The missuse of a martial art

[mean fighter]

Now somebody here has to be honest. We are all people here who have egose get in the way besides the wisdome that has been passed on to you no matter what style should encourage positive thinking and life styles in to every day living. I am young but have met my fare share of martial artist who use there training to become nearly untuochable bulliese.

I have once let my ego get into the way of my clear thinking and lost it, I was out with my girlfriend and someone stepped out of line and spit on her I hit him with a hooking kick to the jaw and my friends got me and my girlfriend out of there.I am a first Dagree in TKD and confessed this shameful news to my instuctors and peers.

Now tell me has anyone let there egoes get in the way of there judgment between right and wrong

[Steve_K]

I personally have never let my ego get in the way of my judgement. I have had plenty of opportunities to fight someone, and wanted to, but chose not to. However those instances, were not very pressing, and didn't really call for violence.

Now as for your situation. I would not hold your actions against you at all. I'm not saying what you did was right, but I do not believe it was wrong either. I may very well have reacted similarly myself. It would have been different if he spit on you, because you should be mature enough to let that pass, or at least not let it escalate so quickly. However when someone does such a despicable act towards someone else, especially a girl, since I am really kind of old fashioned, I do believe that warrants some kind of response. To me, spitting is one of the most disgraceful and disrespectful things someone can do to another person, and it technically qualifies as a physical attack, because it is certainly not verbal.

Long story short. You can do and say what you want to me, but if you do that to someone I care about, I am going to respond.

That's my rant, everyone is free to agree or disagree with me.

[Zorba]

"ego is not a dirty word"

(actually , that is an australian bands song so a few of you mightn ot get it)

anyway, i can honestly say i have not got in to a real fight. any fights that have had potential ended before they started, just a quick non hurtful display of my ability and they back off pretty quickly.

[White Warlock]

Well, two parts here. One is your actions and were they appropriate, and the other is whether i have ever allowed my ego to interfere with my judgement and in so doing, misused the knowledge/skills i've obtained in the arts.

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Part one:

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Spit is nowadays considered a weapon, biological in nature. If you had an illness and you spit in someone's eye, they could very well become infected with the self-same illness. The courts view it in this manner and one could effectively be charged with a felony for spitting.

That said, your kick was uncalled for. Yes, him spitting on your girlfriend was inappropriate, but it is very likely you kicked him not because he spit on your girlfriend, but because he spit on your girlfriend while you were around. That being the case, you likely felt obligated to put on the mantle of knighthood.

The whole scene sounds odd, and something you should have avoided altogether... so i recommend examining the 'scene' at which you found yourself, rather than merely the actions you or they committed. Don't stare too hard at the hammer, or you will fail to see the nail... and thus strike the thumb.

As to what i would have done, it's hard to say. Had i found myself at that 'endgame' situation, i may very well have grabbed the guy and flung him then directed my gf to leave immediately and call the police. On the other hand, such an action would have played right into the scene being presented by those jokers... and so i may just as well read that, and not opt to play, instead getting my gf out of there and then calling the police to have that yokel arrested.

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Part two:

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Yes, i once became angered at my (ex-)gf's son ( age 18 ), having lifted him by the front of the shirt and slamming him against a door. The kid was talking back to me, the problem underlying his words was sufficient for me not to dismiss it all... in that he was using drugs and entering into the sale of drugs.

Oddly, it was my apology later that worked to get my point across. Unfortunately, not well enough, for a year later he was arrested and convicted of felony drug dealing.

There have been other times, and other instances, where i allowed my skills to be led by my emotions, or my pride. But, as i grow older, they are fewer and further between. I find myself nowadays spending an inordinate amount of time examining 'my own' motives for doing things that could very well have escalated situations, noting how some of my actions were intentional.

As i mentioned a few times already, we're not as simple as we would like to believe. Part of our studies are in examining motives and how emotions play a part in the commission of violence. In this, our best teacher is ourselves. By examining what we do, we gain a deeper understanding of what others do, and why.

[KarateKid6781]

I once got into a fight in my grade 8 year, He was a really strong guy, but I didn't use karate on him, I was afraid I would hurt him really bad, so I just followed what he did, a jab here and there, pushing and shoving, besides it wasn't life threatning so I really had no right to use excessive force or seriously harm him

[Sauzin]

OK I'd really boil it down to three points. The first is that it is generally considered a dishonor to yourself and your teacher to use what you've been taught in a martial art for any other reason then self defense or the defense of the physical well being of the helpless. I think you know this.

The second is that someone that really knows fighting, I mean really understands it, knows what they're risking. Put the self respect aside, you don't want to go to jail do you? You don't want to have your leg broken do you? You don't want your girlfriend to get hurt do you? Then why risk it? Honor isn't about about giving into your temper by using chivalry as an excuse. Honor is not risking her life, your life, and the attackers life if you can help it. That's honor, and to do that you shouldn't have thrown that kick, which also I think you know.

The third is that you're not going to get validation from us for what you did. It's not something that everyone has done and it's not accepted by any legit martial arts community. It seems that you feel bad about it, that good. I suggest you keep it that way.

One more thing, from a purely technical perspective. A hook kick on the street?!? You're a very, very lucky man. Thank your friends when you get a chance. They did you a big favor in more ways then one.

[JusticeZero]

I don't see the problem with a hook kick on the street. It's not that hard to find openings big enough to safely throw kicks with little fear, especially when you're the one taking initiative.

[Fish]

A hook kick to the jaw? Far too aggressive, and a danger to yourself as well as the person you kicked. In the UK this would almost certanly be excessive force in response to spitting, so you wouldn't be able to run self defence if you were prosecuted.

[White Warlock]

Agreed, if you are wearing a hard shoe, in the U.S. and some other countries, it could be construed as an attack with a deadly weapon, as opposed to merely a battery charge.

[JusticeZero]

This is true, but 'A kick on the street' isn't a universal bad thing, which is what the statement implied. That specific kick may have been a bit too high on the escalation to to pass off, but that has no bearing on it's intrinsic safety or lack therof. A kick, when used at a workable time, isn't all that much more dangerous than a punch, which has it's own dangers.