Intimidation ( The oh S**T Factor)

nothing against you or anything, but were you a good fighter with or w/out the chains? if you fight armed against a weaponless opponent, then it's questionable.

 

I actually didn't use the chains. I am honestly not into weapon fighting at all. I perfer good old bare knuckle stand up. I won most of my fights without weapons. I consider sand and stuff around in the environment weapons so somtimes that was used. Alot of ppl had knives so I can imagine if I used my chains then I would be going against knives alot. The ppl where I am from like fair fights.

edit: Oh ya I always had a knife on me as well. I never wanted to kill anybody unless I had to lol. I would still carry my knife with me but it is a felony at my college .

 

you sir, are a true fighter...hope that didn't come off like some braveheart spin-off, lol.

 

Heh, thx. I never usually started those fights. I have been threatened many times when living up north. Since I have moved to a nicer area in the south nobody has even insulated me. I have not faught in 3 years. I am kind of intrested to see what happens when I go visit my hometown and some bad areas where all the clubs are at. I have not contacted my old friends in a long time (some were in jail and just got released). I have plans to go clubing with them after this semister is over so it may be intresting. The ppl over there will pick fights over nothing. I have gotten into fights without knowing why i'm fighting, lol. Most ppl under estimated me because I am very short. I kind of do want to test out my new martial art skills, heh. There are alot of ppl that deserve a beating over there.

 

Glad to know you haven't been "insulated" down south... that could be pretty warm But in all seriousness, I hope you're not implying that you actually look forward to fights to beat people up because they "deserve a beating". Sorry, I'm a sensei, so I'm totally against things like that. Self-defense is one thing, I've had to defend myself many times against a variety of weapons also, living in a rougher part of my city. But to look forward to a fight in order to hurt other people is totally against the creed of the martial artist.

 

Its odd how a thread about people trying to present an intimidating persona has ended up with people trying to present intimidating persona's, its like a self fulfilling prophecy... Great post by the way Darren.

 

Insulted* rofl was tired

thats pretty funny in that context, heh

Actually the weapons are the scary part for me so not really. I have faught so many times over there it is possible for me to get into a fight when visting. The ppl over there like bare knuckle fighting though. I have seen some ppl get stabbed though so it can happen. I know deep down I hope somone messes with me it is just what I'm used to. I won't be picking the fight and will try to talk my way out of it but that never worked in the past. I enjoy the south with ppl showing respect to each other. I like respect more than fights . Anyone who assults me deserves a beating imo. I did enjoy unarmed fights. I don't know if I do now though it has been three years. I get good kicks out of sparring. The club is in the city so it will be a dangerous area to fight. I do not trust that area for a fair fight, heh. I actually just want to have some fun at the club. I know somone is gonna do something though. I know these ppl they think the short built guy is a push over.

 

Ahh ok, thanks for the clarification. I can agree with you, I've always enjoyed sparring, that's the main reason I've devoted most of my life to this art. I always enjoy a fight and testing out my skill against an opponent. As long as you've tried to walk away and found that wasn't an option, beating the crap out of somebody can always be justified. I also enjoyed living in a rough part of the city, it seemed exciting to me to never know what was coming next. I live for a fight, what can I say. But I'd much rather just have the people leave me alone and not have to exert the effort

 

intimidation is a good weapon since you have fear on your side.

muggers look for people without the aura of self confidence to victimize. SunTzu says never attack an army with their banners held high.

i used to wear a denim jacket in high school for the tough guy impression (though i was actually a nerd). It made the bullies think twice.

 

heh, itimidation for me is good. im really small, like 5'7 and 120 lbs and yet people are afraid to do anything to me. theres a kid in my class whos 6'1 and 160 some odd pounds and word got back to me that hes deathly afraid to fight me. hes said it to me but i never believed him cus it seems so that he would kick my ass because of the massive size difference but its come from other people too. the problem is u better have the bite to back up the bark otherwise once u lose ur gonna get ur ass kicked the rest of the time. fortunatley i havent had to seriously go down on anyone, largely because i know how to fight and people know theres no in between, if u cross the boundry with me im goin down hard on ur ass. plus half the people there probably think i carry weapons and anything in their mind to deter them from taking a swing at me is good in my mind (plus i do plan on carrying a knife around on me in the near future.)

 

Why do they think this because the way your dress or act? Ppl were afraid of me too by the way I presented myself and acted in high school/middle school. I am only 5'6. A friend of mine said to me a while back that i am intimidating, and I told him I didn't mean to be intimidating. I no longer have to be intimidating because there is no reason where I moved to be. I have learned to be more laid back and so on. I shaved off my beard one day and said to my friend "do I look less intimidating" he replied "yes" . My beard is back though guess i'm scary guy again /chuckle.

 

its mainly the way i act and the fact that they know i take martial arts. i dont have any real enemies in school so if a friend is just goofing around and ****es me off id give them a quick pressure point or wrist lock which pretty much gave me the title of "ninja" and now no one is really stupid enough to touch me. its kinda like that line in office space about jail, the first day ur there u gotta make someone ur bitch

 

So glad I live in Australia where I dont/didnt have to worry about being stabbed/shot/assaulted/mugged in high school at university or down the street... I've never even considered carrying a weapon (not to mention I think carrying a knife is illegal here). It's a fairly common beleif around here that if you carry a weapon and are attacked/mugged/ect its more likely that you will come to more harm having the weapon (attacking will freak and try to incapacitate you/attacking will take your weapon and turn it on you). I only know one guy who was mugged and he was clubbing in the city and some guys came and took his wallet. They didnt beat him up he was just to ****ed to know what was going on. And he was American. So yeah. Um. Living in scary neighborhood where you have to fear for you life/family/belongings is bad.

 

Oh some ppl call me "kung fu guy" even though I have never taken kung fu /heh. Good that you don't have any enemies I have no enemies either now .

 

Intimidation

I am 6'4" and I weigh 200lbs, of muscle. I've read through the posts here, but I think I'll just comment on the issue of intimidation, and how I look at it.
I have never lived in a tough environment, though I was bullied growing up(before I hit my growth spurt). There should be a distinct difference, a line drawn in the sand, between intimidation, or putting up the aura of confidence, and being a bully. In high school, even when I was smaller, I had a tough reputation because when people pushed me, I pushed back. But also knowing how it feels to be picked on, to be made to feel small and weak, I would never want to make others feel this way. And while I do have a somber, tough, confident exterior, I do not push myself to be this way, if that makes sense. It is simply a part of who I am, and when I am around people who seem intimidated by my somber presence, I do my best to make them feel at ease.
However, in a fight situation, it is great to be intimidating. When someone is afraid of you before the first blow is thrown, it is a distinct advantage. But again, I have no blood thirst, so if someone will back down, I will allow that.
I guess if you're an intimidating person who is confident in their abilities, decide to use your powers gracefully, not as a bully of those weaker and more scared of you.
Sorry it was so long...

 

I agree with that . The post wasn't too long btw.

 

Forgive me that I should disagree

From Darren's original post:
immediately succumbed to their implied intent…… INTIMIDATION !!!!!
Were it not, I felt it a crucial understanding I would leave well enough be, I must, with your permission beg to disagree.
I should find it most likely the skull shaped masks are worn were simply because they "look cool" and represent no further specific intent.
It is a matter of human psychology it would seem to me, that the eyes tend to find intimidating things "look cool." A great white shark. A deadly crocodile (even the semantics I just used look cool). A fighter jet armed with cutting edge air-to-air missiles. And a gothic warrior in full plated, wrought iron armour with a sword it takes half an hour to swing. These things are intimidating and they look cool.

"Controlling one's fear" is not in my opinion an issue. It is an instinct and there for a specific purpose, one cannot suppress their selves without consequence both for themselves and any others around them.
I should think one who finds skull-shaped helmets upon bikers intimidating by intent rather than simply interesting to visually note would annoy the people wearing them by their manifest presence itself somewhat, unfortunately leaving open the assumption that this also was a desired intention.
Pretty soon you'll be considering bikers experts at "mind control" and it is simply that assertive humans when minoritised are easily capable displaying what would be perceived as cunning.

I think: be scared when you're scared, but don't mismanage being intimidated over individuals' flair for personality. I consider it an ethic to give all and every allowance, to provide democracy by example. As martial artists we may find opportunities to do so a little differently than most and give a broader spectrum of a nice place we have to work to maintain, each in our own best fashion.

 

Maybe thats because 'being cool' has become associated with 'being intimidating". It is not a natural thing because naturally there is no cool thing, so it is a socially created construct which Bikers are just as much victims of as everyone else, maybe even more so...

And I apologise in advance for this but I couldnt help laughing when I read this, I mean a better choice of words could have been made! This does not conjure up images of a tough guy to me- well actually it does but the wrong kind of tough guy!

 

lmao i didnt even notice that.

 

Fascinating, didn't think the fact a Bengal Tiger looks cool was a social construct.
Tell me more.