position, Avon pushes backwards and slams the man against the bulkhead. (21-22) After the man is stunned by this move, Avon turns around and grabs him by the collar, positions himself to the side of the man and is able to execute a throw which causes the man to end up on the console.
Part Three
The First Fight, Part 3
Refusing to Give Up and More Adaptability
After the technician is thrown onto the console, Avon continues the attack. The technician avoids his rush and rolls off the console. Avon cannot break his forward momentum and he ends up barrelling into the console. The technician takes this opportunity to punch Avon. His blow knocks Avon back against the bulkhead but, unlike Avon's earlier hit, is not enough to render Avon unconscious. (01-05)
The technician then resorts to his favourite tactic, trying to choke Avon. Despite being unable to breathe, Avon tries to break the mans's choke by grabbing his hand. This is the second time this move does not work. The man must have a grip like iron.
Avon changes tactics and uses both hands to strike the right spot just behind the man's ears. The technician is stunned again and in pain and lets go of his hold on Avon's neck. Avon is angry now and grabs the man by the hair and uses the same throw he did before. This time the man is sent flying into the bulkhead, head first, knocking him out cold.
The First Fight - Overall Analysis
What does it tells us of Avon the man?
Avon is a peaceful man. He is a thinker first; he only resorts to barbarous violence when he has no other choice. He will not hurt the technician or risk his own life until he has to.
Once Avon determines that he has to resort to the lesser action of violence, he has no hesitations. He launches himself into the fight and is not afraid of tackling the man. Avon is a man who will not give up.
After the fight, Avon stares down at the man with a grim look on his face. He seems disgusted that he has had to resort to violence.
Another thing to note about this fight, even though the technician is is trying to kill him by choking him to death, twice, Avon doesn't respond in kind. He only knocks the technician. For someone like Avon, violence and killing is the last resort, not the first.
Assessment of Fighting Ability
Once Avon commits himself to fighting, he holds nothing back. He is as focused on this as he would be on the intellectual pursuits he is more familiar with. Avon seems to have some knowledge of fighting techniques, from the positioning of his body to maximize power behind his punch, to his throwing technique and his punches to the technician's mid-section and the strike behind the ears.
Even though he seems familiar with the techniques as well as the right places to strike for best effect, Avon's movements are not as polished as in later fights. This may be an indication of Avon's inexperience and that he is not really a fighter at this point. He does not have the practical experience yet and this may be his first fight in a real situation.
Physically, Avon is very strong. He is able to knock the technician out with a single punch as well as throw the man halfway across the room.
He shows a natural ability to adjust his fighting techniques. When one does not work, he tries a different one.
Even though it is too early to tell, one of his favourite techniques seems to involve throws.
Rating the Fight: 8 / 10
Avon's inexperience is made up by his resolve, strength and knowledge of fighting techniques.
