I'm a big sissie

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by Pekka
There's nothing wrong with teaching lesson to punks. It's always good. Because they have ordered it. You just have to serve it.

Why allow yourself to be manipulated by what they desire? Walk away secure in the knowledge that you could have kicked their arses and leave it at that.

[MrFun]

Besides, what's manly about beating someone up who is physically weaker than you??

[VetLegion]

Don't listen to this Caligastia wimp Pekka. You chickened and it happens to everyone, but you admitted to have done so, now this is serious

[Caligastia]

Calling me a wimp to my face would be more manly VetLegion...why not come on over?

[Theben]

You probably could've turned around, walked up to the kid, and while his quaking in his boots, tell him, "If you don't want to get your ass kicked, grow the **** up." Then walk away, and ignore his parting shots (unless it's gun shots, I dunno how often that happens in Finland). Maybe it'll dawn on him not to be a dumbass in the future; at least he'll choose his targets more carefully.
The lady I would've said sorry once- after all, she's a lot more squishy soft than your car. I would've ignored her at that point, and if she kept pounding on your car or threatening you, SLOWWLY creep forward until she gets the hint and gets out of your way.
As for the gym, yeah you wimped out but sounds like that was a good idea.

Anyway, avoiding fights isn't wimpy. It's a sign of maturity. Any self-defense instructor worth their salt will tell you that the best confrontation is the one that never happens.
Just be sure you can handle yourself when it's unavoidable.

[Garth Vader]

You are just becoming an adult. There is no real upside to fighting when you don't have to.

[Caligastia]

Yeah, you did wimp out at the gym. Sorry.

[Spec]

Pekka, retaliating against punk teens isn't always a good idea. Let me explain.

7 years ago, I was 19, I was walking down a street in a small town where I lived and 2 teen punk asses (they were both 16) were comin twards me. At the time I had weird hair and weird clothing (Ahhhh teen years). So they started laughing before they even came to 20 feet of me. Once they were up close to me, like 2 feet, one of the guy said: Va te faire couper les cheveux le pouilleux!! (Which means go get your hair cut looser) So I answered: Pis ta mere elle. (Which means: And your mom?) So the guy gets all tuff and says in french: Yo you wanna get some. I immediatly turned around, hit him in the stomach, his friend tried to help, I pushed him on the ground, and then I took the first guy put him in a public trash can and it did not fall over because it was screewed to a Lamp Post. Then I went home.
You think that's funny....well....no. Because on the next day, I got a phone call from a lady, that turned out to be his mom. She said she was gonna sue me because his son had a 10 inch long cut in the back. Turns out the kid had been cut by the trash can when I put him in there. (I think he got cut when he tried to get out...but that's another story)
Luckly, I managed to convince his mom that he started in with his friend and that I was only walking home. I told her: Why the hell would I attack two teens for nothing?
How did they find me....I lost my wallet while fighting with them.....

So there, not moving is sometimes better than taking the leep.


Spec.

[General Ludd]

Originally posted by MrFun
Besides, what's manly about beating someone up who is physically weaker than you??

What isn't?

[Chemical Ollie]

Pekka, you are just maturing. A real man can take an insult without freaking out, as he knows it's just bull**** anyway. Wait until you are living together with a pregnant woman, that's when the real insults start. Not to mention what you will hear if you try to chat with her during the labour process. Ignoring insults will make you a better husband and a better father.

[Pekka]

I can take insults.. that's ok. But I have hard time taking them in to my face repeatedly. It's not so much as to proof myself that I am a man, it's more 'die you punk scum!' kind of thing. You know? And I'm not talking about fighting per se.. just dodging things that is confrontation.
I don't fight you see. I only defend myself or my friends, or my property.

Besides, this kid was not physically very weak. Sure he was a little smaller, but he seemed to be normal. And I'm not freakishly strong or big either. I'm just a normal guy myself too. Things get exaggarated here. It would have been pure 1-on-1, plus he had a compensator, a friend.
So in reality they were the ones with more power than me. Besides, these guys hang around in the part of the city I live in. This means, they will keep shouting and insulting me everytime they see me. So it's not like it's some random thing, it'll happen in the future.

[Caligastia]

Don't worry Pekka, you did good.

[Pekka]

I guess so.. I can't lash out to everyone who challenges me, more so as I'm getting older, but the gym thing bothers me.

[Japher]

Here's a good saying for people like you, pekka:

He fights and runs away lives to run away another day.

[Theben]

Originally posted by Pekka
Besides, this kid was not physically very weak. Sure he was a little smaller, but he seemed to be normal. And I'm not freakishly strong or big either. I'm just a normal guy myself too. Things get exaggarated here. It would have been pure 1-on-1, plus he had a compensator, a friend.
So in reality they were the ones with more power than me. Besides, these guys hang around in the part of the city I live in. This means, they will keep shouting and insulting me everytime they see me. So it's not like it's some random thing, it'll happen in the future.

As long as your body language doesn't say, "I'm a target," you should be fine. Whenever you expect to see these guys just walk tall, head held high, confidence in your stride, etc. Most people will leave alone someone who looks like he can handle himself. Basically you need to get across to these guys that you don't care what they say or do. IIRC what I did in Chicago was acknowledge the guys were there in a respectful way, then ignored them from then on. Walking tall the whole time.