Why fight?

[Menjo]

Martial Arts are designed for defense only... so in a way, the answer to "why fight" is to defend yourself or someone you love... period.

that's not completely true. shuai chiao, judo, boxing, wrestling of any form... none of these were created for self defense, although they can be used for such.

Yes, I would like to add to this point. The whole self defense is only one aspect of Martial arts training, many Japanese arts and arts across the world use training as a way of life and self defense naturaly comes with this training. But I see why this was said, but as long as these statements don't become meaningless words which are repeated from different mouths.

[MizuRyu]

As my sifu Jeff Kohlman always says: "To prevent grevious harm to yourself or another"

[ShoreiSmurf]

I too was a bouncer at a nightclub. Someone ealier made a comment about avoiding places where the bouncers are overworked and underpayed. This is true in many asspects, but no matter where you go, if drinking is involved, egos follow. Unfortunately, sometimes those egos are in the staff. There are plenty of muscle-heads that want a job like that to simply bash heads. I did it for extra money. Because of this, I often was the one asked by the manager to handle the rowdies. Most of the time I was able to end bad encounters with no fights. There is a lot of wisdom to making the choice to maintain a cooler head. The rule of thumb that was taught to me about avoiding a conflict was 1) talk your way out

2) walk your way out

3) fight your way out

One should never fight in the streets for anything less than self-defense. If you want the rep of being a surpirior fighter: go to the cage, knuckleheads

[elbows_and_knees]

you sound like me. I have a second job as a bouncer now. customers tell me all the time that they like me because I am not hotheaded. I end most altercations through talking, but of course, sometimes that just isn't possible.

[ShoreiSmurf]

It is funny how we agree here, but when it come to kata work: we dont seem to see eye to eye. That is cool It shows how one subject can bring different points of view, while other bring similiar points. Yet, both opinions come from the same people

[younwhadoug]

i grew up in a crappy neaighborhood in denver colorado and from that alone i can tell you there are more than those two reasons to fight. mine was usually driven by uncontrolable rage because i was tired of being messed with. could i have avoided it, i could have, my ego didn't stand in the way, my peers didn't like me already and i didn't care. but i was tired of letting the neighborhood shape me into wimp that shakes every time a gang member walked by. my ten year old recently had a situation with a bully. he is a blue belt and generally is very confident in himself, but he was terrified of this kid and the bullying lasted over a few weeks. we didn't want the kid kicked out and his reletives refused to meet with us and the kid would not give it a rest. i told vincent that he was going to have to eventually stand up to the kid. i then talked to this kid myself at the school and he showed nothing but disrespect to me, he is a ten year old too so i wasn't suprised. the next day vincent hit the kid without being provoked first, or i guess the kid called him a name from down the hall i don't know. but my blue belt hit the kid in the back of the head and the kid ran crying and hasn't messed with him since. my son knows right from wrong, he also knows there are people in this world that he might just have to deal with himself.

[ShoreiSmurf]

There are too many factors to constatue what right and wrong is when dealing with that type of individual. I, myself, moved around a lot, and we normally lived in the mid-class sections of towns. I too was faced with many bullies, some easily dealt with, others were knuckleheads like this kid. Even though my personal philosophies say it is wrong to strike first, and exspeacially from the back: but there are times you have to do what you have to do. However, it is you that has to live with the consequences of your actions. As long as you and his instructor are teaching him this, who are we to judge your son. None of us were there, none of us no the tourment and saddness your son felt. But for his sakes, I hope he knew that was his only way out and feels bad for having to do it.