A year ago I was out with my sister and her old lady boss in the East Village, NYC. Some nasty homeless guy is a bit too agressive in his pan-handling (as I am with two females) so I (mistakenly) tell him to "f*&k off". He starts ranting and raving, and some guy out walking his little dog comes over and starts in on me. Cursing, yelling calling me a republican. I tell him him to "f&*k off" too. He goes from in my face to pushing me into the Avenue.

I landed pretty well and am getting up and taking off my tie as I see the cop car that has seen it all. Then its all sirens and lights. I'm looking to leave by this point and am half way down the next block before this young cop catches up with me. He wants me to go back. So by the time we get back, the other fellow is in cuffs, almost in tears blabbering about his wife making him walk the dog and the long day he had at work.. Then the police wanted me to press for assault charges, but I was feeling sorry for the guy and said no. Then the Sargent comes over and starts laying into me about my name, age, where I live and about the things I supposedly said to provoke this fellow - then I realize he wants to have a pretty file - so I just "yes" him on everything and dont make eye contact. NYC cops are more scary than any yutz with a lap dog...

I saw the guy with the dog a few months later, but he did not know why he recongnized me, but he returned my "how ya doin?" with a smile and a wave..

Lesson learned: Keep your mouth shut.

thruth!

if one "never starts a fight", but ends up in a lot of fights....well, what's up with that? I don't get it. What circumstances lead to ending up in a fight? What are the social interactions that are driving that?

I never said "a lot of fights" unless 2 qualifies.



The 1st was when we were hosting a house party( me and my 3 roomates) there were a decent amount of folks there--around 50 or so, most we knew, some were "friends of friends"--this included a group of 3 guys--as the party was winding down about 2 AM and mostly everyone had left--these three were still hanging about, no big deal I thought, I went upstairs to my room were my then-GF was, not more than 5 minutes later, one of the 3--opens my door and tells me to get the F out, I say "this is my house and my room, you get the F out", this guy then says "F-you" and takes a swing, hitting me in my jaw, and this point I flipped and clocked him in his mouth, GF runs downstairs, he fell back against my bed, and I piled on, throwing blows left and right--then jerk #2 comes in the door and pushes me from the back, whereas I fell off the bed into a small space between the bed and the wall-which is just wide enough for me as I lay on my back--upon falling I was mid-punch, so my fist landed against the wall(breaking my hand which I didn't know at the time becasue of the adrenaline) now I can't get up because there are 2 idiots on top, trying to reach down and punch me, I just pulled my knees to my chest and coverd my head with my forearms, so I am not really getting hit--my roomate, who was in the basement, enters at this point, whereas I shout, "Mark get these F-ers off me" which he and another guy accomplish.
At this point things stopped for a minute. Jerk #1 was in the doorway bleeding from the mouth, jerk #2 was in front of him, and a friend was facing jerk#2, between me and Jerk#2, and my roomate was behind me, we are yelling "get the F out of our house, get the F out", jerk #2 swings around my friend and hits me in the side of the head, I grabbed a metal "study lamp"(not the articulating kind, but the kind that is a 14" metal pole with a shade/large metal base) off the dresser, and smash it across jerk # 2's face, at which point he falls to the ground holding his nose.(broken nose/possible stitches) Jerk #1 rushes me with his head down, so I wrap his arm with 1 arm and repeatedly bash him over the head with the lamp(scalp stitches) while kneeing him in the face/torso as my roomate administers viscious kidney punches(blood in urine). At this point Jerk #3 enters the fray and rushes the pile, whereas we all stumble backwards en masse and lucky me, there is a laundry basket in front of the window, which I stumble against backwards, which "cuts out" my legs at the knees(picture the Good old -person kneels behind you, and buddy pushes you over them pratfall) unfortunately, the window was right there and my head breaks through it(10 stitches above my right eye/black eye). Now everything stops once again as everyone is locked together. Jerk #2 has already fled, Jerk #3 picks up Jerk #1 and they flee. My roomate helps me pull my head back out of the shattered window. The whole thing lasted about 5 minutes. After about another 5, I realized that my hand was swollen, and that there was more blood coming out of my forehead than a band-aid was going to stop. Hospital time- so, as me and my roomate are leaving the house--he ended up needing 3 stitches on the side of his face and also had a black eye there are 3 squad cars with lights flashing that had pulled up(we later found out some girl at the party had called the cops because she was scared)-- I was in front of my roomate and ask the cop who is walking up to me "what's going on?" at which point he replies "you"re being arrested." and slaps the cuffs on me. Jerk #1 #2 and 3 were nowhere to be found, my roomate wasn't cuffed--since I guess he didn't look like he was involved?? Anyways, in the squad car, I was very genial and nice, and asked why they had shown up--at which point he told me about the call--then I aksed why I was being arrested when I had been attacked in my own house--he had me relay the entire story to him and he took me to the hospital--to a treatment area--right next to Jerk #1. (this is where I overheard the stitches/blood in urine conversation) When I ID'd him to the cop, he spoke to his parents who were there. End result --Jerk #1 cited for disorderly conduct/disturbing the peace--I didn't press assault, but could have--I got a citation for disturbing the peace, which I beat, and a scar above my eye, a scar on my hand, and a 3" pin which I had as a souvenier untill I lost it.
Turns out the 3 jerks were "local tough guy townies" and 1 (jerk #2) had dated my girl in the past. I can post the VA Beach one later, if anybody is interested.

Eric 951 - I would have done the same thing in that situation.

You need to get in touch with the Dog Brothers.

Surf Dog is one of the best instructors.

Six weeks with himand then you wont have to worry about guys like that.

Plus you can go to Gathering of the pack and Have some fun.
http://dogbrothers.tv/videoclips/dbmaa02.wmv

Stick Fighting is a blast but can get a little bloody and sore.

http://dogbrothers.com

Lester "Surf Dog" Griffin: Senior Apprentice Teacher 5th year
Senior Lakan Guro Lima
114 E. Florida
Hemet, CA 92545
phone# 909-766-0702

So I'm at my local watering hole with my friend Phil. There's a group of rough-looking guys sitting over in the corner. We're at the bar when the biggest of the bunch comes over and stands between us. The dude is almost my size and already has a split lip from a prior fight. He offers me $20 to "go outside with him" (don't get any funny ideas). He says his buddies have bet him $50 that I won't do it.

I look at my friend with a "do I have sucker written on my forehead???" look and politely decline. Clearly his goal is to get me outside so he and his buddies can get off on beating up the biggest guy in the place. He orders another round of shots for his buddies and goes back to his table and sits down.

Half an hour later he's back...this time he's buying us a round and still trying to convince me it would be "so funny" to pull a fast one on his friends. I again decline and he starts in with the old stand in my face intimidation tactic. I'm a good 3-4 inches taller but none the less the hairs on the back of my neck are standing straight up...this guys not going to give up...and I'm NOT going outside just to be sucker-punched. Finally he goes back to his table and clearly he's pissed 'cuz his buddies are giving him a harder time now.

Crap...what to do...I want to leave but I'm sure that if he sees me heading for the door he'd be right behind me.

So, we did the honorable thing and snuck out the backdoor without paying our bill.

Came back the next day and explained the situation, paided the bill, and left a big tip to the bartender. Found out that after we left he started harrasing another regular...only this time the fight started in the bar. The guy, and all his buddies were kicked out and told to never come back.

Did I ever tell you about the time when I was a freshman at Western and threw an entire pitcher of beer on 4 seniors? Laughs...

Wow--those guys a badasses. that stick fighting is wicked.:)

I don't feel badly about the fight at all hell this was 12 years ago--after all--none of my injuries were caused by them--1on1 I was beating Jerk #1 down.
2-on-1, I held my own--2 on 2 we again had the upper hand--3 on 2 was a draw. I felt pretty good after the whole thing--nothing like swinging a metal club across somebody's face and then bashing another over the head with it.:)

Hah! Typical neo-con! Obviously you should have tried negotiating with them. Don't you know that violence never solves anything? :rolleyes:

Just funnin' ya, Eric. Sounds like a a$$-whoopin that just need to be handed out! Good on ya! :D

Randy

And me and the shrink were there jumping up and down, screaming, "Kill, kill, kill!" when the sargeant came back, grabbed me and said, "You're our boy."


Classic song, yup yup...

I'm just sittin' there on the bench....just sittin' there on the group W bench....

the "stick fighting" looks like inelegant versions of a variety of styles. We do a "stick" form using a shinai (mostly so it is easy to tell which end is up). In the past I trained in San Soo with escrima sticks. But both were a lot more controlled than what was in those videos.

Just looks ridiculous to me though. "Yeah, lets beat the crap out of each other." I'll pass...but different strokes...

One word: Rex Kwan Do - never lose a fight again

Randy,

I try and avoid conflict--but when it is brought upon me, it is no-holds barred.:)
The last fight which I was involved with happened a few years after college when I was ironworking at the Naval base in VA. Our hotel was in VA Beach, so 1 night me and 2 buddies went to the bars and ended up at Hammerheads--we weren't getting crazy because we had to get up at 5:00 AM the next day for work. We were sitting at the bar, there was a guy on my left sitting facing the dance floor, hugging on his girl, they were leaning in to each other and flailing about, they must have bumped into me at least 12 seperate times--I just shrugged it off and kept inching my barstool to the right-away from them--buddies get up and head out a couple guys take their seats, I am finishing up my beer, when I get an elbow in the ribs under my arm--which not only hurts, but worse yet--causes me to spill my beer on my shirt(they weren't cheap!) I lean over to the guy on my left and say--my exact words "hey buddy, I realize that you and your girl are having a good time, but you keep bumping into me and if I move my barstool any closer to this guy--(motioning to my right)--he is going to think I have some funny ideas" Smiling the whole time, trying to be diplomatic--his reply "F you, are you trying to start something?" Now, I am 5-10" and at this time weighed 155#--by no means a "badass" . I reply " No, not at all, I was just hoping you would be a little more careful, you made me spill my beer" and pointed to the spots on my shirt. Again it was "F you, I'll F-you up right now". I decide to leave and get up. His girl stepped off to his right, and as I am walking past him he reaches out and shoves me in the chest with both arms--So I uppercut him in the chin as hard as I can, it raises him up off his barstool and made a solid "thunk" noise when it hit, he fell towards me and our momentum carried us both to the floor, I landed on my back and he was above me--immediately a bouncer grabbed him and picked him up for the toss--2 bouncers jumped on me--one on each arm and I was pinned to the ground, I said "All right, all right, I am finished " Unfortunately The elbow guy's buddy came up as I was laying on my back , with both arms pinned and puts one hand on my chest and has his right arm cocked back in a fist--squaring up for a perfect punch right in my face, I just clenched my teeth and turned my head to the side to divert some of the force of the blow--as the punch starts coming forwards, a bouncer came up behind him and hooked his elbow--stopping the punch inches from my face--bouncers--:)
Unfortunately, then 2 more bouncers grab my legs and the 4 of them(remember I am only 155#) throw me out the front door into the street Bouncers:(
In the movies when people are thrown out of bars, they always land on fluffy garbage bags or cardboard boxes, well I landed on the concrete sidewalk and sprained my right ankle in the process--landing*almost* at the feet of 2 cops. I look up, 1 cop helps me up and simply asks "what happened" I explained the whole thing, as his partner was talking to the elbow man--my 2 buddies came over because they didn't know what had happened either--after the whole explanation, the cops let me go.
My 1 buddy still laughs to this day--he was outside the bar leaning against the wall having a smoke waiting for me to come out and tells it like this " I look over and see somebody come flying out of the bar horizontally, then I realize it was YOU" at which point he starts cracking up. And this took place 7 years ago.

"Do you think anyone wants a roundhouse kick to the face while I'm wearing these babies.....no"

It's funny how all of those "never lose another fight" styles last about 30 seconds in a vale' tudo (sp?) match. It's a jui jitso world in the cage, (or at least a grappling world). Strikes are great against an untrained opponent, but the Gracies would choke any of those styles mentioned pretty quickly. And yes, they have put money on it. Never lost. Any style, anyone, anytime.

As for swinging sticks, that's idiotic. A good way to get shot. :cool:

About a year ago I was driving through the Walmart parking lot when a guy tries to pass me (this part of the parking lot was void of cars). So like an a-hole I speed up so he couldn't go around. We are both headed for the exit when I let up off the gas.

He screeches to a halt and gets out of his car. He was not in good shape if you know what I mean. I was yoked at the time, had just earned my black belt (TKD) and was waiting to see if I could put my skills to good use.

For no known reason, I felt a wave of shame sweep over me. I was acting like such an a-hole. It would have been easy for me to just proceed at a normal parking lot speed and just let this guy go around. I yelled a couple of lame obscenities at him about how lucky he was that I just didn't kick his candy a$$ all over the lot, I got back in my car and slunk away.

About a week later I saw the same guy in the Walmart. He was with two adorable little kids about 3 and 5 years old. The loving demeanor on their faces when he spoke to them told me everything I needed to know about this guy. He was some sort of superhero to them. I felt like the lowest form of life crawling.

...with the other people who weren't moral enough to go to war and kill innocent women and children.

LOL... "You think I got where I am today because I dressed like Peter Pan over here?"

I've never met a respectable martial artist who would bother to accept such a challenge.

Plenty of McDojo MA's though.

Cage fighting is outright nonsense.