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Friday, June 27, 2008
Sticks and Stones may break my bones but names can never hurt me
If some tosser calls you a name, just call him one back.
Living in Manchester most my life, when I was younger, there weren't as many chinese around and I got a lot of stick, especially as my school was in a catchment area for Salford, an area known for rough living. Most of those knobheads that gave me crap when I was a kid are either in jail or in an industry where you don't get to live too long (gangster). I haven't always shrugged it off and I've been in enough fights where if I did not make a good effort, there's a good chance I would've had my skull kicked in.
As a result I have a record for assault for fighting 'cos someone called me a name, so trust me, I know what I'm talking about....just isn't worth it, sitting in a police cell with grubby, inky fingers then showing your head in a court full of people. It sucks, it's humiliating and it stays with you all your life.
But I learnt my lesson: since I've taken up martial arts, I walk tall, I walk wide, I walk softly and watch who's coming up. It's not often ANYONE gives me crap and the last time someone walked into me on purpose, I was wearing a suit, walking with my girlfriend and the guy was a drunk, average sized 20 year old and looked like he was spoiling for a fight.
After exchanging a few words (me: Are you alright mate? You didn't hurt yourself walking into me did ya? :) my girlfrend dragged me away, saying I shouldn't let opportunities to beat someone up be an excuse to beat someone up.
It's not big, it's not clever. I know I can have him, I know I can kick the crap out of him and his mates, etc. and at the time I really wanted to....but I would have felt crap about it later: it's unnecessary, it proves nothing.
It only satisfies the ego and serves no other purpose.
It proves the old adage, you become the same scum as they are who start it, taking the rise to satisfy the ego by making someone else feel bad.
People who need to do that are so obviously insecure about themselves, but martial arts gave me the push I needed to not need to prove myself to all and sundry. Wanting to start a fight all the time is just about stroking one's ego by hurting someone else. It's only a small step away from respect through fear, the way Triads, Mafia and other organised criminals and assorted bullies keep control of their turf or gain 'respect'. It's petty mindedness taken to the next level.
Unless I'm in danger of assault or worse, I won't raise my hand anymore.
Usually a hairy eyeball is enough to shut up most loud bullies nowadays, or an intense angry stare whilst I think of what soft body part to kick first generally unnerves them to the point of quietitude.
Living in Manchester most my life, when I was younger, there weren't as many chinese around and I got a lot of stick, especially as my school was in a catchment area for Salford, an area known for rough living. Most of those knobheads that gave me crap when I was a kid are either in jail or in an industry where you don't get to live too long (gangster). I haven't always shrugged it off and I've been in enough fights where if I did not make a good effort, there's a good chance I would've had my skull kicked in.
As a result I have a record for assault for fighting 'cos someone called me a name, so trust me, I know what I'm talking about....just isn't worth it, sitting in a police cell with grubby, inky fingers then showing your head in a court full of people. It sucks, it's humiliating and it stays with you all your life.
But I learnt my lesson: since I've taken up martial arts, I walk tall, I walk wide, I walk softly and watch who's coming up. It's not often ANYONE gives me crap and the last time someone walked into me on purpose, I was wearing a suit, walking with my girlfriend and the guy was a drunk, average sized 20 year old and looked like he was spoiling for a fight.
After exchanging a few words (me: Are you alright mate? You didn't hurt yourself walking into me did ya? :) my girlfrend dragged me away, saying I shouldn't let opportunities to beat someone up be an excuse to beat someone up.
It's not big, it's not clever. I know I can have him, I know I can kick the crap out of him and his mates, etc. and at the time I really wanted to....but I would have felt crap about it later: it's unnecessary, it proves nothing.
It only satisfies the ego and serves no other purpose.
It proves the old adage, you become the same scum as they are who start it, taking the rise to satisfy the ego by making someone else feel bad.
People who need to do that are so obviously insecure about themselves, but martial arts gave me the push I needed to not need to prove myself to all and sundry. Wanting to start a fight all the time is just about stroking one's ego by hurting someone else. It's only a small step away from respect through fear, the way Triads, Mafia and other organised criminals and assorted bullies keep control of their turf or gain 'respect'. It's petty mindedness taken to the next level.
Unless I'm in danger of assault or worse, I won't raise my hand anymore.
Usually a hairy eyeball is enough to shut up most loud bullies nowadays, or an intense angry stare whilst I think of what soft body part to kick first generally unnerves them to the point of quietitude.
