Confrontation

[Tha-Flash]

I'm wondering how you guys deal with confrontation when it involves another person.

Like where you know there's a good chance that you're going to physically fight.

Please talk a little about how YOU personally deal with this.

[China Doll]

I have never been involved in a fight in my life but I have worked and lived in some of the nastiest places in London doing a job in not the nicest of industries.

I have had to stand up for myself several times but fortunatly to date my smart mouth has got me out of as much trouble as it has (usually) gotten me in to.

Oh how I deal with a confrontation... depending on the circumstances I either talk the situation round, make them laugh or brazen it out. Sometimes just standing up to people tends to take the wind out of their sails.

By the way, I'm presuming that you mean 'fight' outside of the dojo ring? As if you're not then I may have had a few fights in my life... but they were not born out of confrontation.

[Tha-Flash]

Yea China, a fight that isn't organised. Where anything could happen.

[Paul22118]

My experience of this type of confrontational situation has always been based on what I learned as a young man, which I am now not.
The entire situation revolves around confidence or more to the point displaying MASSIVE confidence even if your insides are churning. The guy I am remembering was a large Scottish guy who although handy was really a very placid man. He would wade into volitile situations and square up to the physically largest of the group on offer. He would then speak oh so casually and when that person responded with threats of all sorts, Jock would look him in the eye and slowly, in his best Glasweigan accent, say"If you want to start something, go ahead. But I advise you of this pal, only start what you are certain you can finish".
The effect of this was absolutely astonishing. What he was always careful to make sure of was that there was always a way out for the individual not to lose face. He would then take all the threats about if I see you around - you just wait until my brothers home from the army - keep looking over your shoulder and so on and on.
What the opponent always believed though was that Jock would cripple him. Whether he could have, would have one never found out. But his strong, concentrated confidence was poetry in motion.
Moral. Do this or if you can't - leg it.

[Tha-Flash]

Fantastic post Paul. I do completely agree it revolves around DISPLAYING pure confidence. What I find hard is controlling the shakiness in voice. You can't hear it much but it's still a big part in communication. That theory says it's 38% I think. Great post man.

[welshwil]

i came from quite a small home town, one night a huge bloke who was a well know drug dealer started on me (i'm pretty small by the way) over a game of pool, he kicked off and i fought back as best i could. at some point in the scrap a friend of my dads gave the guy a clout. which knocked him out. to the day he thinks it was me who hit him unconscious and as my new found 'reputation' got around the village, i was never messed with again, and have moved to london since, so i am a bit of a legend back home