Bianchiriderlon

Being a kung fu fighter, I love to spar. It is a joyful day when the jerk gets out of his car. What was it that Clint said?.... go on, make my ... Anyway, he might have second thoughts when he sees you putting in your mouthguard.

"Pepper spray!? We doan need no steenking pepper spray."

Bianchiriderlon

IF you can do it, (ie: are trained in a martial art) it is a good thing to let the jerk throw the first punch. This makes him the assailant, not you. You then capture the punch and turn it around. A good blow to the bridge of the nose will beget blood which is a suitable fight stopper. A flurry of light punches will confuse the assailant and he will normally open up, making the fight ender relatively easy to land. If he is drunk, he is not thinking and will fight poorly. He is also angry by this point, and angry fighters are careless fighters. Of course, the best offense is to get the hell out of dodge asap. Other points: the bike is a great tool for getting the hell outta dodge. KEEP THE HELMET ON!!! It will protect your head from the idiot's blows. It also comes in handy if you intend a head butt as the coup de gras (not that you actually need a helmet for this purpose - the hard upper forehead is a formidable weapon when applied to the fleshy cartilage at the top of the nose. If you are tall enough, just land your forehead between his eyes).

* jack *

Bianchiriderlon

Kick boxing Sheesh, go for the "Iron Thread." It is much more interesting.

* jack *

LOL Who needs to be interesting when yer Kickin Azzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz?

Bianchiriderlon

Well, what's wrong with elegant? Actually, I am not fighting at the moment. I am battling tendonitis in my 56 year old arm. I intend to start back at the kwoon in April or May and then the fat, drunken, stupid RV jockeys better look out!

Cheers

Charles

hank2230

For what it is worth, I live in NE Ohio and called the city police about PS, maybe, being considered a concealed weapon. The police officer said that PS is not considered a CW and that if somone is trying to kick your ass, you have a right to defend yourself.

Bekologist

hot sauce the fokkers first, ask questions later!

and for you 'tough guys' advocating physical fisticuffs over pepper spray...very amusing. I know some people (and a LOT of kids raised on videogames) who think fighting is fun, but have they actually been in one? Yeah. just kick the angry driver in the face after crushing his instep and breaking his shin, its as easy as falling down....not. Fighting's a sport of pain, even for the winner. Now, if you're trained in martial arts, you won't want to fight anyway, because avoiding the battle is the first lesson learned at the dojo.. but if you are skilled in akido or russian style hand to hand, and you want to get all messy in a fight, go for it.....

for everyone else, or for a person that knows kung fu but still has to get to work on time...

Just pack the hot sauce and give the driver a dose of 'deterrant" instead of trying to fight the asshat.

Bianchiriderlon

Rubbish! Who says fighting isn't fun? As for the constant advice to turnaway, yield, run off stuff, that typically comes out of karate and those guys couldn't fight to save their lives. There are altogether too many karate studios that give away black belts to kids far too young and too unskilled to deserve one.

As for the "late for work" scenario, sure, I'll take off if I haven't got the time to stop and, in reality, I will avoid fighting. But it is not because I worry about my safety. It's more the case that I don't relish turning my fellow citizens into hamburger.

Rather than shoot toxic substances at folks, I would just use my bike for what it was designed for - making tracks. However, if I have no choice I'll go at the guy and I have no doubt who will win.

Bikepacker67

"Fight or Flight" is mistakenly sequenced.

All God's Creatures (with a lick of sense) chose the former over the latter when both are equally available.
And the simple reason why, is that in 'Fight', even the winner can end up losing.

That being said, when cornered, fight like hell, and forget the "rules".

Bekologist

"Who says fighting isn't fun?" Just about everybody, bianchi.

You must not get into fights much, I'm guessing. Been around the block much? Ever spent some time in jail? Done hard time, maybe?

But hey, to each his own. I'm packing pepper spray, and recommend to all the rest of the bicyclists not suffering a Bruce Lee delusion, to consider the hot sauce.

chipcom 

I'm wondering if he's ever had to fight for his life, or take a life. In my experience, only psychos think that kind of a fight is fun - the rest of us mere humans hope to never have to do it again after pissing our pants, crapping ourselves and puking until we got dry heaves.

On the other hand, a nice friendly drunken brawl can be kinda fun...until you get up in the morning.

chipcom 

Rules? First thing my daddy ever taught me - there ain't no rules in a non-sport fight cept for one - win.

Even winning isn't always enough. Let's take the your lard-butt cager for instance. Sure you might have whipped his butt, but what would keep him from coming back later and just running you down like a dawg, or laying in wait with a gun, or hurting your family? Second rule my daddy taught me - when in a fight you only have two options - to give your opponent a way to lose with honor, or kill him. If you kick the crap out of someone and totally take his honor, pride, whatever, odds are he's gonna want revenge in some fashion, someday, somewhere. So rather than walking around for the rest of your life looking over your shoulder, you either gotta kill em, or give them a face-saving way to either lose or avoid the fight all together. I obviously prefer the latter. Even if you are forced to fight, it's something you have to keep in mind as you go about the dirty business, which is why it is so important to keep cool and think, even as you are biting, kicking, scratching and pummeling your opponent. You showed that you could keep your cool and think, even when I know your huevos were up in your throat with fear, which is why I will once again tip my hat to you!

chipcom 

HTF did we get on this subject anyway? It's the Christmas season gosh darn it and all of us are alive, fairly healthy and have fairly good lives. Let's talk bikes!

Bikepacker67

Or even ... gasp.... Cagers with the Christmas Spirit.


It's funny how small things change your thinking.
This little camera captured the bad, but it captured a helluva lot more good.

Bekologist

I'm going to stay up late on Christmas Eve, see if I can catch santa messing with my bikes...


bikes bikes bikes bikes bikes bikes

Bikepacker67

Hey, we've already established that Santa will be on his best behavior as long as you leave him pies or tarts... or blonde tarts with pies (extra points if the pies match the tarts).

chipcom 

Bekologist

I don't want to see any pie crusted fingerprints on my LHT, Santa, or else it's THROWDOWN TIME!

chipcom 

Keep the LHT, I got pie and tarts! Would you like a 'piece'?

Bikepacker67

Sloppy Santa seconds on a pie? Hmmmm...

Bekologist

I'm biking over to Stiffler's mother's place for Xmas, I don't mess with pie much anymore

silversmith

Snerk... PS his sleigh riding cager ass!

Bianchiriderlon

I think you may be missing my point. This is not about being a Bruce Lee wannabe, or a "tough guy." Believe me, I suffer from no "delusions." I actually took that comment as a pathetic attempt to insult me. Never mind, I took no offense. If you knew me you would notice immediately that I do not fit the tough guy mould. I do not look like a member of the SAS and I can count on one hand the number of fights I have been in over the course of my life, so far. I am a 56 year old Buddhist psychotherapist. I am 5' 8" and friendly - totally non-confrontational - with the people I meet. No one would mistake me for an aggressive fighter. I have been a member of the Canadian Forces in the past, and that experience has taught me much about courage, respect and valour.

I was drawn to kung fu because I see it as a form of moving meditation, not as an opportunity to learn to kick anyone's a**. I have followed the teachings of a master for a number of years and I have learned strategies I can use, if necessary, to defend myself from potential assailants. Most of what I have posted above can be categorized as "good natured banter" between myself and anyone who is interested in macho fantasies. Again, I am a psychologist and my Jungian approach leads me to explore archetypes. The "warrior" is a powerful archetype and one that is trivialized in today's polite society.

Our culture teases us all the time. On the one hand, the media suggests that we should be "real men" and defeat our enemies with efficiency, verve and panache. On the other, we are more than happy to surrender to organized force and expect that society, the courts, the military, and police will protect us. It is a very schizophrenic way of understanding our lives. Meanwhile, there are cretins out there who are not bound by societal convention and will do as they wish to assault, rip off and kill others. Overall, the societal message seems to be "be afraid, be very afraid.

My kung fu has taught me to turn away from violence and conflict, but, and this is a very important but, to be prepared to defend myself when necessary. It provides such skills as are necessary to do so and, as well, an adequate level of personal fitness necessary to utilize such skills.

The notion of weapons has arisen with regard to pepper spray. Sure I could carry pepper spray, as I could a tonfa, essentially a Chinese club used to defend against an assailant when in a fight. However, either weapon could be left behind, and when that happens, then what? What happens when you spray the assailant and he says "hyuck, hyuck, what was that little annoyance" and keeps on coming. Believe me, that can happen. It was Leonard Cohn who penned the line "I am guided by the beauty of our weapons." "Blinded by" is also a reasonable observation. The OP was lucky to have a crowd to go to and did right to do so. At another time and in another place the crowd might not be there.

Carrying a weapon is not, then the best answer to this. Better to train so that the body becomes a weapon. Let's face it, you are not going to forget your arms and legs at home!

Can I defend myself well and with due regard for the welfare of the other? I most certainly can. I have no worry walking at night. I will ride my bike wherever I want and I don't fear for my safety (apart from the normal risks encountered when operating a bike on-road).

Don't be fearful. Develop the ability to defend yourself. You don't have to be a “macho man” to do so. Please don't trivialize the efforts of others who choose to defend when necessary. Stay away from risky circumstances. I don't frequent bars. For one thing I don't enjoy them. For another, those are places in which the potential for violence is at its highest. I never get into bar fights because I am never there! If you go, treat others with friendship and respect and you'll probably never have to fight your way out of a tough situation. However, be prepared to defend yourself when the need arises.

Cheers

Charles

Bekologist

I'm real happy for you, Bianchi. I'm the OP, and I had broken my hip 3 months earlier....