I'm back, and I'm madder than before!

[- Groucho -]

But are you PF? Or EvC pretending to be PF? Or PF pretending to be EvC pretending to be PF?!?!?!?!?

[Evan von Christoph]

I wasn't even ****ing thinking about the gay thing. The military won't let me in because of my psychological profile.

[Lefty Scaevola]

Plus, very likey, you have taking brain chemistry medicince such as anti depresives, ritalin, etc, after the age of twelve, another medical disquilification. They won't even let into the Coast Guard if you have taken smufing ritalin when you were 12 years and day old.

[David Floyd]

Chris-

They are better.

You wouldn't stand a chance, and you would never get the first shot, I can promise you that, so drop the swagger, it ain't cutting any ice.

First off, I'm not vain enough to assume I can drop any DI there is. I AM confident enough to assume that if a DI gets in my face, and if I choose to take a first strike option (most likely a knee to the groin area followed by either knee strikes to the head or a JKD-style straight blast), the odds get close to even. I'm certainly not good enough to take the average DI, with his usual hand-to-hand training ability and such, in a straight-up "fair" fight. But fights usually aren't fair.

And the above statement I'll just use to address everyone who said something along the lines of "I'd get my ass kicked". My answer, summed up, probably, unless I can even the odds.

AH,

The funniest part is both Floyd and Higgs strike me as the kind of young guys who would start out full of lip and end worshipping the ground on which their Drill Sergeant walked.

Actually, I think that the military would be a valuable learning experience for me, and I would end up better off for it. So in a sense, you could very well be correct.
Unfortunately, I can't, in good conscience, put myself in a position where I might be ordered to undertake a mission I have a fundamental disagreement with. Don't mistake that with cowardice, though, I'm all for joining the military if you feel you can accept orders you disagree with - I just know that I can't.

MtG,

I've never passed out from laughing yet, so you're just SOL, old chap.

Actually, I'd agree with you there...you're not the sort I'd want to **** with, given any choice

The last brown-belt I got in a fight with I knocked out in less than three seconds. He did land a couple of decent blows that raised pretty good welts, but that wasn't much compensation for being flat on the ground, temporarily paralyzed, and going wide-eyed as he lost his airway, then consciousness.


He was OK, though, because it was just a "demonstration." In a "real" fight, I would have finished the job, if there'd been any particular reason too. It was up to me, though, because there sure as hell wasn't anything *he* was going to do about it.

No offense MattHiggs, by the way.
But, I agree with you, brown belts - or really any belt other than high level black belt, are not serious opponents in a real fight. At least not from traditional martial arts. In fact, the other day, at my university I had the opportunity to spar a Judo black belt, whom I kicked the **** out of.
That isn't to say that traditional martial arts aren't good - they just aren't, by themselves, fight-realistic, in general. Mix them with something such as boxing, kickboxing, ValeTudo, or even Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and you have a very effective fighting style.

I would, though be interested in knowing more about what sort of fighting style you use, if any, and what the circumstances were of your fight with the brown belt. Also, what's your opinion on arts (well, really sciences, not arts at all) such as Muay Thai and Valetudo?

Oh, and by the way, if you were in the Army and you ever hit a DI, you'd be looking at years of hell. Leavenworth will break the attitude of anyone. Simply running your mouth will also get you in more **** than you can even imagine exists in the universe - they *will* break you of it, one way or another.

Yes, I fully realize that. Some things are more important than staying out of prison, though - and I could not in good conscience submit to a draft without a legal and physical fight.

Ted,

No offense but I'm not sure if your martial arts instructors have mentally prepared you well enough, there seems to be a false sense of confidence and you guys are trying to prove something. Vale Tudo is awesome but there are alot of other bad karate instructors out there who do more harm than good. While you're winding up for a roundhouse, some thug with no training can just come in with a shoulder tackle and put an end to your kata. If you're in it for what belt you can wear I'm not sure that's the best reason.

Fully agreed. Kicking high and using roundhouses are both mistakes - not combat realistic at all. Vale Tudo, by the way, is not a form of Karate. Sorry if you already know that, your post was just phrased such that it seemed as though you were grouping the two together. Vale Tudo is more of a no holds barred fighting style, not an art at all, no kata or rigid self defense techniques.

Even the Gracies are very modest about their fighting abilities. Though they accept a challenge any place, any time, they know their limits.

But in their defense, if Royce or Royler Gracie, for example, were to fight a DI, they'd wipe the floor with the DI, IMHO.

Aside from skills, don't forget that most 37 year olds will have a huge strength advantage over a teen and are better mentally prepared.

Strength is actually rather irrelevant, I think MtG will back me up on that one. Leverage is what counts most, if you are going to fight your opponent on the ground (where most fights end up), and on your feet, I've seen small Thai Boxers whip the **** out of people with 50 pound weight advantages. I'm only 5'11", 165 lbs, and work out (and beat) with people who have huge weight/strength advantages.

And, by the way, I've actually fought (well, OK, sparred, but with basically no rules except for basic safety stuff) Marines, and I've won each time. Last Marine I fought I pulled into my guard, locked him up, and heel kicked him until he tapped.

[MattHiggs]

How the hell can they make your life a misery? I wouldn't need an authority to run to. I could pretty easily handle myself in any situation them brainless monkies could put me in.

Woooo they can shout loud and try and bully you into doing stuff, that kinda stuff doesn't work on me.

At high school the last person who tried to fight with me ended up with two shattered front teeth, a broken wrist and two fractured lower ribs. I was about 50 kilos and built like a rake then.

[Asher]

So I take it you're a top, Matty?

[MattHiggs]

No it's just I don't let anyone push me around. Which is why I wouldn't join the army. Maybe it's my lack of respect for authrority or some other cliched phrase.

[David Floyd]

Just out of curiosity, which helped you more in that fight, kickboxing or karate?

[Asher]

Schoolyard fights are always fun. The people involved tend to be laughed at for their stupidity behind their backs. I mean, really: Brawls over stuff in school?

[MattHiggs]

Kick Boxing, without doubt. But karate teaches you really good discipline and control.

But I wasn't really using those styles to fight, not much anyway. You get into a fight and adrenaline takes over.

[MattHiggs]

It wasn't in school actually it was when I was walking home.

[Asher]

That makes all the difference, then.

[MattHiggs]

Anyhow, I was like 13... and in our school people didn't act like that at all. Maybe you hung out with the geeks

[David Floyd]

But I wasn't really using those styles to fight, not much anyway. You get into a fight and adrenaline takes over.

Yeah, that's true, although if you train enough "muscle memory" takes over, as well - last fight I got in, guy came after me who was much bigger, and I ended up choking him out in a relatively simple Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu move.

[Asher]

Originally posted by MattHiggs
Anyhow, I was like 13... and in our school people didn't act like that at all. Maybe you hung out with the geeks

The vast majority of the people I hung out with are upgrading marks since they couldn't get into university. Figure that one out.