Greetings..
Surely, MA must stand for something more than just being a “badazz”.. that being said, common-sense and a working mind are the best tools we have.. if you can’t intervene and reasonably expect to change the outcome, get help.. do something.. doing nothing is contributory to violence you witness.. heck, just running to phone is better than rationalizing why you wouldn’t want to break a fingernail..
If nothing else, turn your head in shame and out of respect for the life in danger.. just watching reeks of the perverse..
Greater men (and women) have voluntarily died for their beliefs without a forced choice.. they did what they believed was correct on behalf of all of humanity.. they stood and delivered.. MA can too..we can be role-models for a better society, or silent shadows frozen by indecision and fear..
Be well..
Originally posted by Unmatchable
[B]
They probably lied and weren’t cops at all. [/B]
With so acute an understanding of the criminal mind, you really should consider being a costumed crimefighter. Honestly.
Originally posted by MasterKiller
They must have forgotten to print that on my school membership card.
You got school membership cards?
Re: Re: Re: re
Originally posted by Unmatchable
[B]
I witnessed a robbery not a multiple person beating a guy to close death. [/B]
so failing to stop an older man and WOMAN from being robbed makes you less of a coward? your fight woulda been two on 1, or two on two, had your friend helped you. That’s alot better than the 10 or so on 1 that he was facing. That would make you more of a coward…
Originally posted by Unmatchable
[B]
They almost killed the guy fro crying out loud and you didn’t even say anything to try stopping it. As a martial artist you have the duty to help others. [/B]
And you didn’t help because…
Pot, meet kettle…
there’s a fine line between stupidity and bravery. I think part of being a martial artist is knowing when your outclassed.
I told this story a couple of years ago when it happend but I’ll tell it again.
I was walking to work, and I walk through a park that is sort of known for muggings and all the rest. however, this was 7:30 am, the sun was up and it was fairly warm so there were people around. I was walking along listening to my head phones, there was a pause in the noise as three guys walked past me, all looked to be in their early 20’s. I had just noticed a guy who had obviously fallen asleep on a bench down the walkway, and these three guys were sort of looking at him over their shoulders. One of them says something like “So you gonna do it or what?” Then the guy he is talking to hands his backpack over and turns just behind me and starts walking. I looked back and his buddies had stopped roughly where I passed them. I got a bad feeling, and assume their target was the guy sleeping.
I took my headphones off, I had about 30 seconds before I passed the guy on the bench. All three of the younger guys were taller then me, and two of them were heavier by atleast 30 lbs. I had to do something, my first thought was to look around for someone with a cell phone, but no luck, there were people in the park but not close enough. My second thought was to turn around and say something, but if this guy decided he wanted to fight, I wouldn’t be able to take all three.
I decided to sit down on the bench next to the guy and pretend I need to get something out of my bag. I’d sit down hard enough to wake him up hopefully, and in case these three guys figure out what I was doing and decided to chase me, I’d have a head start.
Well, I sat down, looked up at the guy who was walking behind me, now a little ways behind me, he gave me the stink eye, and then turned and walked away. I woke the guy up, he had fallen asleep. He stopped and his freinds and he studied me for a moment but kept on going. I got lucky.
I knew I would have been in trouble if I had taken the issue head on and they would have pressed me. So I found another way to handle the situation.
In some cases, calling the cops is perfectly acceptable, and if the odds are even or there abouts, I dopn’t have a problems with someone stepping in, I’d do it.
Sounds a lot like my story, Red. Predators (in these cases) want the easiest of all possible targets, so if you provide even the slightest barrier to their fun, the situation is defused. I’m sure not counting on it always being like that, though.
That was the crux. I knew that most of the time predators like this will not force the issue, but it’s not a guarentee. I saw it as making the only decision I could at the time, but trying to in as safe a way as possible for me and the potential victim and weighing all the alternatives I could in the amount of time I was alloted.
Re: Re: Re: Re: re
Originally posted by SevenStar
[B]
so failing to stop an older man and WOMAN from being robbed makes you less of a coward? your fight woulda been two on 1, or two on two, had your friend helped you. That’s alot better than the 10 or so on 1 that he was facing. That would make you more of a coward… [/B]
By the time me and my friend noticed anything after screams of “Police” those guys were already running, hence no more beating/violence taking place. And an old guy was popped in the mouth once it’s not like they were repeatedly beating on him. Unlike the other incident which seemed more violent and where weapons were involved, plus it was in front of his lawn.
So it’s okay to hit a guy once and rob him? It’s okay for you to let these guys get away with whatever they stole?
with the other incident, there was no indicator of who was right or wrong. you may have been helping a guilty man. Also, with those odds, you would’ve gotten stomped. Once that happens, you are no help to anyone, not even yourself. The best thing to do would be to lay low and call the cops.
Originally posted by SevenStar
[B]So it’s okay to hit a guy once and rob him? It’s okay for you to let these guys get away with whatever they stole?
with the other incident, there was no indicator of who was right or wrong. you may have been helping a guilty man. Also, with those odds, you would’ve gotten stomped. Once that happens, you are no help to anyone, not even yourself. The best thing to do would be to lay low and call the cops. [/B]
OMG, someone with reasonable logic on KFO forum? Say it ain’t so. Thanks for seeing my side sevenstar, but it was actually only 4 of them not ten. However, one of the guys was about 6’6" so I guess he could count as 2 people.
4 big angry black men with at least 2 known knives beating on another man in front of my house…
Hmm… You know I can take four guys with knvies, you are right unmatchable. WTF was I thinking? I mean I should have ran into them with a flying dragon kick. I mean that would put the first guy right out, then there would only be 3 left. Or maybe flanked them and hit them all at the same time with my flying dragon kick.
I don’t know how you train, but if you seriously think you can rush in and take 4 grown men who are above average size, with 2 known bladed weapons, then you my friend are either on drugs or certifiable.
I never said you should have rushed in but said something at least or try to difuse the situation if it was in front of your house. I mean since they smelled fear on you they probably felt afterward they could have done anything in front of your house and as long as they wished. And how did you know they had knives?
Warriors walk alone, cowards run in packs! So your that if you had four cowards trying to jump one soldier you would bet on the four cowards. It’s not all about numbers now day’s, its the quality gangster’s from each hood who make a difference.
The words “deluded simpleton” barely scratch the surface…
Thinking back on the differences between the stories related by Red and myself compared to Gangsterfist’s, one thing that really stands out is the stage at which the incident was witnessed made a huge difference in our responses.
Red and I got there when the attack was in the verbal stage. His guys were plotting their move, my guys were shouting abuse. THERE WAS NOT YET A COMMITMENT TO VIOLENCE. Therefore, there was no need for a physical response to use of force to prevent escalation. In gangsterfist’s account, he have an opportunity to act until weapons were out and sh!t was ready to jump off. Taking action at that time would have made a much greater risk than it was for me and Red.
I guess the moral here is pretty cliched - an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Originally posted by Unmatchable
Warriors walk alone, cowards run in packs! So your that if you had four cowards trying to jump one soldier you would bet on the four cowards. It’s not all about numbers now day’s, its the quality gangster’s from each hood who make a difference.
What would you know about it? Is that something your “thug friend” told you?
Originally posted by Unmatchable
I never said you should have rushed in but said something at least or try to difuse the situation if it was in front of your house. I mean since they smelled fear on you they probably felt afterward they could have done anything in front of your house and as long as they wished. And how did you know they had knives?
Okay, let’s try this again…nah, fock it…
Originally posted by Chang Style Novice
[B]Thinking back on the differences between the stories related by Red and myself compared to Gangsterfist’s, one thing that really stands out is the stage at which the incident was witnessed made a huge difference in our responses.
Red and I got there when the attack was in the verbal stage. His guys were plotting their move, my guys were shouting abuse. THERE WAS NOT YET A COMMITMENT TO VIOLENCE. Therefore, there was no need for a physical response to use of force to prevent escalation. In gangsterfist’s account, he have an opportunity to act until weapons were out and sh!t was ready to jump off. Taking action at that time would have made a much greater risk than it was for me and Red.
I guess the moral here is pretty cliched - an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. [/B]
Good point.
THERE WAS NOT YET A COMMITMENT TO VIOLENCE.
That is the key right there…