I like to move in such a way to stack or align the opponents in a single line as much as possible. So I face one opponent at a time. So one opponent is behind another opponent and so forth. Basically using the first opponent as a shield. It's easier said than done. Vs. multiple opponents, I fair better when I'm aggressive and strike first. I learned these from Michael Pace's multiple attackers training.

Practice that with multiple opponents.

It takes time to get on to that, but it can be done, by first lining them up and them start the pile.

You have them begin from anywhere, and try to prevail.

The idea is to keep them in a way that you face only one of them at a time. That time can be very short, but you need it.

Avoid that circle, and get something behind you. Like a wall or such.

The do it over and over and over, until all you still need to do is train it over and over.

Multiple adversaries is a dangerous and frightening situation. I know that from experience.

The standing in the middle with adversaries around you is a training method and not the situation you would ever want to be in for a real life situation.

The reasons of such training is to help you develop the sense of awareness of who moves (or will move first) and how to "flow" smoothly without break from that first attacker to all the other ones. The problem many people have even a very skilled fighter is that his mind tends to stop or freeze in terms of attention to one and only one attacker while responding to that one attacker. In a one-on-one situation, that would not be a problem. But in a multi-attacker scenario, it is guaranteed to get you hit.

To be able to defend against multiple attackers, your mind (because your mind controls your reactions) must be able to "not stop"; it needs to be able to flow quickly from one to the next and it must constantly be aware to do the one thing that makes it possible to survive such a situation - maneuvering yourself and your attackers so that only one of them can get within range to actually attack you.

I wouldn't call it sparring. Generally we use 3 to 5 attackers for this training.

This can be done in a variety of ways depending on where you are training. It can start with them in front of you, but it quickly changes. It can start with them circling you, but you better make sure you aren't in the circle very long. We also do it when the attack begins from behind and you don't know how many attackers. Of course you don't even know when you are going t be attacked.

In a self defense situation being in the middle is suicide. You stack opponents. I also do not stay in one place and wait for all of them to jump me at once. Believe it or not in real life they do not wait their turn like they do in the movies. I move around trying to face as few opponents at a time as possible. If you get it right they tend to trip over each other trying to get to you. It's not an easy thing to do though and takes practice.

We do a few different types. Sometimes it is one after the other using different techniques, Sometimes we are surrounded by a circle and will be randomly attacked and sometimes we will go one on one with the occasional (Surprise) attacker. Also, a fair bit of knife defense.

You can attack only one person at a time. So shielding with a opponent is the way.

Do you normally stand in the middle and the rest around you, are you are facing them in a direct way , do you do both, or something different? Just curious to see the differences in training around...There seems to be a lot with the one guy in the circle these days.

Thanks in advance for all the answers:)

P.S This is a training question:)