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You're right I do need to "get over it"...I've just never been in a situation where I've needed to hurt someone like that so I don't know what it feels like to be in danger. It's not like I'm some sheltered shut in or anything either, I've traveled all over the world, I've been mugged at knife point, I've had the occasional bar room scrap...I've just never felt that threatened, I never felt like I was in so much danger that I would have had to viciously attack someones eyes, or bite their ear off, etc...and obviously I'm right because I'm here, alive and in one piece. Maybe the need to defend ourselves is mostly in our head?
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This is an interesting point. I've been training in some form of combat sport (wrestling, boxing) or MA since I was 13 or so, although I've never felt particularly threatened by the world around me. It's just something I like doing. I've been thinking about this a lot, especially since I've gotten to know some of the on-line MA community. At least in America the vast majority of people never have to defend themselves from a serious attack. Sure, it can happen to anyone at any time, but any number of other threats (car crash, cancer etc.) are much more likely. I think most of us here would agree that it feels good to know that you can defend yourself if you have to though, which one of the good reasons people train. Just the same, it's not any where near likely enough to justify the hours I regularly spend training. I feel this way despite having spent a lot of my life in high-crime towns like New Orleans and Atlanta. It would be paranoid to spend this much time preparing for something that statistically is so unlikely to happen.Originally posted by bOoRadley
One of my neighbors, who has been living in my part of Atlanta all her life, is a very friendly lady around 60 years old or so. She lives by herself and can frequently be seen taking a stroll around the neighborhood. Our part of town still can be pretty rough, and it was A LOT worse 10-20 years ago. Even so, she's never had a problem other than having her car broken into despite the fact that she doesn't do anything in particular to protect herself. That's not because she's been lucky, it's because she's never been unlucky.
To be honest, I think the paranoia and suspicion that a lot of people have insulates them from social anxiety a lot more than it protects them from real physical danger. By treating the people around them as potential threats that have to be managed they don't have to relate to them socially or emotionally. The suspicion (aka hostility even if they'd never admit that's what it is) that they treat the people around them with keeps the rest of the world at arms length socially. That protects them from their personal insecurities a lot more than it does actual physical threats. Personally I find practicing MA to extremely rewarding and I recommend it to anyone who will listen, but I also think it's sad how afraid many people are of the people around them.Comment
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Hmmm, I'm not entirely convinced. It's just that I hear stories all the time from people who were raped or beaten. I read newspaper articles in addition to the anecdotes. I have had friends killed or hospitalized. I know that there is violence out there, and I do my best to avoid it. But I don't think that the ability to avoid it means it isn't there.
As I was biking home today I noticed two men who were standing at a green light looking like they were going to turn right. They turned around, looked at me and just stood there. I of course kept a really nice sized distance, and when they noticed me park my bike, basically, they proceeded to cross. I waited until they were out of reach and walked straight. I also noticed, while on a payphone last night (facing the street instead of staring at the phone box) some guy walking towards me and then I saw the glimmer of silver in his hands... I crossed the street pretty quickly and made distance. Now there could be a million different reasons that don't involve physical violence to explain two guys basically waiting to talk to me at a stoplight, and one guy walking towards me fairly quickly with a knife in his palm. I didn't get the Spidey sense feeling, never really felt in any danger. But I sure as hell am not going to risk my own safety to figure out whether or not I'm right.
I do agree though that the risk of personal harm is much too low to justify me investing the amount of time and energy I do into my own training. I'm still trying to figure out why I'm actually doing it.
I'm sure I could uncover the secret hidden motives somewhere...
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Alot of these things can happen in any sporting event, however...so kiddies, safety first!Originally posted by stabbychick
(warning, very, VERY graphic...good music though, who likes 2 live crew...hollaa)
**** that shit...I will NEVER get on a pair of iceskates...ever again!Comment
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This is what I mean when I say that our need to defend ourselves may be in our heads...most people don't realize that statistically violent crime in north america is actually down...murder is down, rape is down, random violence committed against strangers is way down. And how would anyone realize this or feel safe when you turn on the news and 99% of it revolves around crime because that's what gets viewers. It's 55 minutes of death and destruction and at the end they throw in a feel good story about a dog that water skis or some ridiculous bullshit."I'm not entirely convinced. It's just that I hear stories all the time from people who were raped or beaten. I read newspaper articles in addition to the anecdotes"
Yes you may know people who have been hospitalized or have been involved somehow in a physical altercation but you're not like regular people...you train in a combat martial art and probably know many people who would be far more likely to be involved in a physical altercation thank the average person.
"A loving person lives in a loving world. A hostile person lives in a hostile world: everyone you meet is your mirror." -Ken S. Keyes, Jr.Comment
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Actually I don't watch television... I do read the papers but most of it is filler. The people I know who were involved in physical altercations didn't train. Are you saying that training makes you more likely to get in a physical altercation?Comment
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See the thing is that despite statistics, I know that "most women I know" have been assaulted. What floors me is that so many men I know who spend thousands of dollars on their training, you talk to their wives who have been followed, gotten threatening phone calls, etc. on numerous occasions and they don't train even though they're much more likely to have to use such skills.Comment
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Most woman you know have been assaulted?
What?
Where the hell do you live? Darfur?
And yes I do believe that MMA/combat training attracts individuals who would be more likely to be involved in a physical altercation...more so than other sports or hobbies, I think the type of people who take tennis lessons or pilates would differ greatly from the goons I've met in BJJ and boxing. Do you disagree?Comment
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I bet many women you know have been assaulted too but just aren't telling you about it. I think the stats are now 1 in 6 women, and I bet it's much higher than that since so many assaults are unreported.
And yeah, I disagree. Criminals look for easy targets. If you train you are less likely to look like an easy target. So unless you're just starting shit I don't think that'll make you more likely to be involved in a physical altercation... unless you are stepping in to protect someone else.
If you really think training makes you more likely to be involved ina physical altercation, why are you training?Comment
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Bullshit, why do pacifists get killed then?Originally posted by bOoRadleyComment
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Originally posted by treelizard
'Cause they walk around saying stuff like "A loving person lives in a loving world. A hostile person lives in a hostile world: everyone you meet is your mirror." and people get so annoyed that they kill them.Comment
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No, he said it ATTRACTS people(goons) more likely to be involved in an altercation.Originally posted by treelizard
Doesn't necessarily mean self-defense...just think about the last obnoxious tatooed loudmouth skinhead punk you saw. He's the kind of guy who's body language/characteristics screams "I'm looking for a fight." And at some point...somebody might decide to take him up on that non-verbal offer.Comment
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Okay Treelizard, what you need to do is go get your Hooked On Phonics workbook, flip to the chapter called "Reading Comprehension" and do the phuckin exercises...because you're obviously having some difficulty in that area.
I said that it attracts the type of people who are more likely to get in fights...dumb people who get frustrated by their lack of ability to comprehend the world around them so they resort to violence...basically morons like you.
And let me rephrase the quote and put in language that you might be able to understand....shitty people have shitty lives.
How the hell you imbeciles manage to use a computer is mystifying...Comment
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This is the kind of thing I was talking about. Now look, I don't really know you, I don't know your home town and I wasn't there so all I know about this situation is from this blurb on the internet. Don't take this too personally but this sounds really weird to me. Why would you treat two guys waiting to cross the street as a threat? Why would you assume they were going to talk to you? Why would it be bad if they did want to talk to you? It sounds to me like they were waiting for you to pass so that the road would be clear for them to cross. Even if they did want to talk to you why wouldn't you assume they just needed directions, or the time of day, or something similarly harmless and mundane? The impression that I get from this story is that in person you're so surly (paranoid delusions maybe?) that you wouldn't answer a polite question like "Can you tell me how to get to Broad St. from here?" My intention isn't to attack you personally, but it seems to me that training regularly can give some people a warped view that makes them suspicious of ordinary, harmless situations, which to me is sad.Originally posted by treelizardComment
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I first noticed these two guys as I was unlocking my bike after the outdoor movie I was at (when the guy I was with left before I was set to go, btw--because he doesn't train and doesn't know any better
). One of them made some comments at me which I ignored and the other was just kind of standing behind him. I waited until they left got my bike and started going home, but I was going the same way they were. They turned around, saw me there and just stood there even though their light was green, didn't cross the street until they noticed that I was stopped and wasn't gonna catch up to them. Then they walked. Also they weren't waiting for me to cross so the road would be clear from them to pass--they were going left, and I was going straight, and I was behind them.
As for the guy with the knife I saw, I'm pretty sure I could have just stood there as he walked past me but didn't want to take any chances.Comment
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