Some people seem to get through their entire lives without ever actually getting into a physical fight with somebody, whilst others see having one as a typical weekend activity...
How many fights have you been in personally, and why?
Myself - probably about 10-15, all back in my late teens and earlier twenties - all of them based on the same combination of events - alcohol, alcohol, and more alcohol.....
I suppose it depends what you call a physical fight.
As a teenager, I was involved in my fair share of dust-ups with my contemporaries. They usually followed along the lines of a short, sharp brawl where an eye may be blacked or a nose bloodied, but that was about the extent of it. Nothing serious. But it WAS hand to hand fighting. Aggressive personal contact.... mano et mano.
Contrast this with a more serious kind of fighting. In 1982, I was involved in some pretty serious conflict on a national basis. The Royal Navy versus the Argentine Air Force. The conflict was known as the Falklands War. Although I never actually came into personal 1-2-1 contact with an Argentine pilot, I did all I could to contribute to killing as many of them as I could. They did the same to me.
It wasn't personal. They were fighting for something they genuinely believed in, and so were we. It was an honourable war, fought between men who knew what they were doing, accepted the risks and were prepared to pay the consequences. I have nothing but admiration for the Argentines who fought against us. They were honourable men prepared to lay down their lives for what they believed in. As were we.
I lived to tell the tale. I was on the side of the victors, although I didn't come into personal contact with a single Argentine soldier, sailor or airman. Does this mean I won the fight...?
I claim no kudos in the outcome of this war. All I say is that "I did my bit". I did my duty for my Queen and country, as the brave Argentine pilots who did their bit for their country. I salute them as worthy adversaries.
I was a young man back then. I am older and wiser now and understand that fighting for things you might believe in at the time might not be all we're told it is.
To those who like to indulge in Saturday night fisticuffs outside pubs and clubs, I will say that you aren't big, you aren't clever and you impress nobody. Go home. Sleep the beer off. Whatever it was that annoyed you last night, it wasn't worth losing your teeth over.
I don't expect anybody to take this message onboard. The probability that nobody will is the pity of it.
I was in one fight when I was at school when a boy punched me in the face outside class because "I made him look stupid" (admittedly I did but to be fair, he didn't need much help). Instead of just leaving it like a sane person would, a few weeks later I punched him back and we ended up fighting.
Since then I've had a few punches handed to me, and given them back, but the situation has always been cooled down before it escalated into a full on fight.
Most people avoid violence, but when it's needed you need to be ready - like the Policeman near the top of this thread I also have had no fights since doing (and teaching) martial arts. But I did Ju Jitsu, which is a 'defensive' art - as opposed to Karate and Boxing, which are both 'offensive' arts - almost all the techniques in Ju Jitsu come from an initial attack.
Historically I fought a LOT as a child, I was small and people tried to pick on me or bully me - and I wouldn't stand for that then, and wouldn't now.
But I've never had a fight since leaving school, although I've come close once or twice - but once you make it clear you're not 'easy pickings' they often back away.
Agree with all except that Karate is not an 'offensive' art. I practice it, it is defensive. You only practice offensively for obvious reasons.
I've never engaged in a proper full on fight. I once punched a boy and knocked him off his bike when he pulled up alongside me to call me names when I was walking home from school. That's about it really, I'm more verbally aggressive than physical.
At junior school, word went round that Carl Howarth wanted to fight me. I've no idea why - we were friends! At hometime, I made my way over to the park where the fight had been arranged and stood opposite Carl in (what I thought at the time) was a fighting stance while the whole of our year stood around chanting "fight.....fight....fight"
I'd never been in a fight, didn't know how to fight and didn't know how a fight started. He was my friend so I didn't want to hit him for no reason. It seems Carl didn't want to fight me either as we both stood there for ages making no actual attempt to start fighting until a teacher turned up and everyone legged it.
I've never engaged in a proper full on fight. I once punched a boy and knocked him off his bike when he pulled up alongside me to call me names when I was walking home from school. That's about it really, I'm more verbally aggressive than physical.
Did you give him a nosebleed like what I did to someone in a fight once? :cool:
Twice. Once when I was 14 this girl I barely knew jumped on my back and started pulling my hair. I didn't want to hit her because she was younger than me but eventually I lost my temper and started fighting back. I sprayed her in the face with some bodyspray that was in my schoolbag to get her off me, then I punched her in the mouth.
The second time was with my brother's wife. We were both a bit tipsy and she started talking shit about my family. I in turn started talking shit about her family and it came to blows. Poorly aimed blows and a lot of stumbling about of course, it was pretty embarrassing.
Agree with all except that Karate is not an 'offensive' art. I practice it, it is defensive. You only practice offensively for obvious reasons.
I did both - Karate is classed as an 'offensive' art because of it's fighting stance - in Karate from ready stance to fighting stance you step forward (an offensive move), in Ju Jitsu you step back (a defensive move)
Apart from a few scraps with my bother as kids I have never been in a "proper" fight. I have been punched a couple of times but I was too busy laying on the floor to fight back.
In school once if I remember.
Doing Martial arts many if you include sparing and tournaments
Door Supervisor in Swansea, many breaking up fights and ejecting people, but actual fights not that many maybe 10 or so in 5 years
I'm 43 this year and left the night club scene when I was 26 and in that time I've had 1 fight, in a pub when some drunken idiot decided to start on me, it didn't end well for him. After repeatably ignoring him, it escalated into telling him to "sod off" then "sod off or get hurt" then he got hurt.
I've so many "scraps" I've lost count, by scraps I mean grappling with the odd wild punch to the body until one side gives in, this sort of fight was the staple of junior schools (7-11 years old),
During 11-16 years very few scraps but a few punches from older boys who were basically cowards and would shy away from anyone who could give them trouble.
16-30 years and then I had a fair few what I would call all out fist fights that would result in blood loss and severe bruising, normally over a girl :rolleyes. Had a few occasions of being "jumped" which resulted in black eyes and swollen lips etc, I've had some cracking yellow black bruises over the years. Luckily nothing broken.
The most memorable fight that I won was when I managed to kick a guy in the space between the upper rib cage and just below his armpit and dislocated his shoulder, it was game over for him, but I never liked him so I was happy to win that one.
I haven't been in a serious fight but a few years ago I got into a couple of minor scraps. It wasn't serious there were no injuries and it was completely avoidable it was the usual two blokes trying to be the big man and neither having the sense to just walk away. I regret it and have completely changed since then.
I don't understand the view that if you've never engaged in a fight you need to learn how to defend yourself for the day that it happens.
I started Krav Maga and boxing last year to learn how to protect myself if it ever happens even though apart from minor scrapping years ago I haven't actually been in a fight. My view is just because it hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it won't ever happen although I'm hoping that it doesn't.
It's only offensive if you learn at the Cobra Kai school.
:D:D
We do not train to be merciful here. Mercy is for the weak. Here, in the streets, in competition. A man confronts you, he is the enemy. An enemy deserves no mercy.
Always shyed away from fights since my school days 35 years ago after giving a couple of guys a right hiding. That was until a few weeks ago when some sleazy bastard started trying it on with my wife. She told him to go as she wasn't interested. I then came along and told him the same. He went telling me she was "fair game". He later came back, sucker punched me so I laid into him ending up with him scurrying off shouting for his mate who came running up before stopping dead in his tracks and thinking better of getting involved.
Comments
I suppose it depends what you call a physical fight.
As a teenager, I was involved in my fair share of dust-ups with my contemporaries. They usually followed along the lines of a short, sharp brawl where an eye may be blacked or a nose bloodied, but that was about the extent of it. Nothing serious. But it WAS hand to hand fighting. Aggressive personal contact.... mano et mano.
Contrast this with a more serious kind of fighting. In 1982, I was involved in some pretty serious conflict on a national basis. The Royal Navy versus the Argentine Air Force. The conflict was known as the Falklands War. Although I never actually came into personal 1-2-1 contact with an Argentine pilot, I did all I could to contribute to killing as many of them as I could. They did the same to me.
It wasn't personal. They were fighting for something they genuinely believed in, and so were we. It was an honourable war, fought between men who knew what they were doing, accepted the risks and were prepared to pay the consequences. I have nothing but admiration for the Argentines who fought against us. They were honourable men prepared to lay down their lives for what they believed in. As were we.
I lived to tell the tale. I was on the side of the victors, although I didn't come into personal contact with a single Argentine soldier, sailor or airman. Does this mean I won the fight...?
I claim no kudos in the outcome of this war. All I say is that "I did my bit". I did my duty for my Queen and country, as the brave Argentine pilots who did their bit for their country. I salute them as worthy adversaries.
I was a young man back then. I am older and wiser now and understand that fighting for things you might believe in at the time might not be all we're told it is.
To those who like to indulge in Saturday night fisticuffs outside pubs and clubs, I will say that you aren't big, you aren't clever and you impress nobody. Go home. Sleep the beer off. Whatever it was that annoyed you last night, it wasn't worth losing your teeth over.
I don't expect anybody to take this message onboard. The probability that nobody will is the pity of it.
We never learn.
Since then I've had a few punches handed to me, and given them back, but the situation has always been cooled down before it escalated into a full on fight.
Agree with all except that Karate is not an 'offensive' art. I practice it, it is defensive. You only practice offensively for obvious reasons.
I'd never been in a fight, didn't know how to fight and didn't know how a fight started. He was my friend so I didn't want to hit him for no reason. It seems Carl didn't want to fight me either as we both stood there for ages making no actual attempt to start fighting until a teacher turned up and everyone legged it.
That's the only fight I've ever had.
Did you give him a nosebleed like what I did to someone in a fight once? :cool:
The second time was with my brother's wife. We were both a bit tipsy and she started talking shit about my family. I in turn started talking shit about her family and it came to blows. Poorly aimed blows and a lot of stumbling about of course, it was pretty embarrassing.
It's only offensive if you learn at the Cobra Kai school.
I did both
Doing Martial arts many if you include sparing and tournaments
Door Supervisor in Swansea, many breaking up fights and ejecting people, but actual fights not that many maybe 10 or so in 5 years
I'm 43 this year and left the night club scene when I was 26 and in that time I've had 1 fight, in a pub when some drunken idiot decided to start on me, it didn't end well for him. After repeatably ignoring him, it escalated into telling him to "sod off" then "sod off or get hurt" then he got hurt.
During 11-16 years very few scraps but a few punches from older boys who were basically cowards and would shy away from anyone who could give them trouble.
16-30 years and then I had a fair few what I would call all out fist fights that would result in blood loss and severe bruising, normally over a girl :rolleyes. Had a few occasions of being "jumped" which resulted in black eyes and swollen lips etc, I've had some cracking yellow black bruises over the years. Luckily nothing broken.
The most memorable fight that I won was when I managed to kick a guy in the space between the upper rib cage and just below his armpit and dislocated his shoulder, it was game over for him, but I never liked him so I was happy to win that one.
I have lost a couple too mind.
I started Krav Maga and boxing last year to learn how to protect myself if it ever happens even though apart from minor scrapping years ago I haven't actually been in a fight. My view is just because it hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it won't ever happen although I'm hoping that it doesn't.
We do not train to be merciful here. Mercy is for the weak. Here, in the streets, in competition. A man confronts you, he is the enemy. An enemy deserves no mercy.
Haha!