Who has ever had to use there ma in a self defense situation?

[flyingblackbelt]

I personally never have, and hopefully never will, but i often think about how far to go should i have to. I mean the way i think about it is if they have the intention to seriously hurt me, like if they come after me with a knife or bat etc, then all bets are off and the last thing im going to think about is not sending them to the hospital, however if they were to just throw a sloppy punch or something ive always thought you should just block it and stop them from doing something stupid that could actually get them hurt. Im just curious as to everyones personal beliefs and experiences

[Chazz]

This thread is somewhere in this forum but i cant find it.

So I will answer again.

Yes and no

Have I had to kick some poor punks tail...... no, never had to

Have i been in a situation that a fight was going to start, all i had to do was got nutz....... yeah, way too many times but i hate to fight. Im against people fighting for stupid reasons. You looked at me wrong so your dead, i don’t like your shirt, i don’t like your school, you looked at my girl........ALL STUPID REASONS. You robbed me, your attacked me, you hurt my sister, You hit your wife, you reaped that child, you tried to kill me. ALL GOOD REASONS TO KNOCK A MOTHER ------------ OUT. ooops sorry for that. hehe

There have been a lot of times that cause of my training i would have had to mix it up. Most of my best friends have been female. So needless to say that can cause troubles with boyfriends. So between that, guys that didn’t want me with their x-girl or people knowing that I’m a black belt, I just seemed to attract guys who thought they could stomp me. My martial arts training has taught to me to control my temper, to look past words, to try and think with a clear head at all times, to know when to fight and when not to. My personal training has come naturally. My since of humor and ability to talk a lawyer into giving up has helped a lot. I have never backed down from anyone, but I have made it to where they just don’t want to fight anymore by either making them think about how small they look to the other people that are watching them act out, or buy just making them realize how stupid they are being. So far it has worked for me, and until it doesn’t, my hands are staying by my side. Everyone who wants to fight has a point when they start to doubt the reason they wanted to fight. If you find that point, you wont have to fight. If you don’t, then walk away.

[Holgate]

Kind of a few weeks ago while refereeing a football match I had throw a punch at me for a decision I had made. I was able to defend myself to the point where he came out with a blooded nose and a ban from the league in which the game was being played. Thankfully even players on his own team backed me up when the incident was raised at a later date when I said I had defended myself. One of the players even commented that he wouldn't want to get into a fight with me if I could block and punch back that well :)

[Thomas]

I think there is an even bigger part of the martial arts that we use and that is having the humility and self-control NOT to fight. There have been many situations for me in the past where people were looking for a fight and I was conveniently located... instead of fighting I walked away. Sometimes you feel a twinge of regret for not "giving that guy what he deserved and for making you have to decide to walk away", but in the end I am thankful for having the discipline to walk away, no matter what they said. It's funny because most of the 'fight-starters' are now in prison, dead, or very much into poverty and drugs. I am a successful professional with a pretty good life (toots own horn).

The last time I did have to use some of the physical skills was about 5 years in Korea at a westerner bar. A drunk guy jumped my buddy (in a case of mistaken identity it turned out) and beat him pretty badly (very quickly). When my buddy went down, I stepped between them and told the guy that my buddy had enough and that neither of us wanted any trouble. He started with the old "you want some" routine and I had no place to go, standing between my injured buddy and this maniac. He threw a punch and I used a tap-circle block to deflect it. I repeated that we want no trouble and he stared for a bit, evidently surprised that he hadn't hit me. He swore a bit and walked off.

(By the way, for those people who wonder why I didn't want to extract revenge or jump in before my buddy was knocked down, I must say that my buddy had a habit of getting drunk and looking for fights... I had told him that I would not help him beyond protecting him from injury if he lost. The irony this time was that he hadn't started the fight and was innocent in this case.)

[flyingblackbelt]

thats generally my thoughts thomas, i mean going through high school with people knowing youre a black belt and not getting into a fight takes amazing self control. i mean its amazing how much these kids wanna fight me once they know im a black belt. i guess its some deep routed physcological need to prove themselves because of some deficiancy.

[Taeho]

Being a MArtist is definitely a "trickbag". When people, especially immature bullish children of any age learn that you practice MA (especially blackbelt) they want to prove to the world that it really isn't all it's cracked up to be. These seem to mostly be Brawlers that have been fighting in the streets as long as they have been walking. It takes a MArtist to recognize this and put all that training to good use by not fighting. But, it always feels good to know that if you had to, you could kick their butts (not that I'm at that level just yet...heheh).

TKDshane Ÿ

[Chazz]

True, you can always win a fight with out putting a hand on someone.

Just use your foot.... LOL j/k

[ptcruiser]

I can say I have used my ma training hundreds of times in the past. I retired as an under cover police officer dealing with drugs and gangs. Can attest, the training works. I would have used my weapon if not for ma's.
However, I wasn't in a situation where I could walk away either.
In my personal life maybe a couple of times.

[wutan]

Awarness is the key and I think that MA help to develop this.
Cross the road when trouble may kick off.
Don't go into the pub that people are leaving via the windows or where Katie Adie is the barmaid! (Journalist who usually reports from war torn countries).
Sometimes you have to get involved (perp in your house in middle of the night).
Even then the law goes on about minimal force and often the wrong person ends up getting arrested.
I've used awarness but never had to get really physical per se.

[Sweeet]

m against people fighting for stupid reasons. You looked at me wrong so your dead, i don’t like your shirt, i don’t like your school, you looked at my girl........ALL STUPID REASONS. You robbed me, your attacked me, you hurt my sister, You hit your wife, you reaped that child, you tried to kill me. ALL GOOD REASONS TO KNOCK A MOTHER ------------ OUT. ooops sorry for that. hehe

LMAO! Chazz, thank you for that, lol! Couldn't have put it better myself.

Sometimes you feel a twinge of regret for not "giving that guy what he deserved and for making you have to decide to walk away", but in the end I am thankful for having the discipline to walk away, no matter what they said. It's funny because most of the 'fight-starters' are now in prison, dead, or very much into poverty and drugs. I am a successful professional with a pretty good life (toots own horn).
-Thomas

Personally, I can accept this attitude from others who simply want to avoid personal risk. Personally, as a martial artist myself I feel a measure of responsibility in the matter. If someone needs taught a lesson and I'm the only one that can do it, I feel inclined to make that my responsibility to do that. Not as if I think I'm the moral arbiter for everyone, or above the law, but if I see the type of person who is physically everyone's problem - an aggressive, bullying person - I'll be his problem. Or to a different extent, if I'm walking past an alleyway and look up it and see a lady being mugged by 2 guys, I will feel responsible because of my time spent preparing for being in that situation myself. I will be quite inclined to sprint up that alley and pass off the risk from her to me (as stupid as that may be).

I think that with all power comes a bit of responsibility, and to a lesser extent the world in general needs a few more bloody noses! Perhaps then we wouldn't have alot of other, bigger problems..

Personally, I'm still a 'youngun (to all you old fogies) and haven't had to use my training. By time I get to that point in my life, I hope to be quite proficient. By the time my 21st birthday roles around, if I maintain my current level of training I will have 2 Blackbelts, which is more of a token than anything to me but it seems to matter to other people.

[flyingblackbelt]

ptcruiser, what form of ma did you use. I know quite a few cops who swear by aikido and the softer forms because they can easily prove in court, if they have to, that what they were doing is sefl defense.

[ptcruiser]

Thanks for inquiring Flyingblackbelt.
Yes, the police academy taught simple
techniques, which were good for the
average uniform officer. Several officers
studied Aikido and TKD. I teach Kosho Ryu Kenpo
and cross-trained in several other styles
including TKD.
When in uniform, (my rookie years)
I was careful as to restraining subjects.
After being promoted to undercover, I used
any technique I deemed necessary to
protect myself first. My motto was
" I would rather talk to 12, than be carried
by 6"
Undercover and uniform are two different
worlds.

[Thomas]

Originally posted by Sweeet

Personally, I can accept this attitude from others who simply want to avoid personal risk. Personally, as a martial artist myself I feel a measure of responsibility in the matter. If someone needs taught a lesson and I'm the only one that can do it, I feel inclined to make that my responsibility to do that. Not as if I think I'm the moral arbiter for everyone, or above the law, but if I see the type of person who is physically everyone's problem - an aggressive, bullying person - I'll be his problem. Or to a different extent, if I'm walking past an alleyway and look up it and see a lady being mugged by 2 guys, I will feel responsible because of my time spent preparing for being in that situation myself. I will be quite inclined to sprint up that alley and pass off the risk from her to me (as stupid as that may be).

I think that with all power comes a bit of responsibility, and to a lesser extent the world in general needs a few more bloody noses! Perhaps then we wouldn't have alot of other, bigger problems..



I think what you bring up really is very strong moral dilemma. I used to think that a person should always look out for and defend those who need it. I used to think that it was my responsibility to get involved as much as possible and that by learning martial arts implied that with "power" comes responsibilty for the masses.

However, keep in mind that I study "self defence", which means me and my own come first. I will use it defend myself and those whom I care about. It may sound selfish but my interest is with those I care about.

Take a look at domestic violence cases... have you ever seen a husband beating his wife (or vice versa) and a third party step in... often they will unite against the third person. Also to keep in mind, if you attack some guy who is doing something wrong and you injure him severely, guess who (in the US) is going to be in a lawsuit, or facing charges. You really have to be careful where you get involved. I have no intention of getting arrested, shot, stabbed, sued for someone who I don't know and who doesn't care about me.

About stopping bullies... if you beat up bullies, doesn't that make you a bully? If you beat up a bully, does that make it justified for someone to come and beat you up for doing it? If you beat up bullies, do you reinforce the idea that might makes right, thereby showing that the bully's techniques were right, he just wasn't tough enough?

In the end, remember that there are people and organizations given power by the people to do this kind of protecting. These are your military and police (law enforcement) agencies... if you see someone in an alley getting attacked.... CALL 911 and get the police there. Don't go in and get yourself killed.

Again, the above is my own personal opinion and really depends on the specific situation. I will use all of my power and training to protect those who I know... all others get a 911 call and first aid.

[ptcruiser]

Well put and said Thomas.
Law suites will hinder you
from helping also.
I hope our friend doesn't
try to help on family disturbances,
husband beating the wife to a bloody mess,
you come in subdue the husband to find the
battered wife now attacking you for messing
with her husband. Not a pretty site to be in.
However, I do respect his perspective.

[Pastyti]

I think what you bring up really is very strong moral dilemma. I used to think that a person should always look out for and defend those who need it. I used to think that it was my responsibility to get involved as much as possible and that by learning martial arts implied that with "power" comes responsibilty for the masses.

However, keep in mind that I study "self defence", which means me and my own come first. I will use it defend myself and those whom I care about. It may sound selfish but my interest is with those I care about.

Take a look at domestic violence cases... have you ever seen a husband beating his wife (or vice versa) and a third party step in... often they will unite against the third person. Also to keep in mind, if you attack some guy who is doing something wrong and you injure him severely, guess who (in the US) is going to be in a lawsuit, or facing charges. You really have to be careful where you get involved. I have no intention of getting arrested, shot, stabbed, sued for someone who I don't know and who doesn't care about me.

About stopping bullies... if you beat up bullies, doesn't that make you a bully? If you beat up a bully, does that make it justified for someone to come and beat you up for doing it? If you beat up bullies, do you reinforce the idea that might makes right, thereby showing that the bully's techniques were right, he just wasn't tough enough?

In the end, remember that there are people and organizations given power by the people to do this kind of protecting. These are your military and police (law enforcement) agencies... if you see someone in an alley getting attacked.... CALL 911 and get the police there. Don't go in and get yourself killed.

Again, the above is my own personal opinion and really depends on the specific situation. I will use all of my power and training to protect those who I know... all others get a 911 call and first aid.
Christ Thomas.

You have just exemplified everything I've been trying to say. Bloody well done chum. You hit the nail right on the head, with your impressive prose. I wish I had thought of putting it like that, would have saved the toasing I'd got on the other threads. Still, never mind one lives and learns, however old you become. I currently feel like 106, and a real pratt.

Best regards.

Pastyti.

[Thomas]

Aww... thanks. A pat on the back about my writing always makes me warm and fuzzy. Thank you! :love:

[Juego Todo]

Years ago, I worked as a bouncer on the busiest nights at a wild bar. I didn't do it to beat people up (I don't enjoy hurting people). I didn't do it because of the money (what money?!). Simply, I did it to test myself. I didn't want to turn out like a lot of people who take up the arts but hide behind the comfort of the grade or school. I knew that there would be plenty of opportunities to find out my truth in nightclub/bar/pub environments.

I'd trained in a few arts since early childhood and always thought I was competent enough to handle myself. As years went by, I really started to question myself, in terms of how I would act under pressure. Although I always trained realistically, using full-contact as much as possible with less gear where possible, there was always an element of safety: you could always ask your partner to stop & you always knew that your partner, though competitive, did not want to kill you. This lack of realism was what made me have second thoughts about my growth as a martial artist.

Would I freeze in shock and not be able to perform required techniques? Would I be beaten by an aspect of training that I didn't put much time into (e.g. more striking/less grappling & more grappling/less striking, etc.)? Was I not fit enough? Would I be able to influence someone to quit being an annoyance with carefully chosen but firm language? Would I actually use what I was taught? Or would I resort to untrained arm-swinging tactics?

There were so many personal questions that I felt I needed answered that nobody could answer for me, based on their own experiences (just like me sharing mine with you, ironically!). It was bugging me so much that I was willing to find out, at the cost of personal injury/maiming to myself...?!

I could go on with lots of stories, but I'll be general and spare you the details. For me, I learned that it's always better to talk your way out if you can. What's the point in getting yourself or someone else hurt if it can be avoided? More times than not, talking in a non-threatening, diplomatic way helped me to avoid both of us from getting hurt. If you can talk in a way that allows the other person to back down without "losing face", then they will tend to back down while keeping their egos somewhat intact when they know that you were confident and ready to go at it, but remained nice & composed. Sometimes, people lose their temper for whatever reason & sometimes people overreact to those people. If you keep some space between them and you/everyone else, they may cool off and move on. After awhile, there wasn't so much anxiety. It became a sort of challenge to be a true gentleman. It can be a very educational analysis about yourself. (Please keep in mind that I was referring to a situation where the other person didn't have any criminal intent such as a robbery, murder, etc.; he just was looking for a fight or had a bad day or had a big ego, but didn't come in waving a gun, etc.; still bad, though)

Unfortunately, not all people can be spoken with in hopes of de-escalating a situation. Some people are under the influence of who-knows-what and grappling tends to be useful if you have to have a scuffle with them. They don't necessarily know what they're doing so it's almost not fair to deck them into a bloody pulp, plus you'll find yourself at the cop-shop in a blink-of-an-eye! They may not feel any pain, either, so holds/sleepers may be desired in such situations. But, watch out for their friends while your hands are tied on their buddy. No comment...just trust me on this one! ;) (ouch) There's no point in mentioning techniques as, may the heavens forbid that you find yourself in such situations, you should be able to use whatever works for you when opportunities arise. Nothing is fixed.

Also, there are are people who threaten to do you in as part of criminal activity in progress. My bar/pub experience did not cover that aspect, but the strong feeling of someone else really wanting to hurt me (or worse) is pretty close. That feeling of someone wanting to impose their will on you, and how you deal with it, with no rules, no pads, no referees, no police, you're unarmed, with the possibility of fighting against weapons, are things that really test your mettle.

I'm not advocating going into a bar looking for a fight or going into a notorious gang's territory at night or anything like that. That's just plain stupid; you could find yourself beaten or worse...! However, just look for ways to find out your own truth. Train as realistically as possible, whatever that may be, for you.

Too many times, people preach about themselves being able to do this or do that...IF they ever found themselves in that situation due to their many years of training in this art and that art, etc. They sometimes strut around with their belts/sashes/flashy outfits/gym stories/exaggerated tales feeling that people will leave them alone if they somehow let others know that they know "something".

How will you know if you've never experienced it? How can you make a confident statement about reality if it's based on fantasy? Have you ever had a complete stranger, maybe bigger and stronger than you, threaten to maim you right there and then? What did you do? (Sorry, arguments in school do not count. Then again, there was Columbine in the USA!)

For example, I'd seen many people going on about defences against guns & knives. They would actually teach these techniques that their students may have to use one day to try to save their lives. Due to their flashiness, spin kicks, knife hand blocks, etc., I was doubtful as to their effectiveness, so I asked them what experience they had with those techniques. Aside from a few saying that they'd practiced with another instructor with rubber knives (a live-blade once, maybe, really slowly!) or that they always practiced with fake guns, I was astonished to hear their senses of reality..rather, fantasy...in that they never actually had to use those techniques on the street, but at least I'm thankful for their honesty. "All you have to do is..." It's not that simple.

To have even the slightest chance at defending against a gun in close range, for example, you should know the characteristics/properties of guns. For example, taking a firearms handling course will give you a better understanding as to what limits or possibilities there are within close quarters range. A good luck charm might help, too ;)

Taking boxing/muay thai/grappling, etc. may be an eye-opener if you've never had real contact before. There's an element of contact from day one (though not all out in the ring, at first, of course) in partner training, even with pads, which build up to full-power hits with less pads. Getting hit in the street won't be as shocking to your system, allowing you to get past the hits which will allow your mind to function in stress and continue with your plan to end the altercation.

As I can only speak for myself, I've had my share of fights in & out of that experimental environment as I discovered that not everybody can be dealt with in a mature way. Like it or not, there are some naturally bad & mean-spirited people out there who have no respect for others who'll look for any excuse to inflict pain and injury upon anybody...including YOU.

I'm not going to claim to be this or that, nor am I going to show-off about anything. I'm just stating one kind of test that I'd conducted upon myself years ago in my personal search for my own martial truth. After all of this, I came out of them with a better understanding of my mindset, my mental and technical abilities and, more importantly, my weaknesses. Don't be afraid to admit them to yourself. Anyway, that was certainly a learning experience and the learning should never stop for all of us.

We are NEVER guaranteed 100% to win or to come out of it alive. However, with good training and testing yourself honestly, you can certainly increase your chances of survival. Your mind is your greatest asset...use it to your advantage. It can also be your worst enemy, worse than the person standing before you...you can lose it, so be careful.

Note: As you may have heard throughout the years globally, bouncers have been killed by unruly patrons for stupid reasons by guns and other weapons. I had had enough and felt that I learned my lessons for that chapter. For myself, there was no point in tempting fate. I felt I made the right decision: I got what I wanted from the experience and moved on. Besides, who really wants to fight all of the time? (I see a few hands out there! hehe :D )

No debates, please. This is just a simple contribution. Thanks for reading and thanks for your time.

Stay safe, but always be true to yourself...peace :cool:

[Thomas]

Great post... I have to agree with pretty much everything in it. Finctioning under pressure and being able to a hit are importnat and need to be experienced. Talking down situations is good but being ready in case it goes bad is just as important. Again, great post... I hope lots of people read it and take some of those insights with them to their dojang!

No debates, please. This is just a simple contribution. Thanks for reading and thanks for your time.

Posting such well-thought out items backed up by experience and solid insights is sure to generate some discussion (this is a forum afterall)... I for one am looking forward to more posts and some intersting discussions from you! :)

[ClumsyFoot]

... This is just a simple contribution. Thanks for reading and thanks for your time....

More than a simple contribution! Thanks for sharing the insight.

[Andy Cap]

Thomas bets me to it again It sounds preachy or sommat, but it is true.


I think there is an even bigger part of the martial arts that we use and that is having the humility and self-control NOT to fight. There have been many situations for me in the past where people were looking for a fight and I was conveniently located... instead of fighting I walked away. Sometimes you feel a twinge of regret for not "giving that guy what he deserved and for making you have to decide to walk away", but in the end I am thankful for having the discipline to walk away, no matter what they said. It's funny because most of the 'fight-starters' are now in prison, dead, or very much into poverty and drugs. I am a successful professional with a pretty good life (toots own horn).

The last time I did have to use some of the physical skills was about 5 years in Korea at a westerner bar. A drunk guy jumped my buddy (in a case of mistaken identity it turned out) and beat him pretty badly (very quickly). When my buddy went down, I stepped between them and told the guy that my buddy had enough and that neither of us wanted any trouble. He started with the old "you want some" routine and I had no place to go, standing between my injured buddy and this maniac. He threw a punch and I used a tap-circle block to deflect it. I repeated that we want no trouble and he stared for a bit, evidently surprised that he hadn't hit me. He swore a bit and walked off.

(By the way, for those people who wonder why I didn't want to extract revenge or jump in before my buddy was knocked down, I must say that my buddy had a habit of getting drunk and looking for fights... I had told him that I would not help him beyond protecting him from injury if he lost. The irony this time was that he hadn't started the fight and was innocent in this case.)

[evilkingston]

weaknesses. Don't be afraid to admit them to yourself.

great post
i really enjoyed it

a few remarks (more agreeing, but i'm in a sharing mood :) ): having lived in a bad neighbourhood i've been threatened more then once while walking the streets alone at night... people tend to say: "hey, just don't do that", but, liking the occasional pint, i do not drink and drive! taking a taxi all the time - hell no, public transportation stops after 1am (due to safety reasons)... so (straying off, sorry) i was stopped by 3 larger + older guys with knives demanding money (this was in the street i lived) @half past 1am... first thing that flashed my mind was: 'don't back up, it'll make them feel more confident', so i took a step forward and showed them that my wallet was empty ("been out drinking"), next thing you know they're threatening to cut off my ear because i have no money. being a student at the time, i reasoned with them to leave me alone and that being a student is hard enough, also calling to attention that i lived in the neighbourhood and wasn't a rich whiteguy looking to score something... this pretty much convinced them to leave me alone... note that when i was talking to these guys i constantly noticed everything they did (being afraid ofcourse to get stabbed), even as i continued walking i was thinking: "if someone touches me from behind i'll have to start fighting" - running isn't an option if it's in the street you live... then you can never come outside again

but - and here comes my point - being a teacher now (in a more or less public ghetto school [asylumseekers, poverty]), i see the power of talking and it's much bigger than fighting, because most of the time, it's the only thing they know (fighting that is). if they can't put it in words they feel put down, so preventing them from LOSING FACE is the most important thing (i read that somewhere as well in Juego Todo's post... :D

[Juego Todo]

Thanks to those of you who took the time to read my posting. I, too, took the time to read ALL of your postings on this thought-provoking topic.

Your candidness & recountings of personal experiences encouraged me to put my two cents in. Kudos to you all! I look forward to writing some more with you. Thanks for the welcome.

Gamsa hamnida :)

[Amnion]

I haven't ever had to use my training in any real situation yet either. Every fight/situation I've encountered has ended with nobody doing anything, and I don't know why. Because I'm an idiot, and I have never, ever backed down from any situation. People have on countless times tried fighting and all I ever do is stand there and smile, even if it's six or seven guys. I never raised my voice or anything, just the devious smile accompanied by perhaps a few calm words like "if you really want to."
I don't recommend this, but for some reason I have never been in a fight--and I've had plenty of opportunities. I'm not a big dude either. About 145 pounds.
Another thing I want to mention is that nobody--NOBODY--can really say what they would do in any situation. Most of the time what you do in a situation ends up completely different than what you thought you'd do anyways. Think about this: someone told me they watched a thing on the tsunami where a mother had hold of her two kids and she had to let one go in order to save the other one. This girl asked me which one I would have let go, but how can you know? What I'm saying is that you NEVER know until you get there. That's why we do drills and train, train, train--so your own mind can act on its own accord if it has to.
Anyway. This had been a great thread and I hope it gets more posts.

[ToRNaDo LorD]

Yes I have had a few time where I used my self defense to whack someone up. There was alot of things I coulda done to avoid all of them but oh well, no ones perfect. Ill just tell about one that happened just the other day. It was at school in the locker room and me and my friends were messing and around, and this kid thought we were serious and started talking about I should never do that. So, I ignored him and was walking towards the door and he pushed me. I say "don't do that again." So he does. Then I just grab him and throw him head first into a locker. Wasn't really stuff that I learn at my dojo but it was self defense. Now, I woulda done the same thing if someone punched me, I'd warn them and let them do it a second time then wack em. We'll, lucky me. I didn't get suspended.

[midnightsun955]

Since TKD i think most of my anger goes into training so now I feel very calm and I don't know, i feel like if i have to fight I would be able to defend myself, so there's no reason to fight at all.

I almost beat a friend of mine though lol. i was walkign from a subway in the dark and i heard someone calling "hey you!" from behind so I'm thinking "if they (there were two guys...in the dark...every girl's nightmare) touch me I'll have to fight"....so i start walking faster but once they got too close behind and i knew i wouldn't have run fast enough, i just turned around with this a**hole face while blocking off his hand as it went to touch my shoulder. Lol he jumped back. Turned out to be my friend and some guy. But it gave me somethign to think about for a while. I think if it were two guys i didn't know i probably would have talked my way out after blocking the one off. They would have been surprised long enough to hear the "i'm not interested".

[Highkick]

Hmmm, once, I think, but I got in no trouble because it was fair. I was talking with my friend from TKD about just getting our black belts, and this guy that calles himself Rocky and thinks he is the best fighter in the country was so absoloutley sure that he could beat me. He actually took a swing at me the next day, but he is sooooooo slow it's funny. I told him that If he wanted to fight me, come down to my dojang, borrow some pads and we can sparr. Well, turns out he went so far to prove himself that he actually came down with a couple of friends and challenged me. I beat him quite badly, and when he tried to tackle me I kneed him in the face. Now pay attention, this is where it gets interesting. This noob, in a room full of martial artists, pulls a knife. Before he can flick it open, my master grabs his wrist, bends it back, kicks out his leg and elbows him in the solar-plexus at the same time. He then proceeds to go down like a rock and begins to wheeze and complain about broken ribs. It was one of the coolest things I had ever seen(I know, fighting isn't cool, but it was so fast!) Anyways, he ends up serving his second jail time and we all live hapilly ever after except him
P.S.: the jail time wasn't very long because of odd technicalities.
P.P.S.:his first offence was drug peddeling at the age of 12

[inbuninbu]

I totally agree that the power of words is immense, and sadly, unrealized. Put it this way for me as a 50kg girlie without a lot of muscle fighting is probably always gonna be a last resort. It is less painful and a lot more sensible to talk, as the old BT ad always went.

There have been numerous situations I've talked myself out of that I could have let develop into a fight if I was stupid. :D Also 9 times out of 10 the kind of ppl who start fights are the kind who are easier to out-talk. Not that I'm being anti-thuggist or anything. :p

But I would fifght if someone else started it, to protect myself or my close ones. I think that at the very least MA training gives you some advantage in terms of preparation, like giving you a range of weapons but they're at you disposal as to how you use them in a 'real situation.'