[design219]

I've always been able to avoid or talk my way out of trouble. Closest I ever came was with a wacked-out druggie that thought I took his photo at a concert back in my photojournalist days. Some good samaritans pulled him away.

What's your story?

[RAILhead]

I'm too big and intimidating in person for anyone to ever try anything on me.

[Face Ache]

First rule of fight club is...?

[brassplayersrock²]

Originally Posted by RAILhead 

I'm too big and intimidating in person for anyone to ever try anything on me.

ditto

[design219]

Originally Posted by RAILhead 

I'm too big and intimidating in person for anyone to ever try anything on me.

So how big do you have to be for this to be a factor?

(I'm 5-9, 180 lbs.)

[Laminar]

When I was in third grade or so I got in a scuffle with a second cousin of mine. I didn't know his dad had taught him boxing moves and I got my butt kicked. Besides that, I haven't really ever been in a fight.

[RAILhead]

6'4" 240, overall big build, general look of I wouldn't whiz on you if your belly was on fire.

[capuchin]

Been beaten up a couple of times. I'm 6'2", about 200lbs, and I work out, but size has less to do with it than attitude and sheer weight of numbers. On both occasions, I was playing good Samaritan; stopping a couple of guys who were harassing a woman on the subway the first time, then me and a buddy waded in to stop a bunch of drunk jerks beating on some guy they thought looked Middle Eastern (this was just after 9/11).

I cracked a rib the first time, second time ended up with nothing worse than cuts and a bunch of bruises. Hurt like hell both times, but there's no better way to kill Monday-morning, idle office chit-chat than by showing up with gashes and bruises and stories about how you spent the weekend brawling.

[Eug]

Originally Posted by capuchin 

Been beaten up a couple of times. I'm 6'2", about 200lbs, and I work out, but size has less to do with it than attitude and sheer weight of numbers. On both occasions, I was playing good Samaritan; stopping a couple of guys who were harassing a woman on the subway the first time, then me and a buddy waded in to stop a bunch of drunk jerks beating on some guy they thought looked Middle Eastern (this was just after 9/11).

I cracked a rib the first time, second time ended up with nothing worse than cuts and a bunch of bruises. Hurt like hell both times, but there's no better way to kill Monday-morning, idle office chit-chat than by showing up with gashes and bruises and stories about how you spent the weekend brawling.

Heh. Almost happened to me with a couple of drunk guys (and a drunk wife).

One drunk guy lightly bumped a little kid when walking by. He apologized, but the kid's asshat of a dad freaked right out... and then his wife joined in with equal freakery. The original guy then freaked right out too and they were about to duke it out, when I stepped in. As soon as I got there I wondered if it was a really stupid decision. Luckily after some talking I calmed them down, but for about 30 secs I felt like I was going to get pounded by all three of them.

WTF is wrong with people?!?!?

[sek929]

I'm a small dude, so I generally avoid confrontations at all costs since most 'fights' end up being wrestling matches where the biggest dude wins.

I've only been hit once, by some drunk kid at my house party, and he quickly found out that I have a big group of large men as friends...if you catch my drift.

I can also make a fist as hard as a rock...but like I said, most fights are wrestling matches.

[Laminar]

Originally Posted by sek929 

I've only been hit once, by some drunk kid at my house party, and he quickly found out that I have a big group of large men as friends...if you catch my drift.

Bears?

[sek929]

I guess you could say the kid got 'mauled'

[ort888]

Never been beat up. Got in a few fights when I was younger, but they were all very one sided in my favor.

People don't general F with me and I'm not very combative anyway.

I'm also 6'5" and 270lbs, so I think that helps.

The truth is though that most people could probably kick my ass with little effort.

[sek929]

Originally Posted by ort888 

I'm also 6'5" and 270lbs, so I think that helps.

You're nearly double my weight, so yeah, I wouldn't screw with you either.

[Cold Warrior]

Only when I was a young kid, maybe third grade. Not since then. I don't really find myself in situations like that. But there have been plenty of faux fights as an adult: for a couple years I found myself training and sparring somewhat regularly in Brazilian Jujitsu. So unless the guy was an experienced fighter or significantly larger than me I could probably break their arm or blood choke them unconscious fairly quickly.

[Railroader]

The only "fight" I was ever in was with a completely inebriated guy at a bar in a college town right after a football game ended. He bumped into me, thought I pushed him, started shouting at me, threw up his hands like he wanted to fight, threw a punch at me that missed by about 4 feet, this caused him to loose his footing and fall face first into the tile floor of the bar. Knocked him right out. Bouncers came in and hauled him away. Bartender gave me and my wife a couple free rounds.

[zro]

Originally Posted by sek929 

I guess you could say the kid got 'mauled'

*whoosh*

I've gotten a wicked shiner and a broken rib on separate, but equally drunk, occasions.

[MacMan4000]

..............

[MacMan4000]

............

[Railroader]

To be fair, I was drunk too.

[Jawbone54]

I've only been in one fight, and I think it's fair to call it a draw. I had the upper hand until the punk started KICKING. Who kicks in a straightforward fight? Anyways, it was broken up after only about 15 seconds, so it was nothing.

I've generally done a good job keeping myself out of the path of the crazies that get their jollies from fighting.

[shifuimam]

I got smacked (hard) in the face by this bitch in my primary school. She was mean to everyone, and I was the only person who stood up to her. So in gym class one day, she got sick of me not putting up with her crap, and hauled off and smacked me.

Ironically, all the good Christian girls who saw her do it just turned away like nothing happened. WWJD, FTW.

[Laminar]

Originally Posted by shifuimam 

I got smacked (hard) in the face by this bitch in my primary school. She was mean to everyone, and I was the only person who stood up to her. So in gym class one day, she got sick of me not putting up with her crap, and hauled off and smacked me.

Ironically, all the good Christian girls who saw her do it just turned away like nothing happened. WWJD, FTW.

They turned the other cheek?

[calverson]

This may not come as a surprise to most of you, but I have gotten beaten up pretty badly before.

The first time I was about 14, and I pissed of this guy that was much bigger than me. I managed to get in a few shots to his face before he got me in a headlock, at which point I realized how many punches I can take to the face repeatedly without passing out (about 14).

Oh, and some guy smacked my pretty hard for pinching his girlfriends ass in a club.

[Big Mac]

Nope. When required, I fight to win.

[Cipher13]

Originally Posted by calverson 

Oh, and some guy smacked my pretty hard for pinching his girlfriends ass in a club.

Gotta say, I'd have done the same.

Never been beaten up. Been in quite a few fights but they were group on group really, and unfortunately for the other guys each time, myself and my mates are about as stubborn as people get.

I'm only 5'10" / 135lbs (for you non-metric folk) or so, but the straight 0 haircut/beard seems to make people think twice.

That, and martial art training comes in handy.

[Shaddim]

Nah, not beaten up, but I've had some nasty scrapes. Most of my fighting was in my teens and 20s, but it taught me something important.

If you can't talk your way out of a situation, strike hard, fast, and don't stop until there isn't any fight left in them. Never go into a fight with anything less than the total belief that you're going to cream the other person. Hit whatever is the most vulnerable with everything you have.

Hell, when my life is on the line I've been known to snarl, scratch, bite, gouge, anything.

[calverson]

Originally Posted by Cipher13 

Gotta say, I'd have done the same.

Were you at the FTV Club Sandton in November last year..?

[Peter]

nope, I'm 6'2 but uber skinny. About 140lbs.

I've always been very good at keeping calm, and if you can remain calm you can usually talk your way out of situations.

[calverson]

You sound like Hugh Grant.

[red rocket]

Back in my teens, every year, a good friend of mine and I used to engage in an annual ritual: Streetfight each other at a mutual friend’s birthday party until one of us got knocked out or surrendered, get drunk afterwards.

One year, he arrived late, and I was already drunk. We still fought, but he kicked my arse that time and I lost consciousness for a few minutes.

[mattyb]

Been beaten up lots, also been the winner lots.

I was in a private Catholic boarding school and we used to get our heads kicked in whenever we went into the nearest large town on weekends.

I was part of a pretty good local rugby team and we used to always kick the **** out of the football (soccer) teams that got mouthy in nightclubs. Funnily enough, we never got into scrapes with other rugby teams - shows the difference in mentality I suppose.

I was a barman, then bouncer at a couple of bars. Luckily I never got glass in my face, but a colleague did once.

I worked in a bar where you went to buy drugs (same town where I used to get my head kicked in as a schoolboy), you could fix your motorbike on the pool table on Saturday nights. Real hell hole. The toughest people in the bar were the small guys, 5'8 or 9", 120lbs dripping wet. It took 5 policemen to control a guy that size once - nobody stepped in to help after he had destroyed the bottles behind the bar and slapped the barmaid a few times - I took a fist in the nose and went down like a sack of you-know-what. Not a proud moment.

Best advice for a fight : run.

[Peter]

Originally Posted by calverson 

You sound like Hugh Grant.

I've been told that before.

[Dakar V]

No, never. I feel confident I'd lose if I ever got in one, as well.

[NobleMatt]

ive had a few incidents, but never fought back, most recent on was this summer when me and my best mate (both of us are 6 foot odd, 13+ stone 20 year olds) got started on by a buck of 13-16 year old chavs, would have thought i we stood a chance but numbers really do count, there was 7 of them, in the end it was mainly aimed at me, but i refuse to fight and when hit just ducked and covered, at one point ended up on the floor and got a few kicks but all that hurt the next morning was the cuts on the inside of my mouth from been punched in the face and a saw jaw. my mate took a bit more of a beating, he ended up with black eye and bleeding nose, but we got off lucky, they could have introduced is to their friend "Stanley". The saddest thing was the youngest of the kids was only 13, he didnt do out but was encouraging it. the rest were 16-17, the ones that were fighting. all we did was walk past them and they would leave us alone. in the end we phoned the police who chased up the situation worked out who it was because they committed the same offence the same night about 30 min before hand. they got charged for that offence but not enough evidence for ours.

what kind of world do we live in where we cant walk down the street for fear of being attacked?

[Peter]

crazyreaper thats crazy. ****ing chavs. I always think that simply smacking one of the kids will probably scare them all off

[mattyb]

Originally Posted by crazyreaper 

they could have introduced is to their friend "Stanley".

Exactly why I said to run.

[andi*pandi]

Originally Posted by RAILhead 

I'm too big and intimidating in person for anyone to ever try anything on me.

Even if you're a pit bull, you have to watch out for packs of chihuahuas.

I've never been beaten up but I have been in a few skirmishes. A bloody nose.

Pesky chihuahua.

[calverson]

Originally Posted by Peter 

I've been told that before.

That is gross.

[olePigeon]

Originally Posted by Jawbone54 

Who kicks in a straightforward fight?

I do. If you're gonna start some sh*t with me, I'll have you doubled over before you can throw the first punch.

[Dakar V]

Perhaps he didn't announce it was a straightforward fight, and the other guy didn't know.

[Atheist]

I've certainly never instigated a fight. I have a strong aversion to confrontations. I'm that "nice guy" that everybody knows who has never been in a fight (let along even a verbal argument). Never understood the whole fighting thing anyway. Always been able to talk reasonably with people to get what I want/need.

Luckily I've never been in a situation where someone just picks a fight out of the blue. Not sure what I would do in that situation. I'm over 6' and built pretty well (as is my partner), I think we could handle ourselves as long as weapons weren't involved.

[Oisín]

Originally Posted by Dakar V 

No, never. I feel confident I'd lose if I ever got in one, as well.

Ditto. Never been in a real fight (I don’t count kid fights with classmates in the third grade), but I probably wouldn’t fare well if I got in one.

When I was in elementary school (till ninth grade, that is), I got pushed, shoved, tripped up, ‘zinged’ (not sure what that’s called in English—when someone creeps up behind you and jabs your sides just below the ribs with their fingers), and things like that quite a bit. Even got tied to a flagpole and left in an abandoned classroom in the empty end of the school (this was late afternoon, classes were over) for about three hours, till someone realised I was gone; and at graduation, I was rolled up in duct tape from head to toe, thrown onto the soccer field (while there was a game in play), and doused with about five gallons of ice cubes and water. But they didn’t beat me up.

[calverson]

When in a fight, I usually grab the antagonist by the collar and bring him in close, while simultaneously swinging in my elbow, so by the time he is close enough my elbow and his face connect.

I have done that about 5 times, and each fight did not go past that point.

[Demonhood]

"No touching of the hair or face."
(link contains mild language, cartoony violence, and Ben Stiller. you've been warned)

hell, i once accidentally got into a fight. i thought i was just calming someone down. he thought differently.

but i will agree with capuchin above that attitude has a lot to do with not being targeted for random brawls. i made a notable change in attitude back in junior high and bullies picked up on it immediately. attitude helps, especially when size isn't in your favor. of course, most of the above examples involved alcohol, which partially cancels out the advantage of a "don't mess with me" attitude.

[calverson]

Originally Posted by Oisín 

I was rolled up in duct tape from head to toe, thrown onto the soccer field (while there was a game in play), and doused with about five gallons of ice cubes and water. But they didn’t beat me up.

How nice of them. People are FAR more polite in Europe.

[Oisín]

Originally Posted by calverson 

How nice of them. People are FAR more polite in Europe.

Well, they were my classmates, after all.

[Dakar V]

Originally Posted by Demonhood 

"No touching of the hair or face."
(link contains mild language, cartoony violence, and Ben Stiller. you've been warned).

That's probably the best scene in that movie. Tim Robbins is far too convincing (looking) as the PBS douché.

Also, I can't believe there were horses, and a man on fire, and a guy killed with a trident.

[olePigeon]

Originally Posted by Oisín 

I was rolled up in duct tape from head to toe, thrown onto the soccer field (while there was a game in play), and doused with about five gallons of ice cubes and water. But they didn’t beat me up.

Heh, that actually sounds like fun.

[NobleMatt]

Originally Posted by Dakar V 

That's probably the best scene in that movie. Tim Robbins is far too convincing (looking) as the PBS douché.

Also, I can't believe there were horses, and a man on fire, and a guy killed with a trident.

second that!

"brock killed a man with a trident back there, brick ive been meaning to talk to you about that, you should probably lay low for a while, find a safe house" (did that off the top of my head, might not be right)

Edit:just was it on the end of the video.... was miles off