I am a Magnet for Trouble!!

Throwdown0850 · Brown Belt

guys..... I think I am getting lazy here... I seem to be a magnet for trouble... so I am at the grocery store parking lot and I get out with my car.. well there is this HUGE guy in a blue car, and he gets out a looks at me, let me remind you that I have never met this man.. well I get out and he walks up to me and says, " you got something to say to me you little punk @#$$@#$ < curse word.. and I said "no?" and he walks away and keeps on staring at me as we walk in, he was pretty mad.. and I kinda feel like I backed down? am I going soft?? this guy was at least 6'5" 275 lbs.. and the mistake that I made was I let him get close, like only a few inches... he could have attacked me!! its like I lost my "awareness"..

The only thing that would have brought him down was a set up strike, like a backfist to the jaw and side stomp his leg.. I know it seems violent, but by looking at this guy, it was either me or him...
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You must become more than just a man in the mind of your opponent. -Henri Ducard

NewEnglands_KyoSa · Pre-Black Belt

yes, you may have lost your 'awareness' becuase you had your guard down, youre at the freaking grocery store so you don't think like a ninja's gonna drop from the ceiling and attack you, that's just human nature. but as far as the getting soft thing, i think it was pure maturity, you were just like, alright whatever it's not worth fighting you because youre obviously and idiot for making something out of nothing. so i think you were right to not say anything and just shake off the situation. but i definately would have been ready for something, i wouldnt swing first but i'd be ready for a swing. it soudns like his day's goals consisted of clocking somebody, and the first one he saw, was you.
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"Smile. Show everyone that today you're stronger than you were yesterday."

Rainbow_Warrior · Green Belt

oh dude... we all have days and days.... I have days that I feel like batman , and others I feel like a mutant midget.
If you are in a day you dont feel right to fight , dont do it.
That guy is loser, he wants to fight just to make his day....but, dont let other people insult you that hard....search for a balance........
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´´ The evil may win a round , but not the fight ´´

TraditionalDan · Orange Belt

I'm sure this happens to many people, and I have been in situations similar. You think to yourself 'how dare they', and at times you get worked up about it.
But I have learnt that it is best to just let it go. If you're a competent martial artist, you will know that if a physical attack did arise, it would be your assailant in the regretful position.
If anything, you can be sympathetic to these people by letting them off. Thier misplaced anger will be vented on someone similar to themselves one day, then they'll either get what they want, or the complete opposite.
If you know how good you are, then it is easier to walk away.
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Brighton Shotokan

mlaidler · White Belt

at the end of the day as my 8th dan karate instructor always reminds me the best thing to do is to ignore him and show that you are the bigger man if this doesn't work prepare to block and hit him where it hurts

[quote]"the enemie may want a round, but the good guy chooses the round"

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little.m

tori · Blue Belt

In Martial Arts, we train to avoid physical situations at all costs. Why fight if you don't need to. The guy is just a bully. You did the right thing by not getting involved.
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Live life, train hard, but laugh often.

Sasori_Te · Black Belt

I have a question. You got out of your car and this guy just walks up to you for no reason and says this to you?? Nothing else had happened between you prior to this? You'll have to forgive me, but I've never seen an adult (even a bully) act like this. There is usually some sort of catalyst for the situation.
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A block is a strike is a lock is a throw.

Taylor · Yellow Belt

Yeah, I'd have to agree with Sasori Te, and with your original assessment that you lost awareness. It's possible you cut him off on the road without knowing it, or something like that.

That still doesn't mean he wasn't a jerk, or out of line... just that, even entering the parking lot, you might have been able to see a guy driving 'angrily' or following you, or seen him coming towards you in the parking lot, and used an avoidance tactic well before he got to you if you'd maintained awareness.

I don't mean that as a judgment, just the reflection you asked for. Every violent act has a 'cause' and I don't buy into the notion that these 'causes' are mysterious. They may seem random sometimes, but I believe this 'randomness', even when truly 'random' is capable of being forseen and avoided with awareness 99.5% of the time. But maintaining awareness takes practice too, and is a skill that may be harder than learning martial arts! So that's why I say, it's not meant as a judgement.

Throwdown0850 · Brown Belt

BDPulver · Green Belt

Nah, I use to know a bully just like that back home. Growing up he would find anything and I mean anything to start a fight.

I was one of the few people who stood up to him every day without ever leaving a mark. Just like you did, he would come up try and start something and it'd be a stairing contest more times then not.

What's sad bout that someone like that is they either change or they dont as they grow up. What I'm getting at is after I went into the army and came out, I saw him again some years later and he was still wanting to prove his mettle to me.

I finally uncross'd my arms, looked him dead in the eye and told him to grow up and walked away. Last I heard he was doing time for trying that to someone else and got arrested for aggravated assualt.

Everytime I look back at that day, I look at it as I gave him a chance to change and he didnt take it.

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