Martial Artist help me understand something, do people risk fighting to impress friends ?

Question

I was hanging out with a couple older friends, they are both 21. The past few times of hanging out with them, they keep bringing this 18 year old kid with them.

My one friend, lit a leaf on fire, and explained that he was doing it to keep the mosquitos away, so I understood that.

Then out of nowhere this stupid 18 year old kid, lites a rag in my yard on fire, and I stomp it out. He was embarassed, or something ... I'm not exactly sure what was going through his mind.

Before he left, I thought about fighting him, and he saw it in me, but I couldn't get real mad at him, to me ... it felt like a little kid spilling water on me. You know, nothing to get too upset about.

Anyway, I'm done talking to all 3 of them.

I told the younger smaller, 18 year old kid, before he left ... that he's too small for me to fight, he said " That doesn't matter "

which is kind of true !

Is he showing off for the older kids, should I fight think punk, or what ?

Answer 1

In this situation this 18 yr old was trying to impress his older friends.

(Stupid, immature because he could've gone to jail for aggrevated assault)

Those older kids are not friends because friends would help prevent each other from doing something stupid.

Litting a leaf on fire doesn't keep mosquitos away.

No you should not fight them.  It is against the law, and there is a potential of someone getting hurt,  and going to jail.

Answer 2

There's no need to fight him if you know you can beat him down easily, but if he keeps on bugging you about then go for it. Just don't embarrass yourself or hurt him to the point where you can get sue.

Answer 3

Hello DJ

I have responded to questions such as this in the past few weeks in regards to fighting.   Regardless of what your logics are.  fighting over small things such as what you mentioned above is just plain rediculous.

Here's my innermost thought about fighting:

Quite frankly, I am not impress.  I also find it more disturbing that many other posters will actually chimed and give their "opinion" of how to fight back. Questions such this does not belong in the martial arts.  Bullying and school fighting hardly constitute an action that of a martial artist.  Its a action stemming from a  person who cries for attention and the need for false sense of bravado.    

So some kid insulted you or treated you disprespectfully,  somebody accidentally bumped or shoved you, somebody is trying to bait you into fighting him or her and you don't want to look like a loser because people are watching or the girl you been dreaming about in your math class is watching you.  So what !  Do you believed that the proper response to these petty little stupid things by using violence will justify your action and fix everything ?  So big stinking deal !   You are no better than the idiot that started the fight !

People who acts or pretend to be tough typically suffer from lack of social skills .  They misinterpret social situations and often respond with aggressive persona.    

Do you want to know my difinition of what a "tough" person is all about  ?   Take a closer look at the Firefighters, Police Officers, The Men and Women of the armed forces and many others who risked their lives on the daily basis to save others.  That's a tough group of people !

You want to proved your fighting prowess or have the need to expend your hyper energy by fighting  ?  Why not join a martial arts school or MMA clubs.  Get involved in Full contact tournaments and or become a profesional MMA fighter.   This is a more respectable venue.

Don't get me wrong, unless you are positively sure that your life is in grave danger, Fighting back  to "defend"  yourself  is within your legal means and rights.  Then again, I am not a lawyer, perhaps your should consult with one.  

Rest assured that  if you chose to fight back because your "ego" or "rep" is being tarnished , you can be in a world of trouble with the school as well as the law.  Your future does rely on your ability to make a right decision today !      

Remember Sun Tzu once said "To fight and conquer in all our battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting".

If you don't like my answer, go ahead fight with all your heart's contenment and let us know what its like to be in jail once you get out.

Answer 4

If you fight you would be considered a douche bag... DON'T FIGHT UNLESS YOU HAVE TO!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 5

Fighting is not the purpose of any Martial Art. All are about balancing ones self, defending ones self and the focus of energy. Now to combat the uproars of learning how to fight is part of Martial Arts is one purpose, an attack is aggressive defense from the point of view of a true martial artist. We have lost that value do to sport fighting like MMA and UFC, where the attacks from many different styles are brought together to create a super fighter. But, the true purpose of an attack is to prevent a person from harming you.

If a person who does martial arts is fighting simply to impress his friends, then he is truly lost from the true path of a great martial artist. A person who does that feels like he has something to prove, he has no balance in his life between the physical and the mental. A person like that, may be a strong fighter, but a weak mind is easily conquered by a competent and balanced martial artist.

Not having the inner balance clouds your mind and your thoughts giving you bad decisions that lead to defeat. A balanced and focused individual knows what to do and how to do it, with no hesitation.

Not fighting is the best way to fight, no one is hurt and problems don't escalate.