Without a doubt. I think in every fight scene I've done so far, I've thrown a curve or two into the mix. Not for realism, just for the drama. Because I like having the character think they know what they are doing, or what they ought to do, only to have something shift under their feet and have to adjust. Just seems like a better way to write the scene.
I can't really pretend to realism, never having even witnessed a fight much less been in one. Having those experiences changes how one writes a fight scene, without a doubt. But I'm not sure such experiences are necessary and sufficient. Good writing is good writing. The good writer who has also fought simply handles the thing differently. To me, the classic example is the opening pages of Mailer's The Naked and the Dead. I am certain he would not have written that had he not seen it for himself (goes for the whole book, really).
I can't really pretend to realism, never having even witnessed a fight much less been in one. Having those experiences changes how one writes a fight scene, without a doubt. But I'm not sure such experiences are necessary and sufficient. Good writing is good writing. The good writer who has also fought simply handles the thing differently. To me, the classic example is the opening pages of Mailer's The Naked and the Dead. I am certain he would not have written that had he not seen it for himself (goes for the whole book, really).