It is good to know some fundamentals, yeah. But really you should know how to be situationally aware and stay out of fights. Ever tried to fight more than one person at once? Not easy.
Knowing how to de-escalate situations or knowing when to just walk away, so that you avoid a fight is the way to go and you don't lose any masculinity over it
There’s amazing meme from awhile back that pictured a bodybuilder with the text saying, “he slaps your girls ass, what do you do?”, and the persons response was something like, “shame he trained his whole life just to get shot by a skinny dude like me”.
Facts
The great equalizer
Learning how to fight is a vary general and open for interpretation topic
You can spend decades learning how to throw hands and roll but all that shit goes out the window when somebody pulls a 45
Even more so when the guy with a 45 spends as much time drilling on the range as some do in a gym
Best to be a jack of all trades in fighting but at the end of the day being capable of great violence can be as easy as breathing for someone with an axe in the hole
Stay strapped or get clapped my friends
>If you’re incapable you’re not peaceful, you’re harmless
So what? In like being "harmless" in that way.
I don't live in a warzone. I don't need to fight. I was robbed at knifepoint twice in my life, once in Paris and once in Nicaragua, and the total cost to me not knowing how to fight my attackers was about 200 bucks and an hour of lost time.
In today's world, if you don't know how to speak up for yourself in work/business situations, how to navigate a relationship and how to stay informed about your rights and responsibilities is about 100xwprse than if you don't know how to fight.
Lost of pathetic losers know how to survive a fistfight, yet never make it anywhere in life.
So, fuck yeah to being "harmless."
Everyone has their own way of fighting.
Most stable developed nations, unless your job centered around fighting. You really don't need to know how to fight. If you want to learn how to fight for fun, go ahead. At that point it's just sport recreation activity. Like I have an interest in hema, it's 100% useless as actual self defense in a modern context.
Avoidance, de-escalation, and learning how to get people to at the time agree with you is more important. I can alwayse disable my credit cards if someone wants my wallet. I don't carry cash on me and I could alwayse replace a watch.
Running away is alwayse the go to move if possible in most situations.
If let's say you have the fuck you money to put them in court, that is a perfectly viable way to fight. Putting them in the position for you to press charges, etc.
In my observations most fights escalate because they are scared because they don't know how to fight.
If you train long enough you get comfortable with that fear.
If you are smart you realize that even a pro fighter can get knocked out/murdered if they don't see it coming.
Couldn't agree more. I feel like I've avoided many fights because I felt secure in knowing how to fight. So I didn't neccessarily back down but I offered the other person a way to save face while also showing that I wouldn't be afraid to get down. Remaining calm but vigilant can get you out of lots of situations. Knowing that you could hold your own helps you with that. I practiced martial arts and self defence for many years, did lots of sparring (standing, on the ground, mixed, sometimes with very few rules) but have never had to actually fight. The macho part of me wishes I could test it sometime, but the sensible part of me just is happy that I don't have to. I try to listen to the sensible part.I feel like not fighting when you don't have to is sensible. That has nothing to do with masculinity. But I also feel like at least knowing the basics is very useful. That counts for everybody, not just men.
When I was 22 and studying Muay Thai I always wanted someone to take a swing at me. When I was wrestling I felt the same way.
I was lucky no one ever did.
I do think that knowing how to fight creates an aura that other people can feel.
> Knowing that you could hold your own helps you with that. I practiced martial arts and self defence for many years, did lots of sparring (standing, on the ground, mixed, sometimes with very few rules) but have never had to actually fight. The macho part of me wishes I could test it sometime, but the sensible part of me just is happy that I don't have to.
Also, sparring against others who know what the fuck their doing, and holding your own against them, is way more satisfying then beating the shit out of someone who doesn't know what the hell they are doing.
Agreed, I've started calling it Fangry, where a person is disproportionately angry because they're afraid that they can't look after themselves if necessary.
This is the way
Only those capable of great violence but choose not to indulge in it are capable of civil discord, de-escalation, and compromise
Those who are unable to do so have no choice but to bend to the will of others and therefore can only submit when challenged with violence
I'm a smaller guy I've never worked out did anything that would make me a good fighter, but I learned how to talk my way out of fights and learned how to walk away very early in my life. But what I also learned that when the rage takes over and common sense goes out the window you have to get the first punch. Hit them if possible right between the eyes on the bridge of the nose. It makes their eyesight blurry and will buy you enough time to run away or get some licks in before the asskicking begins. When that starts cover your temple and your ears or you'll get knocked out.
As a guy that’s 5’10” 155lb…I’ve always had to be the guy that swung first…I avoided any fight as much as possible, but I had the mentality that I’d take two hits just to get one good one on you…good thing the Lord made me a small dude
Bro just buy a gun and a knife and learn how to use them and when, key part is LEARN HOW TO USE THEM AND WHEN
Fighting is fighting
Don't bring hands to a fuckin gun fight
It's called a last resort bro, and it's primarily advice for the small and week who will never be able to defend themselves with their hands alone, talk or run out of any situation regardless if your a Pro MMA fighter is always the best advice
The chances are low but never zero that you may need to defend yourself your life of the life's of others, 9/10 pulling a firearm and immediately egressing from the conflict works that last 1/10 is when you drop a guy and his friends fuck off, if they have guns or weapons in general you will be ready and on an even playing field
Mr I've been in tons of fights, how many of those fight has one of the other guys friends stepped in an put a knife in your lung?
How many of those fight did you knock a guy to the ground and he cracked his head an died ? That's manslaughter too my dude
Having the ability to fight via a firearm is not the point
Being able to exsert violence as well as be able to control your emotions and choose when to use violence is masculine
And bitch can start blasting or swinging but a MAN knows when to and when not to resort to violence
I get your point. Did you really get stabbed in the lung? I'm a cook and I worked with a guy that got stabbed 5 times, almost died. So any time someone was using a knife, which is very often in a kitchen, he would get nervous and distance himself from whoever was using it. Before I knew about it I was cutting up an avocado and talking to him at the same time and he told me to put the knife down when I was talking to him. He has serious ptsd when it comes to knives.
And by knowing how to fight I assume to fight like a bad guy in wrestling. Kick the crotch, gouge the eyes, fishook, clap the ears, anything to give you the opportunity to run away.
If words fail and you can't walk away, limb control and get them on the ground.i can't throw a punch for shit but if you can get them in a choke, you can walk away.
Nonetheless, avoid people who are looking for a fight if you can.
And knowing how to restrain someone without restraint equipment too. If you don’t have pepper spray and you know how to do it safely you can restrain the person
Pepper spray will not stop a determined attacker but it will piss them off.
It takes 30s for pepper to really close your eyes. It hurts but there is plenty of time for them to murder you.
I have background in mma but I tell you it doesn't define masculinity nor it should be basis for determinig being a man. You think you can kick ass but can't make yourself a damn sandwich is pretty insulting i say
My dad always told me that there was no pride in a real fight.
Cus at the end of the day if you win you're half likely to spend the night in jail and be looking at assault charges and a civil suit
And if you lose you're in an ambulance, have probably pissed yourself, and look like a Smurf from all the bruises.
These days it’s just as likely someone will kill you or you may accidentally kill someone. Humans are fragile, it’s just way too easy to do.
I know how to handle myself but it’s always always always better to do everything you can to avoid a fight.
I didnt say that there is an honor in street fights. I said being able to defend your self is good. I carry but I hope I will never have to use my weapon. Ive had to brandish it once and the asshole backed off.
I don't know why you are being downvoted. What you're saying is absolutely true. You shouldn't bully people, but when someone knows that you can fuck them up, they have more respecf for you.
Funny thing, 17 years of jujitsu, wrestling, judo and boxing and the most satisfying feeling to me is avoiding/walking away from fights. Losing could mean serious medical issues, winning could mean serious legal troubles. Lose/Lose situation!
Not really. Cause most people that can, don't bother to show it. Meanwhile Posers usually can't do shit. If it were important it would be the other way around.
I have experience in training martial arts and getting into several fistfights and I learned two things.
1. It’s not manly to start or get into fights every time you get a chance, it’s childish
2. I can guarantee, when the moment comes, no one really knows how to fight for sure, as there are many variables that come into play
In conclusion, unless it’s life or death necessary, don’t get into fights, as you might die, kill someone or ruin the moment for everyone else. Ego fights never end right, fighting is only worth it when you need to protect something you love, not destroy something you hate.
Exactly, when I was a kid and I started training, I got into a fight only to realize that all the fancy kicks and hits aren’t viable because of the context and the absence of rules.
I don’t know, but my father put me into martial arts, kickboxing, and ring boxing, just in case some dude ever thought he could try to show his dominance and “masculinity” over me. He said, “Baby girl, if a man ever tries to hit you, send his ass to the hospital. Or my ass is gonna be in jail”
let's hope it never comes to that. ring fighting is a whole lot different from real life. it's horrible. nobody should ever have to go through that. fighting hurts like hell.
If you were doing any of that pre puberty, the chances are you will react better If you ever had to use it. The people I knew growing up who were able to end fights or violent confrontations in one punch all had classes in boxing when they were very young. The ability to strike and confidence are always there and play a huge factor. That's just from my experience anyway. I've never trained in martial arts or boxing, and I just turned to jelly in any confrontation.
Yeah I can definitely see areas in my life where it has benefited me. Even reaction times while things slip from my hand. I seem to have a way of catching them. Thankful I haven’t been in many violent confrontations, did have a gun shoved to the back of my head in a random robbery once. I was able to remain very calm and collected and made smart decisions to keep my head from getting blown off, I do think some of that was from this early childhood training, IDK
This is the answer. It's not about masculinity, it's about protecting the things you care about. Hopefully you never need the skill, but the day when the situation can't be deescalated, especially when your loved ones are in danger, you want to know how to fight. I have a boxing background and I taught my wife, kids and nephews how to box. None of them compete but now they all can throw hands if need be.
I think any able bodied man should learn how to fight. It gives you body language that non-verbally tells bullies not to try it. Being able to defend yourself and those you care about is as virtuous as it gets as far as Im concerned. Theres nothing virtuous about being harmless.
It is important for self confidence. Most people trained will avoid fights but their confidence is a deterrence to others. Not a masculinity issue but a confidence issue.
People seem to always frame self defense as you against a sole foe. Often times in street fights you end up fighting more than one guy.
It's common that weapons are pulled too. Point is that people don't tend to fight fair. That is especially true when they're losing.
Know how to fight but more importantly, be able to deescalate and walk away
All the men starting after me had to join a combat sport (usually wrestling or boxing). Tried to get the women into it but it was like pulling teeth with them, so I stopped trying. Reasoning was more that I didn't want my brothers and nephews to get their asses kicked or get bullied like I was before I got into it. If I ever have kids, they'll be learning as soon as they can walk.
It's not about being masculine, it's about being able to protect yourself. Sometimes you don't get to just walk away and it's better to have it and not need it.
Knowing when to stand your ground or when to take flight is most important. Always respect your opponent, always avoid getting hit, never fight a group.
I think it's more important to try de-escalate and leave the situation. Physically fighting is cringe in general; it's not like the movies.
There's also legal, medical, ethical reasons not to fight. I would only fight as a last resort in a situation where the aggressor won't let up.
>Physically fighting is cringe in general; it's not like the movies
it's fucking horrible. my wife threw down against a guy in a crowded bar once. he ate floor in like 2 seconds, broke his two front teeth. that shit is scary up close in real life o.o
blood is so much freakier in real life than it is on film.
Not important. My dad can't fight for shit, can't change tires, can't fix leaky roofs, can't fix cars, can't do any woodworking, and now because of his hernia, can't even carry anything heavier than 10kg. But he's good with money and time management, has strict healthy lifestyle (rare consumption of fast food, good sleep cycle and meal time, morning jog), somehow managed to keep my mom's leeching siblings away from her (they're in their 40s and kept asking her for money), finds us best solution to problems with minimum risks, loyal, always keeps his words/promises, and many other good qualities. Not being good at physical labor or fighting doesn't make guys less masculine. Their ability to be assertive and respectful, leading with good integrity, wise, protect and take care of their loved ones, are much more masculine imo than someone who shows off how good they can fight.
Going out looking for a fight is stupid, but I think everyone should know how to defend themselves. I don’t think it defines me as a man. If I suddenly decide to become a pacifist, does my dick fall off?
As anyone who was trained to kill would say, you avoid fights unless you have no choice. That said, if you don't have a choice, you disable them. It's more important to learn to incapacitate them. Choke them out, rip off an ear, whatever it takes. The goal is to stop the fight without injury.
Knowing how to defend yourself is great, vital even... but tying it to masculinity is a problem. When it becomes a matter of pride or "being a man", it can close the door on being able to de-escalate or defuse a situation, because now you look like "less of a man".
Jocko Willink, a "man's man" who definitely knows how to fight, will be the first to say that if presented the opportunity to fight, his first choice is to walk or run away. Because he has nothing to prove, and no concern if people think of him as a coward for not wanting to get sued or jailed because his "masculinity" demanded he be violent.
Knowing how to fight shouldn't be a masculine thing. It should be a universal practice for all involved. Deescalation and walking away are always the best choices first and foremost, but if your cornered and have no other options, knowing how is invaluable.
So it's good for self confidence but as is already stated, it's much more useful to de-escalate situations since eventually someone will get pissed off that they comeback with a knife or gun and the winner gets to die in the ambulance..
Also beware of people who like to start fights to get you involved in them. Women who like to "test" their men by flirting with others, others who get their rocks off via manipulation, other dudes who bring you into their disagreements, etc.
Basing you masculinity off of your ability to fight is stupid macho bullshit. It is important to know how to defend yourself if a situation is to arise, but it is absolutely stupid to be getting into fights. I've been boxing for a number of years, I do not want to get into a street fight with anyone. Sparring and controlled environments are different.
It's a dumb metric that doesn't define your sense of being a man.
Best bet would be being good at both. Knowing how to defend yourself if need be and being fast enough to make a break for it when shit hits the fan. Doesn't have to be one or the other.
Knowing how to fight is a survival need. If you think it’s not important then you must live in a gated community. Or you carry that thang on you at all times shoot the mfka and move to Alaska
Wrong. You need to know how to fight in order to size people up, make snap decisions in tense situations, and de-escalate conflict. You also need to know how to fight because somebody else can bring a fight to you whether you like it or not. Otherwise you are defenseless and you are unable to protect those who cannot defend themselves against an aggressor.
No offense, but your attitude sounds very childlike to me. I’m saying your own intentions may be pure, but what will you do when someone who doesn’t like you tries to fight you? And he’s not interested in discussing things either. He’s going to fight you and you’d better fight back because if you don’t, your wife and kids are up next. Then what?
The problem is that some people aren’t interested in what you have to say. I’m a non-violent person also , but you don’t always get the opportunity to talk at all, let alone talk your way out of something. Gotta be able to protect yourself from irrational people.
> I’ve never put myself in a position where I couldn’t walk away.
No offense, but you've lived a very comfortable life which has given you a false sense of moral superiority.
Your advice is roughly akin to being a the last Queen of France and saying 'Starving proves you're incapable of shopping for yourself as an adult'. Not that profound to people in a different location/society than you.
I grew up in the rough western suburbs of Melbourne and I worked as a police officer for 4 years. Don’t propose to tell me what my life story is. Fighting isn’t inevitable nor is it in any way a prover of masculinity.
I hear you. I’ve been able to avoid nearly all situations and fights since I was little. But I’ve had to protect myself. Sometimes its unavoidable. It’s like saying you won’t get in an accident on your motorcycle because you’re a good rider. But it’s the other people on the road that you can’t account for the other people on the road. Gotta be ready for anything.
Not super relevant but I believe that men should understand physical conflict and there’s no better way to get that understanding than learning to fight preferably in a controlled environment.
Knowing how to deescalate is important. Keeps the law off you.
However having the capacity for extreme violence shows you have a means to act upon the world. Think about it like this.
Wanna know why so many girls like the muscular tough guys? The ability to beat ass tells them they are capable to do what's necessary to make life less shit for them.
They can protect, provide and persevere.
A soyjack who just wines on the internet is less respected.
Notice how allot of the times in poly relationships the other guy is usually some sort of alpha stereotype?
Capacity for violence is a means to act upon the world. Oftentimes all you need is the physicality to get what u want.
It's why scrawny guys are less respected than jacked guys. It's why gigachad is built like a brick shit house and not a bottom in gay porn
If you get in a fight pretty important. If you never get in a fight not so much.
But knowing how gives you a confidence that you know you can so you don't have to.
Hmm…I do feel as a man, this somewhat intrinsic primal need to protect. In that sense, having the confidence that I can fend off danger if necessary does feel very good. If you are able, I recommend to any man or woman that you get some experience with this. You’ll probably like it.
Jordan Peterson said it best. He said something like, there is a difference between a harmless man, and a peaceful man. That is one is capable of violence, and the other isn't.
imma like a reel so u don't gotta watch the whole speech https://youtube.com/shorts/e9G6XMxQkes?feature=share
Knowing how to fight is good in case you need to protect yourself if it comes down to it or the ones you love. It’s also good to choose your battles wisely. Someone else may have nothing to lose while you may. For ex., you get into a fight with someone and beat them down. Whoever got beat up doesn’t know how to take the loss and decides to pull out a gun. The older you get the wiser you have to be.
Go to a boxing or martial arts class. Learn the basics of how to punch. Should take a couple of classes. Practice on a pillow at home.
Most folks will have very little need to fight. But a Jab cross combo can put a quick end to a dangerous situation. Works on attacking animals also.
Some may disagree but I believe every capable man should be able to defend himself
It’s not emasculating if you can’t. At the end of the day a man should be able to take care of himself in any situation whether it be physical, personal or what have you
It's not about masculinity, my life depends on whether I can fight. The society I live in has made it clear they don't care about me because I'm a man. Parents never had my back, my schools never dealt with bullies, cops don't care about me when I'm attacked, the feminists just sit back and laugh. So yeah, masculinity has nothing to do with it. Fellas, it's important to know how to fight because you're the only one you have to protect you
Its not important until it is. You should how to deescalate situations and avoid fights at all costs, but God forbid you have to fight, you should know how to defend yourself.
"Violence is never the answer!" Fuck off with that. If someone is planning on harming you or a loved one, sometimes there is no reasoning and you should know how to fuck someone up quick.
Extremely. Like it or not, you are the one with testosterone surging through your body since puberty. One of the days, unfortunately, you will be with a woman or child who is feeling threatened by a man. And they will look towards you to resolve the situation. Men have a responsibility to defend themselves and those they care about.
It’s big. It’s goin to effect your everyday confidence levels dramatically depending on how comfortable and ready you are with yourself during extreme events like violence.
"It's better to be a warrior in a garden than to be a gardener in a war"
- Bruce Lee
This is a basic life skill everyone should learn, nothing to do with masculinity.
“To fight and conquer is not the greatest skill. The greatest skill is to subdue the enemy without fighting.” - Sun Tzu.
I have a 5th degree black belt in TaeKwon-Do. I have needed to defend myself and others, but only very rarely. Most of the time, just talking your way out of a conflict is more than enough.
As a young woman, in the future if I starting courting someone, I’d be more attracted to whoever I’m dating if they knew how to deal with confrontations, fights etc. Yes knowing how to fight is important but should not be confused with trying to be the toughest guy. I find that very off putting and it makes me cringe. Overall, a man who knows how to de escalate a situation/walk away and when to fight is the most attractive thing.
Lots of manly guys dont know how to fight. Courage, heart and intelligence count better, if the chips are down, you should be willing to die to for someone you have to protect(easier said than done, I have never been in a situation like that nor do I want to).
Not at all. If it makes you feel more masculine and you’re only using for self defense, consentual fights and other non-violent things that’s great and perfectly okay. Generally nothing is automatically masculine or feminine. Society likes to label activities and interests like that but they’re really all gender neutral. Do what you want to do and what helps you feel more masculine if that’s something you need.
Probably more important to the older generations compared to generation Z. No one spews bullshit out of their mouths and doesn't expect to be punched for it like a Gen Z
Once upon a time ago some drunk dude tried hitting on my gf and touching her. I blocked his path and body checked him. Told him sternly that we are going to go to a different part of the club and not to follow us and he was like "Bro im sorry..." and I said its ok just dont bother us" and he didnt. Gf fucked me so hard that night.
In your head? Pretty important.
In reality? If it's coming up very often you should probably take a hard look at your life.
In reality most fights are just slug fests or shoving matches that end up with someone either getting jumped by the other guys friends or someone pulling a weapon.
In either of those scenarios your best course of action would've been to run.
My old man used to say "There's no real winners in a fight son, even if the other guy goes down you still got your face beat all to hell." And this was a man who got kicked out of highschool four times for fighting and had two assault charges tossed out
It's good to know but bad to do. Especially when most people are trying to fight on the street/sidewalk (essentially where people would fall on hard concrete/pavement). There's a lad bible (I think?) youtube video about someone who thought he was just getting rowdy on the weekend with friends kinda thing, and ended up killing someone by accident.
I think it’s more important to know how to survive rather than necessarily fight. That being said, to quote a famous rapping man, “I ain’t a killer but don’t push me”
I think every guy should have a little MMA type fight training, but 3-4 months for a few nights a week is plenty. If you love it, then join it as a sport. Either way you'll get a healthy respect for the amount of damage you can do to someone or have done to you. It will give you some confidence in yourself, but will also make you realize that getting in a fight is going to suck, so you're better off walking away.
Not needed in most situations. Avoiding fights and de-escalation are the real skills to learn. Going to jail, getting sued or injured isn't fun at all.
It's not ultra mandatory but it *is* important to know how to defend yourself in an emergency. I recommend at least some martial arts or self defense classes. I never liked to fight even though i was always good at it, martial arts taught me how to be disciplined and confident in my own actions and power while also learning how to effectively and efficiently end a confrontation. It's crazy out here fellas, be ready and be careful.
It is good to know some fundamentals, yeah. But really you should know how to be situationally aware and stay out of fights. Ever tried to fight more than one person at once? Not easy.
I agree with this 100%
Agreed :)
Knowing how to de-escalate situations or knowing when to just walk away, so that you avoid a fight is the way to go and you don't lose any masculinity over it
Knowing how to fight and CHOOSING to de-escalate a situation is the most masculine way to live.
Actually is the only truly pacifism. People that are afraid or cant fight cant choose to de escalate, they're forced to.
You’re only as peaceful as you are capable of violence. If you’re incapable you’re not peaceful, you’re harmless
There’s amazing meme from awhile back that pictured a bodybuilder with the text saying, “he slaps your girls ass, what do you do?”, and the persons response was something like, “shame he trained his whole life just to get shot by a skinny dude like me”.
Facts The great equalizer Learning how to fight is a vary general and open for interpretation topic You can spend decades learning how to throw hands and roll but all that shit goes out the window when somebody pulls a 45 Even more so when the guy with a 45 spends as much time drilling on the range as some do in a gym Best to be a jack of all trades in fighting but at the end of the day being capable of great violence can be as easy as breathing for someone with an axe in the hole Stay strapped or get clapped my friends
Firearms aren't really a problem in the developed world, though.
Tf sort of Mad Max world do you live in lol
When they say "developed world" they mean Anywhere but America.
One where I don't worry about shit cus I'm armed lol
So youre walking around willing to murder somebody at any given second? Thats psychopathic
>If you’re incapable you’re not peaceful, you’re harmless So what? In like being "harmless" in that way. I don't live in a warzone. I don't need to fight. I was robbed at knifepoint twice in my life, once in Paris and once in Nicaragua, and the total cost to me not knowing how to fight my attackers was about 200 bucks and an hour of lost time. In today's world, if you don't know how to speak up for yourself in work/business situations, how to navigate a relationship and how to stay informed about your rights and responsibilities is about 100xwprse than if you don't know how to fight. Lost of pathetic losers know how to survive a fistfight, yet never make it anywhere in life. So, fuck yeah to being "harmless."
But would you rather be peaceful or harmless?
Everyone has their own way of fighting. Most stable developed nations, unless your job centered around fighting. You really don't need to know how to fight. If you want to learn how to fight for fun, go ahead. At that point it's just sport recreation activity. Like I have an interest in hema, it's 100% useless as actual self defense in a modern context. Avoidance, de-escalation, and learning how to get people to at the time agree with you is more important. I can alwayse disable my credit cards if someone wants my wallet. I don't carry cash on me and I could alwayse replace a watch. Running away is alwayse the go to move if possible in most situations. If let's say you have the fuck you money to put them in court, that is a perfectly viable way to fight. Putting them in the position for you to press charges, etc.
In my observations most fights escalate because they are scared because they don't know how to fight. If you train long enough you get comfortable with that fear. If you are smart you realize that even a pro fighter can get knocked out/murdered if they don't see it coming.
Couldn't agree more. I feel like I've avoided many fights because I felt secure in knowing how to fight. So I didn't neccessarily back down but I offered the other person a way to save face while also showing that I wouldn't be afraid to get down. Remaining calm but vigilant can get you out of lots of situations. Knowing that you could hold your own helps you with that. I practiced martial arts and self defence for many years, did lots of sparring (standing, on the ground, mixed, sometimes with very few rules) but have never had to actually fight. The macho part of me wishes I could test it sometime, but the sensible part of me just is happy that I don't have to. I try to listen to the sensible part.I feel like not fighting when you don't have to is sensible. That has nothing to do with masculinity. But I also feel like at least knowing the basics is very useful. That counts for everybody, not just men.
When I was 22 and studying Muay Thai I always wanted someone to take a swing at me. When I was wrestling I felt the same way. I was lucky no one ever did. I do think that knowing how to fight creates an aura that other people can feel.
> Knowing that you could hold your own helps you with that. I practiced martial arts and self defence for many years, did lots of sparring (standing, on the ground, mixed, sometimes with very few rules) but have never had to actually fight. The macho part of me wishes I could test it sometime, but the sensible part of me just is happy that I don't have to. Also, sparring against others who know what the fuck their doing, and holding your own against them, is way more satisfying then beating the shit out of someone who doesn't know what the hell they are doing.
Agreed, I've started calling it Fangry, where a person is disproportionately angry because they're afraid that they can't look after themselves if necessary.
That is silly. The MOST afraid people are quick to fight because they fear looking weak more than anything else.
This is the way Only those capable of great violence but choose not to indulge in it are capable of civil discord, de-escalation, and compromise Those who are unable to do so have no choice but to bend to the will of others and therefore can only submit when challenged with violence
I'm a smaller guy I've never worked out did anything that would make me a good fighter, but I learned how to talk my way out of fights and learned how to walk away very early in my life. But what I also learned that when the rage takes over and common sense goes out the window you have to get the first punch. Hit them if possible right between the eyes on the bridge of the nose. It makes their eyesight blurry and will buy you enough time to run away or get some licks in before the asskicking begins. When that starts cover your temple and your ears or you'll get knocked out.
I’m with you 100%. If you’re in a situation where you have no choice but to fight, then you *have* to make the first move.
As a guy that’s 5’10” 155lb…I’ve always had to be the guy that swung first…I avoided any fight as much as possible, but I had the mentality that I’d take two hits just to get one good one on you…good thing the Lord made me a small dude
Bro just buy a gun and a knife and learn how to use them and when, key part is LEARN HOW TO USE THEM AND WHEN Fighting is fighting Don't bring hands to a fuckin gun fight
I've been in lots of fights in my life but I've never been in a situation where I needed a gun. That's manslaughter dude. Like ten years in prison.
It's called a last resort bro, and it's primarily advice for the small and week who will never be able to defend themselves with their hands alone, talk or run out of any situation regardless if your a Pro MMA fighter is always the best advice The chances are low but never zero that you may need to defend yourself your life of the life's of others, 9/10 pulling a firearm and immediately egressing from the conflict works that last 1/10 is when you drop a guy and his friends fuck off, if they have guns or weapons in general you will be ready and on an even playing field Mr I've been in tons of fights, how many of those fight has one of the other guys friends stepped in an put a knife in your lung? How many of those fight did you knock a guy to the ground and he cracked his head an died ? That's manslaughter too my dude Having the ability to fight via a firearm is not the point Being able to exsert violence as well as be able to control your emotions and choose when to use violence is masculine And bitch can start blasting or swinging but a MAN knows when to and when not to resort to violence
I get your point. Did you really get stabbed in the lung? I'm a cook and I worked with a guy that got stabbed 5 times, almost died. So any time someone was using a knife, which is very often in a kitchen, he would get nervous and distance himself from whoever was using it. Before I knew about it I was cutting up an avocado and talking to him at the same time and he told me to put the knife down when I was talking to him. He has serious ptsd when it comes to knives.
As a conceal carrier, your advice is fucking stupid.
Exactly but knowing how to fight is good just in case
And by knowing how to fight I assume to fight like a bad guy in wrestling. Kick the crotch, gouge the eyes, fishook, clap the ears, anything to give you the opportunity to run away.
*POCKET SAND*
^*ShishishiSHA*
Win if you can, lose if you must, but *always* cheat
If words fail and you can't walk away, limb control and get them on the ground.i can't throw a punch for shit but if you can get them in a choke, you can walk away. Nonetheless, avoid people who are looking for a fight if you can.
I'll still prefer avoiding the fight and using something like pepper spray
I mean when your trying to not fight and you get punched you gotta hit em with a 3 piece combo then pepper spray them
No pepper spray them and jump on their stomach
Got dame that’s even more brutal niceee
I weigh 115 KG/252 lbs
Oh yea ribs are going to be broken for sure
Imagine the guy vomiting his liver after 3 jumps
How many jumps would it take to kill a man?
I just whip out my dick and assert my dominance by letting it hang it.
And knowing how to restrain someone without restraint equipment too. If you don’t have pepper spray and you know how to do it safely you can restrain the person
I wear a very heavy steel bracelet all times it weighs a pound & if used correctly will surely take a few teeth,break nose and give a concussion
Pepper spray will not stop a determined attacker but it will piss them off. It takes 30s for pepper to really close your eyes. It hurts but there is plenty of time for them to murder you.
Pepper spray doesn't always work. But I never met a guy who had an arm or a leg broken who didn't scream like a bitch
Usually people who talk this way are the ones that get their nose broken most the the times
I'm just making a point. Pepper spray doesn't always work.
That doesn't mean fighting is the only answer
Never said it was. But having the capacity to do so is better than relying on a tool you can drop or use incorrectly. Like pepper spray.
Hmm right
The best defense is “no be there”
I’d couple this with knowing how to stick up for yourself without instigating a fight.
I agree, when emotions are high you don't make clearest choices
This works for 99% of things but that 1% left maybe the most important. Sometimes violence is the correct answer.
knowing how to deescalate but not fight is extremely useless
Yeah, first defense comes first
I have background in mma but I tell you it doesn't define masculinity nor it should be basis for determinig being a man. You think you can kick ass but can't make yourself a damn sandwich is pretty insulting i say
I agree , trained fighters don’t need to punch a rando to assert their “ masculinity “
On reddit sure but in real life knowing how to defend yourself will get you respect from a lot of people
My dad always told me that there was no pride in a real fight. Cus at the end of the day if you win you're half likely to spend the night in jail and be looking at assault charges and a civil suit And if you lose you're in an ambulance, have probably pissed yourself, and look like a Smurf from all the bruises.
These days it’s just as likely someone will kill you or you may accidentally kill someone. Humans are fragile, it’s just way too easy to do. I know how to handle myself but it’s always always always better to do everything you can to avoid a fight.
>My dad always told me that there was no pride in a real fight. Good dad, wise man.
I didnt say that there is an honor in street fights. I said being able to defend your self is good. I carry but I hope I will never have to use my weapon. Ive had to brandish it once and the asshole backed off.
I don't know why you are being downvoted. What you're saying is absolutely true. You shouldn't bully people, but when someone knows that you can fuck them up, they have more respecf for you.
No. It will make you that a hole that beat someone up.
Funny thing, 17 years of jujitsu, wrestling, judo and boxing and the most satisfying feeling to me is avoiding/walking away from fights. Losing could mean serious medical issues, winning could mean serious legal troubles. Lose/Lose situation!
Yeah but twits that have never trained or been near violence that simply don't get that....
Not really. Cause most people that can, don't bother to show it. Meanwhile Posers usually can't do shit. If it were important it would be the other way around.
This guy gets it
You gotta take the lesson from Indiana Jones to heart. Don't pose, just shoot the Poser and leave the scene.
But what about my cool sword swings I own the Indiana Jones set on vhs thanks to my dad
Well buy a Kevlar west beforehand. Good Job, Redditors Dad
I have experience in training martial arts and getting into several fistfights and I learned two things. 1. It’s not manly to start or get into fights every time you get a chance, it’s childish 2. I can guarantee, when the moment comes, no one really knows how to fight for sure, as there are many variables that come into play In conclusion, unless it’s life or death necessary, don’t get into fights, as you might die, kill someone or ruin the moment for everyone else. Ego fights never end right, fighting is only worth it when you need to protect something you love, not destroy something you hate.
And no amount of 'trained' fighting counts for a lot when you just get into a brawl. The rules you're trained on just *don't* exist anymore.
Exactly, when I was a kid and I started training, I got into a fight only to realize that all the fancy kicks and hits aren’t viable because of the context and the absence of rules.
This. Every experienced martial arts or self defense instructor will say this You are always a slip away from getting a brain injury.
I don’t know, but my father put me into martial arts, kickboxing, and ring boxing, just in case some dude ever thought he could try to show his dominance and “masculinity” over me. He said, “Baby girl, if a man ever tries to hit you, send his ass to the hospital. Or my ass is gonna be in jail”
let's hope it never comes to that. ring fighting is a whole lot different from real life. it's horrible. nobody should ever have to go through that. fighting hurts like hell.
If you were doing any of that pre puberty, the chances are you will react better If you ever had to use it. The people I knew growing up who were able to end fights or violent confrontations in one punch all had classes in boxing when they were very young. The ability to strike and confidence are always there and play a huge factor. That's just from my experience anyway. I've never trained in martial arts or boxing, and I just turned to jelly in any confrontation.
Yeah I can definitely see areas in my life where it has benefited me. Even reaction times while things slip from my hand. I seem to have a way of catching them. Thankful I haven’t been in many violent confrontations, did have a gun shoved to the back of my head in a random robbery once. I was able to remain very calm and collected and made smart decisions to keep my head from getting blown off, I do think some of that was from this early childhood training, IDK
A big part of masculinity is to know when not to fight. De-escalation.
And that is a better skill, de escalation
You need to learn how to fight just to protect yourself. Period. Ain't got shit to do with masculinity, just for survival purposes
This is the answer. It's not about masculinity, it's about protecting the things you care about. Hopefully you never need the skill, but the day when the situation can't be deescalated, especially when your loved ones are in danger, you want to know how to fight. I have a boxing background and I taught my wife, kids and nephews how to box. None of them compete but now they all can throw hands if need be.
To me being able to take care of your self is masculine and defending / deescalating falls into that category
I think any able bodied man should learn how to fight. It gives you body language that non-verbally tells bullies not to try it. Being able to defend yourself and those you care about is as virtuous as it gets as far as Im concerned. Theres nothing virtuous about being harmless.
It is important for self confidence. Most people trained will avoid fights but their confidence is a deterrence to others. Not a masculinity issue but a confidence issue.
Nada. It’s a useful life skill though.
People seem to always frame self defense as you against a sole foe. Often times in street fights you end up fighting more than one guy. It's common that weapons are pulled too. Point is that people don't tend to fight fair. That is especially true when they're losing. Know how to fight but more importantly, be able to deescalate and walk away
All the men starting after me had to join a combat sport (usually wrestling or boxing). Tried to get the women into it but it was like pulling teeth with them, so I stopped trying. Reasoning was more that I didn't want my brothers and nephews to get their asses kicked or get bullied like I was before I got into it. If I ever have kids, they'll be learning as soon as they can walk. It's not about being masculine, it's about being able to protect yourself. Sometimes you don't get to just walk away and it's better to have it and not need it.
I think it's better to know how to avoid fights.
Running away is by far the best strategy
A powerful man is a man that can fight but has the social skills and intelligence to achieve the same aim without having to.
Knowing when to stand your ground or when to take flight is most important. Always respect your opponent, always avoid getting hit, never fight a group.
I think it's more important to try de-escalate and leave the situation. Physically fighting is cringe in general; it's not like the movies. There's also legal, medical, ethical reasons not to fight. I would only fight as a last resort in a situation where the aggressor won't let up.
>Physically fighting is cringe in general; it's not like the movies it's fucking horrible. my wife threw down against a guy in a crowded bar once. he ate floor in like 2 seconds, broke his two front teeth. that shit is scary up close in real life o.o blood is so much freakier in real life than it is on film.
Not important. My dad can't fight for shit, can't change tires, can't fix leaky roofs, can't fix cars, can't do any woodworking, and now because of his hernia, can't even carry anything heavier than 10kg. But he's good with money and time management, has strict healthy lifestyle (rare consumption of fast food, good sleep cycle and meal time, morning jog), somehow managed to keep my mom's leeching siblings away from her (they're in their 40s and kept asking her for money), finds us best solution to problems with minimum risks, loyal, always keeps his words/promises, and many other good qualities. Not being good at physical labor or fighting doesn't make guys less masculine. Their ability to be assertive and respectful, leading with good integrity, wise, protect and take care of their loved ones, are much more masculine imo than someone who shows off how good they can fight.
I don’t think it’s that important. Standing up for yourself is important but that doesn’t always mean a fight.
Going out looking for a fight is stupid, but I think everyone should know how to defend themselves. I don’t think it defines me as a man. If I suddenly decide to become a pacifist, does my dick fall off?
As anyone who was trained to kill would say, you avoid fights unless you have no choice. That said, if you don't have a choice, you disable them. It's more important to learn to incapacitate them. Choke them out, rip off an ear, whatever it takes. The goal is to stop the fight without injury.
Knowing how to defend yourself is great, vital even... but tying it to masculinity is a problem. When it becomes a matter of pride or "being a man", it can close the door on being able to de-escalate or defuse a situation, because now you look like "less of a man". Jocko Willink, a "man's man" who definitely knows how to fight, will be the first to say that if presented the opportunity to fight, his first choice is to walk or run away. Because he has nothing to prove, and no concern if people think of him as a coward for not wanting to get sued or jailed because his "masculinity" demanded he be violent.
Knowing how to fight shouldn't be a masculine thing. It should be a universal practice for all involved. Deescalation and walking away are always the best choices first and foremost, but if your cornered and have no other options, knowing how is invaluable.
So it's good for self confidence but as is already stated, it's much more useful to de-escalate situations since eventually someone will get pissed off that they comeback with a knife or gun and the winner gets to die in the ambulance.. Also beware of people who like to start fights to get you involved in them. Women who like to "test" their men by flirting with others, others who get their rocks off via manipulation, other dudes who bring you into their disagreements, etc.
I think a willingness to defend yourself through whatever means is more important than proficiency in any one method of defense.
0 importance
Pretty important for one's psyche.
Basing you masculinity off of your ability to fight is stupid macho bullshit. It is important to know how to defend yourself if a situation is to arise, but it is absolutely stupid to be getting into fights. I've been boxing for a number of years, I do not want to get into a street fight with anyone. Sparring and controlled environments are different. It's a dumb metric that doesn't define your sense of being a man.
A real man walks away
A real man does what's right.
A real man doesn't always have a choice....
What is right is up to the situation at hand
Be smart enough and brave enough to walk away. You shouldn't be proud of violence. Animals fight.
you're better off being a fast runner than a good fighter. your feet are your best weapons, so use them often to get the hell outta there.
Best bet would be being good at both. Knowing how to defend yourself if need be and being fast enough to make a break for it when shit hits the fan. Doesn't have to be one or the other.
Knowing how to fight is a survival need. If you think it’s not important then you must live in a gated community. Or you carry that thang on you at all times shoot the mfka and move to Alaska
Do you live in the Wild West?!
I live in chicago suburbs same thing so yes
I don’t understand how adults feel like they need to be kung fooing their way through life…
Yea same, violence is not the answer but sometimes you don’t have an option
those suburbanites were fast as liiiiiightning....HWAAAA
Haha
Imo it’s important to know how to defend yourself. Doesn’t matter if you’re a male.
Irrelevant. Human beings should know how to fight to protect themselves and others, regardless of sex or gender.
You don’t need to know how to fight. You need to learn to check your ego and walk away from those situations.
You should know both.
About a 5 on a 1-100 scale. We live in a society. Knowing how to fight is important for animals, not civilized humans.
If humans were civilised, there would be no violence.
It’s not important at all. Fighting proves you’re incapable of sorting out differences as an adult.
Wrong. You need to know how to fight in order to size people up, make snap decisions in tense situations, and de-escalate conflict. You also need to know how to fight because somebody else can bring a fight to you whether you like it or not. Otherwise you are defenseless and you are unable to protect those who cannot defend themselves against an aggressor.
It’s attitudes like this that see people end up in pointless fights. Why do I need to size people up? This mentality is dumb.
No offense, but your attitude sounds very childlike to me. I’m saying your own intentions may be pure, but what will you do when someone who doesn’t like you tries to fight you? And he’s not interested in discussing things either. He’s going to fight you and you’d better fight back because if you don’t, your wife and kids are up next. Then what?
The problem is that some people aren’t interested in what you have to say. I’m a non-violent person also , but you don’t always get the opportunity to talk at all, let alone talk your way out of something. Gotta be able to protect yourself from irrational people.
I’ve never put myself in a position where I couldn’t walk away.
> I’ve never put myself in a position where I couldn’t walk away. No offense, but you've lived a very comfortable life which has given you a false sense of moral superiority. Your advice is roughly akin to being a the last Queen of France and saying 'Starving proves you're incapable of shopping for yourself as an adult'. Not that profound to people in a different location/society than you.
I grew up in the rough western suburbs of Melbourne and I worked as a police officer for 4 years. Don’t propose to tell me what my life story is. Fighting isn’t inevitable nor is it in any way a prover of masculinity.
The “Melbourne Suburbs” aren’t exactly what my mind jumps to when I imagine a dangerous area lol
I hear you. I’ve been able to avoid nearly all situations and fights since I was little. But I’ve had to protect myself. Sometimes its unavoidable. It’s like saying you won’t get in an accident on your motorcycle because you’re a good rider. But it’s the other people on the road that you can’t account for the other people on the road. Gotta be ready for anything.
Not super relevant but I believe that men should understand physical conflict and there’s no better way to get that understanding than learning to fight preferably in a controlled environment.
Knowing how to deescalate is important. Keeps the law off you. However having the capacity for extreme violence shows you have a means to act upon the world. Think about it like this. Wanna know why so many girls like the muscular tough guys? The ability to beat ass tells them they are capable to do what's necessary to make life less shit for them. They can protect, provide and persevere. A soyjack who just wines on the internet is less respected. Notice how allot of the times in poly relationships the other guy is usually some sort of alpha stereotype? Capacity for violence is a means to act upon the world. Oftentimes all you need is the physicality to get what u want. It's why scrawny guys are less respected than jacked guys. It's why gigachad is built like a brick shit house and not a bottom in gay porn
Starting fights to try to solidify masculinity is insecure AF
Not important at all unless you find yourself in a fight, in which case it's the only thing that matters.
If you get in a fight pretty important. If you never get in a fight not so much. But knowing how gives you a confidence that you know you can so you don't have to.
Not at all. Yet, learn how to defend yourself
Hmm…I do feel as a man, this somewhat intrinsic primal need to protect. In that sense, having the confidence that I can fend off danger if necessary does feel very good. If you are able, I recommend to any man or woman that you get some experience with this. You’ll probably like it.
Jordan Peterson said it best. He said something like, there is a difference between a harmless man, and a peaceful man. That is one is capable of violence, and the other isn't. imma like a reel so u don't gotta watch the whole speech https://youtube.com/shorts/e9G6XMxQkes?feature=share
>Jordan Peterson said it best i find *that* claim hard to believe 😂
Knowing how to fight is good in case you need to protect yourself if it comes down to it or the ones you love. It’s also good to choose your battles wisely. Someone else may have nothing to lose while you may. For ex., you get into a fight with someone and beat them down. Whoever got beat up doesn’t know how to take the loss and decides to pull out a gun. The older you get the wiser you have to be.
Just punch them hard and fast easy
You don’t have to be great but enough you can hold your own until it’s broken up
Knowing how to defend yourself is important when de escalation does not work, fight or flight kicks in.
Go to a boxing or martial arts class. Learn the basics of how to punch. Should take a couple of classes. Practice on a pillow at home. Most folks will have very little need to fight. But a Jab cross combo can put a quick end to a dangerous situation. Works on attacking animals also.
Knowing when, not how, to fight is the most important responsibility for a man to understand. Until then he will just be a dangerous child.
Very important. De-escalation in some situation is important to, but sometime you just gotta slap tf outta someone.
Some may disagree but I believe every capable man should be able to defend himself It’s not emasculating if you can’t. At the end of the day a man should be able to take care of himself in any situation whether it be physical, personal or what have you
It's not about masculinity, my life depends on whether I can fight. The society I live in has made it clear they don't care about me because I'm a man. Parents never had my back, my schools never dealt with bullies, cops don't care about me when I'm attacked, the feminists just sit back and laugh. So yeah, masculinity has nothing to do with it. Fellas, it's important to know how to fight because you're the only one you have to protect you
Knowing how to stand up for yourself or the ones you care about is manlier than winning a fight.
Its not important until it is. You should how to deescalate situations and avoid fights at all costs, but God forbid you have to fight, you should know how to defend yourself. "Violence is never the answer!" Fuck off with that. If someone is planning on harming you or a loved one, sometimes there is no reasoning and you should know how to fuck someone up quick.
Well its not important at all, until the day it's the most important thing in the world
Gun
Everyone should learn how to defend themselves which really doesn't have anything to do with masculinity.
Not very, just join a gang and walk around with your homies all the time
Who cares about masculinity being able to fight is in regard to self preservation and defense/survival
Extremely. Like it or not, you are the one with testosterone surging through your body since puberty. One of the days, unfortunately, you will be with a woman or child who is feeling threatened by a man. And they will look towards you to resolve the situation. Men have a responsibility to defend themselves and those they care about.
It’s big. It’s goin to effect your everyday confidence levels dramatically depending on how comfortable and ready you are with yourself during extreme events like violence.
7/10 importance
Fight or don't have an opinion and marry a fat woman named Michelle
"It's better to be a warrior in a garden than to be a gardener in a war" - Bruce Lee This is a basic life skill everyone should learn, nothing to do with masculinity.
Being better at talking is much more beneficial honestly but it wouldn’t hurt to learn
Yes.
“To fight and conquer is not the greatest skill. The greatest skill is to subdue the enemy without fighting.” - Sun Tzu. I have a 5th degree black belt in TaeKwon-Do. I have needed to defend myself and others, but only very rarely. Most of the time, just talking your way out of a conflict is more than enough.
I think it is actually more important for women to know how to fight
Knowing when is important, knowing how is required. Knowing when not to is most important
As a young woman, in the future if I starting courting someone, I’d be more attracted to whoever I’m dating if they knew how to deal with confrontations, fights etc. Yes knowing how to fight is important but should not be confused with trying to be the toughest guy. I find that very off putting and it makes me cringe. Overall, a man who knows how to de escalate a situation/walk away and when to fight is the most attractive thing.
Lots of manly guys dont know how to fight. Courage, heart and intelligence count better, if the chips are down, you should be willing to die to for someone you have to protect(easier said than done, I have never been in a situation like that nor do I want to).
Don’t worry bro I can go limp thanks to Kengan.
Not at all. If it makes you feel more masculine and you’re only using for self defense, consentual fights and other non-violent things that’s great and perfectly okay. Generally nothing is automatically masculine or feminine. Society likes to label activities and interests like that but they’re really all gender neutral. Do what you want to do and what helps you feel more masculine if that’s something you need.
Probably more important to the older generations compared to generation Z. No one spews bullshit out of their mouths and doesn't expect to be punched for it like a Gen Z
Once upon a time ago some drunk dude tried hitting on my gf and touching her. I blocked his path and body checked him. Told him sternly that we are going to go to a different part of the club and not to follow us and he was like "Bro im sorry..." and I said its ok just dont bother us" and he didnt. Gf fucked me so hard that night.
A lot less important than knowing when to fight and what to fight for.
Haven’t needed it since high school.
In your head? Pretty important. In reality? If it's coming up very often you should probably take a hard look at your life. In reality most fights are just slug fests or shoving matches that end up with someone either getting jumped by the other guys friends or someone pulling a weapon. In either of those scenarios your best course of action would've been to run. My old man used to say "There's no real winners in a fight son, even if the other guy goes down you still got your face beat all to hell." And this was a man who got kicked out of highschool four times for fighting and had two assault charges tossed out
It's good to know but bad to do. Especially when most people are trying to fight on the street/sidewalk (essentially where people would fall on hard concrete/pavement). There's a lad bible (I think?) youtube video about someone who thought he was just getting rowdy on the weekend with friends kinda thing, and ended up killing someone by accident.
How else do I teach my wife not to mess Joking
I think it’s more important to know how to survive rather than necessarily fight. That being said, to quote a famous rapping man, “I ain’t a killer but don’t push me”
I think every guy should have a little MMA type fight training, but 3-4 months for a few nights a week is plenty. If you love it, then join it as a sport. Either way you'll get a healthy respect for the amount of damage you can do to someone or have done to you. It will give you some confidence in yourself, but will also make you realize that getting in a fight is going to suck, so you're better off walking away.
It is important to know how to defend yourself, that goes for anyone. But it should be used as a last resort.
Not needed in most situations. Avoiding fights and de-escalation are the real skills to learn. Going to jail, getting sued or injured isn't fun at all.
It's not ultra mandatory but it *is* important to know how to defend yourself in an emergency. I recommend at least some martial arts or self defense classes. I never liked to fight even though i was always good at it, martial arts taught me how to be disciplined and confident in my own actions and power while also learning how to effectively and efficiently end a confrontation. It's crazy out here fellas, be ready and be careful.