Yesterday's encounter

[Ray Pina]

Was surfing. Few local guys out.

Then a car pulled up with three out of town guys. Never stoked about that, but no problem.

These guys come out, with beers. Leave finished bottles right on the beach before paddling out -- not a good first impression.

They paddle right out to the peak and start hassling everyone for waves, calling guys off and being obnoxious.

Equivalent to going to a playground and, while people are in the middle of a game, start running in and out of the court, yelling and screaming, even intercepting the ball and running around with it.

Now, if it was Michael Jordan, and he came up and dunked the ball -- well, that is one thing. But these drunk bums were terrible, not only taking waves, but then blowing them.

There were words between a few of the guys and my friends. I paddled away and found my own peak.

Anyway, I get out and I see these guys in the parking lot using their surf wax to write derogatory crap on everyone's windows. And, waxing their locks so they can't get into their car. A real hassle, $hit is hard to get off.

Lucky, thy didn't get to mine, but were waxing a good friend of mines at the time.

Still, in my wetsuit, I call out: "What the hell are you doing?"

Two of the guys were already changed and in the car, ripping bong hits actually.

Their loud mouth friend, wax in hand: "None of your God **** business."

Now, I have the pony-tail, the goatee, the full on beach bit(h look. Only thing, unlike these Long Island guys, I didn't grow up at the beach or the suburbs, I grew up in Newark.

"None of my business huh, that's my boys car you're f*cking with". I zipped my suit back up because I knew -- didn;'t want anything loose to be grabbed.

"What you doing to do about it?" He was looked to his friends. I looked to his friends. They stayed put.

"I'm going to kick your ..."

I finished the statement, and I admit, I could have been more polite, maybe been sorf and avoided the whole thing. But they ****ed me off so I admit, I egged this on.

He charged. He was a bit smaller thenmyself, maybe 5'9- 5'10, 175 180. Small, but kind of big for a surfer.

My right hit his outstreched arms as he chraged and I felt his weight. Stepped back and gave him a left. His arms took off a lot of the power and I was more or less stiff arming him. There was a moment, it seemed like 7 seconds but probbaly less, where it seemed like we froze.

I had my back hand up and I felt his arms at the side of my head, my palm was on his chin pushing his head back, his hand got to the side of my face and then we broke.

He had his hands up, did a little side to side dance.

I was reday, a little disapointed in myself. All I was thinking is that I better not loose to this guy. If I do, I'm a looser and full of $hit.

He charged again. I braced myself and caught him with a solid right uppercut. He didn't fall, but it hurt him. He stumbled back and pout his arms out in the "OK, enough" posture.

I hard my guard slightly up, knowing I hurt him and trying to look relaxed to mess with his mind. My adrenaline was flying.

He backed a way to the truck, threw his board in and hopped in wetsuit still on.

I did the same, not wanting to hang around incase someone saw.

Now, I won the confrontation, no doubt. That one shot landed solid and clean. Jarred his body but I knew it took him out of the game and I sensed that I definitely out powered him.

BUT, I was really unhappy with the first clash. Terrible. How could he get to me. How could we be tied up like that? It was my first real fight in years. I was nervous that first go. The second I was more pressured not to screw up, thinking about years of training.

Got home, while having dinner an hour later I wiped my nose and realised some dry blood on my finger about a minute later. Not sure how that got there. I didn't feel a blow land, just his arm around the side of my head when we were jammed up. But it had to happen then.

The second time I stepped very slightly to the left and connected with a clean unanswered uppercut. I was a bit surprised how it landed, smooth like butter. But even then, I didn;t follow it up.

I was thinking I should have naturally, what if ....?

So, overall, I am disapointed in myself. In a way, ignorance is bliss. I thought I was a MA before training with my master. Now, everytime I train I feel like a retard. Everything I do is wrong.

I'm improving, and I feel more confident as a fighter, because before was just a joke, but at the same time, I really am just a white belt, and after all these years that's discouraging, having to start from scratch. But yesterday, and training with my master Tuesday, put everything in perspective.

If I want to be good, I have to be where I am right now and take it seriously, train harder.

Well, I'm leaving work early today to surf. I'm wondering if these guys will be there again? I never seen them before. Not worried about it like that. I know everyone in the water -- the local crew.

My mind is a mess as of late.

[fa_jing]

Hey, welcome back friend!

Should have followed up that uppercut. That's why I like the chain punching, not as a battle tactic at all, rather giving you that mindset that you have to hit and keep hitting.

Why were you head hunting, anyway? He charged at you, you should have gone right to the body. Make his beer drinking ass throw up. Or make him drop his guard, then come up high. You played his game and won, but you still played his game.

This is constructive criticism only, you really deserve a pat on the back and you have some balls. Like you, I haven't had a confrontation in a long time. As it wasn't a life-or-death situation, and no one was being physically attacked, it is understandable that you didn't go all out. As well, you were correct in defending your friends' property with physical force.

So were you able to be in the "relaxed awareness" mind-set, or did the adreneline rush take over? Did you tense up?

-FJ

[Justa Man]

it's cool man. you'll reach that point you're looking for because you aren't satisfied...shoulda ended it sooner, shoulda followed up, shoulda been better, etc.
take it in stride and know you're getting better with every minute you spend training. maybe replay that situation in your head and for about 15 minutes, do the techniques you think you shoulda done. shadowbox the sh!t outta that boy!
enjoy the waves.

[Ray Pina]

fa_jing, I have to be honest here, I was nervous when he rushed a bit. I fought a lot as a kig growing up, and for the 2 years I did mantis fought on a regular basis, but here I was in a parking lot getting rushed -- and there was no headgear.

I was very "careful". It happened kind of in slow motion. I saw him coming and I could hear myself saying to do "the right thing". So I attacked his outstreched arms. And then when he kept coming I stepped back and out filling with a left. I was expecting that to do it to be honest -- I've practiced it a thousand times. Not finish it but give me the advantage/position. But his arms were up and took a lot of of it. So it got through, but no major blow, that's how I got to his chin, but we were kind of locked up.

After we broke, I felt a little better. Kind of like, here it is. I wouldn't say I was instantly loose, I could feel the blood pumping. But more settled. When he rushed again that one shot hit so clean I was kind of surprised. And surprised that it affected him the way it did -- it jarred him real good. I thought he was going to go down, I felt him just stop cold. But he didn't.

Anyway, you're one hundred percent right. I should have been on him like flys on $hit, but, too be honest too, I have that nice guy thing in me too, where I can't hurt someone. If somehow he pinned me up against a car and was pummelimg me, well, hell, then I'd freeking bite into his throat if I had too. But at that point, it just kind of felt rediculous.

It was nice, because it was the test I've been waiting for. But, I honestly believe I failed ... in so many ways.

I shouldn't have fought, that's what I hear my first sensei saying (from when I was a kid). SHouldn't have said I'd kick his a$$ and esculate it -- thought I admit I kind of wanted too.

I definitely should have been able to drop him like "that!", but I didn't. The first clash wasn't natural, I was thinking and calculating and not "doing". After all that chi sau, man, when we weer tied up I should have pretzled his arms and clean clocked him. But I didn't.

I think of how my master moves, how everything is painful and brutal. I got lucky. What if his friends came out? Quite stupid. I think I'm more upset because I realise how bad I still am and I just turned 28. I want to fight great fighters, but I am not even close. I'm missing something and I don't know what it is.

My master has it, no doubt.

[Fu-Pow]

Wow...great story. Sounds like you did fine. The guy was drunk so he probably didn't feel the full effect of your strike. He's probably feeling it the next day. When you intitally clashed with this guy it sounds like you lost your root and you were fighting upper body strength with upper body strength. Maybe should have dropped your weight and come up from underneath.

The question I would ask myself after this confrontation is could I have gotten them to do what I wanted without fighting? Afterall, getting your car waxed sucks but getting your throat crushed or eye poked out sucks a lot worse. You can wash a window, clean a lock or even replace a car but you can't replace body parts...or your life. Ghandi said " An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind."

Yau Sam

[fa_jing]

I'm sure I would have tensed up too. That's why I am glad I can use my art in a purely external manner, much like Karate. I'm glad that I can hit pretty hard, even while standing straight up with hardly any bend in my knees, no root to speak of. Because if I find myself in a street confrontation, this may be the only way I can fight.

Like my Sifu always says:

"You've got to have these " (shows fists)
"and you've got to have these " (shows feet)

Meaning when all else fails, you've got to have your punches and your kicks. "your most basic techniques," as he puts it.

[Crimson Phoenix]

And my personal favorite: You've got to have these *shows balls..uuh, I mean guts* heheheh
Wow, my first post in like 2 months or something, and of course, it's to say a stupid thing
But at least now I got the DSL baby heheheheheh

Evo: man, I know the feeling...it's hard...we always have our image of us and what we can do during training, and what we really do when the heat is on...with the doubts, adrenalin, factors clouding our mind, it's hard...our intellects tend to get in the way, when it's the last thing we need...you really described it well, when you said you were telling yourself "do the right thing"...you let the intellectual minds peak for you, not the martial artist in you...that's hard to do...very hard...I believe it's one of the most advanced goals of martial training, kind of like the empty, yet receptive state of mind of duelling samurais...you're still a martial artist...you gained a precious knowledge: what worked, what didn't, that a blow is not necessarily a fight-stopper, even a clean hit. You also learnt that when you land a clean blow or a picture-perfect block, your mind freezes for a while, from a sort of satisfaction, or as if your brain was analyzing what you did (hence the absence of follwo-up)...
****, I wish you could read french, to read that wonderful books about vital points I mentionned several times...there's a part on the tricks of mind that is just gorgeous, and deals with exactly what you felt. But once again, now you realized this in situation, with your body, and not by reading a book...so once again, it's all good, because realizing a mistake is the necessary part to get rid of it!
Also, you know, fighting the gong fu way is hard..real hard...it's not like kick boxing...everyone can kick box after a lil while...fighting gong fu is a whole other story...the achievement of a lifetime...you're 28? so what, you're ONLY 28...you have many more decades of improving your gong fu

Take care, and do not let your mind be troubled, or your training be affected: the outcome is in your favor you taught him a good lesson, and your azz is safe, and you learnt good stuffs. Make the best of the worse, you have all your life to improve :-)
And also, you'd better feel priviledged, you're the first one to get a post after my come-back hehehehehehe

[Water Dragon]

Look at it this way E...

You whupped his @ss good and it sounds like he didn't even get a shot in. If you didn't do martial arts you would be bragging to all of your friends about how bad you beat his @ss and you'd be right.

However, you do practice martial arts so you're never going to be satisfied no matter what the outcome. It's a part of the game.

My advice? Work on your yielding a little more. Sounds like you didn't find/control his center. There's always something you can do better, but you also did good.

[Scarletmantis]

I'm wondering what your feet were doing during all of this? Your story focuses alot on upper body action which might explain the power struggle. Maybe the punch was performed from the feet up which would explain the fluidity. You know the hsing i doctrine: "Keep advancing", it's your feet that do the punching.

I find that focusing on what my lower body is doing rather than catching hands helps a great deal in real confrontations. If I'm rooted with my mind on my waist, the steps come naturally, I stay low, step with speed and dominate the confrontation 99% of the time. I'm not talking out of my a$$ here, my job throws me into a real fight several times a month.

Try reinacting the confrontation with a partner a few times. Make sure he's bigger than you, and get him to really resist. Once you feel comfortable with that, go hard for a few minutes. Try stepping into him, around him, over him like a bulldozer.

Keep your techniques short and simple. Vital targets only. Be aware that your adrenaline rush is going to chuck your coordination out the window, and train your five element fists instead of complex movements. They were designed for fighting and are supurb tools when used for that purpose. You should regain your confidence quickly.

Anyway, real fights NEVER look like a forms competition or a Jet Li film. If you won, then your training worked. Now use the experience to hone your skills.

[CD Lee]

Cool. Now you have a great reference point in your training. This is better than a sparring match too, as you had real risk in getting seriously hurt. Which is another reason I will bring up this suggestion. I too am a nice guy. However, if I thought I would actually have to fight for real, I would probably now, commit in my mind to fight and get the adrenaline dump immediately. Then I would seek to control the dump before I engaged. In this case, I would most likely have approached the guy 'non aggresively', and as I got into range to discuss the matter, explode into a Pi against his head before he figured out that it was a fight. I know that sounds stupid in a way, but he sounded like he really needed an adjustment. Frankly, I do not like fighting. However, if I am going to have to, I would hope I can not allow the other guy to prepare too well. Xingyi is so sneaky and surprising. If you can disguse your attack, or even your defence, it can shock the **** out of somebody.

Just some thoughts. I think you did great. Kudos for allowing it to end the way you did.

[travelsbyknight]

Because, your scenario doesn't sound like kung fu at all. Is this yet another example of guys that study kung fu but revert to boxing when they fight or spar?

[BAI HE]

I think traditional MA's are more suited to defend and counter attack scenarios. When you decided to call this guy out, prehaps you were moving away from the strengths and principals of your art and your character.

[crumble]

For what it's worth, it >might< have been good you locked up a little, because it kept him in front of you, along with the other guys. I can think of nasty throws you could have done, using his energy, but that result in you showing your back to the other guys... which might have made them want to jump in.

I also think that if you hurt the guy any worse the other guys would have felt compelled to rush in, too.

So I think you gave him just the right beating for the situation.

The only other thing I'd add is that, if it was possible (sounds like it wasn't) you really should have signalled for backup, just in case it became a group stomp or weapons were pulled.

-crumble

[Phantom Menace]

you did fine.

[Scarletmantis]

Bai He

"Defend, counter attack", I don't think so. Real fights tend to be crude and unpredictable. If you choose to mount a passive defense and then follow up with a counter, you're going to get clocked. Your defense will only lead to another attack by your opponent, then another, until he gets you. It's much more advisable to lead with an offensive technique, or at least perform your defense and counter with one simple and fluid movement.

Also, your assertion that Evolution has moved "away from the strengths and principals (sic) of (his) art" shows a lack of understanding. Hsing Yi's strength and fighting philosophy revolves around the idea that the best defense is a good offense. I understand that this is at odds with the predominantly Japanese/Okinawan training you have recieved, but it's important for you to realize that there are other valid approaches out there.

My personal opinion is that the aggressive mindset of arts such as Hsing Yi, Ba Gua, Tong Long and the like, are better suited to the sorts of threats that we face in our modern society. Peaceful intentions have thier place in our society, and are always prefferable to violence, but when facing individuals who are ingaging in criminal activities, and who show such a blatant disregard for his fellow man, I prefer to handle the situation with a heavy hand.

Better to be judged by twelve than carried by six.