Anything Can Be Used As A Weapon

[Garland]

Hey, Tanto...

drop the rock and come to Jesus.

[Guest]

I'm just saying... Don't get too confident with yourselves. There is always someone thinking you might be his next victim. And, he might be right...

and what I'm saying is, be confident in yourself, otherwise....he is right.

I don't care how badass he thinks he is, or what meth he is on, or who his connections are. He hasn't trained every day for nearly two decades to protect what he loves, so if he wants to bring it on at the pool table then bring it on. You have to believe in what you have, and what you are.

"Bad guy" is a name that applies to both people in any violent confrontation. I'd much rather be the trained, skilled, athletic bad guy than the weasly, crack addict, pimp bad guy. Its another martial arts stereotype of the "lethal danger" that lurks on our street. When did we stop thinking that we, as trained martial artists, are the lethal danger? When did it all become so defeatist?

If you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right.

[Tant01]

and what I'm saying is, be confident in yourself, otherwise....he is right.

I don't care how badass he thinks he is, or what meth he is on, or who his connections are. He hasn't trained every day for nearly two decades to protect what he loves, so if he wants to bring it on at the pool table then bring it on. You have to believe in what you have, and what you are.

"Bad guy" is a name that applies to both people in any violent confrontation. I'd much rather be the trained, skilled, athletic bad guy than the weasly, crack addict, pimp bad guy. Its another martial arts stereotype of the "lethal danger" that lurks on our street. When did we stop thinking that we, as trained martial artists, are the lethal danger? When did it all become so defeatist?

If you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right.

Yeah... when I say "confident" I mean like the TKD master who tried to chase down carjackers... Maybe "don't be stupid" is a better choice of words?

Stay safe,

Tant01

[ltindiandaeng]

The way you look at life depends on your life,I think.I am half-white,half-Indian and grew up in New Yorlk surrounded by blacks and I got into martial arts for a comon reason:I was getting beat up alot.I was only white guy in high school on basketball,baseball and track team.And then to be honest,I am not proud but I was in a gang so I fought alot.Then after army I worked 25 years in prison,so my view of the world is paranoid,I admit.Now I am in mainly peaceful Thailand(not always I admit) and mainly teaching and martial arts for me is something I do for enjoyment and fun with my students and exercise for myself.I am 55 years old and hope to never have another real fight in my life.But it is good to know if I have to defend myself or my family,I can.I just hope I don't have to.

[Bullseye]

Defeatist.

That's the key word here. I find so much of what is said regarding "self defence" to be sooooo defeatist. Oh wow! That little twat in a hoody is lethal dangerous, er....why exactly??? Yes, I know about guns/knives ect, but I am still not going to buy into all the hysteria.

This is what I have been railing against up 'til now. I have read quite a few interviews with big name RBSD guys in the UK who talk as if every mugger is Fedor Max on crack. Of course there are very dangerous people out there. No argument. But thugs, bullies ,more often than not ,pick their mark very carefully. I am tired of this ludicrous idea that we, as martial artists, won't stand a chance against them. Who ever they are.

So all it takes to be lethal in the streets is a shitty attitude?? Most dickheads we are likely to run into are just that. Dickheads. We just don't give these people enough of the contempt they deserve. Indeed, we give them far too much credit, and far too much respect.

When did trained martial artists get so helpless? I train. He doesn't. He's doubtless got all the advantages???Uh....why exactly?

I do appreciate that there is danger out there. I am certainly NOT over confident. I am not one of the priveliged classes who travels everywhere in Pa Pa's gold plated mercedes. But I don't want to live my life in fear. Been there done that. All the fear, all the obssessing didn't help me handle confrontations any better. A healthier mentality is the only way to go, and the only way to live a happier life.

What the two Mikes are saying is empowering, AND true. I am tired of hearing RBSD guys disempowering people with all their rattling on about how hopeless it all is. To listen to a lot of people, there's no point training at all.

Dang, I'm sick of it.

[Garland]

I am tired of hearing RBSD guys disempowering people with all their rattling on about how hopeless it all is. To listen to a lot of people, there's no point training at all.

So, basically what I'm hearing is that most of the RBSD guys are the emo kids of the martial arts community.

[Tant01]

Extra green box! Congrats!

So, basically what I'm hearing is that most of the RBSD guys are the emo kids of the martial arts community.

Looks like the green just keeps growing under you!

Spread it around...

[Bullseye]

What is an emo kid?

I'm from the uk, and being a backwater, we are far behind the latest in slang.

Anyway, emo or not, I think a lot of "reality based" guys do exaggerate just how dangerous it is out there. Just read the websites, magazine articles, or sundry books on the subject.

It's not that self protection per se is a useless endeavour. I train so that I wil be able to fight if necessary. It's just not worth worrying about all the time. Yes shit can happen, and there are all kinds of unpleasant people around, but you can't let this kind of thing take over your life is my point.

[Guest]

And its a great point, which I think you have made very well throughout the thread.

Where are you in the UK Bullseye and what arts/with who do you train?

If you'd prefer to drop me a private message then thats cool

Thanks

MW

[Bullseye]

Hi Michael,

Just to let you know that I have sent you a pm. Apologies if you've seen it, but I don't want it to seem like I'm ignoring your previous post.


Cheers.

[Bullseye]

What do you mean exactly? Yes I sent a pm to Michael Wright. Is that cause for hilarity?