How many of you walk around like you are BAAAAAAAD!

[dkm]

This question came to my mind when I see alot of various martial arts practioners who are still young (less than 30) walk around in everyday life (i.e. on the train, work, streets, etc) like they can beat up anyone.

I was reading The Lion's Den and one of the first things Ken does is beat his students up to deflate their big bad ego.

How many of you have stories of people (or yourself) being humbled?

[Great Sage]

Hahaha... This is a funny, but true post. I’ve known a lot of guys who thought they were the shiet, including myself, until it hit the fan. When I was about 13, I won a few national tournaments and I thought I was on my way to becoming the best fighter in the world. I had a swagger... My arrogance came to an end in high school. I was on the wrestling team and I mentioned that I could take anyone on our team in a fight. Well, that didn’t sit too well with one of our varsity wrestlers and he tied me into knots. After that, my pride took some time to heal, but learned that I wasn’t anywhere near where I thought I was... I became a better person, developed better training ethics and became a better martial artist... I’d like my rematch now, just for kicks.

[Szczepankiewicz]

I know I'm not the baddest man on the planet. Bri Thai is!

Great Sage, now that you're 14, how's the perspective?

[Szczepankiewicz]

Seriously though, I don't go around thinking I will win.

But I can guarantee that you will lose. Teeth, blood, skin.... whatever.

[sk12879]

Egoism has never been an issue of mine. I would say I'm "above average" in terms of being able to hold my own, but I don't walk around like I can beat anyone down. Cause that's about as far from the truth as it gets.

[Mr. Miyagi]

I haven't found training in bjj to change my personality at all. I would also say that I do it for fun and sport, not really for self defense. I've never even come close to getting in a fight since I was 13 (and I'm 27 now). It's just really cool to be committed and dedicated to something that is so demanding and rewarding. I am a blue belt for a couple years now but I wouldn't feel comfortable getting in a fight anywhere and who knows what kind of trouble you could get into if you were to choke someone unconscious or break their arm. A lawyer would have a field day nailing you on that. No matter what art you train in there is a good chance that you'll get hurt in a streetfight, the guy could have a weopon or friends and there are all sorts of variables, glass on the ground, slippery floor, human shields, crowded or cramped area, etc, it's just not worth the risk.

[Tom Yum]

I think there's a difference with having confidence vs. thinking you are bad; sometimes it is difficult for people to distinguish the two. A person with confidence walks tall with good posture and is comfortable with him/herself.

Someone who thinks they are bad will try to stare you down, get in your face and verbally assault you etc- they will try to intimidate you.

To answer your question, I've been tapped out in bjj many times and have had my jaw nearly dislocated,lips busted/bloodied, ribs bruised and shins purpled and stinging from MT/boxers give me a taste of contact. Am I still confident in myself, yes, but will I try to stare down the next guy in the street...Hell NO. I want the guy on the street to be confident too, but not in your face.

[Tom Yum]

Confident MA: Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, Royce Gracie, Shamrock, Tacktarov, R Jones Jr, Evander Hollyfield

Bad ass attitude: Phil Baroni, Tank Abbot, Steven Segall

[crazyjoe380]

wowsers..

[TracyKarate]

Confidence is a strange thing. To one man, it is natural. To another it is a forced performance. The true test is to be faced with a fierce adversity that would make one incapable of giving a false reaction, but rather a reaction that is just that: a reaction. Void of any voluntary acts or thoughts.
I apologize if I am getting "too deep" for any of you.

[aseepish]

I`m so bad I should be in detention!!

[Tom Yum]

Part of confidence is also choosing one's battles correctly. Let's say that Royce Gracie makes an open challenge to Vladimir Klitschko. Klitschko then avoids Gracie. Does Klitschko lack confidence?

Here are Klitschko's opportunity costs:

Fight Gracie - Face the possibility of loss due to lack of experience in MMA, take home little/no money.

Ignore Gracie - Prepare for fight with Hollyfield,Byrd, Lewis, JJ; win = $10 million, loose = $1 million and either way Klitschko maintains professional boxing record.

Here are Gracies opportunity costs:

Fight Klitschko - provoke or annoy him at all costs to get him in the ring. If he wins, he can claim supremacy of bjj (add intangible value to his future business). If he looses, then obviously Klitschko came prepaired.

Back off - He challenges Klitschko. Klitschko is a no-show and then claims that Klitschko is chicken (claim some intangible value to his future business).

In a case like this, its a battle of two diverging perceptions about fighting with different risks and rewards for each outcome. Cases like this happen everyday in MMA, pro-kickboxing and pro-boxing.

Sometimes we (the public) choose quick gut reactions about people and latch onto it without thinking about the big picture, possible motivations, risks/rewards etc.