When to fight

Discussion in 'Karate' started by Goju, Feb 23, 2004.

  1. Goju

    Goju Yellow Belt

    Knowing when to fight is an important aspect of a martial artists attitude. Today, I walked home from school like I do everyday, with about 6 of my friends. As we were walking a group of self proclaimed "gangsters" (jackasses) approached us. One of them wanted to fight one of my friends because of a previous altercation, that I had never heard of. We went down the street, and I was so confused about what we were doing. We stopped in an empty parking lot and the two faced off. They fought for a while, the way non martial artists do, exchanging right hooks to the face. Soon enough, one of the other group, jumped in and they both beat the crap out of my friend. My other friends (are pretty strong and they...) threw them off him. A HUGE BRAWL BROKE OUT!!! Punches were flying everywhere, my other friend was thrown down and punched in the face. I threw off my back pack and jacket and ran in to help. The guy holding my friend down let go ,jumped back and fell. I looked to the other guy beside him, but he started fighting someone who I had no idea was even there. I stopped for a second, realising what I was doing, what we were doing, and thinking of what sensei would say if he had seen this. I put my coat and bag back on, it wasn't my fight, and we all left, aside from the one of my friends who was fighting in the first place, he was chased off, by a guy with a knife(but did make it home safely). Craziest (and scariest) day of my life.

    Just wondering... what would you, as karateka, and friends of others, have done in a situation similar to this????
     
  2. shinguards

    shinguards Valued Member

    hmm, a bit confusing...am i right in my understanding that your friend got into a fight with someone (1 on 1), which then turned into a group brawl, then you jumped in to help, but then thought about your master's teachings and left?

    me personally, if me and my friends were approached by a group of people wanting to fight, we'd try to walk away...if it ended up that they were fighting one of my friends, i'd back my friend up all the way
     
  3. Chris.B

    Chris.B New Member

    Walk away, and say yes we are weak little people that would die in a fight...good day. Glad your friend didn't get killed from the e-mode with the knife.
     
  4. Intan86

    Intan86 Valued Member

    Certainly it was not my(if I was you) fight unless the gangstrers said 'bad' things about my mother\father) (which is absolutely not true). Then I'll crush their bones.
     
  5. Guerilla Fists

    Guerilla Fists New Member

    We live in a high sense of brotherhood, at least in the crew I run with. Their fights are my fights and likewise. But we all do MA. From Wing Chun to Judo to Shou Shu to Jui Jitsu. They would have been dead before the first words out of their mouths had time to reach our ears. Compromise nothing and be unscrupulous with punks. It's justice.
     
    Last edited: Feb 24, 2004
  6. shinguards

    shinguards Valued Member

    it's all well and good to say walk away and let them think/know that they are stronger, but what happens when they pick on one of your friends?

    i find it hard to believe that if someone/group picked and started to fight one of your friends, you would walk away, because it wasn't your fight as they didn't pick on you, and leave your friend to fend for him/herself...?

    i'm not sure if your friend would be calling you his or her friend anymore after that...
     
  7. Relosa

    Relosa New Member

    One thing I like about studying martial arts, is the intimidation you can put on people. If some one walked up to me and wanted to start a fight, I'd say calmly, fine your on, right here right now you swing first. I'd make sure not to blink and I'd get realy nice and close to his face if he's bigger, I'd be like the guy in 13th Warrior, and if a fight did happen I'd rely on my training to make sure nothing too bad happened.
    Now if it was my friend, like in your situation, if I new he could handle it I'd back him up with verbal support and if more people joined in i'd join the fight if not to even the odd's keep them away from my friend. If I new he couldn't handle it, I'd tell him to walk away, your better then a person like that. Well actually I'd try to get him to walk away, but if it didn't work I'd to the just said :)

    Peace,
    Will-San
     
  8. maverickv1x

    maverickv1x New Member

    You're lucky your friend didn't get stabbed to death because you're a wussy, non-violent warrior wannabe.

    If a fight escalates into a brawl, I back my friends up. If we can get out without having to murder anyone, great...that's nice. Sometimes, though, it's necessary to put the hurt on and then some.
     
  9. MichaelV

    MichaelV New Member

    IMO, you should have either walked away when your friend agreed to fight or you should have backed him up. Just ducking out of the scrap, at least the way you described it, was cowardly and showed just how little you value your friendships.
     
  10. johndoch

    johndoch upurs

    Lay off d_rza theres no shame in what he done. Some people cant control themselves in a fight situation (Fight or Flight).

    d_rza you should have done your best to diffuse the situation before it started, when it kicked off you probably should have got stuck in there but who knows if you did. It could have worked out different and somebody could have got stabbed when your opponents realised that the odds were going against them.

    Dont worry about it.
     
  11. Goju

    Goju Yellow Belt

    Sorry I didn't explain it very well, you would have needed to be there. It wasn't like my friends were all having thier faces beaten in. It was a fair fight between two, then another jumped in and someone else fought him, then more people paired off for a second and fought, then people (the rest of us) ran in to break it up and it ended. If my friends were being attacked or were losing a fight there wouldn't be any hesitation for me to fight, I would already be in there because even though we don't fight very often we all would back eachother up. The point was it wasn't my fight and it wasn't all that serious because neither side really lost, it was more like a fight to stop either side from continuing to fight, I know it sounds wierd, but I'm sure you understand. It wasn't like we all began beating the hell out of eachother and my "side" was losing so I chose to run away. A few fights broke out, they were eventually broken up, both groups walked away, because really it was about the guy who was now showing off his knife and one of my friends, who we made sure wasn't hurt. again you probably would have needed to see it, sorry.

    Oh ya and john...we didnt leave him there to die at the guys knife, who the hell does that??? we all left at the same time, but he and another guy chose to run because the guy told him he was going to chase him and stab him. which he never did.
     
    Last edited: Feb 24, 2004
  12. Guerilla Fists

    Guerilla Fists New Member

    This is probably the worse piece of advice I have heard yet...no offense. I am trying to seriously be constructive here. Let me point out that you should never, NEVER, allow yourself to get that close to your assailant without already engaging them. What if he had another guy sneaking up on you? What if his reach is longer? What if HE intimidates YOU instead? It isn't going to be "like the guy in 13th Warrior," which was an awful movie anyway. The only cool part was the old guy who sliced that big guy's head off. But man, what was my point, oh yeah, not like the movies!
     
  13. b19vny

    b19vny Valued Member

    Kids' stuff.
     

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