Consensus on Streetfighting...

[Ahoym8e]

Hey guys (& gals).

I am new, and have a question: What is the prevailing thought on street fighting?

I am a performance vehicle enthusiast as well, and on the chat boards I frequent regarding that, everyone has strong feelings against street racing. Their strength seems to fade the minute people get away from the keyboard though, and everyone, when challenged on the street by another performance car gives in to the temptation and "engages in a display of acceleration." Even the moderators of the forums that ban people for posting "kill stories" succumb.

So what is it like with street fighting? I sense there is strong opposition to street fighting here, but are some of you guys mega-badasses on the street? I ask that without any value judgment attached, I am just curious what goes on. Anyone pick fights in bars, or get jobs as bouncers just to crush wannabe's?

I’m just trying to get a feel for the crowd, and see what outlook other MMA enthusiasts have.

FWIW, I train mostly for the fun of learning something new and “non-mainstream.” In conflict I prefer “lawyer-fu” and “.45-fu,” but you never know what situation you might find yourself in.

I guess back to my question: Do you guys fight outside of the gym? A lot or just once in a great while when you are good and angry about something?

Just curious

[Ahoym8e]

Oh, and was there any change in your feelings about it as you got better and better at "fighting" in the gym?

[Tom Yum]

Street fighting is very dangerous.

You might beat the crap out of someone to save yourself or another, but chances are it was a 'lucky' day.

Avoid streetfighting, especially over macho b@llshit stuff. Think of it this way, someone getting hurt really badly is better if you are fighting for your life or someone else's; but getting hurt badly over macho b@llshit stuff is very shallow

[Ahoym8e]

Avoid streetfighting, especially over macho b@llshit stuff.

I agree fully. In my opinion fighting is a lose / lose situation. If you lose a fight you might be seriously hurt. If you win a fight you might be really fooked and have to spend time in the pokey.

Still training is a great workout and fantastic stress reliever, at least for me.

Not that I am experienced or anything. I have had maybe 4 lessons, but my enthusiasm is really starting to sink in. Hopefully I wont let the macho b@llshit stuff grow in importance as my skills become more developed. I 'm pretty dang good at avoiding confrontation, but I sometimes feel like a real pussy for not vehemently insisting on what is good and right, even if it borders on macho b@llshit stuff

[roku]

I agree fully. In my opinion fighting is a lose / lose situation. If you lose a fight you might be seriously hurt. If you win a fight you might be really fooked and have to spend time in the pokey.

Still training is a great workout and fantastic stress reliever, at least for me.

Not that I am experienced or anything. I have had maybe 4 lessons, but my enthusiasm is really starting to sink in. Hopefully I wont let the macho b@llshit stuff grow in importance as my skills become more developed. I 'm pretty dang good at avoiding confrontation, but I sometimes feel like a real pussy for not vehemently insisting on what is good and right, even if it borders on macho b@llshit stuff

Sounds like you'd like to agree fully, but you're not so sure that when you do become a mega-badass (or at least start feeling that way) that you won't have a different viewpoint.

IMO, no matter how tough you get, don't get overconfident or underestimate someone and fight for the hell of it. Your chances might go up, maybe even a lot, but do any number of chambers make it smart to play russian roulette? I used to wrestle with a guy who was about 5'1", wrestled 105, sometimes 115, could bench 300, and twisted anyone who wasn't damn good, no matter their size, in knots, really. One of the best Muay Thai guys in a recent class I took looked like a skinny 17 year old, but had power, speed, and could hold his own with most of the badasses in class. I'm sure he'd be quite the surprise to anyone who felt they should "teach him a lesson" because they thought they could. I haven't even mentioned things like knives, etc.

Suppose you do mess someone up, break their arm, hand, or worse? If you happen to have a conscience, you might consider not just legal ramifications, but the possibility that it could impact their life or others who depend on them. Maybe they needed whatever you broke to do their job.

I'm not saying to walk around in fear or be concerned about the person who gives you good reason to defend. Train hard. Enjoy it, and if it's really time to do your stuff, then do it without looking back. Usually, at least IMO, that time is not just to prove that something is good and right.

[kengar]

I 'm pretty dang good at avoiding confrontation, but I sometimes feel like a real pussy for not vehemently insisting on what is good and right, even if it borders on macho b@llshit stuff

The hardest part for a guy to learn is to drop the ego. Being hurt, hurting another person and/or going to jail for something stupid like being called a name or for heaven sake, someone dare give you a look just isn't worth it.

Now, I border on the "martial artist shouldn't fight" cliche. I don't think you should fight for any reason, but I also don't believe you have to retreat. Just always remember you can get hurt and you could find yourself in legal hell.

[Ahoym8e]

Sounds like you'd like to agree fully, but you're not so sure that when you do become a mega-badass that you won't have a different viewpoint.

Nah, I thought about it some more last night, and I'll be fine.

a) I am not in an environment where macho b@llshit stuff impinges on my life.

b) I have a strong sense of self, and firmly set core beliefs that include not hurting anyone unecessarily. That hasn't changed for the first 32 years and I am sure it won't change now just because I can throw a mean hook.

c) Name calling or such malarkey doesn't get me worked up at all. Aggressive in my face behavior gets me worked up. Having beer bottles thrown at my car in traffic from a another vehicle gets me worked up (really nothing you can do about that either: Im in Texas, and everyone has guns). That's what I was talking about when I mentioned feeling like a pussy for not standing up for myself.

become a mega-badass (or at least start feeling that way)

Hehe! Great distinction!! roflmao

[TylerDurden]

I avoid street fights, just generally am not into that sort of thing. If it happens it's because the other guy starts it, not me. Training/sparring is among friends, it's fun. Street fighting is not fun, it's not about getting better it's just about hurting someone else. There are too many negatives to worry about to go looking for fights. Getting stabbed, shot, arrested, jumped by 6 guys, no thanks.

[avelocci]

I got in one street fight and then I couldn't do it again and it's not the fear that repulses me the most (Although it is possiblethat you can get stabbed jumped ect.) but the fact that yor harming another human being and for what? meaningless words? It just gets me that every person you harm has their own family, their own friends and have people who love and count on them. That's why i'll never be the one to start a fight.

Sincerly,
Andrew Velocci

[wardancer]

Hey guys (& gals).

I am new, and have a question: What is the prevailing thought on street fighting?

I am a performance vehicle enthusiast as well, and on the chat boards I frequent regarding that, everyone has strong feelings against street racing. Their strength seems to fade the minute people get away from the keyboard though, and everyone, when challenged on the street by another performance car gives in to the temptation and "engages in a display of acceleration." Even the moderators of the forums that ban people for posting "kill stories" succumb.


I guess back to my question: Do you guys fight outside of the gym? A lot or just once in a great while when you are good and angry about something?

Just curious

Well you are what we called (in New Zealand) a Boy racer: very infamous for illegal street racing that kills participants.
By curiosity, what do you drive?
I drive a WRX Sub, and love to take a challenge from an Evo anytime!
However, to go back to streetfight, MA is same like Boy racing some clubs do not 'encourage' illegal street race as part of their club rules. Some car clubs looks the other way.
Some MA clubs will kick you out if they find out you in purpose look for fight and injure people.
But I suppose you can always say you were challenge 'at the red light by some fools' just the same you get challenge by drunks outside a bar.
The bottom line I do stop at the red light and do get challenge therefore I race and I do go to Bars also and if trouble comes my way so be it!
But I do NOT drive around in the middle of the night trying to hook up with some fools with Japs Imports experts trying to prove myself like some of my friends do. They belong to car clubs that do illegal car race and create a bad name for people like me: especially when it comes to the reputation of 'recycling' spare parts.
I have better things to do.
In an ideal world, the race belongs to the drag stip and the MA sticks to the MA Club enviroment if possible!
Looking for fights like looking for illegal racing is definitely a dangerous thing to do. But it does exist and that would get you lot of problems in NZ.
Some of my club mates work as bouncers but that because they would have their own way/choice because MA is the only thing they are good at. I am sure if they are better qualifications they would do another job.

[Ahoym8e]

Well you are what we called (in New Zealand) a Boy racer: very infamous for illegal street racing that kills participants.
By curiosity, what do you drive?
I drive a WRX Sub, and love to take a challenge from an Evo anytime!

Boy Racer! Haha.

It is very rare that I race on the street, and even then it they are always short ( I always shut down at 80-90 mph or so). It happens maybe once every 6 months or so. I do drive quite spiritedly on my own, as that is safer from a legal aspect here in TX. If I'm racing some idiot and they hurt someone, I am a responsible participant (and can go to jail).

You seem in tune with the import racing scene, and it must be the same all over the world. Here houston-imports.com members start "fun runs," saturday night street races, etc. Those guys' races usually end around 130mph+. They are young and crazy.

BTW: I drive a 381whp/372lbft tq (on 95 octane gas) '02 WRX with STi motor and trans. There are faster evo's but not many...

OK. BACK TO MMA :

I am glad to see that the folks here tend towards the responsible and conscionable when it comes to not randomly hurting people. That is what I was hoping for. I was playing devils advocate a litttle in the beginning to see if it would stir up any die-hard-street-mega-badasses, but it seems everyone is really on top of things.

[Phorce]

I class myself as a calm, easy goin guy, that respects the desire to not fight...yet i want to fight. I want to test myself- not in the ring- on the street. I want to crush some townie wannabe smack head who keeps eyeing me up on a friday night....i visualise him trying to touch me to which i knee the crap out of his head...throw him on the floor...then dislocate his shoulder...only to then never be seen in the vicinity of his low-life friends. I want it to happen, but in a way i dont. I guess i need reassurance that my training is paying off...

..and to that a few of you will say that i cant be a good fighter, or training well enough or i wouldnt want to prove myself. I know i can win him, i just want to know how much i can, yet its too risky.

[Ahoym8e]

I want to crush some townie wannabe smack head who keeps eyeing me up on a friday night....i visualise him trying to touch me to which i knee the crap out of his head...throw him on the floor...then dislocate his shoulder...

So, ummm, did we go to high school together? I remember being on the receiving end of that a few times in school. I remember not liking it much.

p.s. what's a "townie?"

p.p.s. you may want to see an anger management professional...

[Phorce]

So, ummm, did we go to high school together? I remember being on the receiving end of that a few times in school. I remember not liking it much.

p.s. what's a "townie?"

p.p.s. you may want to see an anger management professional...

LOL^^....im english..

a townie is someone who hangs around some sort of town...kinda like US versions of gangsters yet less brutal and less intelligent...imagine some wannabe hard nut who thinks that a fight is won by him swinging his whole body with his arm sticking out (most of them break wrists or fists in fights as they dont train at all)....they the type of guys that only fight when theyve got mates behind them....you will probably (if your from the states) be better acquianted with the 'skin heads'..well imagine them, but in my town not half as hard.


and the only anger management i need is my punchbag...or to knock his face off his skull...

[avelocci]

Phorce I used to be like you, looking for recognition of my training, trying to prove to myself that I am ready. In the end though you realize that no matter how much a "townie" pisses you off they are still a person. Did it ever occur to you that they act so big because they try to compinsate for the little man inside?

Sincerly,
Andrew Velocci