From: bud@ms.uky.edu (William K Glunt)
Subject: Re: Fights and blackbelt confidence
Organization: University Of Kentucky, Dept. of Math Sciences
Date: Sat, 23 Jan 1993 02:53:03 GMT

shulick@navajo.ucs.indiana.edu (Sam Hulick) writes:


>This is why I make it a point to myself never to be "obtrusive" until
>I'm at least a 3rd gup.  By obtrusive, I mean if someone says something
>"Hey asshole, blah blah blah" and I reply "Hah!  <sarcastic response>".
>Or as Jowfus said, "That's not fair."  Whether you're being sarcastic or
>sincere or mean, the person you're addressing may or may not take it
>offensively and decided to try to kick your ass.

 Trust me...jsut keep on being unobtrusive...life is not a kung fu movie.

>I know one kid (a 16-year old, I believe) who is VERY aggressive and
>mean and stupid.  Someone will say something and he'll (the 16yearold..
>we'll call him Dork). :)   Anyway, someone will say something and Dork
>will misinterpret it, either deliberately or not, and start a fight.
>i.e. "You better shut up, I'll have ta beat your ass."  And if the other

 Don't worry. Natural selection will take care of 'Dork'.

>little "things to do when I'm a blackbelt" list, and Dork is on it. :)

  If you go looking for trouble, even with a jerk, I fear you're no
more than a thug.  Also worth considering is the fact that if you engage
in brawling, it's quite possible that even if you 'win', you could end
up in jail.  In the movies, the bad guys never call the police and have you 
arrested for assualt.


>While we're on the topic, I know blackbelts aren't invincible or
>anything, but I think it's a confidence thing.  I know that, personally,
>after I had gone through years of training and had become a blackbelt,

 No offense here Sam, but you don't know any such thing.  You're  sort
 of daydreaming about how it will be when the fine day you become a 
 black belt holder.  The actuality may be quite different from what
 you think it is.

>I'd feel pretty good about myself and sure as hell wouldn't hesitate to
>talk back to someone who was giving me a hard time.  Now I'm just a

 This is an extremely dangerous way to think....but you'll probably change
your mind by the time you get there.

>white belt, and when someone starts hassling me, I remain unobtrusive
>and just take it, which I don't really like doing.  This doesn't mean
>that when I'm a blackbelt, and someone bugs me, I'd throw them across
>the room.  As our instructor said, avoid a fight at all costs, but if
>you have to fight, do what you must.  I don't think I'd be egging him


 Yes, you have to 'do what you must'. Now, when some one mouths off to you,
how has he really hurt you?  Made you look silly in front of others?
Bruised you ego? Ha! That's *nothing*....and let me warn you, if you  
'have to fight', the results will not be movie like either, even if you win
and there are no legal complications.  Some years ago, I was attacked by
a knife weilding dork, and I struck him once in the face.  He ran away
screaming, and I found out later that I'd knocked out seven of his teeth,
snapped them near the gum line, actually.  It was a clear case of self defense,
so there was 'no problems'.

 Except that the poor slob has to go through thousands of dollars of
 oral surgery and is slightly messed up for life...when you are a black belt,
 you have to be extremely careful, otherwise you could do more damage than
 appropriate.  In my opinion, the only legitimate use for a martial art is
 real self defense, and it's my duty to avoid trouble if I can. Someone 
 shooting off their mouth....not sufficient reason.


>on, but if someone started making rude comments about my best friend,
>I'm not going to sit there and not say anything (as I do now. me wimp!
>:).  Any one else feel this way?

 Continue to be a wimp.  If it becomes a real physical attack....that's
 another matter.


>-- 
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OSU!

Bud

-- 
Dr. William K Glunt     | Are you ABNORMAL?
APSU Dept of Math and CS| Then you are probably better than most people!
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